Time to tame the tiger in you?

Tiger Woods has been getting a serve in the media the past week or so due to his admission of ‘transgressions’ and the increasing number of females jumping on his alleged mistresses’ list. Even Hugh Hefner has chimed in on the discussion stating that Tiger’s actions are no surprise, and that monogamy lasting forever is a wish and marriage is just a nice convenience for raising kids.

Putting Tiger’s actions and Hugh’s opinions aside – what about you? Are you capable of making the mistakes tiger appears to have made? Do you understand enough about yourself – your nature, desires and faults – to live in this world with sexual integrity as a follower of Jesus? I’ve been led to 2 great resources lately which have stretched my understanding and I think you’ll find them very useful – even liberating:

• A book “From Good Man to Valiant Man” by Dr Allen Meyer (particularly for the fellas); and
• A DVD from Mark Gungor called “Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage” (for guys/girls/singles/couples)

Be encouraged today – and why not pray for Tiger and his fam. Our failings give an opportunity to receive and share His mercy.

Submerge::INTRO participants go deep

“My eyes have been opened. I want to go deeper. For real.” This was a response to Submerge::INTRO, a new ministry initiaitve for 25-40 year olds (or thereabouts). The event was held on November 13-15 at Rydges World Square in Sydney’s CBD with the twofold purpose of helping participants go deeper with God and share their faith with their friends. Over 70 people came from QLD, NSW, VIC and WA and participated in worship and workshops, shared their testimonies, served at ‘The Block’ in Redfern and mixed with others from a similar stage of life.

Submerge::INTRO was organised by a team from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne who were intentional about making the weekend authentic and relevant. They selected workshop topics and presenters who would be able to help participants find key tools to taking the next step in their journey, whether they felt close to or far from God. Those who attended the weekend reported that they had found tools and the majority indicated they would definitely be back if such an event happened again.

The final gathering saw many people coming forward during a special prayer time to write the names of their disconnected from church and/or God friends on a canvas. As hoped, there is now conversation about broadening the content of future events to reach people exploring Christianity. While participants said they valued the opportunity to go deeper with God personally, they also said they would feel comfortable inviting their ‘disconnected’ friends to such a place and would therefore like to.

This feedback was a highlight for Submerge::INTRO organisers. “Our generation needs to go deeper with God and realise that He wants to use us to bring our friends and colleagues to Him,” said Mark Baines. “This isn’t something that only happens over a weekend event though. It’s a daily intention on our part and expectation in faith from God.”

Plans are now underway to recreate the Submerge website as a forum for resourcing spiritual growth and blogging. To keep up-to-date with developments, see submerge.net.au.

Photo: Ben Beaden

Your thoughts?

Two types of voices command your attention today. Negative ones fill your mind with doubt, bitterness, and fear. Positive ones purvey hope and strength. Which ones will you choose to heed? You have a choice, you know. “We take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 God’s Word).

Do you let anyone who knocks on your door enter your house? Don’t let every thought that surfaces dwell in your mind. Take it captive…make it obey Jesus. If it refuses, don’t think it.

Negative thoughts never strengthen you. How many times have you cleared a traffic jam with your grumbles? Does groaning about bills make them disappear? Why moan about your aches and pains, problems and tasks?

“Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run you life” (Proverbs 4:23 NCV).

These words are a ‘daylifter’ from the pages of Every Day Deserves a Chance by Max Lucado.

Ignorance, solutions and you

A worldwide survey was conducted by the UN*. The only question asked was: ‘Would you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the food shortage in the rest of the world?’ The survey was a huge failure;

In Africa they didn’t know what ‘food’ meant;

In India they didn’t know what ‘honest’ meant;

In Europe they didn’t know what ’shortage’ meant;

In China they didn’t know what ‘opinion’ meant;

In the Middle East they didn’t know what ’solution’ meant;

In South America they didn’t know what ‘please’ meant;

And in the USA they didn’t know what ‘the rest of the world’ meant!

In spite of the tongue in cheek generalisations here, the question should be asked about what we don’t know in Australia. Do we know what ’service’ or ’sacrifice’ mean? More to the point, is it a priority in our churches and in our lives? I must confess, I know about service and talk about service – but don’t serve very much. I’m talking about getting-my-hands-dirty-to-help-the-needy or mixing-with-uncomfortable-people kind of service. Last Saturday afternoon I joined ten others and helped sort & pack boxes for Operation Christmas Child. All of us loved it – Sabbath was a blessing – we felt like we gave in a small way to the life of a child in need in some part of the world. These are kids who, because of where they’re born, have to deal with poor sanitation, education, medication and nutrition.

The survey I’m still dissecting shows that more than 59% of those who’re disconnected from church and 50% of those who attend every week either ‘rarely’ or ‘hardly ever’ serve their community. It can be overwhelming to know where to start when there are so many issues bigger than us and so many charities vying for our attention and our dollars. But try this – take a browse around the Global Poverty Project and get to a presentation by Hugh Evans if you can. Then find an existing charity/organisation (this could even be your local church) and offer your assistance. Not your $ – your time. If you can’t find an opportunity – look around you – there’s always people in need. And like exercise, you’ll feel better and more importantly will have done what God asks of you (Isaiah 58/Matt 25:31ff).

“Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness.” From the last public speech of Martin Luther King Jr.

* From an email – so very possibly not legit.

Be Real

It’s been boom time for SDA church members the past few weeks here in Brisbane. Last week was ‘Big Camp’ where thousands gathered to listen and meet and worship and eat. A couple of weeks ago the same campground saw 650 or so gather from around the SPD for a new event called Festival of Mission (FoM).

I must admit that when I first heard about the FoM I was skeptical. Wouldn’t such a gathering cost a lot of  money? Was it funded from tithes and offerings? Why was such an event even necessary? If the purpose was encouragement and nurture, couldn’t people attend the Brissy Big Camp that began only a few days later?! My issues aside, when it became clear that locals (non-delegates) could attend the night meetings I invited the crew from the 2 small groups I’m involved with to come and listen.

What we encountered were speakers who were not afraid to be real. They were also encouraging, enlightening, challenging and honest. This was true for the FoM and Big Camp. Jose Rojas – the little smiling Mexican power preacher – wasn’t afraid to confront destructive behaviour and attitudes in the church, particularly towards young people or people who are different. Roscoe Howard addressed issues like depression and pornography head on, calling for us to face our problem and get help and healing from God (and this was in the ‘Senior tent’!). It’s encouraging to see these approaches and hear these topics addressed.

The reality is that events such as FoM and Big Camp can blur reality a little. They give the impression that the church is still going strong – or even growing, because of the number of people who come. Depending on who you talk to however, SDA church membership in Australia is almost stopped or on the decline. I wonder what would happen if our big events could be tweaked a little so that people not connected to a local church could come and be inspired by the speakers and meet the people. Sure, it’s always a challenge to describe Big Camp to people (ah, it’s kinda like a religious meeting in a big Circus tent minus the….), but don’t we all feel closer to Jesus after such events? Surely those outside of our churches should be given an opportunity to be inspired and challenged by Jesus also.

In the meantime, perhaps we can share the talks via mp3 with our friends – here’s a link to Herb Larsen’s talks from 2006.

Identity revisited

Last week I got to hang with the students and staff at Kempsey Adventist School (really great people – all of them – no seriously!). The theme for their week of worship (WOW) was Identity – and whilst I was speaking to the students, reality was that I was speaking to the staff and myself as well. Here’s a few thoughts from the week for you to chew on:

Where do you get your identity from? What brings you real happiness (old school word = joy)?

Today we’re flooded with pushy marketing that tells us we won’t be happy or complete until we have enough stuff or look a certain way or have a certain reputation. I’m tired of this onslaught. Satan wants to mess us up and bring us down, and when I’ve swallowed these lies it’s only brought temporary satisfaction. Here’s a super brief summary of the areas we get identity from, Satan’s deception and Jesus’ alternative:

Make sense? It’s not a comprehensive overview, but hopefully basic enough for you to understand. Oh, by the way, COG = child of God. That’s what you are – a prince or princess of God. Fulfilling identity comes from being His child, experiencing His love, being forgiven and serving others. Let’s open our eyes to who we really are – and show the world what lasting difference this makes.

ReJesus for the Disconnected

I’ve been privileged the last 2 weekends to visit churches in Sydney and Melbourne and speak about those who’ve disconnected from church and/or God; about Submerge and our responsibility to take action. There have been some terrible, abusive deeds committed by Christians that have hurt people deeply. If you have been wronged or abused, I am sorry. Perpetrators need to repent, confess to God, and offer a sincere apology to those they have wronged.

On the other hand, there are some who have left church and/or God because of hypocrisy, gossip, unfriendliness, politics and infighting. Whilst these actions are also wrong, why do we let them get in the way of our walk with Jesus? What did He do to deserve us leaving Him and His body (the church)? Where did we get the idea that everyone in church would be perfect, and when they’re not, we have a free ticket to leave? As Yancey asks (in Soul Survivor), What about the people in Brazil, Nepal, the Philippines and Kenya who daily face human problems more extreme than we can imagine, and yet who respond not with paralysis or resentment but with compassion and love?

Don’t be shocked when you’re mistreated by Christians, but let your response to these experiences make you strong by being the change God wants to see in the world. Sitting on the sidelines and being cynical and holding grudges isn’t helping anyone. We’re all imperfect members of God’s family, and need to reassess our own relationships with God – and daily place Jesus at the centre of our lives. This is a process some are labelling ‘ReJesus’. He is your Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer through all of life’s journeys. And what of those who’re leaving or who’ve left church and/or God? YOU are who God has chosen to reconnect with your friends, so they can reconnect with Him. So once that’s sunk in, get moving – contact them, cause He’s coming soon and it’s time for all of us to be ready so we can spend the rest of eternity with our wonderful Saviour and friend!

A voice from the pew

As I’ve been reading through the responses of the recent survey created for people who’ve disconnected from church, I came across this response:

I was raised SDA, but left after becoming disheartened with the lack of God at church. e.g talk about TV, movies etc dominated conversations, no one would mention God, spiritual struggles or anything ‘relevant’ to our Christian walk. A while after leaving I reached a low point where I had to decide whether I actually believed in God or not (because I certainly didn’t feel his presence). Thankfully I decided the former, and my life has changed for the better. Unfortunately I still see the SDA church as being largely irrelevant – all head, no heart. Our actions betray that we don’t really believe what we say we do. Although I now attend regularly, sometimes I’m still not interested in going to church since I feel we’ve lost our purpose for church. I come because I hope I’m wrong, and with the hope that I can make a difference. It’s not all bad, and I’m excited when I see others genuinely interested in God. But so far this isn’t enough for me to want to invite my non-christian friends along, and that makes me sad. If I struggle to find relevance here, how could they find it? Right now I’m searching for dramatic spiritual growth and revival – I don’t want to settle for less. The road is already tough and discouraging… why should our church make it harder?

This is one reason why I hope to see Submerge go ahead. It won’t be a ‘one-stop-fix-all-problems’ weekend, but will remind people that spiritual growth is their responsibility, whilst equipping them with tools to grow deeper with God and in witness and service to others.

I endeavor to read all the responses from the survey soon and write a report so we can learn from the experience of those who’ve left and those who’ve stayed (a good number of regular church attenders filled in the survey to my surprise!). I also hope to share the experiences – good and bad – of those who’ve allowed these to be shared with the public.

Until then, remind yourself from the prophet Micah what the Lord requires of you.

Submerge: Save the date

Here’s a smaller ad for the gathering the Submerge team have been working towards. At this weekend attendees will meet and mix with others who are no longer youth but are not yet middle-aged (25-40 or thereabouts). They will find tools they can use to take the next steps in their journey. Whether in church or out, single or married, close to God or far – all are invited.

PLEASE NOTE:
Submerge will only go ahead in November IF there is enough interest. The team believes God could lead this to become an annual event which amongst other gatherings, will see an almost missing generation reconnect with their Creator, reach their friends with the gospel and reengage with the needy in their midst.

For more info and to register your interest now visit submerge.net.au

Update on 25+ ministry in Australia

I write with a sense of excitement. God is moving people’s hearts to engage with this disconnected generation.

• I’ve been meeting with a team in Sydney of late to pray and plan a weekend gathering of 25-40’s (or thereabouts) from Australia and New Zealand for the purpose of finding the tools to go deeper in their journey with God – and to connect with each other. This gathering will take place in Sydney in either late October or mid-November, and will not include ‘big-name’ speakers but rather address relevant spiritual issues through testimonies, workshops and service projects run by the same age demographic that attends. Currently called ‘Submerge’ – the weekend is open to people no matter where they are on the spiritual or church attendance spectrum. More info and advertising will be released soon.

• Along similar lines, a weekend entitled ‘Road Trip’ is hoping to gather 25+s from Sydney, NNSW and SQLD for a meet at Stuart’s Point campground over the June 6 long weekend. Run last year as a new initiative by the Parramatta, Kellyville and Nerang youth groups – it is focused this year on what it would look like to spend an ‘ordinary day with Jesus’ (from John Ortberg’s book). Places are still available – talk with Kev Dansie (0425 292 719) who’s the driver behind this year’s event.

• I’ve recently discovered that the SQLD conference has a ‘young adult’ leader! In what appears to be the first of its kind in this part of the world, Andy Litchfield (who is one of three in the youth dep’t) has shared that he is part uni-student chaplain and part young adult leader. Andy brought together a group last Thursday to discuss what could happen in Brisbane and SQLD to faciliate the spiritual growth of young adults who are in – and on the fringe of – church. Talk centred around the need for small group friendships, bible study and involvement – with the possibility of an afternoon worship and celebration time/church plant.

• It’s been interesting to note that for almost every person who uses the term ‘young adult’ there is a slightly  different definition of what ages are included. Officially, I was informed that the SPD youth dep’t understands  ‘young adults’ are aged 18-35. The General Conference mentions only ‘Adventist Youth’ at the ages of 16-31+ (does that include me?!). I believe that our terms and target demographics need to be clarified so that our ministry projects can be more focused and effective. This is slowly happening!

• The survey I posted a couple of months back is still functional. I’m behind in making sure it’s getting to everyone on my contact list – and am relying on social networking to get it exposed. It’s been intriguing to see the responses of individuals – most of whom consider spirituality very important to them – and most of whom have left a comment of their church experiences. I’m deciding how best to post the results (wisdom welcomed) – check out the previous post if you haven’t seen the criteria for and link to the survey.

• An article by Jimmy Phillips entitled ‘Like Water Between Our Fingers‘ is worth a read – as is the initiative from CYE called ‘Church of Refuge‘ which aims to resource, support and hold accountable those churches who wish to engage in intentional yound adult ministry.

• Lastly – I heard recently about a female in the 25-40 demographic (somewhat disconnected herself) who was excited because her work colleage accepted an invitation to view a spiritual DVD. This may seem like a simple exchange between workmates – but this is the very activity which God is calling all of us to engage in – looking for where God is working and doing out part in sharing with our disconnected friends! Events (as mentioned above) can be great but it is the day-to-day exchanges with friends that is – in my humble opinion to date – the nuts and bolts of what is needed to reignite a passion for God and his work in our generation.

Personally, I’m still relief teaching 2-3 days/week and put this ministry as one priority on the remainder of my time. I’m continuing the search for who God may be prompting to join the cause – so if that’s you or you know someone – let me know!