Category: Discipleship

4 Steps Churches & Pastors Should Take Now

Posted in Church Chat, Church Consulting, Church Revitalization, Discipleship, Ministry, Preaching, Uncategorized, Worship3 Comments

Like me, you may be asking, “What steps should we take as a church and what steps should I take as a pastor in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing same-sex marriage?” Here are four steps every church should take to safeguard the church and the pastor.

  1. Update church wedding policy documents. It is very important for the church to develop a document that addresses the issues of marriage, human sexuality, & gender. Here is a Church Wedding Policy sample that you can use as a starting point.
  2. Update facility use policy. It is equally important for the church to develop a comprehensive policy that addresses the use of church facilities. It is not necessary for the church to eliminate all facility use by non-members, but it is important that a governing policy is in place. Even if the church eliminates facility use by non-members and only allows facility use by members, a policy is still needed. Some of the challenges in the area of facility use may come from those who are members or from family members of those who are members. Here’s a facility use sample.
  3. Update membership policies. It is important to have a document that clearly defines how a person becomes a church member; what the expectations are for a person to maintain church membership; and specific circumstances that lead to membership discipline and/or dismissal. Here’s a Church Membership Policy sample.
  4. Update Pastor’s Personal Wedding Policy. For added clarification and protection, it would be wise for every pastor to develop and adopt a personal pastoral wedding policy. In this policy the pastor should share his Biblical views on marriage giving Scriptural support, personal requirements for officiating a wedding, pre-marital counseling expectations, and a fee schedule. Here is a Pastor Wedding Policy sample.

For more information and help, please check out our Kentucky Baptist Convention resource page. Also, feel free to contact me personally at steve.rice@kybaptist.org or at 502-489-3434.

A Legal Guide for Protecting Your Church & Ministry

Posted in Church Chat, Church Consulting, Discipleship, Ministry, Uncategorized1 Comment

Gavel.2I recently wrote a blog that detailed 4 steps that every church should take to safeguard the church and the pastor in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states. I’m sure I will be updating that blog many times as new information and resources come forward.

Two organizations that can be extremely helpful as you wrestle through issues related to this topic are the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. They recently teamed together to produce an extremely helpful document entitled, “Protecting Your Ministry from Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Lawsuits.” Dr. Russell Moore, President of the ERLC stated:

Considering just how fast culture is shifting on its views of sexuality and religious liberty, I am thrilled that the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is partnering with our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom to produce a trusted resource sure to help equip Christians and churches. In it, you’ll find trusted resources on how churches, Christian schools, and Christian ministries should navigate and prepare themselves for the changing culture and all the attendant legal challenges that come with it.

The document includes three key checklists–a checklist for churches, a checklist Christian schools, and a checklist for Christian Ministries. For example, the church checklist provides help in the following areas:

  • Statement of Faith
  • Religious Employment Criteria
  • Facility Use Policy
  • Formal Membership Policy
  • Marriage Policy

One of the most helpful features of this document is the Appendix which includes numerous sample documents. You can download this document for free on the ELRC website.

For more information and help, please check out our Kentucky Baptist Convention resource page. Also, feel free to contact me personally at steve.rice@kybaptist.org or at 502-489-3434.

Bring on the Rain

Posted in Church Chat, Discipleship, Life Happens, Running3 Comments

If you see me head out the door of my comfortable, dry house during a torrential downpour, you probably will think that I am BONKERS, CRAZY, CUCKOO, DERANGED, FRUITY, NUTS, SCREWY, UNGLUED…..or just plain WACKY.  But actually one of the things I look forward to most as a runner is running in the rain.

Think about it for a minute.  When you were young, your parents rarely allowed you to venture outside during a storm and even more rarely allowed you to splash through deep puddles in your good tennis shoes.  But now that I’m an adult (I realize that’s still being debated in some circles), I can do whatever I want.  My two or three top running memories all involve the rain, so BRING ON THE RAIN!

One of my favorite Christian recording groups, Casting Crowns, has a song called Praise You in the Storm.  I couldn’t help but think of the following powerful lyrics as I was having an awesome, soggy moment on a recent morning run:

I’ll praise you in this storm and I will lift my hands.  For You are who You are no matter where I am.  And every tear I’ve cried, You hold in your hand.  You never left my side and though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm!

BE ENCOURAGED my friend.  The God of the sunshine is also God during the storms of life.  Praise Him in all things for He alone is worthy!

5 Keys to Finishing Well

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I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:17

Many Americans see the Super Bowl as a signal that the 33-race NASCAR season is about to begin. In order to make the final Nascar Chase at the end of the season, consistency throughout is key. But if a driver wants to win it all, he must pull out all the stops and finish the season well. That’s exactly what Tyler Reddick did to win the 2018 Nascar Xfinity Series championship!

One day, all of us who are Christians, will be welcomed home to Heaven. Our race will be complete. I imagine that God will pull out all the stops. No earthly event, regardless how spectacular, will compare to that moment when we first see Jesus! All that will matter at that moment is that we are in His presence and that we have finished well!

5 Keys to Finishing Our Race Well

1.  Be sure we are racing for the correct team. Jesus said that He is the only way to Heaven (John 14:6), so we must be certain that we are on His team. In the end, His team is the only one that will win!

2.  Find our driving style. God made each of us unique. We did not come off an assembly line — we were handcrafted by the Lord. Because of this, we all have a unique design or SHAPE. In order to finish well, we must discover God’s design and purpose for our lives and live accordingly.

3.  Remember who owns the car. We are not our own, we have been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20). We are simply servants and stewards, so we should follow His race instructions.

4.  Stop for regular pit stops. Even the most finely-tuned $200,000 race car cannot run without regular pit stops. Throughout a race, drivers stop for fresh tires, fuel, and minor adjustments. We must stop regularly for Bible study, prayer, worship, rest, etc. if we want to finish well.

5.  Race to the line. We should never quit. We should never give up. We should keep racing all the way to the finish line. So often, I see people give up on the race before the race is completed. We should pace ourselves in such a way that we can race to the end.

Prayer:  God help us connect with You through Your Son, the Lord Jesus. Help us discover how You put us together and help us run our race according to Your plans. Help us race with integrity , with consistency, and with other teammates in mind. Help us to race to the line and finish well for Your glory! Amen.

Make A List to SUCCESS

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As a young man, Benjamin Franklin resolved to attain the habits of virtue that would lead to success by making a game out of self-improvement.  He wrote thirteen key virtues in a notebook, one to a page, and checked off each instance in the day when he failed in one of them.  He focused intensely on one virtue per week, running through his list four times every year.  His thirteen virtues and goals were as follows:

  • Temperance
  • Silence
  • Order
  • Resolution
  • Frugality
  • Industry
  • Sincerity
  • Justice
  • Moderation
  • Cleanliness
  • Tranquility
  • Chastity
  • Humility

Interestingly, this list is similar to the one the Apostle Paul gives us in Philippians:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.” Phil. 4:8-9

Could a similar list make a difference in our lives today?  I suspect we could each benefit from such a reminder!