Reviewing a Year - 2013 - in the words of the NCC Pastors

2013 was incredible.  A new pope brought verve to the Roman Catholic Church by doing “Jesus” stuff.  The Middle East experienced an “Arab Spring” that is dangerous, hopeful, and unprecedented.  China put a rover on the moon. The Philippines were hit with unprecedented typhoon damage. Human stem cells were successfully cones. Terrorists struck Boston.  Meteorites injured hundreds of Russians and did mega-damage. Nelson Mandela died.  And we learned, sadly, what “twerk” means.

A lot has happened more locally, too.  I asked NCC churches to report what they saw as major highlights of 2013.  A few responded:

“One of the highlights of this year here in Livingston has been to see a great group of people from the church (and several from the community as well) come together to feed hungry families two Wednesday nights a month.  We are averaging 45 people each meal night and expect it to grow over time.  We are also planning a once per week lunch in the park during the summer to help families who depend on the schools for feeding their children lunch.”  -- Greg Marsh, Livingston WI

“One highlight for sure was the resurrection of our VBS after 5 years and having 65 kids.” – Mark Phillips, LaFarge WI

“We had a number of highlights in 2013 including our Holiday Help programs in which we served 3012 families with Thanksgiving baskets, 1200+ hot meals for Thanksgiving, 500+ families with Toys For Tots and sponsored 150 families through our Adopt-A-Family program.  In addition, we have seen more volunteer participation from our community which produces wonderful opportunities for witnessing our faith.  Finally, we have incorporated testimonials during our Sunday morning services during the month of December.  It was such a joy to hear the God-sized stories of His amazing work in lives and how the Cedarcrest Church family was key in creating a safe environment for people to grow in grace.” – Shawn Morrison, Bloomington/Minneapolis MN

“I am happy to be here at the beginning of 2014 to share about God’s grace and mercy during 2013. Betty and I believe God touched our son Tim through the hands of many doctors and nurses as he was treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with chemo therapy and a bone marrow transplant. We are deeply grateful for the many prayers of God’s people for Tim.  We are also thankful for His provision since the change in my work hours and His protective hand upon me during my cycling mishaps.  We know God was with us in 2013 and we know that 2014 will be another year of experiencing His abundant grace. NO DOUBTS!!”  Randy Waller, Woodstock, IL.

“A man were helping (living with us) was incarcerated, which has given us access to the prison and I have been able to minister to many of the convicts, and even lead a Bible study each week with the prisoners.  Our relationship with the Safe Home –a residence for chronic, homeless alcoholics – has led to monthly breakfast ministry with the men. Relationships are being built. More and more are open to members of our community praying with them and sharing with them. 2014 will be a good year as we continue to grow these relationships.”  Pat and Marge McClanahan, Sioux Falls SD. 

“Probably the highlight of this past year was our baptism service last August.  My 9 year old daughter was baptized and that was highlight #1. She has grown tremendously in Christ over the last year.  Because she was being baptized my family came to support, which brought my father, who had not been baptized.  On the spot after our 3 planned baptisms I asked if any others would like to be baptized.  My dad stepped forward!!!  I got to baptize my Dad and daughter on the same day!  But wait there's more… My childhood friend who had been attending our church for a couple months was at this service and gave his life to Christ that day, and when I gave the invitation to be baptized, he came forward as well! I continue to meet with and disciple Ray and we are excited to hole our next baptism service Feb. 16th. Stay tuned to see what God might do!”  Kevin DeVries, Monee IL

“As I look back on a most blessed year in the Lord I see His grace, truth and love in abundance. Twelve months ago we were content to be ministering in Clearwater, Florida. Vunita and I were comfortable walking on the beach in January, focusing on making a difference as a Chaplain and associate pastors of our loving church (Lake Palms Community Church) in Largo, Florida. . .  [And now we are back in our home town of Clarinda, IA] God has such a great sense of humor that He will work things around to where it is our desire to go back to the cold and the closest thing to a strip mall is a grocery store, a mom and pop restaurant and a Dollar General.  We are renewing old friendships and making sure we are in the center of HIS good and pleasing and perfect will.  We are most assuredly overwhelmed by God's grace and truth and love. Blessed most abundantly to be a blessing to those we come into contact with. Hang on 2014 the Iskes are here and we want to help restore, rebuild and expand God's kingdom work here in Clarinda and the North Central Conference.”  Richard and Vunita Iske, Clarinda, IA

“World Missions has been one of the highlights in ministry for the Fillmore (MN) Church in 2013. In January, a team of 6 individuals traveled to the Christian Orphanage in Honduras to construct a house as well as minister to needy families. Then $1,800 was raised to help eight Free Methodist churches in the Philippines to replace or repair their roofs following a December typhoon. Over $1,000 was later contributed to help two pastors in Haiti receive Bible training through the FM ministry through helping purchase a motorcycle for ministry and for transportation to the training. Two persons from the Fillmore Church provided medical care to individuals along the Amazon River in Bolivia, South America. In November, 59 shoe boxes were collected to be sent to children around the world through Operation Christmas Child. Each month our church supports ministry in Jordan and Asia. Finally, $1,616 was raised for typhoon relief in the Philippines. During 2013, this rural Minnesota church has had the opportunity to support ministry in Honduras, the Philippines, Haiti, Bolivia, Jordan, and Asia in 2013.”  Mike and Janet Hopper, Fillmore MN

Several churches were started in 2013: Loyal Community Church, Pastor Zeke Kunkle, Loyal WI; Just Church, Pastors Howie and Nicole Snyder, Aurora, IL, Revolution, Pastor David Condry, Cedar Rapids/Vinton IA, Rey de Gloria, Pastor Uriel Duran, Salem Church, Darryl Martin, Lafayette IA, The Connection, Elgin, IL.   We also saw the formation of new churches from church plants: Iglesia Bethel, Glencoe (Fellowship from Affiliate), Resolution Church, Oswego IL (Society from church plant), Common Ground Worship Center (Fellowship from church plant). 

Some churches closed.  The Faith, Hope and Love Fellowship in Pekin IL (5 people), disbanded.  The First FMC of Elgin IL disbanded and reformed to plant a new church, noted above as “The Connection” leaving the building to be used by Nuestro Redentor FMC.  The Loop, a missional church plant launched by Pam Braman, disbanded after introducing many college students in particular to faith in Jesus. 

Three churches targeted for “Revitalization” in 2013 by the NCC, Richland Center FMC (WI), LaFarge FMC (WI) and Lighthouse FMC (Waterloo, IA) have all experienced significant, sustained conversion growth.  

Easter Changes Everything

Easter changes everything. More precisely, resurrection changes everything.

Samuel Johnson wrote, “Man is born crying, lives complaining, and dies disappointed.” As April 15 approaches, the dreaded tax day for Americans, we hear the inevitable facts of life oft recited as simply, “death and taxes.”

But writing to a struggling group of Christ followers in the metropolis of first century Corinth, Paul writes, “'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The victory is resurrection.

The good news Christians proclaims, the simple gospel, the key point that drives all we hope upon against a world that sees only death and taxes is articulated by Paul (1Cor.15:2ff): “By this gospel you are saved . . . Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. . . and then to more than 500 . . . and last of all to me.“

The purest nugget of Christianity is Easter. Jesus died for our sins, and rose again from the dead. There were witnesses. The resurrection, for Christians, is not the witness of a spiritual entity or mass hallucination or early conspiracy or simply wishful thinking. Our faith is predicated upon a man who claimed to be the Son of God, acting on God’s behalf to pay the steep penalty for our sin – death itself – and able to conquer the greatest enemy – death itself – through a physical and real resurrection.

Through faith we are united with this power that changes everything. Even me. Even you. We do indeed die. We do indeed pay taxes. We may indeed by disappointed from time to time. But we walk in the joyous knowledge and true experience of receiving and offering love, kindness, hope, truth and an absolute certainty that death does not have the final say. 

Resurrection changes everything.

Connectional Compassion 

February is compassion month in the North Central Conference. You may only express compassion during February – JUST KIDDING!  Passion, which today may connote a strong feeling, originally meant suffering, as in the “Passion of Christ.” The Latin “com” meant “together” or “attached to.” To have compassion in its classic sense meant to suffer with, to experience the pain or sorrow of another, and to suffer with them.  Do we have this kind of compassion today?

During “Compassion Month” in the North Central Conference, we are encouraged to consider the weak and suffering in our midst, and reflect upon how we may express the love of Jesus. In expressing such love, true compassion will not merely allow awareness to break through our daily routines, but will lead to sacrificial action and alignment of our purposes with those of our Lord. Our love will extend beyond just self and family and friends and toward even our “enemies” (Matthew 5:44, Romans 12:21).

Most NCC churches (over 65%) are actively engaged in true compassion, sacrificing time and resources to bring counsel to the confused, food to the hungry, medicine to the sick, binding the wounds of the brokenhearted. Keep up to speed by tracking the NCC Facebook page (fb/nccfmc). See what others are doing, and find ways to engage.

Explore the work, support through prayer, finance and volunteer action with two significant NCC social service agencies.  The Olive Branch Mission is Chicago’s largest private provider of ministry to the homeless, used as a vessel of the Holy Spirit to set the addicted free and restore broken lives, feeding thousands each month. Hearthstone Communities in Northern Illinois is McHenry’s County’s only provider of continuous care for the elderly. On the cutting edge of memory care, and providing low cost, enriching day care for children, Hearthstone is a leader in the industry, yet continues to take financial losses each year by supporting “charity” cases.

Consider how you might express compassionate care for the needy around you. Consider looking up Olive Branch Mission (www.obmission.org) and Hearthstone (www.wclsil.org) and discovering how you can pray for, volunteer and give to demonstrate Christ’s compassion among the weak and suffering.

Extending Influence Beyond

If you want to extend influence in the next generation, don’t go “old school.” Go waaaaay old school. 

Look around. How many kids and young adults are in church? American averages are around 20% of the twenty-something population. Currently, while about 80% of teens are involved in church in some way, about 40% (research figures vary widely) will not return after adulthood, even when they have children of their own, and only 20% will return as regular, involved church-going Christians. 

Youth are generally smarter and more knowledge savvy (this doesn’t mean wise or mature) than their parents and church leaders. Teens are reading more than ever, albeit it on digital screens. They are more culturally aware than most of their parents. Toddlers can use laptops while their grandparents can’t use a T.V. remote. Teens access vast arrays of information today that would not have been available even to the President of the USA in the 1980s, and they check up on the validity of parental or pastoral advice. Our youth are too smart to accept pat answers, and in fact, have trouble believing there are any right or wrong answers outside of mathematics (and some would argue the latter).

“Old school” church will not likely connect with many of our young Christ followers, and almost certainly not with their unchurched friends.  Sing a few songs, sit and listen to a three or four point propositional statement of facts about the Bible, after reading a series of propositional statements about life in which every answer to every questions is either Jesus, the Bible or God, followed by a midweek experience of more of the same with a game of tag and some cookies thrown in, maybe a trip to an amusement park, and an assumption that mom and dad are going to teach them all they need to know. Old school. Okay – not the best of old school or any “school” in any era – but pretty common. It’s not working.

“Waaay old school” – Jesus stuff, I think might be better. Jesus told stories (“hey, have you heard the one about a lost pearl”) and referenced real life situations (“hey, check out that widow with a mite”). There isn’t a propositional sermon on file for the Master Communicator. He was “in your face” and fairly blunt about hard topics while for the most part sharing good news about God’s healing and forgiveness with invitations to follow.

The carpenter’s son invited people to live with him, walk with him, watch him, share his story with him and help people along side of him – pretty much right away (Samaritan woman, Zacchaeus, etc.). Jesus saw needs and met them first (the blind, the leper, the hungry, the bleeding, the brokenhearted, etc.), allowing this to lead to conversation and then to the increasingly faithful obedience of a transformed life.

Start with good news, meet kid’s needs (and those of their parents, and young parents with kids). As often as possible, communicate with images, stories and metaphors. Focus on the truly hard, but only effective means of disciple-making – develop a few deep relationships that fully engage life which leads to a thirst for searching out the answers to questions this kind of approach naturally will raise. Then teach how others can develop these life-giving relationships. And be open to hearing some of the answers to leading and shaping the future of the church these really smart, Spirit-filled emerging leaders will come up with.

If we want to have influence beyond the generation of current church leaders among our children and youth, don’t go old school. Go waaay old school. Go Jesus style.

Love Emmanuel

Love can’t be forced. Obedience can be coerced, if necessary. Following a strict code of behavior can be gained by laying out the rational and positive reasons for adherence. A relationship can be engaged long-term through a series of intertwining commitments, peer pressure and cultural mores that promote the relationship.

Love? It can’t be forced. Love is best freely given and received.

God is love. God in love has revealed laws that point to goodness (don’t steal, be faithful to your spouse, respect those in charge) and humanity is better off when following God’s law. Positive moral codes of behavior similar to those in the Bible have been embraced by one degree or another in many cultures. It stands to reason if the universe was created by God that some semblance of a moral law would permeate hearts everywhere. And it stands to reason that something is not quite right with humanity insofar as no culture anywhere has people who always follow even what they believe to be right, whether it be out of fear of punishment (temporal or eternal) or in anticipation of reward (eternal or temporal).

But love, that is God’s aim. And love, not law or reason, holds the ultimate power to transform.

So, Christians believe, God radically changed the course of the cosmos by entrusting his very own son into the hands of a human family. To be born, raised by a mom and dad, experience the horrors of persecution and joys of family, the frustrations of trying to keep food on a table and sense of accomplishment achieved through hard work well done. To learn at his mother’s knee even as he teaches the religious leaders of his day. Perhaps, some would see him for who He is – truth, light, love embodied - and fall in love with him, too. And through this vulnerable exchange become himself a merciful high priest who understands the suffering and temptations of a sin-riddled, confused, hungry people made amazingly in the image of God. And God in Christ, with the full abandon that love alone can engender, gave himself as an atoning sacrifice for all the confused, heavy laden, angry, violent, selfish and arrogant people whom He better than anyone else could ever know were formed by the Lord to become a joyful, creative, aware, free, peaceful and truly wonderful humanity.

Let’s fall in love with Emmanuel – God with us – all over again. Receive His amazing, lovely forgiveness along with the promise of a life with Him that leads to our daily renewal and the promise of a heart full of love for God, others and ourselves.

Your Global Impact Partners

Proclaiming the good news of Jesus and feeding the hungry! Prayers and medicine to heal the sick! Clean water resources and living spiritual water! Raising levels of literacy and teaching the Word of God! Introducing people to the Heavenly Father and establishing networks to support orphans! Seeing people become new creations while planting trees and restoring God’s creation to sustain whole communities! NCC church, you do all of this and more when you support Free Methodist World Missions.
   We take the great commission of our resurrected Lord Jesus seriously. “Go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19). Therefore, while we bear witness in our own cities, regions and nation we also understand the “ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) as an integral aspect our connected gospel vision. Free Methodist world missions and global partnerships account for most of the nearly doubling of the Free Methodist movement over the past half-decade. There is no question but that your missionaries are fruitful.
   Who are the missionaries our churches support?

   The NCC has formally committed to supporting three of our global missions partners. Based in Kenya, Mike and Vicki Reynen are Africa Area Directors. Al and Diane Mellinger are missionaries to Bulgaria, combating atheism and loss of hope with the good news of Jesus. Steve and Jenny Evoy are Area Directors in Asia, overseeing some of the fastest growing Christian movements in the world.
   One benefit of being a denominational missionary (like the Reynens, Mellingers and Evoys) is that more time may be devoted to serving Jesus on the field of harvest and less time invested in raising money abroad for the task. They can do that because they have denominational support. We members of NCC churches are that denominational support.
   Every NCC church is asked to make an annual commitment to one, two or all three of these servants we have agreed to support. We make these commitments every fall. Now is the time. Prayerfully consider how your church might enjoy sharing in the spiritual fruit and reward of participating meaningfully in the Great Commission. “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way…they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others” (1Cor9.11-12). Visit http://fmcusa.org/fmwm/ for more info.

What About Church Membership?

Membership can be controversial.  On the one hand, American’s mistrust institutions as a whole so are less likely to “join” them as members.  On the other hand, American’s have fiercely loyal tribal and brand identities (you’ll pry my Apple product from my cold, dead hands!). People pay massive amounts of money each year to upgrade, participate in and promote their ‘brands’ (be it the latest android driven tech or sports jersey).  

Church membership is core to Free Methodist identity. There are many biblical arguments for church membership, and many that would seem to make it irrelevant, the Bible alone does not provide the clearest guidance on the topic. Many large denominational churches in America are shrinking, though  they often hold membership dear. Then again, many large non-denominational churches that reject membership on principle are also in crisis and shrinking. Church shrinkage is not a function of whether or not a group has membership. Neither is church growth a function of membership. However, the largest percentage of churches that are growing, whether they are denominational or independent, do in fact have membership in one form or another.

Church membership is an important tool in healthy spiritual and character formation when membership means something.  Growing, healthy congregations generally have membership criteria is clearly articulated, simple to apply and creates a higher standard of expectation among the church as a whole. Sometimes clearly articulating membership means not calling it "membership." Some refer to a faith or church covenant, or growth principles. 

Membership can be seen as something like, “I pay my entrance fee and get my membership with my secret decoder ring.” It is unhealthy when members have the right to vote on significant matters of church direction but do not participate fully in the major aspects of the covenant. For example, very destructive events in a church’s history have occurred when a building project is under way, or a new pastor is coming into the church, or significant outreach plans are being considered and members who rarely attend church, do not contribute to the financial well-being of the church and who do not engage in the communal spiritual growth practices like small group discipleship or evangelistic outreach come out in droves to block the progress of the active participants who may not be actual "members" but are actually engaging Jesus.  Yikes! It happens.

To make membership dependent upon behavior that conforms to a checklist, however, seems fairly unproductive and outside the realm of a spirit-of-grace-apart-from-the-law. We believe in grace and the power of a spirit-filled community to have a positive impact on people who connect with such people (the church).  For example, Free Methodists believe that infants and children may be baptized because they understand the rite as a means of grace, per Paul’s teaching in Romans, that is not unlike Old Testament circumcision – a community act of faith on behalf of one not able to actively participate in faith that identifies that child in a binding, covenantal manner to the community faith.  In other words, it’s like saying, in the sight of God we declare this child to be one of us and is under the protection of God and this church. Of course, that child may choose a different course come age of reason, but the child is not excluded from the means of grace, growth and good discipleship in community simply because she doesn’t understand what it all means yet.

Who does understand "what it all means" anyway? I have yet to find an elder of the highest character or deepest intellect that could, with a straight face anyway, declare to have perfect knowledge of God’s own doctrine and perfect practice of God’s holiness. That is not to say that Christians cannot mature and grow, and even by a work of God’s grace, be so full of the Holy Spirit that her imperfect knowledge and imperfect behavior is nonetheless motivated, inspired and characterized by the love and peace of God. But in my experience, even this "entire sanctification" is not the rule of thumb.

So how perfect should we expect our church members to be?  What should we require of them?

The Free Methodist Church has a membership covenant.  It is a solid statement of our community understanding of the teachings of Scripture as applied to our current era, and it contains a great deal of guidance regarding biblical doctrine, human relationships, health and well-being and more.  I am a Free Methodist Superintendent, though an inductee to the Free Methodist Church after having lived a life of sin, addiction, anger, malice, racism and rage – set free by God’s grace in Christ’s salvation. I was not raised Free Methodist. But I have been part of the church for some time now and love it with every fiber of my being. I agree with our membership covenant, and seek to be guided by it, though I have not always agreed with each jot and tittle of it, yet do live in harmony with the covenant and to promote it as biblical, healthy and reasonable. 

The Free Methodist "membership covenant," however, has been identified by the denomination as discipleship guidelines. That is, our doctrine, practice and relationships should be growing in ever increasing ways to harmonize with the principles of the covenant. Full adherence to the covenant is not required prior to becoming a member.  

Here is what is required to become a member of a Free Methodist Church. These are meant to allow membership to be as closely tied to biblical conversion and informed healthy community principles as possible without a holiness that is rule-based rather than grace-empowered. These are the ABC’s of what we commit to as members of a Free Methodist congregation (I paraphrase the Book of Discipline ¶8800):

A) I believe God has forgiven my sins through faith in Jesus, that the Bible is God’s Word and my authority and I commit to growing in Christ, the move of the Spirit in my life, and the nurture of the church.
B) I accept and will live in harmony with the Free Methodist constitution which guides doctrine, church governance and conduct. 
C) I will embrace the mission of the Free Methodist Church and participate to fulfill that mission through giving my time, talents and resources. 

The good news with this criteria for membership is that it allows for members to be received and to actively participate in the blessings of the church, and to bless the church and community, fairly early in their connection with Jesus as savior and the church as an enfolding and nurturing expression of the body of Christ.

   
I have tried to articulate the iPath for the NCC: iNvite, iNcrease, iNvolve and iNvest.  As a church is about the business of inviting people to consider the claims of Christ, and increase the likelihood of a positive response through acts of intentional hospitality and demonstrations of love, they will also need to immediately involve those who express interest in Jesus and the church.  Do not put people in a long waiting cue of various tests and hurdles before involving them in ministry and membership! That’s a sure fire way to impede the work of the Spirit and growth of the church. Immediately give those who show interest some way to be involved, to serve, to grow, to give, to pray, to be prayed for, to learn, to teach.  As soon as someone expresses faith in Christ, and a love for the church that has loved them, and a desire to connect, and as soon as they know what that means, invite them into membership. 

With General Conference approaching in 2015, I wonder if there are ways to improve how we view and implement membership.  Is there different language to communicate biblical community and membership principles that may speak to our culture more effectively?  Are there different standards that should be embraced?  For example some churches have made faith in Christ primary, and then have articulated more clearly than the membership ritual does, that a member must A) Attend worship regularly, B) Give faithfully, C) Connect with a  growth group and D) Serve in some way.  What do you think? If there was a way to improve membership practices and initiation in the Free Methodist Church, what would it be?

Send your ideas to me, Supt. Mark Adams, and I will eagerly and prayerfully be considering each one.