Facing the Facts about Mobilizing Ministry in a Media Age

The average Facebook user has 20+ "friends," according to Usama Nasir's "16 Social Media & Blogging Stats of 2012"

Digital Buzz Blog states that 55% of Twitter users access the platform via mobile devices.  Additionally, the site also states: Out of the 6 billion people on the planet 4.8 billion have a mobile and only 4.2 billion own a toothbrush.

Is it time for your ministry to go mobile?

Let's face the facts.  People are using all sorts of mobile devices.  It is a global trend.

But you are just getting your website revamped. Let's not to mention the fact that you have yet to update the pastor's blog or the photo gallery that have no new photos since 2010.

I am just saying.  Now you know I don't mean any harm.

Let's get mobilized with the times.  We are called to lead people in the world to Christ. Yet, if the world all are captivated by Miley Cyrus VMA video clips and TMZ news feeds on their iPhones and tablets, then we had better come up with some methods for entering the multimedia marketplace with an action plan and some real strategies that can deliver results without burning out our congregations or volunteers and that won't cost loads and loads of money.  After all, Jesus ministered in the marketplace.  Paul did so, too.  The other Apostles reached people by the methods of their times, too.  Imagine what they would have done with email, text messages, and YouTube.

Stay tuned as I launch several posts in a series on starting your own multimedia ministry.  The series will span several weeks and include some interesting pieces on mobile sites, video conferencing, and other methods.

Get People Back into Church

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? - Luke 5:4 (NKJV)

Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?. . .  - Luke 5:8 (NKJV)

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.  It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’” - Luke 15:31-32 (NKJV)


It's hard getting people back into church.  It is certainly no easy work. 

You can lose things along the way.  You can lose focus.  You can even lose some degree of faith.  Unfortunately, you can also lose people.

There is a way to get some people back into church.  You can get them back with some effort. 

Recover those who you lost.  Get men back into church.  Keep youth engaged in service and Sunday school.  Turn those hangers-on into holly rollers.

If you fail to make the effort, you can hardly expect them to return.  Make the effort.  Get people back into church.

 

Here are some simple starting points for getting them back into church:

• Develop a Hit List:
• Identify those who signed up and have never shown up
• Identify those who no longer show up
• Identify those who show up every now and then
• Make Contact
• E-mail the group with an appeal to return to church
• Phone those who no longer show up or who show up every now and then
• Schedule a home visit for those who signed up and never showed up
• Measure Your Progress
• Measure your contacts
• Who
• When
• What resulted from the contact. . . message, conversation, etc.
• Make connections
• See who shows up (measure over a month or two)
• Follow up with those who said they would but never did

Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence

of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

- Luke 15:10 (NKJV)

Pastors and Political Involvement

For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him.
-Mark 6:17-20 (NRSV)

Pastors have a long history of political involvement.  That is in contrast to the popular sentiment in America that tosses out the separation of church and state oftentimes during election years and controversial debates on issues like Planned Parenthood, stem cell research and gay marriage.  Regardless of the platform, pastors have a history of braving the foray of politics through political involvement.

Adam Clayton Powell stands out as a pastor who turned to a life of politics for many years.  Prior to ever campaigning for a political office, Powell spent much of his time outside of the pulpit pressuring New York's city hall for policy changes. Powell demonstrates one manner by which pastors stood out in the political spectrum.

Jerry Falwell was involved in politics.  Falwell led an evangelical Christian movement to bring morality back into the mainstream of American life.  The Moral Majority pushed and pulled on all sorts of matters in the political arena from indecency and pornography to issues like prayer in schools.

Today's pastors find themselves under fire when congregants and others share that they only want to hear the gospel message from the pastor.  Many will argue for pastors to stay in the pulpit and stay out of politics.

The case can be made for pastors to go beyond many of their predecessors, though.  Look at the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street.  There is an element of unrest in America today.  Jesus could view a plasma TV screen today or an iPad and look on compassionately, seeing plenty of sheep without a shepherd in this plentiful harvest. 

The fact is that we need more pastors involved in politics through advocacy and activism.  We need them to stand in the midst of the mayhem like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. took a nonviolent stance for civil rights and the poor.  We need them to push the agenda with local and national politicians.  We need them to testify the depths of disparity that exist on the streets and in our communities that extend beyond the homeless to the working poor and shrinking middle class of America.

In essence, we need more pastors who can deliver stirring words outside of the pulpit as much as we need them to handle the Word of God within the pulpit.

Pointed Prayer

It's Wednesday night.  You can see them coming into the sanctuary.  They have been beaten down and broken down by the business of the day.  The boss didn't understand.  The kids aren't listening.  The neighbors don't care.  You're the shepherd of the house of God and this worn-out flock.  What do you do?

Offer that lengthy sermon that God laid on your heart late last night? How about that solo that Sister Moore promised to sing once she recovered from tonsillitis? Maybe you can ask Brother Deacon to read the church's treasury report and just ask for an offering, then send them on their way.

"Short prayers are long enough," C.H. Spurgeon said.

That sounds right on time.  Inspire them as they sit and listen to you call on God for their sakes.  Lift their spirits with a brief calling upon the Almighty.  Share in prayer.

Don't drag it out.  Don't drag it on.  Just say a short prayer.

Lead into it with an anecdote or a summation of what a hectic day may have entailed for some of your congregants.  Start with a story, then say a short prayer.  Send them home lifted up by your prayer and encouraged to know that the man of God is in prayer for them, not just looking for their tithes and offerings or volunteer time.

By the way, that lengthy sermon may have been meant more for you and your own edification than a bunch of busy people who came to church in the middle of week.

Living as His Body

⁴ For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. ⁵ There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

- Ephesians 4:4-6 (NLT)

The believers are the collective and universal body of Christ.  Each believer serves as part of the body.  We, as believers in Christ, make up the body of Christ.  We are one body, gathered together in His name in one faith.


Paul wrote that "there is one body... just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future." The collective body of believers have a common goal, that one glorious hope for the future.  In seeking that common goal, believers come together on common ground.  The prime example of this is not the believers having all things in common.  The prime example of this is the gathering of believers in Antioch.

¹⁹ Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. ²⁰ But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹ And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

- Acts 11:19-21 (NKJV)

The body of Christ lives together based on:

• Common Belief: The confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Anointed One
• Common Bond: The connection between each believers is the one Spirit that indwells each believer and inhabits each local body of believers gathered together in His name

We are to live as His body, the church open and operating in His name and by His Spirit.

Live as His body.

Encircle New People

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. - Acts 2:42-47 (KJV)

The people of God are called to serve God by living out their new faith in a new way.  Each believer is called to live as a "new creation" according to 2 Corinthians 5:17. The early church was full of the Holy Spirit fresh from the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost.  These believers gathered and shared with one another in all sorts of ways.  They had fellowship and prayed together, enjoying worship and fellowship with one another.

And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

As new converts come into the church today, we need to encircle them.  As we encircle them,  let us embrace them with the love of Christ.  We should encourage new believers to learn all that they can about Christ as He appears in the Scriptures.  We must do our best to support these new believers in growing in Christ.

If we offer our love and support to the new people who come into our midst, we must trust God to strengthen us further to handle more people coming into the church.  The more people who come in will require the people of the church to do more, too.  We will need to be able to handle people coming out of prison and recovery programs just like people returning from college and those coming off of welfare and unemployment.  Let us learn to be useful and fruitful, "maintaining good works" as we do so.

Called Out to be the Church

Ecclesia = the "called-out ones"

We come to understand that the church is beyond a building.  it is not a place but the people of God.  We, as believers in the risen Savior, make up the church.  The church is called "the Body of Christ" as well as the "Bride of Christ." The believers make up the body that is gathered together in His name.

• The Body of Christ: "And he is the head of the body, the church."—Colossians 1:18. We make up the church as a singular, universal "body" of believers.  The epistles to the Colossians and the Ephesians tell us that Christ is the head of this body of believers.  We all- pastors, deacons, evangelists, organists, choir directors, worship leaders, youth workers, and others- fall under the head of the body, Christ our Lord.  The body serves Christ and represents Christ on earth.
• The Bride of Christ: “The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”-Revelation 22:17.  The bride of our Lord is to be both prepared and presented to Him.  The church's members receive gifts to edify the body of Christ for the "work of the ministry" and to bring all of its members into the fullness of knowledge in Christ in order to present the bride of Christ to Christ, the bridegroom.

The question is simple: How are we living?

Have we lived up to the expectations that Christ has of us as His church? Are we making disciples who are prepared to be presented as the "bride of Christ" and the "body of Christ?" Let us examine our works and their worth.  We will one day stand before our Lord and he will weigh the value of what we have done in His name and for His sake.  Will burn and become consumed? Or, will it withstand the fire and come out as refined precious metals?

10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. -1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NIV)

Praying with Purpose

We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;
because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,  who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

- Colossians 1:3-14 (NKJV)

Paul opens his letter to the believers at Colosse (Colossae) with an prayerful appeal.  In verses 3 through 6, he offers prayerful thanksgiving for the believers themselves and their faith and "love for all saints." He shares that he is thankful for what God has done with these believers and through them in the form of "bringing forth fruit." In verses 9-14, he shares that he and Timothy (Timotheus) have prayed for the Colossians to continue living by faith by "being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." He shares his thankfulness to the Lord for what He has done among these believers and his trust in the Lord for what He will continue to do among and through these same believers.

He asserts his authority of "an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God" within the very first words of the letter.  As a missionary, he educated these believers and some like Epaphras, his "dear fellow servant" educated Paul and Timothy of the people and their "love in the Spirit."  As a minister, Paul sought to soak the Colossians down in prayer for the sake of the gospel so that they could live on as testimonies of God's tremendous work.  He was purposeful in his prayer for these believers, sharing that he truly hoped that the Lord would help them to grow stronger in faith and their knowledge of Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior.

What if we prayed with more purpose regarding our fellow believers? What if we thanked God for what He had already done for them? What if we offered God our prayers, fully trusting Him to supply and strengthen our fellow believers? Imagine how much more unity we would experience if we expressed that prayerfulness for our brothers and sisters in Christ openly and publicly, standing together as one body, the Body of Christ.

It is my belief that we would experience more power if we would become both prayerful and purposeful.  We need to become more prayerful, praying for one another.  We need to become more purposeful, recognizing our God-given purpose to serve the Lord and support one another.  That would help us to live a little more like Paul, Timothy, Epaphras and the believers in Christ in Colosse.

Going Grassroots with the Gospel

Going Grassroots with the GospelRead Spread the Gospel with Bible Tracts posted on Associated Content

We should all be like voices crying out in the wilderness.  We must stand out like John the Baptist, calling out Herod and his wrongs as ruler just as much as we call out the wrongs of the people and seek repentance among them. 

We must discover our voices in the wilderness of this life.  We may be called upon to advocate for those without a voice.  Who will speak for the children if we remain silent? Who will speak for the elderly or the disabled if we remain silent? We have to find our voice and speak boldly according to what the Lord says in His Word.

We should offer hope to this world.  We should shine as beams of radiant light among men, letting our lights shine brightly.  Our work in ministry should take the Word from the sanctuary to the streets. 

Let us go grassroots with the gospel message.  Let us preach boldly like John the Baptist.  Let us build missions, churches and small groups like Barnabas and Paul in Acts.  Let us spread the Word here and there, everywhere that we go.  Let us go grassroots with the gospel message.