Category: Church Revitalization

One Circle at a Time

Posted in Assimilation, Book Reviews, Church Chat, Church Revitalization, Discipleship, Evangelism, Leadership, Ministry, Preaching, Uncategorized, WorshipLeave a comment

Churches often ask how they can reach their community and the world with the gospel? Programs have their place. Events can help. Strategies matter. But sometimes the most effective path forward is not something new—it is something faithful, simple, and biblical.

Oscar Thompson’s classic evangelism approach in Concentric Circles of Concern offers just that. Though written decades ago, its wisdom remains timely for Kentucky churches seeking to make a lasting impact both at home and abroad.

Thompson challenged believers to think relationally. Instead of beginning with strangers, he urged Christians to begin with the people God has already placed in their lives. He described a series of “concentric circles” that move outward from the individual believer:

The Power of the Circles

The principle is simple: evangelism flows naturally through relationships. Before we can expect to reach the world, we must first be faithful in our own circle.

1. The believer. Thompson insisted that evangelism begins with a vibrant personal walk with Christ. A cold heart will not produce a warm witness. Churches that want to reach their communities must first cultivate spiritual depth among their members. Prayer, repentance, and daily obedience are foundational. When believers walk closely with Christ, witnessing becomes less of a program and more of a natural overflow.

2. Immediate family. Scripture consistently teaches that faith begins in the home. Before we organize large outreach events, we should ask: Are we discipling our own households?

In Kentucky, where family ties run deep, this circle holds particular weight. When fathers and mothers live out their faith with integrity, children see the gospel modeled before it is ever explained. A church that equips families to share Christ at the dinner table is laying a foundation that will outlast any event on the calendar.

3. Extended family. Many Kentuckians have extended family networks that stretch across counties and even state lines. Thompson encouraged believers to list the names of relatives who need Christ and pray for them specifically.

4. Close friends. These are often the most fruitful gospel conversations because trust already exists. Holiday gatherings, ball games, and backyard cookouts can become divine appointments. When believers approach these relationships intentionally and prayerfully, the gospel spreads naturally.

5. Neighbors and associates. Every church sits in a community filled with people who may never walk through its doors unless someone personally invites them. Thompson’s strategy challenges churches to shift from attractional thinking to relational engagement. Instead of waiting for the community to come to us, we go to them—across the street, across the fence, across the office hallway.

Imagine if every member of a church identified five neighbors and committed to pray for them daily. Imagine if every Sunday School class made a list of coworkers represented in their group and began praying intentionally for open doors. Revival would not be a distant hope. KBC churches would experience much-needed revitalization.

6. Acquaintances. We encounter people every day in stores, restaurants, civic organizations, and ballfields. These brief connections may seem insignificant, but God often uses simple conversations to open eternal doors.

7. The world. The final circle he refers to as “person X.” “Person X” represents the world. Thompson taught that churches best reach the nations when their members are faithful in their immediate relationships. A congregation that cannot share Christ with its neighbors will struggle to sustain passion for the unreached. When local evangelism thrives, global missions flourish. Hearts stirred for the lost across the street will also beat for the lost across the ocean.

Personal Note. Praise the Lord, I have recently seen this play out in my family. Our daughter and son-in-law took the time to talk to their children about Christ and to take them regularly to church. Both sets of grandparents regular talked to them about the Gospel as well. As a result, our two oldest grandsons individually began to ask questions about following Christ. My son-in-law shared the Gospel with each of them privately and each of them accepted Christ as their Savior. Their pastor gave me the glorious privilege of baptizing each of them in the church where they attend. Thank You Lord for the power of the Gospel and for the opportunities You give us within our concentric circles.

Serving Well

Posted in Church Chat, Church Consulting, Church Revitalization, Discipleship, Leadership, Life Happens, Ministry, Uncategorized, WorshipLeave a comment

What does it mean to serve well? If you work at the Kentucky Baptist Convention, your mind might go to our core values—being highly responsive, cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit, committing ourselves as lifelong learners, staying people-focused, and stewarding well. Those values matter. They shape how we work and why we work. But that’s not really the question I want to ask.

We know what it means to serve well. The deeper question is this: What does it mean to be well while you are serving well? What does wellness look like for a Christian? And what does wellness look like for someone who gives their life to ministry and service?

To answer that, I want to turn briefly to the shortest book in the New Testament—just 219 words in the original Greek. In 3 John, the Apostle John writes to a man named Gaius, a common name in the first century, but clearly someone John knew and loved deeply.

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” 3 John 2 (ESV)

John prays for Gaius to be well. Wouldn’t you love to know that the beloved apostle was praying for you? And not just praying for your ministry or your faithfulness—but praying for your personal wellness?

In that short verse, John gives us a glimpse of three kinds of wellness that matter for those who want to serve well for the long haul.

3 Types of Wellness

1. Overall Wellness

John begins broadly: “I pray that all may go well with you.” Many translations use the word prosper. The New King James Version says, “I pray that you may prosper in all things.” That is a beautiful prayer.

John isn’t talking about winning the lottery. He’s talking about life—marriage, family, work, friendships, relationships, and the everyday matters that make up our lives. He is praying that life, as a whole, would be marked by God’s gracious care.

Serving well does not require neglecting the rest of life. In fact, healthy service grows out of a life that is held together by God’s grace.

2. Physical and Emotional Wellness

John continues, “that you may be in good health.” When we hear those words, we naturally think of physical health—and rightly so. Anyone who has faced health struggles knows how deeply they affect every other part of life. We want those we love to be healthy.

But there is also an emotional weight that comes with service and ministry. Those who serve often go and go and go. We give and give and give. We listen and listen and listen. We carry stories, burdens, and heartbreaks that we cannot fix. Over time, that can become heavy.

And all of this happens while we are navigating our own lives in a fallen world. This is earth, not heaven. Emotional wellness matters. Ignoring it doesn’t make us stronger—it simply makes the load heavier.

3. Spiritual Wellness

Finally, John adds, “as it goes well with your soul.” The wording suggests that Gaius was doing well spiritually. His walk with the Lord was steady. His soul was healthy.

That matters more than anything else. Physical strength and professional effectiveness cannot substitute for a soul that is being nurtured by Christ. When the soul is neglected, everything else eventually suffers.

A Personal Word

Last fall and winter, I struggled. At the time, I couldn’t fully explain what was happening, but the struggle showed up physically—anxiety, fatigue, shortness of breath, an elevated heart rate. A visit to the cardiologist and a treadmill test ruled out heart trouble, but the symptoms were real.

Eventually, I recognized several underlying causes. I was grieving my father’s death. His estate was still unsettled. My brother was fighting cancer. And after more than forty years in ministry, I felt the accumulated weight of service.

Most people had no idea I was struggling. As I write this, I don’t know where you are. You may be doing well, or you may be carrying more than you let on. I suspect I’m not the only one who has ever struggled while trying to serve faithfully.

So I leave you with the same prayer John offered long ago:

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”

May we serve well—and by God’s grace, may we be well as we serve.

Start with Good Ingredients

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Through the years, I’ve developed a casual interest in television cooking shows. This is ironic, since I can’t cook much of anything. I specialize in eating. I can make a respectable peanut butter and jelly sandwich and brew a solid pot of coffee, but let’s be honest—that hardly qualifies as cooking.

So why do I enjoy these shows? I’m not entirely sure. It may have something to do with my competitive streak. The shows I enjoy most are the competition-based ones—Tournament of Champions, Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, and the like. There’s something compelling about watching skilled chefs work under pressure with limited time and ingredients.

Though I’m no cook, I’ve noticed something interesting: cooking and spiritual growth have a lot in common. You have to start with good ingredients. Every chef knows this. No amount of skill can overcome poor ingredients. The chefs on these shows talk constantly about sourcing, freshness, and quality. Great dishes begin long before the stove is turned on.

You have to start with good ingredients…the same is true of spiritual growth!

The same is true of spiritual growth. If believers are going to grow strong and mature in their faith, certain ingredients must be present in their lives. Scripture often refers to these as practices or disciplines—ordinary, faithful habits God uses over time to shape us into the likeness of Christ.

There are many lists of spiritual disciplines, but the basics are clear:

  • Reading the Bible
  • Praying to the Lord
  • Fellowshipping with other believers
  • Sharing your faith
  • Ministering to others
  • Walking daily with Christ

These may not seem dramatic, but they are foundational. Spiritual maturity is rarely the result of a single moment; it is the fruit of consistent faithfulness.

One of the best books on this subject is John Ortberg’s The Life You’ve Always Wanted. If you haven’t read it, put it on your list. You won’t regret the time spent. Ortberg reminds us that God uses simple, time-tested practices to produce lasting transformation.

Good ingredients matter—in the kitchen and in the Christian life. What we put into our daily walk with Christ will, over time, shape who we become.

 

3 Ways to Respond to a Challenge

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Did you know that only one miracle is mentioned in all four Gospels? Do you know which miracle it is? It is the miracle where Jesus fed a large group of people by exponentially multiplying the lunch of a small boy. I have often wondered why this miracle is so important that the Lord included it as many times as He did.

One day in preparing to preach from John’s account, it hit me that Jesus described how three different people responded to His challenging question, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” (John 6:5).

3 Responses to Jesus’ Challenge

1.  The response of Philip. How did Philip respond? He took out his iPhone and fired up his food preparation app and did the math. The story tells us that 5,000 men were present, so the number was probably 10,000+ when the women and children were included. Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii (8 months wages) worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little” (John 6:7). Then notice what Philip did next. He dismissed the challenge immediately. He gave up without trying. And, he didn’t even consider God in the equation.

2. The response of Andrew. Although Andrew’s reaction was an improvement, it was not much of one. He inventoried available resources and said “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” (John 6:9). After that he dismissed the challenge and he seemed to also leave God out of the equation.

3. The response of the little boy. Interestingly, the little boy is almost invisible in the story. We know nothing about him or his family. We don’t even know his name. All we know is that he was willing to share what he had. I don’t believe for a minute that he was the only person there with food. You mean to tell me that no one had a PB & J? A can of Vienna Sausages or Beenie Weenies? A bologna sandwich? A granola bar? Or a Snickers? Surely others had food, but he is the only one in the story who shared it with the disciples. God took his small gift and used it in a marvelous, miraculous way to feed everyone who was present that day.

Are you facing a challenge? How about your church? If so, then you’re normal. We all face challenges on a regular basis. This is earth, not Heaven. We have not arrived yet. How will you and I respond to the challenge we currently face? Will we respond like Philip and dismiss the challenge immediately? Will we respond like Andrew and take an inventory of what we can do? Or will we respond like the little boy and give what we have to the Lord and trust Him for the results?

Prayer: “Lord, please help me to respond like the little boy in the story with the challenges I face!

An Old-Fashioned Church

Posted in Church Chat, Church Consulting, Church Revitalization, Discipleship, Evangelism, Preaching, Worship2 Comments

A few years ago our Church Consulting & Revitalization Team held a planning retreat in the Southern Indiana Amish country. Although I do not agree with all of the spiritual theology of the Amish, I have always respected them for their commitment to the “old-fashioned ways.” I believe that the modern church should strive to be old-fashioned in certain areas.

Don’t get me wrong, I love technology and would not want to give up my iPhone, iPod, iPad, iCloud, GPS running watch, or any other smart device. I also love a lot of the new music being written for the church today. I prefer indoor plumbing over outhouses, air-conditioning over funeral home fans, and padded pews over pews that make your body go numb, but old-fashioned is still sometimes preferred.

An old-fashioned church is a church fashioned after the Book of Acts!

So, where should the modern church be old-fashioned and what is an old-fashioned church? An old-fashioned church is a church fashioned after the Book of Acts. It is a church with the same priorities of the early church. It is a church that, at it’s core, has the same purpose and focus of the church in the 2nd chapter of Acts.

Characteristics of an Old-Fashioned Church

   42  And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43  Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44  Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45  and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46  So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47 (NKJV)

1.  Doctrine. The church “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Vs. 42). Several translations choose the word “teaching” instead of the word “doctrine,” but they can be used interchangeably. The apostles taught the people the Word of God. An old-fashioned church focuses on teaching God’s Word accurately, consistently, and thoroughly. The apostles knew that it matters what you believe, so they led the people to believe God’s Word and sought to teach how Jesus the Messiah was revealed throughout the Old Testament.

2.  Fellowship. The word koinonia in the original language was used several times by the Apostle Paul, but Luke used it only once in Acts 2. The word is usually translated “fellowship” and it indicates that the early believers had an uniquely close relationship because of their connection through the Gospel. Their “fellowship” served as a witness to the world that something was different about them that greatly affected their relationships.

3.  Obedience. The early church continued in “the breaking of bread” (Vs. 42).  Many scholars believe this included observing the Lord’s Supper together. Although the Passover meal was a long-standing Jewish tradition, connecting the symbols of the bread and juice to the body and blood of Jesus was new. Jesus told the apostles to continue the practice so they obeyed this new command.

4. Evangelism. The passage tells us that “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Vs. 47). This tells us that they were sharing their faith on a regular basis. Many modern church problems could be solved if church members would regain a passion for sharing their faith with those who need to hear the Gospel.

Summary: I fear that many churches today do not possess these first four Biblical characteristics. Instead of teaching doctrine, they teach the opinions of man or woman. Instead of experiencing fellowship, they experience conflict and division. Instead of obeying all the applicable commands of the Word of God, they pick and choose the preferable commands that best fit their compromising lifestyle. Instead of focusing outwardly on those who need to hear the Gospel, they focus inwardly on their own wants and wishes.

Is it any wonder that many modern churches are not experiencing a mighty move of God’s Spirit like the churches in the Book of Acts? May God help us possess these vital characteristics of an old-fashioned church.