Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
2013 "Growing TOGETHER in Christ"
Thank you for our year 2012 of focus on the purpose of discipleship.
Next year 2013 we focus on fellowship.
At 'Spirit Led' last month we launched the focus for 2013 - the purpose of fellowship - Christian fellowship. The fellowship of the body of Christ, the church. Next year we bring into the spotlight the privilege of Growing Together in Christ. This year we have focused on growing - spiritual growth. Next year look at how we can grow TOGETHER!
The church is called to unity. This Jesus says in John 17 is the greatest witness the church can give to the world. In unity the body is connected. Everyone belongs and each person has a part to play.
Let us pray and think together of how we can invite God's Spirit to make us more welcoming, more loving, more caring, accepting and forgiving. It is an opportunity to teach and resource our churches to be emotionally healthy communities; that our churches would be places where people are encouraged to be authentic and allowed to be vulnerable. It is a place where people are helped to understand and overcome the fear of taking off their mask/s, of being rejected or of being hurt yet again.
I pray that we can be churches where grace and truth can stand together. That there will be truckloads of grace and truth told with kindness and love. These are churches where people experience real joy in God's house of prayer! Isaiah 56:7
Imagine that kind of a church! That is the kind of church that we could welcome friends to with the worldwide focus on evangelism in 2014. It is also the bicentenary of the gospel coming to Aotearoa, New Zealand!
Growing with you
Eddie
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Beholding, Believing, Belonging, Becoming
It is my belief that the greatest need in the church today is a resolute commitment to unity and love. This will be the true test of the church. As the Adventist world church grows at a rate of just over 1000 accessions (baptisms and professions of faith) a day with much of that growth taking place in Inter-America, South America, Africa and South East Asia unity by its stated beliefs is being challenged. The application of doctrines across a multiplicity of cultural contexts has begun to fragment the church as sides are taken and rigid stances are adopted. Neither side wins as relationships are fractured and issues remain unresolved. The call for consistency and uniformity across the church in all areas of behavior by administrators forces unity, but leaves schism brewing just below the surface.
I have come to appreciate the need to respond appropriately to critics of the church. It is possible to both intentionally and unintentionally alienate the voice of caution and counsel with poor communication. I also find that if I am off guard, unsure or entertaining proud thoughts I become defensive and consequently close down communication. I believe that starting from corporate leadership a genuine commitment to healthy models of conflict will move the church towards Biblical unity.
My hope for the church is that it will continue to transition from a primary posture of proclamation to one of genuine contextual engagement with wider society. The current Adventist world motto is to “Tell Them.” This call has been expressed by many Adventists across the globe as introducing Jesus with bold humility to unbelievers in relational environments.
I hope that Jesus and a relationship with him will take the highest place in the life of the church. This is where the Jesus of the Adventist messages of Sabbath, health and his second coming is centered on him.
The church is God’s creation for humankind to steward for the glory of God and the benefit of all people. This complex organism of Christ followers exists to worship God, serve each other and the world as they seek to become more like Jesus. As a part of the church, the body of Christ, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is in a position where it can contribute to the mission of the wider Church by elevating forward its emphasis on the three angel’s messages of Revelation 14:6-12 and in particular the first message Revelation 14:7, “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.”
The first angel’s message is a call to worship. It is a summons to behold God who is righteous and to honour him as the origin of all things. The traditional focus on belief in truth and right behavior when presented in the spirit of submission to God highlights the relational underpinning of Christianity. God is first. He is foremost. Everything begins with God. We are invited into relationship with God. Therefore before believing, behaving or belonging there is beholding.
Upon beholding God there follows believing in God. As a Christian church, Seventh-day Adventists are rooted in the beliefs described in Scriptures; this is their only creed. Scripture reveals who God is, his actions and his plans through his Son and by his Spirit. The interconnection between beholding and believing is revealed in Scripture and realized through the person Jesus Christ. It is to Jesus that we are invited to form a personal relationship.
The movement to Biblical community as represented by leaders like Richard Rice is integral to the unity that Jesus prays for in John 17. This movement is also vital to fostering relationships between members that extends beyond holding common beliefs. Genuine and deep community provides an environment for robust, mature and healthy conflict. It is also in community where the mistakes of progress are made.
I propose that after “beholding”, “believing” and “belonging” the church consider the idea of “becoming” as opposed to the term “behavior.” This will assist in the assimilation of the church’s newest fundamental belief entitled, “Growing in Christ” into the life of the church.
“Continually committed to Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, we are set free from the burden of our past deeds. No longer do we live in the darkness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and meaninglessness of our former way of life. In this new freedom in Jesus, we are called to grow into the likeness of His character, communing with Him daily in prayer, feeding on His Word, meditating on it and on His providence, singing His praises, gathering together for worship, and participating in the mission of the Church.”
Beholding, Believing, Belonging, Becoming reflects a Biblical paradigm of the Christian experience that the Adventist church is moving towards. The experiences that these terms represent are intimately interrelated. They present several implications for the church that if considered can strengthen the contribution of the church to the mission of Jesus.
First, the primary role of the pastor can be re cast as the director of people’s focus to “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29) It is a prophetic role and one of leading leaders. The most common role of pastors in Adventist churches is to fulfill chaplaincy and priestly functions. A beholding pastoral role will move pastors from doing all the ministry to vision casting, teaching and training, mobilizing and mentoring.
Second is the commitment of the Adventist church membership to its beliefs that provides a unique strength which can be built upon with the insights of theological reflection. Much of the tensions that arise in the diversity of the church today relates to unidentified embedded theology. Coupled with the challenge of embedded theologies is the need to listen to what the culture is expressing. This facet of theological reflection will assist in navigating the complexities of the global church. Most importantly in the area of beliefs is the teaching of church members to theologically think and study Scripture, church heritage and culture.
Third is that beholding Jesus, believing in Jesus, belonging to Jesus and becoming more like Jesus is a paradigm that is Christ centered. This implication is crucial for the unity of the church because of its emphasis on the person Jesus and the relationship of the church with him.
Fourth is a radical commitment to “belonging” that transforms the typical Adventist church into a welcoming, forgiving and safe place that people can call home. Changing a class room church into a living room or family kitchen church is a movement towards unity and love. This will mean different ways of doing church that could include using structures and systems outside of accepted practice.
I have come to appreciate the need to respond appropriately to critics of the church. It is possible to both intentionally and unintentionally alienate the voice of caution and counsel with poor communication. I also find that if I am off guard, unsure or entertaining proud thoughts I become defensive and consequently close down communication. I believe that starting from corporate leadership a genuine commitment to healthy models of conflict will move the church towards Biblical unity.
My hope for the church is that it will continue to transition from a primary posture of proclamation to one of genuine contextual engagement with wider society. The current Adventist world motto is to “Tell Them.” This call has been expressed by many Adventists across the globe as introducing Jesus with bold humility to unbelievers in relational environments.
I hope that Jesus and a relationship with him will take the highest place in the life of the church. This is where the Jesus of the Adventist messages of Sabbath, health and his second coming is centered on him.
The church is God’s creation for humankind to steward for the glory of God and the benefit of all people. This complex organism of Christ followers exists to worship God, serve each other and the world as they seek to become more like Jesus. As a part of the church, the body of Christ, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is in a position where it can contribute to the mission of the wider Church by elevating forward its emphasis on the three angel’s messages of Revelation 14:6-12 and in particular the first message Revelation 14:7, “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.”
The first angel’s message is a call to worship. It is a summons to behold God who is righteous and to honour him as the origin of all things. The traditional focus on belief in truth and right behavior when presented in the spirit of submission to God highlights the relational underpinning of Christianity. God is first. He is foremost. Everything begins with God. We are invited into relationship with God. Therefore before believing, behaving or belonging there is beholding.
Upon beholding God there follows believing in God. As a Christian church, Seventh-day Adventists are rooted in the beliefs described in Scriptures; this is their only creed. Scripture reveals who God is, his actions and his plans through his Son and by his Spirit. The interconnection between beholding and believing is revealed in Scripture and realized through the person Jesus Christ. It is to Jesus that we are invited to form a personal relationship.
The movement to Biblical community as represented by leaders like Richard Rice is integral to the unity that Jesus prays for in John 17. This movement is also vital to fostering relationships between members that extends beyond holding common beliefs. Genuine and deep community provides an environment for robust, mature and healthy conflict. It is also in community where the mistakes of progress are made.
I propose that after “beholding”, “believing” and “belonging” the church consider the idea of “becoming” as opposed to the term “behavior.” This will assist in the assimilation of the church’s newest fundamental belief entitled, “Growing in Christ” into the life of the church.
“Continually committed to Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, we are set free from the burden of our past deeds. No longer do we live in the darkness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and meaninglessness of our former way of life. In this new freedom in Jesus, we are called to grow into the likeness of His character, communing with Him daily in prayer, feeding on His Word, meditating on it and on His providence, singing His praises, gathering together for worship, and participating in the mission of the Church.”
Beholding, Believing, Belonging, Becoming reflects a Biblical paradigm of the Christian experience that the Adventist church is moving towards. The experiences that these terms represent are intimately interrelated. They present several implications for the church that if considered can strengthen the contribution of the church to the mission of Jesus.
First, the primary role of the pastor can be re cast as the director of people’s focus to “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29) It is a prophetic role and one of leading leaders. The most common role of pastors in Adventist churches is to fulfill chaplaincy and priestly functions. A beholding pastoral role will move pastors from doing all the ministry to vision casting, teaching and training, mobilizing and mentoring.
Second is the commitment of the Adventist church membership to its beliefs that provides a unique strength which can be built upon with the insights of theological reflection. Much of the tensions that arise in the diversity of the church today relates to unidentified embedded theology. Coupled with the challenge of embedded theologies is the need to listen to what the culture is expressing. This facet of theological reflection will assist in navigating the complexities of the global church. Most importantly in the area of beliefs is the teaching of church members to theologically think and study Scripture, church heritage and culture.
Third is that beholding Jesus, believing in Jesus, belonging to Jesus and becoming more like Jesus is a paradigm that is Christ centered. This implication is crucial for the unity of the church because of its emphasis on the person Jesus and the relationship of the church with him.
Fourth is a radical commitment to “belonging” that transforms the typical Adventist church into a welcoming, forgiving and safe place that people can call home. Changing a class room church into a living room or family kitchen church is a movement towards unity and love. This will mean different ways of doing church that could include using structures and systems outside of accepted practice.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Social Media thought
For just over three years I have been an active user of Twitter, which is connected to my personal and Conference Facebook pages. I also have Linkedin and Google+ accounts among others that I hold but do not use. Though I am still a novice in these environments my experiences and observations have led me to the thought below.
Social media is a reality of our time. It is an important communication tool to reach current and upcoming generations. It is also a dangerous medium with traps we have not had to deal with before. When using Social Media please note the following factors:
- Social Media is public.
- When you use Social Media you have become a public publisher, journalist, commentator...
- Social media is not private, even if it says it is. Someone other than who you intend can access your material.
- What you do or say on Social Media can be used against you.
- When communicating on Social Media make statements that 'build up' Romans 14:19.
- Think and pray very carefully before making a post, responding to a post with a comment or clicking on 'Like' in Facebook.
- Social Media is worth pursuing with, just be careful and sensible.
- Though it is easier to watch, to be effective you need to participate.
Monday, October 15, 2012
50
LIFE BEGINS AT FIFTY!
It is time to take the lessons learnt
And the experiences gained
The opportunities.
The mistakes.
The successes.
The observations.
The learning both formal and 'on the road'
And especially the relationships, the most precious being
The walk with Jesus with his offer to bear the load.
It is time to give back. I cannot wait to live out my purpose in this second half. I have been looking forward to fifty because I have always believed that life to the fullest begins now.
Fifty years done and fifty years worth to come.
Thank you Lord! You are good and your name is great.
I will continue to trust you to bring out the best in me, whether that be painful or against my will.
Again I give to You, to Tessa and to our sons, to my family, friends and to your kingdom cause
All of me for your glory, your will, your service and your purposes.
"So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step." 1 Cor.9:24
Lord help me to be a "prayer house" for all people. Isaiah 56:7
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Spirit Led Leadership Conference
Spirit Led
'Spirit Led' is the leadership event that the conference has run for the past seven years. The goal of the event is to encourage, inspire and resource local church leaders. Over this time we have seen two and half thousand people come to the weekend with many returning over and over again. The event has been a key element of the conference strategic focus on leadership development.
The most recent 'Spirit Led' highlighted some interesting observations. People come back to 'Spirit Led' for the spiritual lift that they receive there. Others appreciate it for the encouragement they receive as they prepare to serve in their church in the upcoming year. Some have even mentioned that it fills the gap from when we had Big Camp every year. People love the fellowship, the speakers, the workshops, the worship but most often it is the indescribable atmosphere of 'Spirit Led' that captures their hearts.
One of the higlights for me in the past two years has been the increasing number of young people attending. These young people are vibrant, smart, committed, hungry to serve and thirsty for God. It has been a thrill to see them learning and worshipping alongside some the eldest of our leaders.
As we prepare for SL13 I ask you to remember in your prayers local church leaders right throughout our conference. I also ask you to please plan to sponsor and send leaders next year. We look forward to serving you and them at SL13 September 27-29, 2013.
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