Hope Rising

posted at REAL Men RoCK

God often uses my wife, Kat, to stir new passion in me. She has shared a book called "Hope Rising" with me that I want to recommend to you. It is about the stories of the pain and victory of the children and horses who visit the Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch.

The back cover says it all: "Where Wounded Spirits Run Free"

Follow a horse where no one else can tread, through the minefield of pain that surrounds a broken child's soul. From mistreated horse to an emotionally starved child and back again, a torrent of love revives their barren places.

In the presence of unconditional love, a mute girl speaks for the first time. A defiant teenager teaches a horse to trust again...and opens his heart to love. A rescued horse gives a dying man his last wish. A battered girl finds love and protection in the friendship of a battered horse.

Come visit a place where the impossible flourishes, where dreams survive the inferno of reality...a place where hope rises.

Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch

As I read the stories found in the pages of this book tears swell to my eyes. Tears being brought by the story of how one teen's determination saves four abused horses.  Tears being brought because of how an abused horse and an abused child find peace and trust in each other.

Tears brought because this is what the body of Christ, the Church, should be doing. Let me challenge you to move beyond the four walls of your building and get your hands dirty with the lives of the wounded. I want to encourage you to be more than a Sunday morning Christian that goes to church each week to pay the premium on your hell insurance.

God wants to add your story to the book of Acts but in order to do so you must get out of the pew, get off the couch and act. You need to discover, develop and use your Spiritual Gifts in order to not be like the person talked about in the "Parable of the Talents" found in Matthew 25: 14-30 who hid the talent given to him. Unless you take the talent (Spiritual Gifts) the Holy Spirit has emparted to you and use them in service to others you are hiding it and it gains nothing for the Master. You are wasting the pages of the book of Acts that could have been added.

In 2010 become a person who is being the Church not doing Church. I suggest you purchase "Hope Rising" and let God stir in you the compassion found in the hearts of these children who have found hope. I want to read about your story as God adds it to the book of Acts. He can do great things through a person with a compassionate heart.

What is Your Number One Goal for 2010?

Many people start each new year out making several resolutions. They set everything from Losing Weight to Making More Money as goals but usually within a few weeks they end up giving up on reaching their goals. I want to encourage you to spend the next few days considering what my friend, Doug Walton, would call the "One Thing" that you would want to accomplish. Don't make it a small goal but a BIG one because a small one will be given up on much easier than a BIG one. Besides God made you for BIG accomplishments.

If we look back over the postings on this blog we will find I shared several goals with you:
1. Sunday service every six weeks at a local Nursing Home.
2. Organizing a Louisburg Christian Fest.
3. Organize a local chapter of "Watchdogs".
4. Hold a weekly prayer service for men.
5. Become an Angel Tree Coodrinator for Louisburg.
6. Lead two small groups for men.
7. Help with the Fall Harvest Fest.

Those are all good things to get involved with but is that using the gift that I have been given by the Holy Spirit to it's fullest? Probably not. I believe what I would be better using my gift focusing on finding the folks who have the heart for those ministries and equip, empower and release them to doing those things.

The Holy Spirit places many ideas in my mind and being the person I am I immediately begin to think how I can accomplish them when I should be thinking about who has God gifted for that ministry. In my Vineyard Leadership Institute (VLI) training my first reaction is that of a Shepherd and the second is the reaction of a Rancher. A Shepherd sees a problem and immediately runs to take care of it. A Rancher sees a problem and he immediate considers who has the gift and heart to take care of it and thereby grows a new shepherd. The Shepherd is involved in everything even the things he has deligated to others but the Rancher allows the new shepherd to grow through the experience. Both are needed in the Church but one results in ministry being done by a few and the other results in ministry being done by the Church.

Let me make the difference even more clear by sharing a true story. Soon after having what we called a VLI Intensive Weekend, which was an all day Saturday and half a day Sunday study fest, I had a friend come up to me and suggest something for the men's ministry. He shared with me how he believed we needed to do John Eldredge's "Wild at Heart" series with men at the Vineyard. I asked him what we needed to do that and he told me the "Wild at Heart" dvd and a leader. Normally I would have taken this idea and run with it by getting the necessary supplies, the room and then advertising it to the men. As I left church that day I began to think how we could make this event happen and what it would take for me, yes I said me, to do it. Here is what I realized: 1. I did not have nor could I get the funds to purchase the dvds. 2. Without the dvds I could not do the event. 3. My heart was not fully into the event.

The next day I went to work as usual and when I got home I picked up our mail. There was one letter that was unexpected and a check for $150. As I looked at the check I immediately thought about going to ChristianBook.com and finding out the price of the dvd series.  I logged on and found it special priced at $99 and placed the order. Within a few days the package came and as I opened it my friends word came back to mind about the two things that kept us from doing the series. I believe that the unexpected check was a God thing and what I did the next Sunday was also a movement of the Holy Spirit.

Just before services the next week I saw my friend across the room and with package in hand I approached him. I asked him what was keeping us from having the "Wild at Heart" series for the men and when he replied that we did not have the dvds I handed them to him. He looked at them and then said, "We don't have a leader for the group". At that moment the Holy Spirit put these words in my mouth, "The leader is holding the box". That was my first experience being a Rancher and not a Shepherd. When he responded that he could not do it by himself I told him I would find another guy to help him.

What were the result of these two guys working together? When they kicked the series off they had over 50 men show up for the event. In comparison our typical men's event at the Vineyard usually drew 25 men. These two men have grown into leaders, one travels helping to give "Marked Men for Christ" events and the other is now Pastor of a Vineyard in Raytown, MO. These two men have achieved far more than I have but it may not have happened if I would have reacted like a Shepherd and not a Rancher. When I handed the project off to the guys I totally backed out being involved because in the VLI training it stressed how just because you have deligated something does not mean you have released it unless you are willing to let go of the reins.

Now back to the point of this post. In looking back over the past year I realize I have gotten off track some and began to focus again on those things the Holy Spirit is stirring in my mind. All of the things on the list above can be done better than me by someone who has the gift and heart to do them. A friend once told me I had the gift of "Enabling" and what he meant by that is I help people discover and use their gifts in ministry. My number one goal is to begin to focus on being a Rancher in 2010.

A secondary goal is to spend one night each week at a local bar and play a game of pool with some men there. The goal there is to begin developing some relationships with men who do not attend church and in a non-threantening way share the Gospel of Jesus with them.

Take the next few days considering what your talents and gifts are. Then pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you in how to put those talents and gifts into practice in the lives of others. Narrow your focus down to one main goal and one secondary goal. One final thing make sure both of these goals are things you have a heart to do and not based on what someone else thinks you should do.

By doing this I believe you will experience the joy of achieving more in 2010 than you ever dreamed you could. May the Creator God bless you as you plan out bringing Him glory through the talents and gifts He has given to you.

Glory in the Highest

Chris Tomlin is one of my favorite Christian worship leaders and so for the next few days I will post songs from his new Christmas album for you to enjoy. The first is called "Glory in the Highest" and I believe it is appropriate beginning to a count down to the last post on Christmas morning.
It is almost unbelievable that the most high God came down out of the Highest and was born as a baby and then lived here on earth among His creation. Hard for most to believe but that is exactly what He did. I hope this song touched you as it has me.

Our Christmas Opportunity

On Thanksgiving day our daughter, Missy, and her children, Spencer, Dakota, Cierra and Kia and their dad, Brandon, came over for dinner. After we had eaten a nice meal we sat down and I presented an idea to them. I suggested that this year for Christmas that we not give gifts to each other but instead find a family to bless. Everyone was in a greement and the kids were excited for the opportunity. Cierra immediately said, "We get so many gifts at Christmas from other people I think it would be nice to give to someone in need." I must say I have the neatest grandkids.

Here are the gifts we are giving.

I have been blessed to be able to do the dream that God has placed in my heart. Making a child's dream come true is just a small way I am allowed to touch the lives of hurting people who God cares for.

Beginning in January I will be meeting with some men at the TimberCreek Bar and playing pool and sharing our hopes, our dreams and our life struggles. We will visit the bar and invite other guys to join us and as we build some relationships I will share the hope that Jesus brings.

I share these two things with you not to toot my horn but to encourage you to get in touch with your dream and then do it. Turn off the television, or the computer or the stereo and get off your rear and do something at least one day a week that will touch the life of someone less fortunate than you. Sharing what Jesus has done for you with someone else does not have to be threatening or boring. If you go where the missing are you might find that the excitement is already there but it is wrapped in a worldly package. Go ahead and take the risk to explore your dream and what God has waiting for you.

If you live in or close to Louisburg come join us at the TimberCreek Bar on Thursdays beginning in January.

Equip, Empower and Release the Body to Ministry

For many years my wife, Kat, and I were involved in a legalistic church. We kept the Sabbath, Saturday, and the Holy Days listed in the Old Testament. We did so legalistically. After 17 years of trying to keep the law I found that I had not changed except that people could see by my actions that I could do those things. Inside I was still the same.

When Kat and I left that church we began to go to a church where freedom was taught and practiced. Freedom to become what God wanted us to be not freedom to sin. We were encouraged and trained to use our Spiritual Gifts and without restraints except to do so in a Biblical way. We did not have to have the pastoral staff giving us the okay to minister to others nor did they have to be involved. The results was growth in our physical, emotional and spiritual lives.

During my pastoral training I was tuaght my job as a pastor is to help people discover their gift(s), equip them and then empower them to do ministry. Part of equipping was to work along side of them first teaching, then showing and then letting them do ministry. Once that cycle was complete and they exhibited sound Biblical approaches to ministry we were taught to get out of their way and let them minister.

Most church models is designed around the senior pastor either doing everything or controlling everything. From my experience this produces a climiate of people who will go around those who have been given the office of ministry and directly to the senior pastor. They will report to the senior pastor everything taking place and the result is a lack of ministry because people will become fearful that they are not performing according to church rules.

When Kat and I were in the Worldwide Church of God we were restricted by pastors in what we could do and with whom we could do it.  When we left the WCG and started attending the other church we were trained for ministry and then released to total freedom to minister.

 

The question is not organization but of restriction. Sometimes pastors do not trust their people to minister freely and some fear giving too much power away. Some pastors have been trained in a church model that has all ministry flowing from the pastors and then through a selected group of members. None of these are necessarily sinful models but each restricts what the body can do. I have experienced a model of total restriction and one that reflects a model similar to the beginning church. The apostles commissioned the body to ministry and allowed them to minister. If you read acts and the following letters it sometimes resulted in some abuses but more often than not it led to church growth.

My question for you is what type of church do you attend?  

For many years my wife, Kat, and I were involved in a legalistic church. We kept the Sabbath, Saturday, and the Holy Days listed in the Old Testament. We did so legalistically. After 17 years of trying to keep the law I found that I had not changed except that people could see by my actions that I could do those things. Inside I was still the same.

When Kat and I left that church we began to go to a church where freedom was taught and practiced. Freedom to become what God wanted us to be not freedom to sin. We were encouraged and trained to use our Spiritual Gifts and without restraints except to do so in a Biblical way. We did not have to have the pastoral staff giving us the okay to minister to others nor did they have to be involved. The results was growth in our physical, emotional and spiritual lives.

During my pastoral training I was tuaght my job as a pastor is to help people discover their gift(s), equip them and then empower them to do ministry. Part of equipping was to work along side of them first teaching, then showing and then letting them do ministry. Once that cycle was complete and they exhibited sound Biblical approaches to ministry we were taught to get out of their way and let them minister.

Most church models is designed around the senior pastor either doing everything or controlling everything. From my experience this produces a climiate of people who will go around those who have been given the office of ministry and directly to the senior pastor. They will report to the senior pastor everything taking place and the result is a lack of ministry because people will become fearful that they are not performing according to church rules.

When Kat and I were in the Worldwide Church of God we were restricted by pastors in what we could do and with whom we could do it.  When we left the WCG and started attending the other church we were trained for ministry and then released to total freedom to minister.

 

The question is not organization but of restriction. Sometimes pastors do not trust their people to minister freely and some fear giving too much power away. Some pastors have been trained in a church model that has all ministry flowing from the pastors and then through a selected group of members. None of these are necessarily sinful models but each restricts what the body can do. I have experienced a model of total restriction and one that reflects a model similar to the beginning church. The apostles commissioned the body to ministry and allowed them to minister. If you read acts and the following letters it sometimes resulted in some abuses but more often than not it led to church growth.

My question for you is what type of church do you attend?  Pastors, what type of leader are you?

What Qualifies Me To Minister?

For the past five years I have been happily living in a small town in the Midwest part of the United States. I graduated from Vineyard Leadership Institute and was ordained in the Association of Vineyard Churches in 2006.

Soon after being ordained I attended our small town's Minister's Alliance lunch and presented an idea to the group of pastors. Because of my life experiences and the gifts I have been given by the Holy Spirit I have a heart for helping men find healing for the wounds of life. As I presented my ideas I could see agreement in the eyes of some of the pastors and when I was done with my presentation the pastor who invited me made a statement that questioned my qualifications to minister to other men. He wanted to know if I had a masters in Theology or Counseling because he would not send men to any program that was not led by a qualified person.

Two years later I still feel God is calling me to be involved in helping men and women find healing for their wounds. I do not have a masters or a bachelors degree but I do have a PHD (Personal History Degree) in life and I have the Holy Spirit dwelling in me and that more than makes up for my lack of education. I have met many educated people who did not have a clue how to relate to people who were hurting.

To gain a master degree one has to write a thesis or dissertation within their field of study. He or she has to know their subject well and be able to write a paper explaining their position on a particular part of it. Following is sort of my paper on why I am qualified to minister to hurting men and women.

When I was three my mom ran off with another man while our dad was out of town on business leaving me, my 6 month old sister in the care of my 7 year old brother. He cared for us by himself for about four days before anyone discovered what had happened. I did not realize how this affected me until about 10 years ago when I discovered that although I am a faithful man I did not know how to express love for my wife. Not only that but I always lived in fear of being abandoned. The results of not knowing how to express love and living in fear of abandonment was experiencing two divorces which only reinforced my fear of being abandoned. I understand fully why men turn to drugs, alcohol or pornography to medicate their fears and why they find it hard to show love apart from sexual intercourse.

Right in that one paragraph are all of the life experiences needed for ministry yet there is more. When I was eighteen and heading off to Vietnam I had a lay over in California and an Air Force Staff Sergeant acted as though he was going to befriend me and show me a fun night on the town but instead sexually molested me. For the next 30 years I avoided male friendships fearing that it would lead to similar actions. When I discovered my son was living a homosexual life I disowned him and have lived in regret every since.

What qualifies me to minister to men? I have experienced almost every sin they can get involved in and by the Grace of God He delivered me from them. He did that through men and women who have experienced similar events in their life. Men and women who the Holy Spirit are operating in and who are surrendered to His guidance. Men and women who allow God to use them to be instruments of healing in the lives of hurting, wounded people.

I do not agree with the idea that people need to be trained in dealing with people but I do disagree that it has to be a formal education. What qualifies me to make the statement I am a Community Chaplain? My PHD in life and the power of the Holy Spirit working through me. No school, college, university or church has called me to work with the addicted, the rejected and the dejected. God has and that is the most important qualification I need. If you look at the examples in the Bible good pastoring flows from the heart not the mind. I have spent the last 12 years training for ministry and moving it from a mind thing (knowledge) to a heart thing (compassion). From the example that Jesus set it seems to me that is how He pastored the hurting.

I do need are people who support what God is calling me to do. I need people with skills and gifts that I do not have to come along side of me. I need to step back and let them use their gifts without trying to control them. I need to submit daily to God and to rely on His power to minister to hurting people who want to find healing for the wounds of life.

Being a Community Chaplain is not my vision but the vision God has placed in my heart. It is a ministry that can help our community to be a better community and it can work in cooperation with the local churches without being in competition with them. The Kingdom of God is not a denomination or an organization it is made up of people who have come to accept Jesus as their Lord and their Savior. The job of the Church and pastors is to make the journey to healing one that is more attractive to people than them staying in their woundedness and addictions.

Isaiah 61:1  "...He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners."

What about you?  I want to encourage you to study your life and look for the events that have shaped you. Then take time to find out what gifts God has given to you.  Knowing those two things will help you to know how your life and the gifts you have can be combined together for ministry. Finally I want you to know that you, yes you, have been made for ministry. No matter how badly you have failed or sinned God can redeem you and use you in ministry.

Please share with us how what ministry you are qualified for because of your experiences and gifts.

What Are You Known For?

I had a wonderful time this morning interviewing Jay Preston the Director of My Father's House in Paola, KS. Over the next few posts I will include the things we chatted about. I believe that the first thing I would like to share is probably the most important.

One of the questions I was going to ask Jay was, "What do you want people to remember about you?" I never asked that question directly because he answered it several times while answering other questions. I believe I can safely say Jay wants to be remembered as a guy who took the risk to do what God wanted him to do no matter what the cost.

What is so important about that statement? Consider the men and women written about in the Bible. Many were ordinary folks that God used in extra-ordinary ways. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Esther, Mary (the mother of Jesus), and the disciples are all people who were not much different than you and me. The only difference might be is that they took the risk to do what God planted in their hearts.

Jay is one of those people. Seven years ago God planted a dream in his heart of helping the rejected, the dejected and the addicted. The people who most churches will help but at an arms distance. From his life experiences Jay could have said there is no way I want to get involved with that type of thing. Instead he moved forward past his doubts and answered God's call. I will write more about Jay in future posts.

Here is what I want to stir in you today, "What is God calling you to do?" Whatever it might be I am here to tell you that people will oppose what you are being called to do. They will misunderstand, disagree with, or just plain fight you about it. You might hear things like, "Why are you planning to do that?", "You aren't talented enough or smart enough to do that.", "Don't you understand that the people you are thinking of serving are losers?". I am also here to tell you that if it is really God calling you to do it none of that matters. Dexter Yeager, a Diamond in the Amway multilevel marketing business once said, "If the Dream is big enough, the facts don't count." God is so much bigger than any fact that you might face. He is bigger than the group of people who will scoff at your dream. He is bigger than a lack of money, a lack of supporters and you!

You do not have to be known for the mistakes you have made, for the failures in your life or for your lack of talent. When you accepted Jesus as your savior God through His Holy Spirit gave you gift(s) that can be used despite you.

Here is my challenge to you today: 1. Take the time over the next few days to ask our Father what is it He wants you to do.  2. Journal about it during the week. 3. Ask at least three people to pray about it with you. 4. If God confirms what was placed on your heart begin the process of pursuing it.

One last thing that Jay sort of said, "It is all about Grace, Grace, Grace, not you." Whatever God has placed on your heart is not about you but about sharing the Grace and Mercy that God has given to you.

As always I am interested in hearing about what God is stirring in you. Please leave a comment and give me the opportunity to pray with you about your dream.

A Thought for Thanksgiving.

This was posted on facebook by a friend of mine.

Here's a thought for Thanksgiving: John Witherspoon, the only pastor to sign our Declaration of Independence, preached on the first Thanksgiving Day that, “a republic... must either preserve its virtue or lose its liberty.” Liberty apart from virtue leads to anarchy that is then restrained by totalitarianism. Let us thank God for both liberty and the virtuous living that preserves it in freedom.

Pray that the leaders of our country will regain virtuous living and will seek God's guidance instead of man's. We already see our country moving closer and closer to losing the freedoms so many of our country men and woemen have died for.  Let's not allow our leaders to forget where our blessings come from. 

Is it an Opportunity or is it a Bother?

Tonight my wife and I sat down to watch a movie. Just as I began the movie I received a call from a local pastor. He toltd me of a young man who was at the Police station because his girlfriend had kicked him out of the apartment they shared. They had contacted a homeless agency but it was outside of the area they are allowed to travel. They needed someone to take this young man to the shelter.  Because I have shared with the local pastor my vision that I share here he called me. I contacted the Police and they asked me to come and help take the man to the shelter.

I would have to choose one of two ways to look at this situation:

1. What a bother, I just sat down with my wife to watch a movie and I do not need this. or 2. What an opportunity to share the love Jesus shared with me.

I believe God at times allow these types of things to happen to test us and see what we will think and do.

Monday, November 23rd - When I took this young man to the homeless shelter he was afraid of what he was going to experience.  Today he called me and shared with me how the staff at the homeless shelter were helping him and he was going to get some counseling and other help.

It cost me four hours of my time and some gas to help this young man but it was more than worth it because of the opportunity he now has to get some things straightened out in his life.

Men's Breakfast - New Life Church - Nov. 21st

This is a talk I will be giving at New Life Church in Louisburg this coming Saturday.

Rising nearly 1,500 feet above the jungles below, Hill 488 was just 25 miles west of ChuLai, Vietnam, and it was the perfect place for a Marine Corps recon team but for one minor factor…it was deep in enemy controlled territory, well maybe two, and surrounded by massive enemy buildups. Like David facing Goliath, the 16 Marines and 2 Navy Corpsmen were pitifully small in the face of overwhelming odds.

It was June 12, 1966 in the early days of the United States involvement in the Vietnam war and as the sun was falling behind the western horizon several helicopters moved to the top of Hill 488 to drop off Staff Sergeant Jimmie Howard and his 15 marines. Two Navy Corpsmen completed the small unit delegated the mission of watching for enemy troop movements in the valley below and calling in artillery and air strikes on them. For two days Howard and his men did their jobs well. The North Vietnamese control of the area was disrupted by the effectiveness of the American firepower. It didn’t take long for the enemy to figure out that there had to be someone in the area watching them, directing the fire upon their every move. By the 3rd day Howard’s Battalion Commander A. J. Sullivan began to sense the danger the small recon patrol faced and offered to pull them out. S/Sgt Howard believed he could hold out one more day and requested permission to remain on the hill. By the time word reached ChuLai that a full NAV battalion of 200-250 well trained soldiers were moving on Hill 488, it was too late to pull Howard and his men out. Somehow they would have to survive the night. 

Everyone in the patrol knew it was coming. S/Sgt Howard placed his Marines in strategic positions around the summit of the almost barren hilltop, with orders to pull back into a tight perimeter the moment the enemy struck. That moment came at 10 o’clock at night, only 12 feet from one of the Marine defenders. As the enemy swarmed the hill amid gunfire, grenades, mortars and support from four .50 caliber machine guns, Howard’s men pulled back into a tight circle only 20 yards in diameter. Back-to-back they began to defend their small area, counting on each other to work as a team to do the impossible. S/Sgt Howard moved among his men, encouraging them, directing their fire, shoring up the weaknesses in the perimeter. For most his Marines it was their first major test of combat. Huddled in the darkness amid the crash of grenades and mortars, the sky filled with tracer rounds, and outnumbered more than 10 to 1; the leadership and inspiration of S/Sgt Howard was all that sustained the men.

Then quiet engulfed the hill as the enemy pulled back, their fanatical human wave assault initially repulsed. S/Sgt Howard looked around him. Every one of his young Marines and both Corpsmen had been wounded in the initial attack. Several were dead. Worse, he knew the enemy would return in force again at any moment. Grabbing the radio Howard told Colonel Sullivan back at ChuLai, “You have to get us out of here” But no rescue force could reach Howard’s men that night..the Marines would have to hold out until dawn.

Then, from down the hill the enemy began to taunt the few survivors on Hill 488 shouting into the darkness, “Marines, You die in an hour.”  One of Howard’s men asked, “Can we yell back at them?” With nothing to lose Howard told his brave young men, Sure, yell anything you like.” They did, and soon their taunts back to the enemy were met with gunfire. The enemy was preparing to swarm the hill once again. The beleaguered Marines caught the enemy off guard as they joined voices in a “horse laugh”. The enemy suddenly stopped shooting and there was stoned silence. The enemy could not understand how a group of men terribly outnumbered could be laughing.

S/Sgt Howard knew the quiet would not last long. He surveyed what remained of his Marines and found that ammunition was running low. The grenades were gone, expended during the first wave of the assault. So he issued one of the most unusual combat orders in Marines history…

“Throw Rocks!!”

As incredible as the order sounded, it worked. When the enemy soldiers began to push their way through the sparse brush and knee high grass to probe the perimeter, Howard’s men threw rocks at them. Mistaking the rocks for grenades the enemy soldiers would move quickly out into the open, allowing the defenders clear shots that made every round of remaining ammunition count.
The Marines held the hill for another 5 hours and were finally rescued shortly after daybreak. After the 12 surviving men were safely back at ChuLai it was realized that among them they only had 8 rounds of ammunition remaining. 

This story was found at Home of Heroes  http://www.homeofheroes.com/

I believe the above story tells us three things: 
1. We need to know our Enemy 
2. We need to know our equipment and 
3. We need to know who has our back covered.

Why do we need a vibrant Men's Ministry in our churches?  

Mark 6:34-36 In these verses we see that Jesus saw something that the disciples did not. Jesus saw a multitude of people who were like sheep without a shepherd and the disciples saw only the facts. Jesus had compassion on them and the disciples had pity on them. Jesus was moved to help them and the disciples were moved to avoid the situation. Jesus looked at the people through the eyes of His heart but the disciples looked at them through the eyes of their minds. In looking at the problems men face we need to be like Jesus not the disciples and it takes a group of men who have a desire to minister to men to do that. 

 Three questions for Christian men to think about in answering the question about the church needs vibrant men's ministry:

• Who is your enemy?  
• What equipment do you have as a Christian to fight the enemy?
• Who has your back?

 You can answer those questions by leaving a comment.  

Here is why we need vibrant men's ministries in our churches.

Who is Larry Clark?

I encourage you to go to my blog REAL Men RoCK and read my earliest posts to find out more about me.

Who I am today can only be credited to God.  I am still not where I should or want to be but I am far from the guy I use to be.

http://realmenrock.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-story-first-six-years.html

http://realmenrock.blogspot.com/2008/11/how-my-first-6-years-affected-who-i-am.html

http://realmenrock.blogspot.com/2008/11/my-18th-year.html

Thanks for reading my blog.  I hope you will come back often and check out what God is doing.

Miami County Stats

One of my goals as Community Chaplain is to minister to those who do not identify with any church within the Miami County area.  Stats show that 51.2% of the residents do not identify with a church.  When I drive to services on Sunday morning I get the idea that many more do not attend services even if they identify with a church.  Here are the stats for Miami County which the per centages can be applied to Louisburg as well:

Amount of people who identify with a church  in Miami County, KS

Catholic                                          5,448                                    18.7%
UMC                                               1,685                                      5.8%
Lutheran                                        1,379                                       4.7%
Baptist                                            1,206                                      4.1%
Presbyterian                                   820                                       2.8%
Christian                                          459                                       1.6%
Assembly                                         439                                       1.5%
S Baptist                                           928                                       3.2%
Non-Denom                                     750                                       2.6%
Other                                             1,127                                       3.9%
Total                                            14,241                                     48.8%
No affiliation with a church      14,959                                     51.2%

County Population                    29,200 

My idea is to reach out to those who do not identify with a church and those who do not attend a church and develop a relationship with them and if they are moved by my involvement in their life help them find the church home they feel comfortable with.

Although I would love for them to come and join us at New Life my goal is to get them connected with a church that they will be able to grow spiritually at.  New Life will not appeal to every person that God calls and so I feel my job is to help them find that church home that they will benefit from.

God is calling me to help people find freedom from bondage and there are variety of churches that fit the variety of people.

Projects for 2010

I am beginning to make plans for a couple of events for 2010.

1. 2010 Harvest Fest which is an alternative to halloween sponsored by the Baptist Temple in Louisburg. I will help organize a small part of the Fest. http://www.lbtemple.org/HarvestPage.htm

2. A Christian Family Fest which will include a kickball event, Christian bands and information booths for Christian organizations and each church in the Louisburg area.  Once I have more information about this event I will have a link to a website for you to visit for updates.

3. I will continue to post to REAL Men RoCK which has been read in 95 different countries by over 2,000 people.

In  February 2010 I will celebrate my 60th birthday and I am excited about the opportunities that God is bringing my way.

The Next Steps (continued)

1. I have applied to be an Angel Tree Coordinator for our community.

As an Angel Tree Area Coordinator I would serve the ministry as an "on the ground relationship builder" with churches, chaplains and families. I would become the face of Angel Tree as I play a critical part in delivering Angel Tree Christmas and casting the year-round vision of Angel Tree. As an Area Coordinator I would have opportunities that include: Church Retention/Recruitment, Church Liaison, Presentations/Training and In Prison Sign Ups.

2. Two of the Life Groups at New Life purchased coats, gloves and stocking caps for five children who were in need.

3. I will be teaching the New Life 201 class in the monthly Growth Track sessions.

4. I wrote my first new article for the Louisburg Herald and am preparing my next which should be published in  December.

5. I continue to lead two small groups one on Monday evenings and one on Thursday evenings.

Louisburg Herald Article

The following was published in the Louisburg Herald

From the Pulpit

By Larry Clark
Pastor of Life Groups
New Life Family Church

A story is told about a man who headed off to California as part of the great gold rush. He staked his claim and began to dig. He dug and dug, dug and dug some more. He hit some small pockets of gold but never the Mother load! After several months of digging he became frustrated and decided his mine was not going to produce any Mother load. He walked out of his mine and headed into town. He went to the real estate office and told them he wanted to sell his claim, which included his notes. A man over heard his discussion and made an offer. The man took the offer and headed for the train a beaten man.

The man who purchased the mine began to study the notes the other man had written. He made some calculations and decided that with some more digging a Mother load would be found. He headed to the mine and began to dig. He dug and dug, then he dug some more and within just a few feet he hit the Mother load.

The other man had quit just a few feet from his dream.

Do you have a dream, a Big, Audacious Dream? If you do you have probably encountered some big obstacles as you moved forward toward your dream.

Are you like that man? Are there obstacles that are keeping you from reaching your dream? Are there walls that have been built that keep you from achieving victory in a relationship?

Maybe you are just one shovel full of dirt away from reaching your goal, your dream.

As Joshua took over the job of leading Israel into the Promised Land God said, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left so that you may have success wherever you go." Joshua 1: 6-7

The fulfillment of your dream might not be visible right now but if it is a dream that God has given it will happen if you don't give up! Some times it is just one more step, just one more brick removed or just one more shovel full of stuff. In Hebrews 11: 1 we are told, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." and in verse 6, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him (God), for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."

For Israel the obstacles of entering the Promised Land seemed like giants but eventually through Joshua’s leadership they entered the land. Achieving dreams and goals is never easy and it always comes with a price. For Christians it requires an unwavering faith in God and His promises and it requires followers of Jesus to persevere until the end.

Don't quit moving forward. Don't quit now. Don't quit now because you just might be one brick, one step, one shovel full away from achieving your God given dream.

The Next Steps

I am still working at Wal-Mart but here are some of the things I am pursuing:

1.  I am Pastor of Life Groups at New Life.

2.  Every three months do a Sunday service at the Nursing Homes.

3.  Organizing a yearly "Louisburg Family Day" involving local churches and Christian music and     entertainment.

4.  Getting "WatchDogs" started in our local elementary schools.  Watchdogs

5.  Writing a short message for the Louisburg Herald when needed.

6.  Begin holding a weekly prayer service open to men of all denominations, which will be held at a neutral location and have shared responsibilities.

7.  I am leading one of the Life Groups at New LIfe and will call it REAL Men RoCK and it is based     on material my friend, Doug Walton and I put together.  Go to http://realmenrock.blogspot.com for information on the group.  You will find the info at the end of the two most recent posts.

Wild At Heart

Every man was once a boy.  And every boy has dreams, big dreams; dreams of being the hero, of beating the bad guys, of doing daring feats and rescuing the damsel in distress.  Then boys grow up and life snuffs out those dreams.

The Wild at Heart series is designed to help men recapture their dreams.  It is an 8 week adventure with other men in recovering their masculine hearts, defined in the image of a passionate God.

Through Wild at Heart men will have the opportunity to once again move forward in the dreams they had as a boy.

For more informaiton about Wild at Heart go to http://www.ransomedheart.com/

You can contact Matt Brumbaugh at mattbrumbaugh@msn.com or Larry Clark at lnclark@mokancomm.net for more information about the meeting dates and location.

Life Groups at New Life

On Sunday, September 13th, I lead a Life Group Leader's training session. Three people were in attendance and they will launch their Life Groups on September 27th.

The material I am using for these Life Groups was shared with me by Church of the Highlands located in Birmingham, AL http://www.churchofthehighlands.com/connect/smallgroups.html.

Our Life Groups are based on a Free Market system where people find out what their passion is and build a Life Group around it. For example my wife, Kat, wants to build a Life Group that focuses on reading Biblically based books and discussing how God spoke to them through the words of others. Kat and I will probably lead a couples group that studies a scripture and discusses how God spoke to us and how we will use that scripture in our lives.

We hope that on September 27th we will launch a total of 7 Life Groups.

A New Journey Begins

About 14 years ago a friend of mine came up to me and told me he believed that one day I would be oradined as a pastor. I laughed at his remarks and brushed them off. I had so many things to overcome and lots of wounds to be healed of to ever be a pastor. I knew I could do ministry but I could not see how I would ever be pastor material. For most of my life I was told I was not smart enough, I was not talented enough and I did not have what it took to be successful. Three years later I became involved with the Vineyard Church in Overland Park, KS.

Over the next 10 years I found healing for my wounds and those things I needed to overcome slowly became less and less. I got new confidence and dreams. I enrolled in Vineyard Leadership Institute (VLI) and I discovered through this hard intense 2 year college level adventure that I was somewhat smart, I did have talent, I had many of the qualities to become successful and what I lacked the Holy Spirit gave to me.

Next Sunday, September 13th, I will be recognized by Pastor Erik Kingsley of New Life Church in Louisburg, KS as his Associate Pastor. My duties will include overseeing Life Groups, Men's Ministry and Care Ministries.

At the age of 59 when many men are looking forward to retirement, I am excited and energized to be at the beginning of a new journey. I believe I have another 20 good years ahead. I do not want to waste those years just enjoying life but living life.

What about you? Are you really living your dream? Are you controlled by your finances? Are you a slave to a job that only pays the bills?

I encourage you to look deep inside and find that God given dream and get to work living it.

Please visit my REAL Men RoCK blog http://realmenrock.blogspot.com

What Does the Community Chaplain Do?

The Louisburg Community Chaplain will:

· Visit community family members who do not claim identity with a church home wherever care can be expressed and help given: hospitals, nursing homes, funeral homes, family homes, or other neutral sites.

· Assist in planning, officiating or attending weddings for immediate family members, including pre-marital discussions and follow-up contact with newlywed couple.

· Help plan, conduct or attend funerals for immediate family members, including follow-up support and encouragement to immediate family members during the grief period.

· Make jail visits to immediate family members who are incarcerated; assist the family during times of separation; help with the transition of individuals back into mainstream society.

· Serve on the Death & Serious Injury Notification Team to families of community members killed or injured in a job-related accident or who die of natural causes while on the job.

· Provide Chaplain Emergency Care for crisis intervention, and work closely with community leaders on any emergency situation or employee needs.

· Speak at in-house or outside events as requested by community leaders.

· Provide, as appropriate, self-improvement materials (books, pamphlets, booklets, tracts, and audio tapes) to help employees and immediate family members deal with specific issues/problems and provide principles for successful and happy living.

· Provide confidential chaplain discussions for problem issues of community members and their immediate family members, including, but not limited to, marriage, divorce and remarriage, serious illness, care of aging parents, death and grief recovery, parenting, as well as any other personal issues.

· Coordinate assistance for community members or immediate family members who require professional help in issues related to drug or alcohol dependency and/or psychiatric problems through outpatient or hospitalized care.

· Provide referral service and act as coordinator for specialized assistance to employees and/or immediate family members with specific needs.

Other services will be provided to schools or neighborhoods:
* Abstinence Education in schools, apartment complexes and churches
* Attend school related activities
* Provide crisis intervention to schools
* Provide Chaplain services to youth and/or parents
* Intentionally engage youth in discussions and activities