There was a 12 year old girl. She contracted a horrible disease. In a few days she was dead. Her father had run for help while she was still alive, but when he returned he was greeted with the news, "Your daughter is dead." He rushed into the room only to find it filled with friends, relatives, and some mourners who were paid to cry at occasions like this.

Jairus returned to the Help he brought and cried, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring you to a funeral. I wanted you to do something for my daughter when she was still alive." The Man turned and said, "Jairus, your daughter is not dead; she is only sleeping." And the Bible says that "...the people in the room laughed at the Man who made that statement." Then the Man took the girl by her hand, and she got up off her death bed and started walking around. He ruined the funeral. And that's Jesus Christ, the world's worst funeral director.

Another funeral at Nain. This one is in progress. A man, not even 25 years old, had suddenly died. They were taking him out to the cemetery for burial. Jesus stops the procession, goes to the coffin, and says, "Young man, I tell you to get up." He did. Jesus then presented him to his mother. And Jesus ruined that funeral.

Now to a third funeral. Mary and Martha had already buried their brother. It was four days after the funeral. Jesus goes to the gravesite and says, "Roll that stone away." Then Jesus says to the dead man, "Lazarus, I want you to come out of that grave now!" Immediately he makes his way out. And Jesus ruined that funeral.

Another funeral. The Man is dead and buried. Early on Sunday morning He bursts forth from the tomb and shows Himself alive to many people. He broke up every funeral He ever attended and this was His fourth - His own! He ruined that funeral, too.

There is one more important funeral to visit - yours! The Bible talks about it in 1 Corinthians 15:20, "But the fact is that Christ did actually rise from the dead and has become the first of all people who will come back to life someday." Yes, Jesus Christ is the world's worst funeral director, and He promises to ruin yours, too. What a Savior!

Jesus lives and grants me daily breath; He lives, and I shall conquer death.
He lives, my future to prepare; He lives to bring me safely there!

What do IBM, Ford Motor Company, the U.S. Government, General Motors, and most churches have in common?

Management expert Peter Drucker once said, "If you forget what business you're in, you're about to go out of business." Look at Ford Motor Company, for example. Henry Ford focused on building a motor car. A few generations later, the company built radios, had an insurance division, and several other activities, which were not part of their core mission. Today, Ford is divesting these side industries to recapture what made them great... and stay in business.

Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, calls this the "Hedgehog Concept." This includes the issue of "finding the one thing you are best in the world at." As a church consultant, I see this as one of several roadblocks to the effectiveness - and the future - of many local churches. In my book Discover Your Windows, I have documented this worldview of purpose based on extensive research. Among those active in their churches, over 60% do not correctly identify the primary purpose according to their own Constitution.

We asked active church members to choose one statement that best describes the primary purpose of the church: 1) To be the moral backbone of society; 2) to teach people the Golden Rule; 3) to make disciples; 4) to provide a place of fellowship, to share God's love with each other. The correct answer (according to 97% of church and denominational Constitutions) is #3. The majority of active churchgoers (57%) chose #4. We call it the "Country Club Mentality."

Focus on these issues:

1. Make sure church staff is on the same page concerning your purpose.
2. If your church Constitution does not have a clear Purpose Statement, take steps to add one.
3. Staff should continually be articulating the church's purpose to leaders.
4. Screen all potential leaders (director of Vacation Bible School, leader of women's groups, elders, church board, Sunday School teachers) to make sure they operate from the purpose.
5. Use the Discover Your Windows Questionnaire (from Church Doctor Ministries) to help every member of the church reflect on biblical worldviews.
6. Conduct a "70 Days of Vision" campaign in your church by focusing on the 10 worldviews. Ask small groups to focus each week on a different chapter of the book Discover Your Windows.
7. As you assimilate new members, maintain the two elements of vitality for the Christian Movement: what you believe (doctrine) and what you value (what you consider important).

As a child, Jesus said, "I must be about my Father's business." To be a healthy church, recapture a clear understanding of the Father's business, the purpose of your church.

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

Capt. Edward Graham, youngest son of evangelist Franklin Graham, has received shrapnel wounds to his arms, legs and back in Iraq. He is a 27- year-old Army Ranger and is recovering in an undisclosed hospital. This is his second tour of duty. Thank You, God, for all our service men and women! Think about what you and your church can do locally to honor them and to serve those who have returned home wounded.

Church Press usually ships UPS. How big is UPS? Their computers do 59 million database transactions per hour! Jesus does just one: "It is finished!"

"Dream for a moment. What would church be like if the majority of the worshippers were men? Not just males taking up pew space, but strong, earthly men who were truly alive in Christ. Men who were there not just to please their wives, to fulfill religious tradition, or to go on a power trip, but men who were there to rock their world. Can you even imagine what that would feel like? Imagine what such a church could accomplish for the kingdom of God! Impossible you say? Just read the book of Acts. The church was like this once; it can be so again." From page 9 of Why Men Hate Going To Church by David Murrow. Shows the problem and what to do about it. To order click Why Men Hate Going to Church - Only $14.99.

We spend more time cruising the Internet, watching TV, reading newspapers and listening to the radio than anything else. 195 hours per year spent on the Internet. 974 hours spent listening to the radio. 1,555 hour spent glued to the television.

The Taliban in Afghanistan has passed 30 new rules. For example, Rule No. 24 forbids anyone to work as a teacher under the current puppet regime. Rule 25 says that teachers who ignore Taliban warnings will be killed. Taliban recently broke into a house in the province of Kunar and killed a family of five, including two who were teachers. They had been warned in a letter to quit teaching and didn't. Oh, that we Americans would better understand what we are facing.

Barbara Walters of 20/20 did a story on gender roles in Kabul, Afganistan, several years before the Afghan conflict. She noted that women customarily walked 5 paces behind their husbands. She recently returned to Kabul and observed that women still walk behind their husbands. From her viewpoint, despite the overthrow of the oppressive Taliban government, the women now seem to walk even further back behind their husbands and are happy to maintain the old custom. Walters approached one of the Afghani women and asked, "Why do you now seem happy with the old custom that you once tried so desperately to change?" The woman looked Walters straight in the eyes, and without hesitation, said, "Land mines." The moral of the story: behind every man is a smart woman!

When death comes to a home, it usually comes suddenly. The result is that most people do not think clearly. Next Sunday morning you will have the opportunity to attend your own funeral service. Obviously it will be designed to make you think.

Think about the brevity of your life and what you want to do with the rest of it. Think about changing some of your goals in life. Think about your own funeral service and make plans for it. Your funeral service could be the greatest sermon you preach. Think about making a will, about putting the Lord's Church in that will, about a memorial.

The text for your funeral sermon will be John 11:25 - 26. The Scripture readings, congregational singing, and special music for your funeral will proclaim the joy and victory which is yours in the risen Savior. I hope that every member including members who have been backsliding and have not been regular in church attendance will be here. You should also invite your friends.

In Jesus Christ, Pastor Don

As people arrived the ushers asked them to go up to the casket for viewing of the deceased. They came. You know who they saw. It was very sobering. Brother pastor, I believe we need to be a bit more demonstrative in teaching about sin, death, Jesus, His resurrection, and the promise of everlasting life with Him. All of this is not a game. We're playing for keeps - now and eternally. God give you a powerful ministry in the days ahead. - DFG

There is a little children's chant, "Ring around the roses, pocket full of posies; ashes, ashes, we all fall down." To most, this chant envisions cheerful children playing an innocent game, but actually it was born in a world of pain and death. Three and a quarter centuries ago, the "Black Plague" was sweeping through London and would kill hundreds of thousands. It was followed by the Great Fire of London, and because it was the year 1666, many thought it was the end of the world.

Because they thought it was caused by polluted air, London's people took plague victims to flower gardens where they breathed in the fragrant scent of flowers to replace bad air with good. Those too sick to go outside were taken flower petals, and some even were brought burnt petals to flush out the bad air, but always the victims died. What we often hear our children sing is the chant of men given the gruesome task of hauling out bodies for burial. "Ring around the roses, pocket full of posies; ashes, ashes, we all fall down."

Though the plague of years ago does not threaten us today, we all still face a form of black death. Because of the plague of our sin, it's still true: "We all fall down." But in Jesus we won't stay down. His promise is that all who have faith in Him will rise again. The Law of Gravity is, "What goes up must come down." The Law of Resurrection is, "What goes down will come up."

May you find comfort this Easter knowing that, by faith, Jesus will be with you with His Law of Resurrection.

Rev. Bob Tasler shepherds Epiphany Lutheran Church (LCMS) at Castle Rock, CO. He writes a WEEKLY MESSAGE, like the one above, and emails it to all members each Tuesday. You may subscribe by emailing him at pbt45@ecentral.com

A quote from Cory Miller, a communications director in Oklahoma City. He blogs at Church Communications Pro to share his experiences in communications and marketing.

To this day Jean thinks I'm the greatest pastor ever. But all I was doing was practicing a lesson my boss had taught me many years earlier: Protect your employees. You will earn their undying loyalty and gratitude. The boss who expects loyalty from his staff should be quick to stand up for them. They have a right to expect it.

Dr. Joe McKeever is director of missions of the Greater New Orleans Baptist Association.

Now is the time to make plans for a Mother's Day Outreach for May 13th. This is a day filled with possibility for outreach to your community. Plan a Mother - Daughter Tea in the fellowship hall. Slip an attractively wrapped tea bag in each invitation. Be sure that every woman in your congregation is invited.

Ask each woman to invite two non-member moms to the tea. Ladies without a daughter can "adopt one" for this special occasion (usually held on Saturday). Be sure that everyone is invited to the special worship service on Mother's Day. Have a special children's talk on Mother's Day. At this service give a carnation to every woman at the worship service.

A note from Pastor Don: "One Mother's Day early in my ministry I preached what I thought was a powerful message for mothers. After the service one of the ladies asked if I noticed that one lady, 'Mary,' left the service half way through the sermon and was found crying in the lobby. Her heart's desire was to have a child, and there was none. Ever since I like to hold up all women in the worship service, each woman gets a carnation, and each woman is uplifted and applauded by the Word of God."