Goals for 09

a Biblical thought...
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34)

a Book thought...
Leading from the second chair is like waiting tables. We must strive to give our senior leaders great service. (p41)
a Dave thought...
I am one who finds setting goals helpful. So as we are about to approach the new year I visit my goals from 2008 and write 3 goals in 8 different categories for 2009. If you are really keen give yourself a score out of 24 at the end of each year. My categories are...

spiritual
physical
educational
family
home
financial
relational
ministry

All of these areas can be focused selflessly or selfishly, so just check what your motifs are or better still share them with a friend or mentor. Also don't put too much pressure on yourself as you don't always achieve all your goals, but if you find you go from year to year without ever achieving much or you would like to have more direction in your life I encourage you to give it a go.

Just a thought.

The Voice

a Biblical thought...
The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. (John 12:25-26)

a Book thought...
When your relationship with your first chair is based on trust and your gifts compliment each other, you experience many benefits. (p38)

a Dave thought...
Do we need yet another translation of the Bible? Some seem to think so and it will be interesting to see how this project turns out.
According to a story by Lillian Kwon in The Christian Post, “Numerous translations of the Bible already exist and it’s the best-selling book of all time. But Christian leaders in the postmodern culture are not a fan of the current translated word. They are not interested in just presenting Biblical facts and truths in their preaching. They want to tell the entire story of the Bible just as Jesus did.”
The Voice Scripture project expects to be done with the new translation by 2009. You can download a sample chapter of Matthew at The Voice.

Just a thought.

reJesus

a Biblical thought...
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." (John 11:25-27)

a Book thought...
Leaders should not look for their own glory. Their language should use an inclusive we rather than a self-promoting I whenever possible. (p33)

a Dave thought...
I have been a big fan of Frost & Hirsch ever since reading the "Shaping of Things to Come" over 5 years ago and more recently Alan's book "The Forgotten Ways". Their new book "reJesus" I'm yet to get hold of but it looks at the following questions:

What ongoing role does Jesus the Messiah play in shaping the ethos and self understanding of the movement that originated in him?
How is the Christian religion informed and shaped by the Jesus that we meet in the Gospels?
How do we assess the continuity required between the life and example of Jesus and the subsequent religion called Christianity?
In how many ways do we domesticate the radical Revolutionary in order to sustain our religion and religiosity?
How can a rediscovery of Jesus renew our discipleship, the Christian community, and the ongoing mission of the church?

These questions take us to the core of what the church is all about. Rather than reformation, we call this task ‘re-founding the church’ because it raises the issue of the Church's true Founder or Foundation. This theme is of particular importance at the dawn of the twenty-first century as many attempt to address Christianity's endemic and long trended decline in the West.

Just a thought.

Yokes

a Biblical thought...
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:14-16)

a Book thought...
Many who aspire to leadership fail because they have never learned to follow. (p28)

a Dave thought...
This morning at Box Hill I preached on Matthew 11:28-29 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
As the Pharisees placed heavy loads on the shoulders of men by insisting on a legalistic interpretation of the law, the message of Jesus was certainly liberating for His followers. As being a follower of Jesus is not about rules, but rather about a relationship.

Different rabbis had different sets of rules, which were really different lists of what they forbade and what they permitted. A rabbi’s set of rules and lists, which was really that rabbi’s interpretation of how to live the Torah, was called that rabbi’s yoke. When you followed a certain rabbi, you were following him because you believed that rabbi’s set of interpretations were closest to what God intended through the Scriptures. And when you followed that rabbi, you were taking up that rabbi’s yoke. (Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell)

I shared how for many years I read books and went to conferences in the hope that a "Rabbi" might be able to teach me the secret of how to live the perfect Christian life. It has taken a while but when you realise that following Jesus is about coming to Him and learning from Him it certainly takes the load off the shoulders. He is the best teacher we can have and well worth being yoked up with.

Just a thought.

Leadership is about Discipleship

a Biblical thought...
The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." (John 9:30-33)

a Book thought...
The choice that a second chair must make is to pray for God’s wisdom, and then to make the right decision, even if it is not easy. (p21)

a Dave thought... from blindbeggar.org

It is pretty clear from what Paul taught and from what we see in the first century church that leadership was about discipleship. A key text is in Ephesians 4 where Paul tells us that God has given the body of Christ, “…the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to [become mature], to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…” (Eph 4:11-13, ESV).

It is plain that Paul sees the role of these “leaders” to be that of equippers (ESV, TNIV), perfecters (KJV, Amplified), trainers (The Message, Holman). He sees them in the role of disciple makers fulfilling the commission given to them by Christ himself (Matthew 28:19-20). Because they took seriously their task of equipping the saints for the work of ministry, when a problem arose, they were able to confidently turn to the saints and have them select people who could deal with the issue. Acts 6 is a classic example. We see that the role of leadership is discipleship - to equip, train, and perfect the saints who then become leaders able to do the work of ministry.

Unfortunately, the modern church (and maybe even the church from the time of Constantine) has define leadership in terms of a hierarchical organizational model where the pastor is the CEO with paid assistants who deal with the programs and problems. Any discipleship that occurs is done using some programmatic methodology which tends to focus on imparting information.

Just a thought.

Technology for Social Justice

a Biblical thought...
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

a Book thought...
Second chair leaders intentionally seek to shape the organisation's direction and mesh their individual dreams with the broader vision. (p5)
a Dave thought... from The Age
Collingwood is the second high-rise estate to be wired up by the non-profit company Infoxchange, with its motto "Technology for social justice". Tenants have been offered a free refurbished PC, a free three-day computer course, and access to email and broadband for $5 to $15 a month, depending on downloads.
Infoxchange was founded by former social worker Andrew Mahar. In 2001, the Melbourne-based non-profit company connected Fitzroy's high-rise Atherton Gardens estate to broadband and distributed 621 refurbished computers to tenants, the first project of its kind in Australia.
Mr Mahar says that when he proposed wiring the Fitzroy flats, sceptics told him that computers would add to residents' isolation. But a study of the scheme, done by Swinburne University's Institute for Social Research, found the opposite was true: computers allowed tenants to participate more fully in the world around them. Young people used them to do homework, the unemployed searched for jobs and training, while an intranet site told residents what was going on around the estate.
Neighbours even began emailing each other to suggest meetings. Mr Mahar's favourite story is about a Serb and a Croat who lived next door to each other but had never spoken: after going online they began chatting about Solitaire on their PCs.

Just a thought.

12 Days of Christmas

a Biblical thought...
"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37-38)

a Book thought...
Second chair leadership is unique because it is not strictly based on the power and authority of positional leadership. A person who is able to succeed by influencing others is a more effective leader than one who issues edicts to be obeyed. (p2)

a Dave thought...
This is a very funny video clip from Godtube.com that was shown this morning at the Christmas Day Service at Box Hill. Winton also shared the meaning behind the famous carol the 12 Days of Christmas...

Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829 were prohibited by law to practice their faith either in public or private. It was illegal to be Catholic until Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England in 1829.
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the basics of their faith. In short, it was a coded-message, a memory aid. Since the song sounded like rhyming nonsense, young Catholics could sing the song without fear of imprisonment. The authorities would not know that it was a religious song.

1st Day: The partridge in a pear tree is Christ Jesus upon the Cross.
2nd Day: The "two turtle doves" refers to the Old and New Testaments.
3rd Day: The "three French hens" stand for faith, hope and love—the three gifts of the Spirit that abide (1 Corinthians 13).
4th Day: The "four calling birds" refers to the four evangelists who wrote the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—which sing the song of salvation through Jesus Christ.
5th Day: The "five golden rings" represents the first five books of the Bible, also called the Jewish Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
6th Day: The "six geese a-laying" is the six days of creation.
7th Day: The "seven swans a-swimming" refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.
8th Day: The "eight maids a milking " reminded children of the eight beatitudes listed in the Sermon on the Mount.
9th Day: The "nine ladies dancing" were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
10th Day: The "ten lords a-leaping" represents the Ten Commandments
11th Day: The "eleven pipers piping" refers to the eleven faithful apostles.
12th Day: The ‘twelve drummers drumming" were the twelve points of belief expressed in the Apostles’ Creed: belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, made man, crucified, died and arose on the third day, that he sits at the right hand of the father and will come again, the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting.

Just a thought.

5 Leadership Intangibles

a Biblical thought...
After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. (John 6:14-15)

a Book thought...
The world will be changed by men and women who sit daily at the feet of Jesus, listening to His Word. (p189 Cordeiro)
a Dave thought...from Dan Reiland

They don't normally find their way into a book, seminar or mentoring session but make up the critical difference in leadership.

Energy
It means you show up 100% engaged and in the game. You translate the leadership passion in your heart to the people in the room for the sake of the mission, regardless of the size of the room or how many people are in it. This is more about intensity as a leader rather than being an intense leader.

Intuition
Leaders who are high in intuition pay attention. They are observant and understand how to connect the dots. They are good students of human nature and can read the vibe of a room. They are the opposite of clueless. They know what is going on and rarely miss much.

Presence
There are many highly gifted people who have a negative presence. They take energy and life out of a room when they walk in. They are emotionally needy or simply narcissistic and require everyone's attention. You can be an average to above average leader with great confidence and your presence will rise dramatically. Confidence comes from a number of things, but primarily from listening to God and putting to practice what He tells you

Thought
Leaders think differently than non-leaders and their life reflects it. If you take the time to write out your thoughts, what you learned, the mistakes you made, and what you want to achieve in the year ahead, you have just separated yourself from the pack.

Desire
You will never lead well if you don't know what you want. If you don't know what you want, you don't know where you are going and you therefore lack the passion to get there.

I encourage you to analyse how you are doing in these 5 areas and look at ways of improving the weaker areas of your leadership style.

Just a thought.

Top 10 Posts of 2008

a Biblical thought...
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)

a Book thought...
It is by knowing the scriptures that we will be able to discern truth from error, light from darkness. (p174 Cordeiro)

a Dave thought... from http://www.parablesofaprodigalworld.com/

List of the top 10 Emergent/Missional/Post-Evangelical blog posts of 2008.

10. Osteen-Esque Entitlement and Knowing Your Place at Gospel-Driven Church

9. Top 50 Possible Reasons Why You're Not Emergent at Missio Dei

8. Shacking Up with God at Ben Witherington

7. #159: The "Pray-if-You-Feel-Led" Prayer at Stuff Christians Like

6. make advocates, not buildings at the carnival in my head

5. Why Christians Suck at Beliefnet

4. Ten Things I Think I Think About Marriage at JollyBlogger

3 (tie). Tragedy in Steven Curtis Chapman's Family at Beauty and Depravity AND What do Evangelicals do Well? at Jesus Creed

2. The Suburban Jesus Hates Me at Internet Monk

1. Emerging Church: You Say Dump It at Tall Skinny Kiwi

There is some fascinating reading in these 11 posts so if you get some time I'm sure you will benefit from reading a little wider. My personal recommendation came in at no. 2.

Just a thought.

Carols Service

a Biblical thought...
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13)

a Book thought...
If you want to hear the words that God himself breathed into existence, you must go to His Word. (p170 Cordeiro)

a Dave thought...
The Carols Service at The Salvation Army Box Hill is an annual event that always attracts a crowd, and last night was no exception with over 400 present. There was a great vibe in the hall as we listened to the advent scriptures and sang a dozen different Christmas Carols. As I was asked to give the message last night I chose to base it around one of my favourite carols - The Stable Door. This Salvation Army Carol was written in the late 1940's with the words penned by Lieutenant-Commissioner Arch Wiggins and music by General Wilfred Kitching. The third verse reads like this...

Not without can I remain,
Not my heart's deep urge restrain,
Trembling 'neath my love and pain,
I come, dear Son of God.
Now I bow me at Thy stall,
Giftless, yet I give Thee all;
Thou art Lord, and I am thrall
To Thee, O Son of God!

Just a thought.

Being Santa

a Biblical thought...
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. (John 3:21)

a Book thought...
Know that nothing becomes a value until you put time, effort, and money toward it. (p155 Cordeiro)
a Dave thought...
Last night was another first for me, yes my debut performance as Santa Claus. The occasion was a friends carols service at his house which was beautifully lit up. As many of his neighbours and friends came to hear a brass ensemble play and admire the lights it was my duty to appear as Santa. Well the time for my appearance was to be 8.15pm after the mandatory rendition of Jingle Bells. All was going to plan until I took a call on my phone at 8.13pm while I was getting ready. I then finished my call while I could hear Jingle Bells starting, so I grabbed the sack of lollies and my bell and headed out of the back of the house. It was at that moment that I realised I'd forgotten the cushion and black belt, well it was too late as the second verse was starting so I continued my quest to the front yard to come across an obstacle - the side gate. As the owner obviously believes in security it took me another 2 minutes to unlock the 3 catches but finally I arrived ringing my bell. It was a good night and I had a lot of fun ringing the bell and throwing out lollies to everyone, and even though many asked why Santa was late and under fed it was rather special being Father Christmas.

Just a thought.

Defining Missional

a Biblical thought...
Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. (John 2:10-11)

a Book thought...
Develop the habit of meeting with others to do your devotions, preferably in a public place, like a coffee shop. You’ll be surprised about how far-reaching an impact it can have. (p151 Cordeiro)
a Dave thought... by Alan Hirsch
The attractional model, which has dominated the church in the West, seeks to reach out to the culture and draw people into the church—what I call outreach and in-grab. But this model only works where no significant cultural shift is required when moving from outside to inside the church. And as Western culture has become increasingly post-Christian, the attractional model has lost its effectiveness. The West looks more like a cross-cultural missionary context in which attractional church models are self-defeating. The process of extracting people from the culture and assimilating them into the church diminishes their ability to speak to those outside. People cease to be missional and instead leave that work to the clergy.
A missional theology is not content with mission being a church-based work. Rather, it applies to the whole life of every believer. Every disciple is to be an agent of the kingdom of God, and every disciple is to carry the mission of God into every sphere of life. We are all missionaries sent into a non-Christian culture.
Missional represents a significant shift in the way we think about the church. As the people of a missionary God, we ought to engage the world the same way he does—by going out rather than just reaching out. To obstruct this movement is to block God's purposes in and through his people. When the church is in mission, it is the true church.

Just a thought.

Christmas in Southbank

a Biblical thought...
"I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." (John 1:26-27)

a Book thought...
When it comes to character we are either veneer or solid oak. They look alike on the surface, but one is a cheap imitation and one is eternal. (p130 Cordeiro)

a Dave thought...
Last night was very relaxing as we met with friends, exchanged gifts and had tea in Southbank. Melbourne is a great place to live and with all the parties, celebrations and entertainment happening the city was certainly alive and well. Despite the festive atmosphere there is always signs of those less fortunate. We walked pass a homeless man and as my son saw his sign asking for money. He asked if we could go back and put some money in his hat, I obliged and Noah went back and was pleased to let me know that the homeless man said ‘thank you’. I must admit that rather than walking past some of the harder situations we see, like most of the public do and pretending they don’t exist, often it is best to talk them through with my 6 year-old son and help whenever we can.

Just a thought.

Carols in Hawthorn

a Biblical thought...
They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. (Luke 24:14-16)

a Book thought...
Wisdom is like a muscle, and you don’t build muscles overnight. (p118 Cordeiro)
a Dave thought...
Today we officially began the new work in Hawthorn. The PO (Planting Officer) and myself thought it would be good to be in Glenferrie Road for a couple of hours playing Christmas carols and to meet some locals. So with the local councils permission we played our instruments and gave out some flyer's about our intention to open a new centre here in 09. The reception we received was very warm and many donations were received but it was when we say down for a coffee afterwards that got my attention.
As the café we sat down in was winding down after the lunchtime rush the owner came up and introduced himself, and seeing our uniforms offered us some free drinks. We shared with John our hopes of opening a new centre a 100 metres down the road in the new year. He responded by letting us know he was a Christian and attended church and by his manner and encouragement as well as others we met we have no doubt that already we have friends and supporters close by. As we headed home I reflected on the fact that the best way to plant a church is with a uniform on.

Just a thought.

To build or not to build?

a Biblical thought...
But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here." (Luke 23:5)

a Book thought...

The best time for devotions is when you’re at your best. (p109 Cordeiro)
a Dave thought...
Yesterday I had a couple of interesting conversations around the importance of a church building. As I was meeting with the new National Director of Forge Phil McCreddon we started to discuss some of the new church plants happening around Melbourne. It was not long until we acknowledged that there are various ways to plant a faith community and not all of them need a designated space to do so. As many denominations often hire halls and centres on Sundays it occurred to me that it often doesn’t work as well with The Salvation Army.

On reflection I believe most churches do their best work on Sunday for an hour or two but in contrast I believe the Salvos often do their best work throughout the week. We need to have a space where people can find us everyday and where they can come and be ministered to at their convenience, rather than just the hour two that suits us. So although it is often costly to acquire a building 24/7 when we minister to those in need it is always helpful for them to know where they can find the Salvos and that we will be there for them, not just on Sundays.

Just a thought.

Christmas Confusion

a Biblical thought...
Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. (Luke 22:26-27)

a Book thought...
Application is what seals God's Word to our hearts. Application makes the difference between hearing His will and doing His will. (p106 Cordeiro)
a Dave thought... http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/its-the-time-of-goodwill-and-contradictions-20081215-6yyu.html?page=-1

It is time for a Christmas redesign. In its current form it does seem out of place in modern Australia, for many reasons.
We know what's behind the push to celebrate. Christians still cling to the fantasy that it belongs to them, but we know its real importance is the annual economic stimulus, a retailing free-for-all when we are expected to drink, eat and shop more than we should.
More than usual we are faced with conflicting messages this silly season: we are told to consume more for the economy, but less for the environment.
With the financial crash forcing many people to consider basic survival for the first time, we may remember this as the year of the economy. But just over a year ago, most were rejoicing that our newly elected Federal Government signed the Kyoto agreement on limiting climate changing greenhouses gases.

Even without the economic crisis, retailers were worried about a new Christmas trend — the goat buyers. These are people who want to celebrate but have opted out of the consumption spiral. My daughter is one. This year everyone is getting a pig, goat, village pump or pit toilet to be installed somewhere in the Third World.

These are just a few excerpts from Age columnist Geoff Strong and although some may find this article disturbing I have to agree that we are given many conflicting messages at Christmas and need to sort through it all to find the Saviour.

Just a thought.

Church Stoppers

a Biblical thought...
"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:34-36)

a Book thought...
For a lifetime of growth, continual learning is an essential. Experience alone will not guarantee learning. It’s what you learn from your experiences that will transform your future. (p101 Cordeiro)

a Dave thought...
Here is the opening summary to Dan Kimball’s book They like Jesus but not the Church:
Today’s non-Christian 20- and 30-somethings are big fans of Jesus but are less thrilled with His followers and the churches where they worship. Pastor/author Dan Kimball reveals their six most common perceptions of Christians and the Church, what they wish church was like–and why you should be listening to these emerging voices.

Here are the six most common perceptions of the Church among post-Christian 20- and 30-somethings which Dan deals with in the book.
1) The Church is an organized religion with a political agenda.

2) The Church is judgmental and negative.

3) The Church is dominated by males and oppresses females.

4) The Church is homophobic.

5) The Church arrogantly claims all other religions are wrong.

6) The Church is full of fundamentalists who take the whole Bible literally.

If you have not had an opportunity to read this and want to understand why many young people are leaving the church I’m sure you will find it helpful.

Just a thought.

Big Events

a Biblical thought...
While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." (Luke 20:45-47)

a Book thought...
Experts say it takes twenty-one days to develop a habit. I want to encourage you for the next three weeks to cordon off about forty minutes of your morning or evening and take the time to delve into the Word of God. (p76 Cordeiro)

a Dave thought...
As we approach INSANE our 500+ youth event in January I have asked myself why are we organising another event? I often think that our youth today are spoilt with quality events and are often over entertained but under discipled. Sitting in our Territorial Cadidates Council this year has made me more aware than ever that many candidates have felt called during large events such as ACC, Double Impact (2004) Connections 07 and the like. So I continue my love hate relationship with events. I love them because it is often these times when God impacts individuals lives and calls them to greater things, but hate them because the more we rely on entertaining youth once a year rather than weekly interaction and relationships the more likely we are to connect them to the God of hype rather than a God of love.

Just a thought.

Op Shop Formal

a Biblical thought...
Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words. (Luke 19:47-48)

a Book thought...
If the devil can keep you away from the Word, he steals the father's main tool for fruitfulness in your life. (p57 Cordeiro)
a Dave thought...
Last night was the annual Box Hill Salvos RAWards night, and as I've been leading a young adults cell this year I was invited to attend. Generally being 38 years old does make it a challenge to adapt to the youth culture but last night made it somewhat easier. The dress-up theme was Op Shop formal, and while most of the youth who attended had to go down the street and buy something for the occasion it was not the case for me. All I had to do was look in the cupboard in the spare bedroom and grab some clothes I have kept from the early nineties, then borrow a jacket from my 50 year old neighbour to make my outfit complete. While many at the event were impressed with the effort I'd made I was thinking I wish all youth events were that easy to get ready for.

Just a thought.

Becoming a Positive Influence

a Biblical thought...
Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18:16-17)

a Book thought...
Spending unrushed time alone with God in His Word releases a fountain of refreshment from the very core of your being. (p52 Cordeiro)
a Dave thought...
If you want to examine the message you or your faith community may be communicating, consider these questions from Dan Kimball’s book, “They Like Jesus, but Not the Church” (Zondervan, 2007, page 113).

1. If you were to look at the sermons of your church over a period of time, would you say they are more positive or negative in tone and content?

2. What is your congregation’s attitude toward those who hold beliefs different from yours on secondary doctrinal issues? How do you talk about other denominations or Christian groups?

3. How is your church known in your community? How do you think people in your town would describe your church and the people of your church? Do they even know you exist?

4. Are there any ways your church is involved in compassion and social justice projects both locally and globally, demonstrating that the church is a positive agent for change in the world?

5. If you were to ask those you associate with daily, both inside and outside of your home, whether your talk is judgmental and negative or loving and positive, what would they say?

6. You may say that you are loving and accepting, but if someone came in to your church and began following Jesus, can you honestly say that that would be your foremost concern, not what they look like or how they dress or whether they drink or smoke or what language they use?

Just a thought.

A Painful Christmas

a Biblical thought...
"You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:42-45)

a Book thought...
"The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature." (Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970)

a Dave thought...
As we were getting ready to head out to my son's primary school carols night an unfortunate incident occurred. Josiah our 20 month old was desperate to wear a Santa hat, so Noah obliged and placed one on him. Well Josiah was very happy with his new attire and started parading around the house crawling (as he still is yet to walk). It was only a couple of minutes later when we heard a thud, followed by a scream and tears. Ky went straight away to access the damage and discovered that the adult Santa hat had dropped down over his eyes and because he couldn't see but had continued to crawl had blindly banged into a door frame.

Like my son, I've discovered over the years that trying to keep up with all the Christmas traditions can be a painful experience. Amidst all the parties, carols nights and events going on I often wonder if this is what God envisaged as a result of baby Jesus being born in a stable one night.

Just a thought.

Adultescents

a Biblical thought...
Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20)

a Book thought...
Only you can keep yourself spiritually healthy by feeding yourself. No one can do it for you by proxy. (p42 Cordeiro)
a Dave thought... from The Age
Data from the 2006 census show 38 per cent of 20- to 29-year-olds still live at home, compared with 30 per cent in 2001 and 21 per cent in 1976.
The trend has spawned some clever labels, including helicopter kids (hovering around the family home), boomerang kids (leaving then coming back) and kippers (kids in parents' pockets eroding retirement savings).
It's a predominantly middle-class phenomenon, according to demographer and author Bernard Salt, because higher-income baby boomers tend to have big houses and the cash flow to support adult children, their live-in lovers and several cars.
"Up to 24, it's probably fair enough these days because of the HECS debts," says Salt, who has two children, aged 18 and 21, living at home while they study. "Really, the education phase has moved beyond high school. But after 25, it's hard to argue there's a legitimate reason to be at home."

His analysis of census data shows 18 per cent of 25- to 29-year-olds haven't fled the nest - and in some affluent outer suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney, it is more than 50 per cent.
Plenty of reasons are offered: soaring house prices in Sydney and Melbourne have locked some first home buyers out of the market, while tight rental markets make leasing difficult.
Half of all school-leavers go on to some form of tertiary study, which usually delays getting married, having children and buying a house. Hence, the term "adultescents".
Dominic Thurbon, the managing director of gen Y consultancy The Centre for Skills Development, has another theory: "Gen Y like their parents. They've been parented from positions of friendship, so it has been a more collegial, collaborative home environment." As for the baby boomers, Salt says their official line is they want their kids to move on but, unofficially, they need the ego-boost of being at the centre of things. Sure, there's more washing, cooking and cleaning - not to mention the cash sucked up - but Salt says it's part of the boomer culture to be in control rather than obsolete.

Just a thought.

What is church?

a Biblical thought...
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16:10)

a Book thought...
We don’t have to make the same mistakes that Jacob or Esau or Saul made. God wrote it all out for us. In sixty-six books, He offers us the wisdom of the ages. (p36 Cordeiro)

a Dave thought...
A question I often ask myself is ‘what is church?’ In an era when many shift from church to church trying to find the place of worship that fits their needs I often wonder if that is what God has in mind. Many of us go purely for our own purposes, some go to serve and help others & there are also those that attend to meet with God. Alan Hirsch has these wise words on the topic…

In relation to the purpose of the church I conclude that for many of our critics, Christian community has become little more than a quiet and reflective soul-space (as in Alt Worship circles) or a spiritual buzz (as in Charismatic circles) for people trying to recuperate from an overly busy, consumerist, lifestyle. But is this really what the church is meant to be on about? Is this our grand purpose, to be a sort of refuge for recovering work addicts and experience junkies? A sort of spiritual hospital? I believe that the reason for the strong response in our critics is that they actually did ‘get the message’ about missional church but didn’t like it because, in this case, it called them out of a religion of quiet moments in quiet places and into liminality and engagement.

Just a thought.

Save Santa

a Biblical thought...
When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:9-10)

a Book thought...
There are two pains in life, both can cause suffering, but one moves you forward while the other sets you back. They are Discipline and Regret. (p32 Cordeiro)

a Dave thought...
This is a picture we had taken of our son Noah with Santa on Saturday at Northlands shopping centre. Although I'm not a big fan of the whole line up and get your photo taken thing we thought it was a surprising request worth honouring as Noah had spent the first four years of his life screaming and running away from the white bearded man.

After the photo a few words were exchanged between Noah & Santa and then I had a pleasant surprise when Santa wanted to speak to me. Obligingly I engaged in conversation with the man as he came over and he told me I had special boy of which I then responded "why?". "Your son just told me that on Christmas Day he is going to church because the real reason for Christmas is about baby Jesus being born". Santa was quite taken aback and I presumed he had a faith to make the effort to walk over to me amongst the queues and chaos.

So Christmas 2008 Noah has moved from Sleigh Santa to save Save Santa. It hasn't been often I've been proud to be the parent of two boys in a shopping centre, but on Saturday even though it cost $15.95 for the photo I think it was worth it.

Just a thought.

Beach Day

a Biblical thought...
When you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 14:10-11)

a Book thought...
The difference between Consequences and Wisdom is that wisdom teaches you the lesson before you make the mistake, while consequences demand that you make the mistake first. (p30 Cordeiro)
a Dave thought...
It was great to spend the afternoon in Torquay yesterday with the youth from Northern & Western Victoria. Bus loads of young people came from towns such as Swan Hill, Mildura, Bendigo, Shepparton & Warrnambool to spend the afternoon at the beach. Afterwards they gathered for a worship service where David Tolputt gave a message of how God can use us each to make a difference in the world which included a spoon hanging demo! The day wrapped up with a BBQ and then the youth piled in the buses to make the journey back home, which for some was 6 hours. It was an excellent day & well organised by DYs Stuart & Nari McGifford & Joel Clifford, its great to see divisional youth events alive and well.

Just a thought.

Hawthorn Citadel

a Biblical thought...
When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. (Luke 13:12-13)

a Book thought...
Life has given us two very effective teachers - wisdom and consequences. We have to choose one or the other, and if we choose neither, the second will be chosen for us. (p28 Cordeiro)
a Dave thought...
Yesterday I visited Swinburne University in Hawthorn where we are planning to relaunch the Salvos in the coming months. As Hawthorn Salvation Army existed back in the late 80's before moving to Waverley, it was interesting to note where their building was. This picture is of the original Hawthorn Citadel and as you can see was built in 1913 and was also designed with a partial crest above. It is located directly across the road from Swinburne University Hawthorn campus where 25,000 students are currently studying. Perhaps they had good reason to sell and move to the outer suburbs 20 years ago but to have a building like that today in such a prime position would have been fabulous. Well ironically I discovered that Swinburne Uni now owns this building that we once owned and as we continue to look for a space to set up our new ministry in Hawthorn lectures are held in the old temple everyday.

Just a thought.

Christmas Caroling

a Biblical thought...
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. (Luke 12:22-23)

a Book thought... from The Divine Mentor by Wayne Cordeiro
The choices you make regarding the foundations of your life have eternal implications that go far beyond your life span on earth. (p21)

Australian Ladies Salvation Army Band 1906

a Dave thought...
It was great to go out caroling with the band last night around the streets of Box Hill. This tradition which has been around for over 100 years is still loved and appreciated by many Australians. The amount of conversations I have with people who tell me that they hope the band comes down their street this Christmas is amazing. So do people just like the live brass music, or do they like giving money, or is it just a novelty they get one night a year that they look forward to? I’m not sure, but I do believe there is no greater use of our brass bands than at Christmas time in the community playing carols, so lets all get our instruments out and hit the streets once again.

Just a thought.

Postmoderns vs Moderns

a Biblical thought...
He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." (Luke 11:28)

a Book thought...
The early church capitalized on what they had: relationships. (p204 Logan & Miller)
a Dave thought...
Ben Dubow posted an few interesting general observations about postmoderns vs. moderns. It is always good to be reminded of the difference in perspective.

Postmoderns generally want to belong before they believe.
Moderns generally believe before they belong.

Postmodern understanding of truth: “Does it work?”
Modern understanding of truth: “Does it add up?”

Postmodern metaphor for faith: Journey.
Modern metaphor for faith: Decision.

Postmodern idea of discipleship: Am I moving in the right direction?
Modern idea of discipleship: Am I learning the right information? Doing the right things?

Postmodern idea of fellowship: Community is the end.
Modern idea of fellowship: Community is a means to an end.

Postmodern idea of evangelism: Incarnational, ask questions.
Modern idea of evangelism: Propositional, presentational, answer questions.

Just a thought.

Showtime! No More

a Biblical thought...
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Luke 10:27)

a Book thought...
Unfortunately, being allowed to crash is the only route to learning something new. (p195 Logan & Miller)

a Dave thought... http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2008/fall/13.39.html?start=1
The only way to capture people's attention is entertainment, I thought. If I want people to listen to my message, I've got to present it in a way that grabs their attention long enough for me to communicate the gospel. It was an epiphany, a breakthrough understanding for me. So our church strategy revolved around the gravitational force of entertainment for evangelism. We hired the best musicians we could afford; we used marketing principles and programming specialists—for the gospel's sake. Attendance skyrocketed. More people meant more staff, more programs, more facilities, more land, and of course the need for more money. We became a program-driven church attracting consumers looking for the latest and greatest religious presentations.
For us, worship was a show, and we played to a packed house. We grew by thousands, bought more land, and positioned ourselves to reach even more people. Not that any of this is wrong in and of itself—people coming to faith in Christ isn't bad. I told myself it was good—I told others it was good. But now I was beginning to wonder if I'd led my church down a wrong path.
The show was killing me.
Attracting consumers was consuming me—not in the way vision consumes a leader. It was the opposite of that—I was losing sight of the vision. Our church was a great organization. But something was missing. We weren't accomplishing our mission; we weren't creating transformed, empowered disciples.After pouring more than 25 years of my life into this church, I knew we weren't developing disciples who were taking up their crosses to follow Jesus. We'd produced consumers—like Pac-Man, gobbling up religious experiences, navigating a maze but going nowhere in particular.
Too many were observing the show but not meeting God. They meandered in and out of relationships but weren't in real community. They sought their spiritual fix but didn't give themselves fully to Christ.

This article "Could our church shift from performance to mission?" by Walt Kallestad is certainly worth a read and certainly shows us the dangers of focusing on the performance rather than the mission.

Just a thought.

SABAV

a Biblical thought...
Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. (Luke 9:42-43)

a Book thought...
Prayer opens our eyes to the people around us in new ways. (p190 Logan & Miller)
a Dave thought...
Last night it was encouraging to see over 150 players turn up to the end of year dinner at Sofias in Camberwell. This was to celebrate another great season of The Salvation Army Basketball Association of Victoria. This Monday night competition which has been running for over 30 years and had over 300 people involved this season including players and officials. It was also unique in the fact that instead of all the winning teams and individuals receiving trophies we awarded them a certificates and a Just Gift from the Just Salvos catalogue, so one team paid a teachers wage for a year in a third world country, another paid for vaccinations etc. It was a great initiative and really well received by the basketballers.

Also just for the record I do welcome comments but I do see it as a place for comments as the title suggests not questions, so if you'd like to ask questions with me or want me to respond please email me at david.collinson@aus.salvationarmy.org

Just a thought.

Commissioning

a Biblical thought...
No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. (Luke 8:16)

a Book thought...
If we’re doing something truly important it may take more than one person to really pull off the whole vision. (p185 Logan & Miller)

a Dave thought...
Commissioning yesterday was a significant day for the Salvation Army in this territory. As over 1000 attended the afternoon gathering I sense that many of us are believing in the power of the large gathering once again. Somehow ever since the early nineties many Aussie Salvos became cynical about events such as congress and we seemed to lose momentum and numbers dropped, and therefore congress became a sometimes event rather than an annual event. This was a reflection of how many were believing that their individual corps were far more important and relevant than the large gathering. But yesterday was testament that the soldiery is once again believing that meeting as a united front is relevant and meaningful especially to those who have recently been enrolled. As a result of our confidence being restored as a movement and the fact that our understanding of an Army has grown, I have no doubt so to will our numbers grow with new soldiers and officers over these next few years.

Just a thought.