When he walked into the home he could immediately sense that something was wrong. You could cut the air with a knife it was so thick. The man's wife was present and before long she pointed out that she did not want those men coming in and sitting in her house, spilling coffee and donut crumbs on her floor. Furthermore, 7 a.m. was a ridiculous hour, and why should the rest of her family wake up just so these men could study the Bible. Her voice began to quiver, tears came down her cheeks, and she began to tremble because of her deep involvement in the issue. Silently the man who was going to lead the Bible study prayed, "Oh, God, deliver me from the curse of ever believing that my house is more important than people."

According to Scripture only two things will pass from this world into eternity: the Word of God and people. We need to be heavily involved in both. "The Word of Lord stands forever" (1 Peter 1:25). "The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

Heavenly Father, help me see more and more people and the Word which are present now and will be present forever and ever. Forgive me where I have failed in this in the past. Give me grace to see people and the Word as sincere objects of my attention. Assist me to invest heavily in both. In the precious name of Jesus, my dear Savior. Amen.

Nine out of 10 new businesses fail. However, 99.5% franchises succeed. What does that mean for the church?

God's plan for growth of the church is multiplication. The concept of disciplining. This disciplining is a quiet but powerful way to impact the world. As you disciple, you are replicating spiritual DNA: values, beliefs, attitudes, and worldviews. It's a successful way to multiply yourself.

The same dynamics work with the body of Christ. I have observed three levels of multiplication. Multiplication 1.0 is the old method. It is when your church sends money to a denomination to plant churches. There is little connection. There are many failures. Multiplication 2.0 happens when churches are encouraged to start daughter congregations. They pay the bills for awhile. This is more effective, but, there are still casualties. In the last several years, I have observed the emergence of Multiplication 3.0. This is when a church extends itself in the community with the same DNA. There are few casualties. It is the least expensive. This is franchising.

How does it work? The church provides worship venues off-campus, with infinite possibilities of styles. Worship and leadership teams are developed. A volunteer leader oversees the ministry effort. There are volunteer Sunday School teachers, greeters, and follow-up for visitors. The venue is borrowed or rented. How do you provide the sermon? The message is brought by DVD, projected on screen. People today watch screens and don't mind the message multiplied through technology.

A similar model can be used to multiply a ministry. A church I consulted in Visalia, California has a great preschool with limited space. I recommended they franchise their preschool, using rented space in a shopping mall. A church in Archbald, Ohio didn't have room for the youth and rented a warehouse. These off-campus sites actually enhance Gospel penetration in the community on "neutral" ground.

Focus on these issues:

1. When unchurched people are reached at a neutral site, they are more likely to attend.
2. Every syndicated theater corporation in the U.S. has a department dedicated to renting space to churches for worship on Sunday mornings.
3. A key in our secular society is to engage the culture. The Great Commission says "go" make disciples. Don't require them to come to you.
4. Franchising allows you to keep the DNA of your church.
5. Franchising is the least expensive way to multiply your ministry.
6. People today readily accept receiving a message on a screen; they have spent the last several decades looking at one, at their television, in theaters, and their computer.

God said, be fruitful and multiply. With technology, we have opportunities at a whole new level. Engage the community!

Dr. Kent Hunter is nationally known as the Church Doctor. You can contact him at (800) 626-8515, or visit his Web site at www.churchdoctor.org.

According to a recent study Americans are lonelier, more isolated than 20 years ago. In 1985 the average American had three people in whom they could confide matters important to them. By 2004 that number had dropped to two, and 25 percent of those surveyed had no close confidants at all. Be a friend to somebody every day.

Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church: "Once you've developed a vision for your church, you've got to communicate that vision to your people in order to mobilize them for what God wants to do. It doesn't matter how grand your vision is, if you can't communicate it, the vision will fail."

A beggar walked up to a well-dressed woman shopping on Rodeo Drive and said, "I haven't eaten anything in four days." She looked at him and said, "I wish I had your will power."

Here are some new designations for the Trinity the Presbyterian Church (USA) is considering: "Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child and Life-giving Womb" and "Lover, Beloved, and Love That Binds Lover and Beloved Together." Rev. Mark Brewer, a USA Presbyterian pastor who was unhappy with some of the names for the Holy Trinity, said: "You might as well put in Huey, Dewey and Louie." This same church body has just voted to give regional presbyteries and local congregations the power to allow gay ministers.

A very important quote: "Guests at worship should know they matter to us before they hear how much they matter to God."

Preaching Without Notes by Joseph Webb is the title of a very practical book for preachers now available from Church Press. Only $15 Go to our website: www.churchpress.com under Sermon Books.

China detained 28 Christians in a May 28 raid on an unauthorized church service at a private home.

The average salary and housing allowance for full-time Southern Baptist pastors is $49,952, an increase of 7.4 percent over 2004. The average pay package, which includes insurance and retirement benefits, is $59,995, a gain of 6.7 percent over the previous study. Average salary and housing for full-time pastors ranges from $33,956 in the Dakotas to $78,558 in the District of Columbia. Full-time pastors in the Baptist General Convention of Texas rank second at $64,441.

The greatest joy on earth is the clear prospect of heaven!

Now, all of Lar's neighbors were Catholic, and since it was Lent they were prohibited from eating meat on Fridays. The delicious aroma from the grilled venison steaks was causing such a problem for the Catholic faithful that they finally talked to their priest.

The priest came to visit Lars, and suggested that Lars convert to Catholicism. After several classes and much study, Lars attended Mass, and as the priest sprinkled holy water over Lars, he said, "You were born a Lutheran and raised a Lutheran, but now you are a Catholic."

Lar's neighbors were greatly relieved. But when Friday night arrived, and the wonderful aroma of grilled venison filled the neighborhood, the priest was immediately called in and, as he rushed into Lar's yard, clutching a rosary and prepared to scold Lars, he stopped in amazement and watched.

There stood Lars, clutching a small bottle of water which he carefully sprinkled over the grilling meat and chanted: "You were born a deer and raised a deer, but now you are a walleye."

The most important aspect of our lives needing continual recharging is our relationship with God. Throughout the year most of us try to take care of our spiritual lives. But summer is a good time to spend some extended time in that pursuit.

We've all spoken with Christians whose spiritual batteries have been drained by stressful situations like illnesses, life-transitions, or trauma. Others have been drained by not taking time to recharge. Even pastors and Christian leaders can get caught up in the tyranny of the urgent.

Charles Allen begins his book, God's Psychiatry, with the story of a successful, but spiritually empty man who came to him for counseling. After listening to the man's story, Allen took a pad of paper from his desk and wrote this prescription: Read Psalm 23 five times a day - carefully, meditatively, prayerfully - for seven days.

Try Allen's prescription for yourself. Print Psalm 23 onto a 3 x 5 card, and carry it with you for the next 7 days. Read it 5 times a day. As you do, ask reflective questions about it. Here are some to get you started. I'm sure you'll come up with your own.

1. In what areas of my life have I been trying to shepherd myself or others?
2. What are the places or relationships in my life that are God's green pastures and quiet waters?
3. As I think back on times when I felt closest to Christ, what did His restoration of my soul feel like?
4. As I think about some of the stressful situations I've been experiencing, in what ways have I also experienced God's presence with me?
5. What is God's "table"? What are the areas of my life He is currently demonstrating His provision for me?
6. How does knowing that I will be with the LORD forever change the way I think about the events of the last 6 months?
7. What are some others ways you can think of to recharge spiritually?

Dr. Craig Loving is a pastor as well as a therapist in private practice in the Denver area. You can reach him at 303-349-7398 or by visiting his website at www.drcraigloving.com.

So what kind of planning is involved?

Be Together...
The power is in "together." Worship planners should be in the Word and in prayer on a regular basis. God speaks a specific truth to his leaders so that His message can be proclaimed with power. Secondly, they should be in line with the pastor. The two should work together to form a specific theme for their congregation.

Theme...
It is reasonable to begin with the readings for the day to form a theme. (Note that a theme isn't a topic, such as "grace" or even "God as King," but rather an idea. An example might be, "God is King because He protects us and promises His eternal Kingdom.") Some pastors also have a sermon series that determines the theme. The service will still include daily readings, but the pastor might include a separate Scripture.

Music...
As you begin to form your library, it is extremely helpful to file congregational and special music topically. The proper resources for the theme will be readily available (no wading through piles). This is also a time to consider new music that could move the congregation to new places, including pieces that others have suggested. In addition, plan set lists for smooth transitions. Rustling papers and rough key changes should not be a distraction.

Order of Service...
Remember: The worship service has historically been designed to take the worshipper on a spiritual journey. As you think about the placement of events, such as the confession of faith and sins, prayers, and music, consider the spiritual place of the worshipper. Think about our mood when we first arrive. Will we be ready for a time of confession right away? I've discovered that it's helpful to have the confession of faith towards the beginning of the service, and the confession of sins after the message. What flows smoothly after the confession and absolution? Perhaps special music will convey the message in a new way. Note that each element of the service should flow smoothly into the next. Don't be afraid to be creative!

Above all, cover the service in prayer. No matter how spontaneous or planned the service is, God is worshipped when we come in humility.

Amy Kopecky is a graduate of Concordia University, Seward, NE, with extensive training and experience in music. You may contact Amy with questions at: amy.kopecky@cune.org.

Paraphrase of Psalm 12 by Henry L. Lettermann

Forward this newsletter to worship leaders, officers, and board members in your church. Use the "Forward email" link below to preserve the formatting.

To receive a free catalog just email us.
To view our products go to our website.

Copyright © 2006, Church Press, Inc.