It’s been many years since I’ve been to a funeral and I can only imagine how difficult it will be to attend the funeral of a friend, much less officiate that funeral. Mike Mckinley recently shared some thoughts after officiating the funeral of a friend who was “self-conciously an unbeliever”. These are a powerful reminder of the glory of Christ and the need to make much of Him and less of ourselves.

1. It’s amazing how death makes people feel the need for religion.  There’s something about being face to face with our mortality that makes people long for spiritual direction, even if they would normally say that they don’t believe in God or the afterlife.
2. It’s really hard to preach with an eight-year old little girl bawling for her father right in front of you.
3. I’m so thankful for John 11, where Jesus weeps at the tomb of a friend of his, a young man who had died (perhaps suddenly and unexpectedly).
4. I’m so thankful that Jesus didn’t come just to weep, but to live and die and rise and make all things new.  He is the resurrection and the life.
5. Your memorial service is a kind of judgment on your life.  Your judges are your family and friends.  The nice things they say about you will give a pretty clear picture of what your life amounted to and what you loved.  Live your life in such a way that “Star Trek” is never mentioned at your memorial service.
6. I’m thankful that God is glorified whenever the gospel is preached, whether it be in the salvation of sinners or in their rejection of the message.
7. I am renewed in my desire to live in light of the last day, when I will face God.
8. My average day contains absolutely nothing that could be considered real suffering or pain.  I almost never express any gratitude for this fact.  I am an idiot.
9. This whole thing makes me want to hug my wife and kids extra tight.

I’m continually impressed with Sojourn Community Church’s Children’s ministry, in their content, Gospel-focus, and willingness to share resources with the greater world. Recent, Jared Kennedy posted the Children’s Ministry Servant Covenant that people are asked to sign in order to work with children at Sojourn. This is a model covenant with clear time, learning, worshipping, missional, and Gospel commitments. I could see us using this almost verbatim for our church plant.

Children’s Ministry Servant Covenant, December 2009:

This covenant is an agreement of faithfulness between the children’s ministry of Sojourn Community Church (SojournKids) and the children’s ministry servant.  SojournKids does not consider the children’s servant to be a volunteer or lay-person.  SojournKids is seeking men and women who have a driving ambition and a confirmed gifting to nurture and teach children—nursery, toddlers, preschool, and elementary—to trust in and whole-heartedly follow Jesus Christ.

SojournKids recognizes that God has built his church community as a covenant Family with Christ as its foundation (1 Peter 2:4-12).  Children’s ministry occurs within the context of a larger covenant community where God has commanded parents to teach their children about God’s words and works (Psalm 78: 5-7).  Our children’s ministry is a catalyst for Christian families having gospel conversations together, and it provides the community context for nurturing and teaching children no matter their individual family background.  If you believe it is God’s desire for you to serve children, it is our desire that you pursue this ambition by using your gifts in SojournKids (1 Peter 4:10).  Upon signing this covenant the children’s servant agrees to the following items for accountability:

1.  As a Servant, I will give my time, talent, and ability sacrificially.

• I will faithfully serve at every SojournKids ministry class where I am scheduled, and I will send an equipped Sojourn member when I must be away. (Weekly and monthly commitments run for a six-month time period–currently through February 2010).
• I will arrive 45 minutes before my ministry begins.
• I will not be alone with a child.  I will always stay in public areas of the Sojourn building with children and only enter the restroom with a child when another ministry servant is present.
• I will leave the classroom in which I serve better than I found it—recognizing that other ministry servants will be using this classroom after I leave.

2.  As a Learner, I will seek discover and develop my gifts and abilities as a children’s servant.

• I will attend at least 2 training sessions during each commitment cycle.  The sessions will usually be Sunday afternoon luncheons or one-day events in the local Louisville area.
• I will study any and all assigned lessons before I arrive for my ministry assignment.

3.  As a Worshiper, I will remember that Jesus is present when I serve.

• I will meet to pray with other servants at the beginning of each service, and I will serve with an attitude of prayer.
• I will talk about Jesus while at play, because gospel life is more than just the lessons.

4.  As a Missionary, I will plainly demonstrate the gospel to children and families at every opportunity.

• I will teach children God’s promises and plainly speak about their need to repent from sin and trust Christ (Acts 2:38-39).
• I will greet Sojourn families and visiting families with biblical hospitality, and I will celebrate when families come back

By signing this form you agree to the above requirements so that SojournKids can fulfill its calling to nurture and teach the children whom God has given us.

Name_____________________________________ Date__________________

Living in the state with the worst economy in the country makes unemployment a topic of frequent conversation. Greg Gilbert on the 9Marks blog recently posted the ten things that a member at Capital Hill Baptist has learned from his unemployment.

#1: Own your unemployment

This struggle has revealed how much I wrongly value work and wrongly value being seen as important.  As a reaction to this new reality, my flesh wants to pass through this trial quickly.  My flesh doesn’t want to slow down and absorb the lessons that God has for me in this season.

So there is a constant struggle to avoid admitting that I am unemployed or that my unemployment has extended so long because it tells my flesh that the world doesn’t think much of me.  So I am tempted to tell people that I took a few months off before I really started looking; anything to minimize the embarrassment.

Embracing the trial, to me, means being honest with myself and forcing myself to run to God and to depend on him.  I need to work at not putting up defenses.  I need to regularly admit to people that I am unemployed…

This honest assessment drives me to the scriptures to find rest and solace in God and His word and NOT in anything else.

#2: Preach to yourself

In times like this, it is too easy to speak to yourself and become discouraged, to doubt and even to accuse God.  We need to arm ourselves with His word and battle those thoughts.  As Paul says in 2 Corinthians: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Here are a few common “thoughts” that we need to “take captive:” worry (Luke 12), fears that my struggle is meaningless (James 1), fears that God doesn’t love me (Galatians 4:6-7), fears that God is powerless (Numbers 1:23).

Use God’s Word to fight your thoughts that challenge God’s truth.

#3: Prepare for the Storm

The book of James is clear that we do not know the future.  We don’t even know what is going to happen tomorrow.  So, we are wise, to prepare.  As proverbs says: “Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.”  Are you prepared for tomorrow?  For those of you with jobs, you are in your ‘summer.’  Are you preparing for winter?   Don’t think that it can’t happen to you.  It is a good thing to live well within our means so that we can give sacrificially now while also saving that we might provide for our families in the future.

#4: Depend on the LORD

As a believer, it is a blessing to depend on the LORD.  It is really evident to me that the LORD is pouring out his grace on me and my family right now.  We know that Faith is a gift from God and he has been kind to allow me to trust him as I walk through this trial.

God is giving me hope.  Not just in that he will provide a next job.  But is giving me hope in him and is fitting me for heaven.

#5: Be surprised at his Kindness

In the midst of real difficultly, this has been a surprisingly sweet period in my life.  Don’t get me wrong, I want a job, but I see this as God ordained.  He gives and he takes.  And, while waiting for a job, he has blessed me.

• He has refreshed my soul and reoriented my heart towards Him.
• I have been able to spend a ton of time with my family.
• The extra time has allowed me to serve my church and care for them.

God knew what I needed and has been an abundant provider of blessing.

#6: Encourage the unemployed

We are called to shoulder one another’s burdens. Around town I hear that job-searcher fatigue is taking hold.  That is, people are getting tired of helping job searchers.  As a church, we must not grow weary in doing good, but continue providing for those who are unemployed.

#7: Beware of Idol Worship

We know from Genesis 2 that work is ordained by the LORD and is good.  But our hearts are idol-factories, and in the middle of a prolonged search a job can easily become more important than God and drain your joy. And we lose perspective and think that all we need is a job and then life will be happy and fulfilling.  So we must fight this tendency by recognizing it, confessing it, and exercising the discipline of thanksgiving in all situations.

#8: Cry out to the LORD

It is a good thing to cry and pour out your heart to God.  Trials remind us that any sense that we have it all together is a complete illusion.  God and God alone is in control. As the Psalmist says: “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

#9: Invest the Extra time well

Being without a job is not without its benefits.  You have extra time on your hands.  And, you will soon miss this when you get a new job.

• Serve others
• Walk through this trial with other unemployed members of the church.
• Spend more time reading and with the LORD.  One warning: you still need to plan your quiet times or the day will slip by without one.

#10: Take Advantage of Unique Opportunities for Evangelism

Many friends and former colleagues have invested their entire lives in work.  And now many of them are unemployed and are panicking…  All of my former colleagues, whether employed or unemployed, expect that I should be panicking too.  That is the natural reaction of an unbelieving world.

What’s more, I’ve found that people who normally would never ask you how you are doing will do so now–and now they expect more than a cursory answer.  This is a great and natural opportunity to share how you are trusting in the Lord.  Share how the Lord has provided for you this week or how the church members are caring for you, or what Scripture you are feeding on that day.

In my experience, it floors people when they realize that you are trusting in something other than yourself.  And right there is the opening to share the hope of the Gospel!

Here are some recent posts about elders. Daniel Montgomery of Sojourn Community Church writes of their elder installation process in 2 parts (part 1 and part 2). Kevin DeYoung of University Reformed Church describes how congregational care works at his church and the role that elders play. Here are some highlights of each post

Elder Installation (asked of each elder)

1. Do you believe the historic Scriptures to be the inerrant, inspired Word of God, the only infallible authority on Christian faith and practice?
2. Do you whole-heartedly affirm the historic Christian faith – the gospel, the church and God’s mission – as taught by the elders of this church and as lived out in the practices of this community; and if at any time you come to disagree with any of the fundamentals of the gospel, the church or God’s mission as your fellow elders hold firm, through the Scriptures, will you take initiative to make known your change in views to your fellow elders?
3. Do you affirm Sojourn’s constitution, her government and church discipline practices thoughtfully drawn from the general principles found in the Bible?
4. Do you promise a heart of peace and unity toward your brother elders and your church family?
5. Do you affirm that you have been driven, as best you know of your own heart, to desire the work of an elder in this church by your love of God and a sincere desire to see Jesus’ gospel transform everything?
6. Do you promise to be faithful and diligent in the exercise of all your duties as Christian men and elders in this church, as an individual and in community, privately and publicly; and to strive, by the grace of God, to put on Christ while putting off sin in your life and to walk above reproach before God’s church and a watching world?
7. Do you now willingly take leadership in this church, in response to God’s call on your life and your own desire; do you promise to faithfully discharge the duties of a pastor in this community to the best of your ability, and even beyond, by the grace of God in your life?

Elder Installation (asked of the congregation)

1. Do you, the members of Sojourn, profess your readiness to receive these men, as they answer the call to be your pastors?
2. Do you promise to receive the word of truth from these men with submission and love, following them as they follow Christ, and receive their encouragement and admonishment as they shepherd you in your Christian faith?
3. Do you promise to encourage these men and joyfully take part in all their work as they lead this church?
4. Do you promise to support them, with acts of service and generosity, with your time and talents and with your finances as Scripture calls you to do so; to supply them in their needs for the sake of their work for the gospel on your behalf, on the behalf of your city and on behalf of the nations?

Congregational Care by Elders

The elders are essential to congregational care and oversight. This should be obvious, because elders, by definition, ought to be caring for the sheep and exercising oversight. Our elders do this in a few different way.

First, we pray for people. We pray when called up. We seek to pray for people when they need help. And we pray for our people at our elders meetings and retreats.

Second, our elders oversee our growth groups. Ben is the point man, but most of our elders–a couple elders are excused because they are involved in our executive committee–are responsible for overseeing a few growth groups each. This does not mean they lead a group in their home, though they can if they want.  Oversight means two things. One, it means that the elders come to the every other month growth group leaders training session and meet with the leaders under their care. This is a time to trouble shoot, hear how things are going, and pray. Two, oversight means that the members of the leaders growth group (see previous point) are in the elder’s district (see below).

Third, we divide the church into elder districts. The district is first of all assigned by growth groups. So if Larry oversees two leaders, Moe and Curly, then Larry has all the members of Moe and Curly’s growth groups in his district (man is that a rough district). The elder district also includes members not in a growth group and regular adherents of the church who, for whatever reason, have not joined. These names, non-growth group members and adherents, are assigned alphabetically. The elder is responsible to pray regularly for his district, and he must make contact with each person in the district at least once a year.

We do not expect the elders to personally disciple the people in their districts or know everything going on in their lives. This is why we have growth groups. But the elder usually has a good feel for the major issues that have surfaced. Our elders meet twice a month. The second meeting of the month is our normal business meeting. At this meeting we always ask “who is in need of spiritual help and/or is not making faithful use of the means of grace?” Follow up calls are usually assigned based on the district someone is in.  Three times a year we do a thorough review of our districts as an entire elder board.

I’ve read in many places about the power of the preaching of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I’m looking forward to reading the 2 volume biography of him (David Martyn Lloyd-Jones the First Forty Years 1899-1939 (v. 1),David Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith 1939-1981 (v. 2)) that I recently purchased to get a better account. Here’s a quick summary from both J.I. Packer and Dr. Lloyd-Jones’ daughter of Dr. Lloyd as written on the 9Marks blog

1. The man deeply felt his conversion.  Dr. Lloyd-Jones never got over the Lord’s mercy to him in saving him and this was clear in his preaching.
2. The underlining issue behind his preaching was the glory of God.  Behind all of his preaching the main point and main issue was always that God be glorified and exalted.  He never treated the Lord casually.
3. He had the presence of a man who dwelt with the Lord in prayer.  When he preached, he sincerely preached as a man that had consistently lingered truly humbly before the Lord and had dwelt on the Truth of God in Scripture.  He brought those meditations and that posture to the people.