Elders lead the church. The main Biblical passages about their qualifications are 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-10. Specifically, 1 Timothy 3:6 reads

He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil

Since an elder must not be a recent convert, it stands to reason that elders must be tested and examined. This something many churches do not do when they appoint as elders good speakers or good business vs. holy Christians. Some churches have an examination process for elder candidates. Some of my bros in my Re:Train cohort are going through elder training at Mars Hill Church and I think it’s a year-long process. Coram Deo in Omaha, Nebraska has a  “6-month course of study and discussion” towards becoming an elder that “culminates with the examination phase.” Here’s the description of that phase written by Lead Pastor/Elder Bob Thune.

• Written essays outlining spiritual history, practice of spiritual disciplines, theological influences, leadership strengths and weaknesses, and understanding/articulation of the gospel
• A 3-hour written exam testing Bible comprehension and pastoral wisdom. For example: “What is the significance of Colossians 1 and 2 to our understanding of Christology?” And: “How would you comfort and encourage a couple at Coram Deo who just miscarried 9 weeks into pregnancy? What biblical passages would you take them to?” And: “A non-Christian in your MC asserts that he is a pretty moral person and, to his knowledge, has never broken one of the Ten Commandments. What Scripture passages would you take him to in order to show him that sin does not consist merely in outward acts?”
• A full review of stewardship, budget, debt and family finances by the CD Financial Team
• An oral assessment that tests “on-the-spot” Bible knowledge, theological acuity, and pastoral discernment
• A husband/wife interview assessing family health, marriage and parenting practices, conflict resolution, etc.
• A major theological position paper interacting with some current topic in church life (Coram Deo’s current position papers on Poverty and on Divorce and Remarriage are the fruit of past elder examinations)

It’s our desire to raise up men who 1) meet the biblical qualifications for eldership in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and 2) have the full faith and trust of the entire Coram Deo community. This examination phase is a key step toward that end. Please pray for the men who are in the midst of it right now. And pray that God will raise up many more!

I’m very grateful that Bob posted this. It’s an excellent model to follow as I look to plant and raise up elders. It’s also very close to the same material that my Acts 29 application included, which makes sense, since every elder should be qualified to plant a church.

By Brian Vickers on the SojournKids.com Blog

When you hear the word “kingdom” what comes to mind?  Maybe things like castles, moats, draw-bridges, and big stone walls.  Whatever comes to mind, it’s probably something big, powerful, and impressive. The people of Israel were waiting for God’s kingdom.  A time when God would defeat all their enemies, and centuries of war and suffering and waiting would come to an end.  God would come and save his people and set up the greatest kingdom the world had ever seen.  Expectations were high. Then one day Jesus came and said: “The time has come.  The kingdom of God is near.  Turn and trust in the good news of the kingdom!” (Mark 1:15).  But when Jesus talked about the Kingdom, he said some unexpected things.  To be part of his kingdom, you have to give up your life and follow him (8:34).  In his kingdom, the greatest people are servants—just like him (9:35; 10:44-45).  Jesus said his kingdom is like a mustard seed (4:31).  That doesn’t sound too impressive, but what Jesus is saying is that you have to be able to look at a little seed and see everything it will become.  It takes the eyes of faith to see Jesus’ kingdom.  We enter the Kingdom by believing that Jesus the King suffered and gave up his life for us.  Through faith we see and experience the reality and power of the kingdom in everyday things like loving each other and loving our neighbors; in simple acts of service; in caring more for the good of others than for our own good; and in sharing the gospel of Jesus the servant-king with the people around us so that they can join in the kingdom.  When God’s kingdom fully arrives it will be more powerful and glorious than anything we can imagine, it will go beyond all our expectations, but for now we see it all in seeds.

Teaching the Mustard Seed Kingdom

• Ask your children to describe a kingdom.  Then show them a seed – any seed will do- and then say “This is what Jesus says his kingdom is like.”  Read Mark 4:30-32.  A great way to illustrate it is with an acorn.  Let them hold an acorn in their hand. Then have them look up at an oak tree.  Use this activity to begin talking about faith and God’s kingdom.
• For older children, ask them to describe the people they think are great, or the kind of people who are popular.  Talk about how we usually judge greatness.  Then read Mark 9:33-37 and 10:41-45.  Using Jesus as the example, challenge them with the idea that servants are greatest in God’s Kingdom.
• Try to find an activity you can do as a family (particularly with older kids) that will display Kingdom service.  Serve as a family through “Seed” at Sojourn.  Maybe there’s someone in your neighborhood who needs help taking care of their yard or house.  Bring a meal or package of treats of some kind to a neighbor.  Invite neighbors over.
• Have everyone list 5 ways that they can serve one another around the house.  There are endless possibilities for this one.
• Read the story of the Rich Young Man in Mark 10:17-31.  Now read Mark 8:34-9:1.  Being a disciple of Jesus means putting Jesus above all—discuss how the rich man was unable to do this and why.  Use this as a way of talking about what it means to follow Jesus.
• Parents:  You are the representatives of the King. How is your household reflecting the Kingdom of God?  Do your children see you loving and serving one each other?

I’ve been told by my Re:Train coach, Cliff Low, that the best use of my time is developing leaders. Much easier said than done, however. When developing leaders, you need a plan and you need to make it a priority. When planning, you should ask “What are the

1. Requirements from Scripture (For example, what do 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 say?)
2. Requirements from your Denomination or Network (For example, what does it mean to be an elder in a Presbyterian, Baptist, or an Acts 29 church?)
3. Requirements from your context and church (For example, what does it mean to be an elder at my church, at this time, this stage, this size, in this part of this specific city?)

Scott Thomas of the Acts 29 Network recently published a study guide that is very useful in training and raising up new leaders. Here’s an overview of the guide.

This study guide is an interactive curriculum of the book, Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005) written by Wayne A. Grudem and edited by Elliot Grudem.

Christian Beliefs (160 pages) is a condensed version of Grudem’s book, Bible Doctrine (528 pages), and that itself is a condensed version of Grudem’s award-winning Systematic Theology (1,290 pages).* This guide is designed to introduce Christians to the core beliefs of Bible doctrine in preparation for church leadership or to help new Christians to distinguish truth from error. This guide can be used to prepare elders, deacons, small group leaders, Sunday School teachers and all those who want to learn more about maturing in their Christian faith and becoming equipped to give a gentle and respectful answer to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15). An instructor in a class or small group or in a one to one environment can facilitate the questions or it can be utilized as a self-study or as a tool to equip a family in Biblical doctrine.

Theological Clarity and Application seeks to preserve the contents of Grudem’s Christian Beliefs by using questions to stimulate further understanding and application. The participants in this curriculum would benefit by first reading each chapter in Christian Beliefs before answering questions. It is also highly recommended to have a respected study Bible and a copy of Grudem’s Systematic Theology available for reference.

Each chapter of this guide corresponds to the chapters in Christian Beliefs. At the end of each section, a prayer text and Scripture memory is included. Additionally, a reference to the corresponding chapters and supplementary readings in Grudem’s Systematic Theology are included as well as further readings by noted conservative scholars and authors who contribute to the specific topic covered in the chapter.

This material is not something that should be rushed through to complete. It is a refrigerated locker full of meat that must be eaten regularly and systematically one meal at a time, allowing ample time to chew and digest the information and ideally to savor with others. One can complete the study in 20 weeks by covering one chapter a week or complete it in 40 weeks (approximately one school year) by covering one chapter every two weeks. The latter allows for a deeper reading of the accompanying Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem.

You can download it here

• B&W Questions Only (63 pages),
• B&W Workbook (color cover) 91 pages,
• Color Questions Only
• Color Workbook

Page CXVI is a project started with the idea of making hymns accessible and known again. They are some of the richest, most meaningful, and moving pieces of music ever written.

One of the best things that has happened alongside the recent resurgence of Reformed theology has been a renewed interest in hymnody. Whether it’s an old classic by Isaac Watts or Charles Wesley or a more recent one by Keith and Kristen Getty, hymns have a simple majesty that proudly praises our God and King. I grew up singing hymns in church and listening to them at home. They have had an immeasurable impact on my faith and my life. To this day, singing many of them brings tears of joy and delight to my eyes and I can’t wait to pass along this love to Malachi. Page CXVI has created two Hymns albums that are available for free download at www.pagecxvi.com/share. Download, listen, be edified, and share them.

#1: Galatians 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

I don’t believe that this verse teaches that all people are the same, as it is often used when arguing for egalitarianism, the idea that all offices in the church are open to men and women. What I do believe this verse is presenting, and what I love this verse, is the truth that there is unity in the midst of our diversity and distinctions when we are found in Christ.

#2: Psalms 1:1-2

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

I love this verse because it calls us to delight in the law, not tolerate it grudgingly. The law points me to Christ, and for that reason I should delight in it and dwell on it.

#2: Philippians 3:8

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

My family, my job, my health, my productivity, my life. All of those are trash and worthless when viewed in light of Jesus. Would that I lived that way.

Thoughtful corporate worship is rare. Thoughtful children’s worship even more so. If there’s a church to model, however, when it comes to cross-centered, thoughful children’s worship, Sojourn Community Church is it. Here is their description of the liturgy

twice a month your children get together with kids from other classes and take part in a mini-service modeled after the Big Church, with songs and liturgy and prayer and all. The idea is to introduce the kids to a typical Sojourn worship service so they’re ready when they leave the Sojourn Kids program, and also to get them thinking about how good and glorious and beautiful and true God and His gospel are.

Here are examples of their Kids Music Liturgy.

January 2010

This morning’s lesson is about God’s Amazing Grace! What is God’s grace? God’s grace is kindness and favor that you and I don’t deserve. Let’s repeat that again together: God’s grace is kindness and favor that you and I don’t deserve. Our first song is a Bible memory verse. So we are going to memorize a Bible verse by singing it. Some of you may remember it. The “address” is Ephesians 2:8 and 9.

Let’s say the verse together. Please repeat after me:

For by grace you have been saved through faith
and that not of yourselves
it is the gift of God
not as a result of works
that no one should boast
Ephesians 2:8 and 9

This verse is saying that we can be saved from God’s punishment by faith in Jesus. We cannot earn or work for God’s forgiveness– His forgiveness is a free gift to us when we trust in Him. And because it’s a free gift– we can’t brag about it– because we have done nothing to deserve it. Let’s sing this verse together.

I. “Ephesians 2:8-9,” words from NASB translation  © 1995 The Lockman Foundation. Music by Mark Altrogge on Hide the Word 1 © Forever Grateful Music.

Let’s pretend that you have been very mean to your brother. And your Daddy comes to you and says, “Because you have been mean to your brother, you have to sit in time-out. Plus, you can’t go to a Birthday party that has cake and presents for everybody.” You would feel sad, but you would deserve the punishment that your Dad has given you. Then, your brother, the one you were mean to, comes and says, “Daddy, I’ll sit in time-out and I’ll miss the birthday party so that he/she can go.” Now, your brother doesn’t deserve the punishment, but he is showing you GRACE. Grace is kindness and favor that you don’t deserve.

This story is not true. But Jesus is true. How much more amazing is God’s grace in Jesus! We have sinned against God and we deserve to be punished. Perfect Jesus who never did any thing wrong took our punishment for all of our sins when He died on the cross. That’s amazing grace! Let’s sing to God about His amazing grace!

2. “Amazing Grace,” words by John Newton, 1779. Music: NEW BRITAIN, in Virginia Harmony, by James P. Carrell and David S. Clayton, 1831.

Let’s learn another new song about God’s amazing grace, His undeserved kindness. This is a song called “You show me kindness.”

3. “You Show Me Kindness,” words and music by Peter Gagnon and Bob Kauflin ©2009 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Ministries. From To Be Like Jesus.

Jesus is a mighty, mighty Savior! He can save us from the punishment of our sins. Let’s sing to our mighty Savior!

4. “Mighty Mighty Savior,” words and music by Mark Altrogge. © Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Ministries. From Awesome God.

We are going to pray. Fold your hands and be still and talk to God. Let’s pray to God.

Jesus, your grace is amazing! You have not treated us as we deserve. You have not punished us like we should be punished. You took our consequences and punishment on the cross. Thank you! We want to believe in you and turn to you to forgive us for our sins. We want to love you more each day. Help us to forgive each other like you forgive us. Amen.

5. “God’s love goes on forever,” words and music by Chandi Plummer, © 2009 Chandi Plummer/Sojourn Music.

February 2010

What do we celebrate in February? (Allow children to answer.)  That’s right, we celebrate Valentine’s Day!  Valentine’s Day is a chance to make or send cards to tell others that you love and appreciate them. It’s fun to get cards in the mail.  Did you know that God has sent you a “love letter”?  What is God’s love letter to you? (Allow children to answer.) The Bible! What is the Bible? The Bible is God’s written word.

Who wrote the Bible? (Teach the children this answer exactly. It is from their children’s catechism.  Have them repeat it after you.) “Holy men who were taught by the Holy Spirit.” You know we think about sending love letters and telling people we love them SOME times, but God thinks about you and loves you ALL the time. His love is the BIGGEST LOVE in the universe. Even while you were sleeping last night, God was loving you and thinking about you all night long.  We are going to sing some songs this morning about God’s HUGE love for us.  Let’s (STAND UP and) sing a love song to God!

1. “Your Love,” words and music by Bob Kauflin, © 2004 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Ministries. FromAwesome God.

Who loves you the most in the world?  You might instantly think of your Mommy or Daddy, because they do love you so much.  But God loves you even more than your parents. God made your parents, so their love is His gift to you too.  Even though others let us down, God’s love is completely pure and never fails.  How has God shown us that He loves us? (Allow children to answer.) God has shown us that He loves us in JESUS. God has shown us his love in that while we were still sinners, He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. God loves us so much that He sent Jesus Christ to take the punishment for our sin. We are going to sing this truth as a Bible memory verse.

2. “Romans 5:8,” words from NIV translation, © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. Music by Mark Altrogge, © 2004 Forever Grateful Music. From Hide The Word 2.

Jesus told stories to teach us something. One time Jesus told this story. There was a shepherd who had 100 sheep. That’s a lot of sheep! He was counting them and realized one was missing. Does anybody know what the shepherd did? He left the 99 and went looking for the one missing sheep until he found it. What was Jesus teaching us? That we are like little sheep and God loves each and every one of us. You are like the missing 100th sheep. You are special to God and He wants you to come to Him and be close to Him. Let’s come to God this morning and sing about His Love.

3. “You Are Always With Me,” words and music by Mark Altrogge, © 2004 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Ministries. From Awesome God.

The Bible says in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (NIV). The greatest love is laying down your life for someone else. That means to die for someone. Jesus has the greatest love because He died for our sins. We do not naturally love Jesus. Jesus first loved us. We do not love others like Jesus. We need Jesus to change us to love Him and to love others. We are going to sing about loving Jesus in our next song.

4. “Because You First Loved Me,” words and music by Doug Plank, © 2009 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAPI). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Ministries. From To Be Like Jesus.

We are going to pray. Fold your hands and be still and talk to God. Let’s pray.  “Jesus, you are wonderful! You’re love is amazing! We want to love you too. Help us to love each other like you love us. Thank you for coming to earth to save us from our sins! In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”

5. “God’s Love Goes On Forever,” words and music by Chandi Plummer, © 2009 Chandi Plummer/Sojourn Music.

March 2010 (St. Patrick’s Day)

Does anybody know what fun day is coming up this month? I’ll give you a hint– you get pinched if you don’t wear green on this day. (Allow children to answer.) It’s St. Patrick’s Day! Do you know who Patrick was?  Patrick was a real REAL (emphasize real — “this was a real story that happened a very long time ago”) little boy who has an amazing story! Patrick grew up about 1500 years ago in Britain. His parents were Christians, and he grew up learning about Jesus. But one day people invaded his town and kidnapped Patrick! They took him away to their own country, Ireland, and made him a slave! He was a shepherd for six years, until God led him to a boat that took him back home.

But the story doesn’t end there. When Patrick grew up, he had a dream that the people who kidnapped him were begging for his help. He could have been angry at them for what they did, but instead Patrick became a missionary, and moved to Ireland to tell the people there about Jesus!

Just like God was with Patrick even when he was scared, God is always with us and watching over us no matter what’s going on. Let’s STAND UP and sing “You Are Always With Me!”

1. “You Are Always With Me,” words and music by Mark Altrogge, © 2004 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Ministries. From Awesome God

Every day that Patrick was in Ireland working as a shepherd for the people who kidnapped him, he prayed to God. Patrick didn’t forget about God when he had a big problem. But even more importantly, God didn’t forget about Patrick! When you have a big problem, or when you feel sad, remember that God answers our prayers when we ask Him for help. He cares about our problems and He loves to help us!

We’re going to sing a new song today. It comes from Psalm 55:22.
(Take some time to go through the words and motions with the kids. There aren’t too many words to it.)
Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you
He will sustain you
He will never never never let the righteous fall
Let the righteous fall, no-o

2. “Cast Your Cares (Psalm 55:22),” words from New International Version ©  1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Music by Seeds Family Worship. From The Power of Encouragement.

God saved Patrick. God rescued him by getting him on the boat that took him back to his family. But God also saved Patrick in a bigger way: He sent Jesus to die on the cross, so that Patrick’s sins could be forgiven! When Patrick placed his faith in Jesus, He was rescued from the punishment of sin. He was saved from eternal death in hell. Jesus died to take away our sins. Let’s sing to Jesus and thank Him for loving us like that.

3. “Jesus Came To Earth,” by Solomon Campbell, Dave Campbell, and Bob Kauflin © 2004 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP) and Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Ministries. From Awesome God.

Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” When we hear the word “enemy,” we might think of some supervillain or bad guy in a cartoon or movie. But Jesus is saying we should love everyone, even when they are being unfair, or mean, or not doing what we want them to do. We naturally love our good friends, but we need God’s help to love our enemies. Patrick loved the people who kidnapped him! Jesus loved His enemies by dying on the cross for them. Let’s sing together and ask God to help us love everyone like He loves us.

4. “You Show Me Kindness,” by Peter Gagnon and Bob Kauflin © 2009 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Ministries. From To Be Like Jesus.

We are going to pray. What is prayer? (Allow kids to respond.) Prayer is talking to God.  Let’s be still and talk to God. Let’s pray.

“God, thank You so much for taking good care of us. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for us. Help us to remember You every day, to love everyone and to tell them about Jesus. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”

Patrick told people that Jesus died on the cross. Now let’s go and tell our family and friends about what God has done for us in Jesus! Let’s tell them that they can be forgiven because Jesus died to take away sins!

5. “Go (Matthew 28:19),” words from New International Version ©  1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Music by Seeds Family Worship. From The Power of Encouragement.

March 2010 (Palm Sunday)

This Sunday is Palm Sunday.  Most classes are studying the Jesus’ Triumphal Entry (Luke 19:28-40) or Jesus’ Death (Matthew 26-27; Luke 22:63-23:56).  Each class will keep in mind the day’s main theme—that Jesus is God’s King, sent to deliver his people from sin and death. Here is the cool part!  Each child will receive a palm branch to take home after the service.  And some classes (ages 4-grade 2) will be led in a “Hosanna” parade into the adult worship gathering.  Kids will run down the aisles shouting Hosanna then gather at the front of the auditorium to help in singing this song with the gathered community!  Then, they’ll gather upstairs with the entire children’s ministry for the following liturgy:

Leader 1: Welcome to Sojourn Kid’s Worship. This morning we are going to worship the Lord together as we celebrate Palm Sunday. Why is today called Palm Sunday? (Pause for answers.) More than 2000 years ago Jesus was greeted by crowds of people who were happy to see him coming into the city of Jerusalem. To show Jesus they were glad to see him, they waved palm branches in his honor and shouted praise to him. Listen as I read this story from the Bible, it’s from the book of John chapter 12 verses 12 to 14. Listen as I read God’s word:

¹²The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. ¹³They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed is the King of Israel!”

The crowd shouted “Hosanna” to Jesus. Hosanna means

“Praise the God who saves!” Let’s sing to Jesus and wave our arms to Him singing “Hosanna!”

Hosanna in the Highest (Palm Sunday edition), Words & Music by Jeremy Quillo (c) 2010 Sojourn Music

Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest, In the highest.
Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest, In the highest.

Look! The Lord is drawing near!
Let the children shout and sing!
Tell the world that Life is here,
Jesus Christ, our God, our King!

Leader 2—read this portion with excitement:

We’re going to praise God by saying “HALLELUJAH!” Hallelujah means “Praise the Lord!” I will say something that is true about God and you will repeat after me: “HALLELUJAH! PRAISE THE LORD!” Listen to what I say and then respond with “HALLELUJAH!”

Leader 2: Jesus is God! Jesus is Lord!

Children: HALLELUJAH!

Leader 2: Jesus suffered and died on the cross for my sins!

Children: HALLELUJAH!

Leader 2: Jesus was in the tomb. He was dead in the grave for three days! Death could NOT keep Him dead!

Children: HALLELUJAH!

Leader 2: Jesus is alive! Jesus is risen! He rose from the dead!

Children: HALLELUJAH!

Leader 2: Jesus is the champion. Jesus is victorious. He is the winner!

Children: HALLELUJAH!

Leader 2: Now stand up and let’s shout: “JESUS IS ALIVE!”(Repeat several times. Optional: have children jump while chanting “Jesus is alive!”)

2. “Jesus Came To Earth,” by Solomon Campbell, Dave Campbell, and Bob Kauflin © 2004 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP) and Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Ministries. FromAwesome God.

Leader 3: Romans 5:8 says: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”  So how has God shown us He loves us? (Answer: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.) Yes! Let’s sing this verse together and remember that Christ died for us!

3. “Romans 5:8 (NIV) Scripture Memory Song,” Music by Mark Altrogge, As Recored on “A Ransom For Many,” Hide The Word, Volume 2  © Forever Grateful Music

Intro to the next song involves saying the lyrics and doing the hand-motions:

(Raise arms and hands in praise and then cross arms over heart to say “love.”)

Leader 1: Holy God, in love, be – came

(Place fists on hips to stand like a man)

Perfect Man to bear my blame

(Stretch arms out to sides to look like cross.)

On the cross He took my sin

(Raise arms above head in praise.)

By His death I live again

These are the words and the lyrics for the next song we will sing to the Lord. Let’s sing to God together.

4.  The Gospel Song, Words and music by Drew Jones and Bob Kauflin, As recorded on Awesome God, (c) 2002 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

This song is less familiar to the children. Please sing it several times to teach it to them. Feel free to make the tempo a little quicker if that works better.

Leader 2: It is a gift to be able to pray to God. Let’s fold our hands quietly, close our eyes, and talk inside our hearts to God. God sees in our hearts and He hears us:

“Jesus, you deserve our praise! But Lord we are often like the crowds, quick to praise you and then to turn away from you. You died on the cross for our sins. Thank You, Jesus. We want to love you and follow you always. Amen.”

5. “Low in the Grave He Lay,” Words and Music by Robert Lowry (1826-1899)

Jazz up this traditional hymn. Sing the verses very slowly and quietly. Then play the chorus “Up from the grave” with increased excitement moving the tempo faster and faster. For the motions: have the kids down on the floor crouched down singing the verses “Low in the grave He lay. . .” Then stand up slowly on “Up from the grave He arose. . .” You can jump up and down for the chorus and/or sing with your arms stretched upward for the final “He arose. . .” section.

April 2010 (Easter)

Singers introduce themselves.

Singer 1: This month we celebrate Easter!  Why do we celebrate Easter?  What is Easter?  Allow children to answer: Jesus died on the cross.  Jesus died for my sins.   Jesus is risen from the dead.  Fill in any part left out and encourage right answers. Gently correct wrong answers.  Let’s start this morning by remembering the Easter story and saying, “HALLELUIA!”

Call and Response:
Singer 2: Hallelujah means, “Praise the Lord!” Say, “HALLELUIA!” (HALLELUIA)
Now say, “PRAISE THE LORD!”  Listen to what I say and when I pause say, “HALLELUIA!”
Leader: Jesus is God! Jesus is Lord!
Children: HALLELUIA!
Leader: Jesus suffered and died on the cross for my sins!
Children: HALLELUIA!
Leader: Jesus was dead! But death could NOT keep Jesus!
Children: HALLELUIA!
Leader: Now Jesus is alive! Jesus is risen! He rose from the dead!
Children: HALLELUIA!
Leader: Jesus is the champion! Jesus is victorious! He is the winner!
Children: HALLELUIA!
Leader: Now stand up and let’s shout, “JESUS IS ALIVE!” (“JESUS IS ALIVE!”) Repeat several times.
Have children jump up and down chanting, “Jesus is alive!”

1. “The Cross Is Not The End,” Words and Music by Bill & Courtney Bell.  © 2009 Bill & Courtney Bell/ Sojourn Music

Singer 2:
We are going to sing a song to help us memorize a Bible verse, Romans 5:8. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”  So how has God shown us He loves us? (Answer: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.) Yes! “God demonstrates His own love for us in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Let’s sing this together!

2. “Romans 5:8 (NIV) Scripture Memory Song,” Music by Mark Altrogge, As Recored on “A Ransom For Many,” Hide The Word, Volume 2  © Forever Grateful Music

Guitarist: Jesus is risen! (Have kids answer again: ALLELUIA!) JESUS IS RISEN! (Have kids answer again: ALLELUIA!)
Singer 2: Let’s pray! Let’s fold our hands quietly, close our eyes, and talk inside our hearts to God. God sees in our hearts and He hears us:  Jesus, You are the winner! Death did not win! You died on the cross for our sin. Thank You, Jesus. Jesus we want to love you and follow you all of our lives. Amen.”

3. “Low in the Grave He Lay,” Words and Music by Robert Lowry (1826-1899)
(Traditional Hymn… but jazz up the refrain! Sing verses slow. Jazz up and sing the chorus VERY LIVELY! Make sure the kids do the motions.  Have the kids down on the floor crouched down singing the verses, then stand up and jump up and down for the chorus, “Up from the grave He arose…” You may need to help teach them the song a bit the first time as they probably won’t know it. Then add in the motions. If they seem too bored, just do it all together and repeat as needed to learn it.)

4.  “His Love Will Last Forever,” Words and Music by Chandi Plummer  © 2009 Chandi Plummer/Sojourn Music
Rock it out!

From Rob Plummer at the SojournKids.com blog

The Psalms – A Biblical Guide to Worshiping God

In the Psalms we find raw honesty – expressions of immense sadness, anger, joy, anxiety, etc.  The Psalms give expression to the full range of human emotions, but they do so always with reference to the God who made us and stands as Judge and Savior above us.  How do we worship God when others have wronged us?  The Psalms instruct us every conceivable situation as to how we should express our thoughts to our loving heavenly Father and ultimately how to worship him through all situations in life.

Suggestions for Incorporating the Psalms into Family Devotions

• Over the course of this month, have everyone in the family memorize the same Psalm (suggestion: Psalm 19).  Then, when the family takes a walk or is in the car together, take turns reciting parts of the psalm.
• Read a psalm or part of a psalm together at a family meal or before bed time.  If you read roughly one psalm per day, you will read through the book of Psalms twice per year.
• If your children are facing particular struggles, find a psalm that teaches them how to express their emotions in a God-honoring way.
• In family prayer time, read a psalm slowly verse by verse.  Pause after each verse to allow family members to express the ideas in their own words and apply them to their own situations.
• If you have a musically gifted member of the family, invite that person to make up an original melody to a psalm or portion of a psalm.
• Have the whole family draw pictures that illustrate some of the images or metaphors found in a psalm.
• For older children – have a “scavenger hunt” through the Psalms.  Everyone is required to find five types of psalms: (1) A psalm that praises God, (2) A psalm that expresses sadness, (3) A psalm that mentions the King, (4) A psalm that expresses repentance, and (5) A psalm that expresses thanksgiving.

Dr. Andreas Köstenberger is the founder of BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS™ and the author, editor, and translator of over 20 books, including God, Marriage, and Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation. He also serves as professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. He recently posted five observations on the gospel. The gospel is

1. Divine, not human: The gospel is God’s saving message to a world living in darkness and a humanity lost in its sin. The gospel is not a human message, nor was its conception a function of human initiative, but its origin and its impetus derive solely from God. For this reason our role with regard to the gospel is not that of evaluation, criticism or reformulation, but that of grateful acceptance and obedience. Humans are not equal partners with God as far as the gospel message is concerned; they are rather his commissioned representatives, charged with proclaiming the gospel in the exact form in which they received it (e.g., John 17:20; 20:21; 1 Cor 15:3–4).
2. Required, not optional: Acceptance of the gospel is not optional for salvation but rather required, owing to pervasive human sinfulness. As the Book of Hebrews states, “people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment”; “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time . . . to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Heb 9:27–28). Apart from believing in Jesus Christ, “God’s wrath remains” on people (Jn 3:36), and they are spiritually dead (Jn 5:24; Eph 2:1). People must be “born of God” (Jn 1:12; 3:3, 5; 1 Jn 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18), that is, be spiritually regenerated (Tit 3:5; 1 Pet 1:3). As Paul writes in his epistle to the Ephesians, “[a]nd you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit . . .” (Eph 1:13). Inclusion in Christ comes only by hearing and believing the gospel.
3. Christological, not merely theological: The gospel is not vaguely theological, as if it were amenable to various ways of salvation depending on a person’s belief in a particular kind of god, or depending on the degree to which people were able to hear the gospel presented in a clear way; it is decidedly and concretely Christological, that is, centered on the salvation provided through the vicarious cross-death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence Paul is able to speak of “the gospel . . . regarding his [God’s] Son . . . Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 1:2–4). Significantly, this gospel is not a New Testament novelty but was “promised beforehand through his [God’s] prophets [such as Habakkuk, Rom 1:17 citing Hab 2:4] in the Holy Scriptures” (Rom 1:2). Abraham already had resurrection faith (Romans 4; Galatians 3; Heb 11:8–12).
4. No other gospel: The messianic motif pervading all of Scripture and centering in the Lord Jesus Christ coupled with the risen Jesus’ “Great Commission” for his followers to go and disciple the nations inextricably link an understanding of the gospel as the exclusive message of salvation in Jesus Christ with the church’s mandate to engage in missionary outreach. This is clear especially from the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, John, the book of Acts, and several of Paul’s writings. Conversely, any messages proclaimed in the name of Christ that feature a “different gospel” or a different Christ (such as compromising his simultaneous full humanity and deity, e.g. 1 John 4:2–3) are rejected. The church must engage in missions, because “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). If anyone confesses with his mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead, he will be saved (Rom 10:9; see also vv. 10–13).
5. No other name but Jesus: In light of the clear biblical passages mentioned above and in view of the strong and pervasive trajectory of scriptural references to the gospel there is no proper foundation for arguing for salvation apart from explicit faith in Jesus Christ. Scripture makes clear that humanity is universally sinful, and that God’s wrath remains on every individual who has not placed his or her trust in Jesus Christ on the basis of his substitutionary death on the cross and his subsequent resurrection. While there may be philosophical or larger theological objections to such a notion (such as the difficulty experienced by some of reconciling this notion with the love of God), while there may be commonsense concerns on the basis of human conceptions or “fairness” or other similar considerations, there can be little doubt that Scripture nowhere teaches, or easily allows the implication, that there is a way to salvation other than through explicit faith in Jesus Christ during a person’s lifetime (e.g., Heb 9:27–28). In fact, this is not an obscure topic; it is the central contention of the biblical message concerning the gospel, that “[s]alvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

The practice of multi-site church is, in a nutshell, one church meeting in multiple locations with central leadership of the church. Some churches like Mars Hill in Seattle do multi-site across multiple states. Others, like Highview Baptist in Louisville, KY are committed to their particular city. This is a topic that warrants discussion because it goes to the very heart of what the church is called by God to be. I believe there is a particularlity to the use of church in the New Testament that defines the church as being a particular local, gathered assembly. Here’s the definition of church that I write for our Missional Ecclesiology class

A local gathered community of regenerated believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit, saved and reconciled through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ, sent on mission all to the glory of God. The church is governed through congregational polity led by qualified male elders responsible for the right preaching of the Word. The church covenants together for holiness and discipleship; demonstrates and proclaims the true Gospel so as to evangelize the lost, bring back the wayward and serve the community; participates in the ordinances of believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper; and practices meaningful church membership and church discipline.

I’m still working on it, but it hits the main points

• Location – Church is local and gathered
• Composition-  Regenerated believers
• Polity – congregational with male elders
• Activities – discipleship, proclaim gospel, evangelism, ordinances of Lord’s Supper and Baptism, service

Southern Seminary presented a panel this week entitled “Perspectices on Multi-Site Churches” featuring R. Albert Mohler, Jr. (president of Southern), Gregg Allison (professor at Southern and in Re:Train), Kevin Ezell (Senior Pastor of Highview Baptist Church), Greg Gilbert (Senior Pastoral Assistant for Church Planting at Capital Hill Baptist Church), and Daniel Montgomery (Founding and Teaching Pastor at Sojourn Community Church) which featured both practitioners (everyone but Gilbert) and non-practitioners. It’s a great conversation and it is a testament to disagreeing in love.

Today, Thabiti Anyabwile of First Baptist Church Grand Cayman posted on the 9Marks blog about multi-site. I would say that I’m in agreement with 9Marks and their concerns about multi-site. Many of the proponents of multi-site champion its pragmatism and effectiveness. What if, though

the limits of single-site, single-serivce congregational life are limits divinely appointed to ensure careful pastoral oversight.  To ensure none of us actually have more sheep than we can handle by God’s grace.  Perhaps.

That’s a powerful reminder to me of the weight of the responsibility of shepherding the flock that God entrusts to me, even if that flock is only ever my wife and children.

The word “missional” is everywhere. Grad Schools. Books. Blogs. It colored my conversation last week with a pastor at Grace Bible. I’ll probably talk about it Friday night over dinner and definitely next week at the Acts 29 Boot Camp in Louisville. It can be a hard word to define, however. Missional means the act of being a missionary, but people can have pretty rigid preconceptions of what a missionary does, especially since most people have never lived as missionaries. If you’ve ever spent time talking to people involved in international missions, it can be hard and tiring work, bearing fruit infrequently and with much difficulty. People don’t want to think of themselves as missionaries because they want the easy way out. They want a program, not a life.

Jonathan Dodson of Austin City Life is currently writing a series on his blog about Why People Aren’t More Missional. Read it. His ideas are challenging and gospel-centered and his recent breakout session at the 2009 Acts 29 Houston Boot Camp could be my favorite talk from all the Acts 29 events, and I’ve listened to all but 3 of them.

Here’s Part 1 of the series

Do you ever struggle in motivation for mission? Do you ever see your people lacking in motivation for mission? After all the shifts in ecclesiology, the planting of many churches, and the landslide of missional literature, why aren’t people more missional? Perhaps it is because we are motivating them with the wrong things.

What should motivate us for mission? There are numerous motivations for mission in the Bible. Many of them can be grouped under three headings that point us to the goal of the gospel, the demands of the gospel, the graces of the gospel. In this first post, I’ll address our missional identity.

Missional Identity

The missio Dei, a Latin phrase meaning, “the sending of God”, reminds us that mission is not merely something we do, an action; it is something God is. Mission is an attribute of God. He’s a sending God. He sends his Son (Easter) and sends his Spirit (Pentecost) to renew the world. So, mission doesn’t start and end with us. It starts and ends with God. His mission is nothing short of the redemption of peoples and cultures, the renewal of all creation for his own glory. It’s God’s great, burdensome, and glorious mission—the renewal of all creation! My goodness, we can’t manage that, but God, in his mercy has invited us to participate in his mission. Through the gospel, He rescues us from a life of self-serving mission to participate in a life of God-serving, Christ-glorifying mission. We are remade into missional people by the redeeming work of the Spirit and the Son.

Therefore, if we are in Christ, we have a missionary identity. We are adopted into a missionary family. We serve a missionary God. Mission becomes part of our identity, because we cut from the cloth of a missionary God. So, the church is a missionary church, with missionary people, that do missionary things. It is who we are and it is also what we do. Mission is not merely for the superspiritual, an option, an appendix to Christian faith. To be Christian is to be on mission.  It’s who we are and it is what we do. We redemptively engage peoples and cultures, by sharing, showing, and embodying Christ in our context. This includes evangelism, social action, and cultural engagement, counseling, empathy, celebration. It’s bringing the renewing power of the whole gospel into the whole city.

Now, the good news of the gospel is that we get to be the blessing of mission, while God carries the burden of mission. Ultimately, it is God’s mission. The Spirit does all the changing; we simply share, show, and embody the wonderfully renewing power of gospel. However, if we aren’t walking with God, keeping in step with the Spirit, and following Christ, out life will hardly be missional. In fact, it will be rife with dangerous disobedience. If you are in Christ, you have a missional identity. To disregard your missionary identity is to reject your identity in Christ. The first motivation is the missio Dei, that mission is in our DNA, our identity. It is who we are in God, through Christ, by the Spirit.

Here’s Part 2

Despite the preponderance of missional church resources, American Christians are slow to live missionally. Why is this? In our last post, we suggested that one reason is that we are motivating the church with best practices of mission, instead of an identity of mission grounded in the Missio Dei. Today, I’d like to suggest another motivation, with a twist.

Any evangelical can tell you that they are supposed to be on mission, but very few are. They can rattle off the Great Commission by memory, while running along no differently. Yet, all four Gospels contain missional mandates from the resurrected, King Jesus himself (Matt 28, Mark 16, Luke 24/Acts 1, John 16/21)! Why does missional disobedience persist? Perhaps because…

1. We don’t take Jesus seriously. Jesus is our friend, not our Lord.
   
2. We think the missional mandates are for apostles or super Christians only.
3. We have a functional God that we like more than Jesus.
   
4. We believe that mission is optional and that we won’t be judged for our missional disobedience.
5. We don’t actually believe the gospel.