Define Your Terms (Followup)

This is a followup to my previous post (http://sanfordfamily.org/2012/11/29/define-your-terms).  I must say that I am disappointed in the lack of comments and interaction on this post.  I know that most of my blog posts are informational, but this post provided an opportunity for great discussion.  Ok, I am turning my teacher voice off and letting you into my world by revealing my definitions.

Disciple– Someone who’s end goal is to abide in Christ, grow in likeness and understanding of Christ, and leads others to do the same.

Doctrine– A biblically based systematic understanding of a certain aspects of God, the Bible, the Church, etc. and how that aspect of Theology is lived out, interacts with our lives.

Theology– The study of God through careful examination of the Bible and general revelation.

Gospel-The Good News of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for our sins by His death on the cross, His resurrection from the grave, and the forgiveness and transformation that is available in Christ alone.

Evangelism– Sharing the Gospel with those who are not believers in Christ, through words, actions and relationship.

Elder/Pastor– One who leads, equips, teaches, cares for and encourages a group of believers.

Deacon– Servant leaders who take care of needs of people of the church.

Leader– An individual who walks alongside others, points them toward Christ, and encourages others to seek after Christ.

Missions- Carrying out the ministry of reconciliation as an ambassador of Christ in the world, from our home to the ends of the world.

Church- A local gathering of Saints, who desire to make disciples, worship God in spirit and truth, and minister to the world around them.

So now that my ideas are in black and white, let me know what you agree with, disagree with and help us all understand why you feel that particular way.

Define your terms

Inside our cells we have a DNA code millions of characters long but only made of 4 molecules arranged in such a way to create the exact definition on a cellular level of a singular individual. The specific language in a cell is important because one misplaced molecule could be detrimental to the whole individual. Likewise in the Body of Christ we must define our terms carefully and allow them guide us toward a healthy organization, the Church.

Over the past few weeks I have been taking a hard look at language; the very basic thoughts and ideas of what scripture commands us live out. I have always been a person who asks questions and sometimes to my detriment but now I am having to ask hard questions about things that are dear to my heart and mission and the purpose of the church. Many times the issues we have in church are not because of bad theology but differing definitions for terms that are widely used but have many different acceptable expressions.

Have you ever stopped to define your terms? I want you to join me in this exercise. Here are list of terms that are common terms used within the church take your time and give the best biblical definition of them in the comments below.

Disciple, Doctrine, Theology, Gospel, Evangelism, Pastor, Elder, Deacon, Leader, Missions, Church

In a few days I will give you what I have come up with and I am eager to hear your thoughts on those definitions.

Pumpkin Carving Contest (After)

Contest Pumpkins (Winner on right)

Yesterday we had our first neighborhood get together.  We had nine people attend from the area.  As you can see from the picture we had five pumpkins carved and entered in our contest and a good amount of conversation with those who attended.  The attenders were an older couple who attend a local church and were very hospitable to Reagan and I when we were passing out invitations, an across the street neighbor that works with a para-church organization, the next door couple, their son and his two children, and a single middle aged man, who was kind enough to bring us some pumpkin bread after our invitation to attend the pumpkin carving.  Three of the nine attend church on a regular basis, while two of them have had bad experiences in church and they are currently not attending because of it.  The others do not attend church and are mostly indifferent to the idea of church.  The latter two opinions of the church are the most prevalent here.  It is our prayer that, this year, we can help repair their view of the bride of Christ.

Pumpkin Carving Contest (Before)

In response to one of the biggest needs in our neighborhood, lack of community, tomorrow we will be hosting a Pumpkin Carving Contest in our driveway. We invited four streets worth of people to come and carve pumpkins, meet the neighbors, and have a good time together. Pray that we have people come out, that the weather is warm enough (right now it is projected to be 59 degrees), and that we are able to begin building relationships with our neighbors that will lead to spiritual conversations. Tomorrow night, I will post about the Pumpkin Carving Contest once it is complete.

You’re not from around here, are you?

One of the biggest tasks that we face here is becoming indigenous.  Right now our car tags, driver’s license, souther drawl and cell phone numbers give us away.  But, within the next year, we hope to be seen as a family residing in Colorado.  Our goal is not to bring southern culture, spirituality, and cuisine to the west, but to become westerners for the Gospel.  We are spending time out in the community and region, learning with each trip out of the driveway.  For us, this year is just as much about learning the people as it is learning about the nuts and bolts of church planting.  Part of this learning happens in the neighborhood we will plant in, but a lot of it can happen just minutes from our house.

Speaking of learning, we had our second weekend learning intensive, Cultivate, last weekend.  This session focused on developing healthy leaders and churches.  If the leadership is not healthy, the church will not be either.  We looked at symptoms of burnout and how to avoid it, as well as talked about some practical ways to remain healthy through the stress and pressure of ministry.  So far we are sponges, soaking up the lessons coming our way, but we are also looking for areas to be wrung out so we don’t sour.

All of this learning, whether relational, experiential, or formal, will hopefully lead to us planting a healthy church that will impact the neighborhood, city, state, nation and world.  We are thankful for the opportunity to follow God as He leads.

Kingdom Focus

The past few weeks have been intense yet relaxed, full yet in slow motion.  Amanda and the kids have started school, I have been putting out applications for part-time work, reading, networking, and getting to know The Springs and we have been attending Vanguard Church on Saturday nights.  Amanda and I participated in our first learning intensive, Cultivate, last weekend and throughly enjoyed the discussions about the Kingdom of God and Discipleship.  This monthly training is designed to challenge, equip, and empower us to create “successful” church plants.

Last night, I was able to be part of the annual celebration for Pike’s Peak Association.  It was part business meeting, panel discussion, and small group connection points, but overall it was the celebration of what God is doing in Colorado Springs.  For the last few days, the Kingdom of God has been a theme as we looked at scripture and then I saw it at work within the churches of Pike’s Peak Association.

Join us in praying Luke 10:2 “He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field'” at 10:02 am each day.  We want to see and be a part of God’s movement in Colorado, The United States of America, and the world.  We want a Kingdom Focus.

Ending and Beginning Again

This past week has been a week of endings and new beginnings. Sunday August 12th was our last day at Fairhaven Baptist, our church home for over eight years. On the 13th we had a fundraising dinner in Huntsville with friends and family; then we had another fundraising dinner in Demopolis on the 16th. It was truly a blessing to see friends and family and share our call and vision. Our time in Demopolis has ended and will be missed and our new journey has begun.

Then our family piled into our vehicles and tackled the journey to Colorado Springs. Who knew that Texas and New Mexico were so desolate? We arrived 2 days ahead of our moving truck and camped out inside. Finally, our stuff arrived and Amanda and I have been unpacking like mad. Only a few things were damaged or broken and now we have what seems to be a home, with a few things left to unpack. Tonight we attended Vanguard (on a Saturday night) and Frontline Church Planting has already put information about its new residents on their website. We look forward to a new beginning in Colorado.

Save the Date

Monday, August 13th at 6pm at Hillowood Baptist Church in Huntsville, AL, we will have our first fundraising dinner.  If you are in the Huntsville area and would be able to come to the dinner it would be much appreciated.  This will give us an opportunity to see old friends, make some new friends, and share the vision God has laid on our hearts for Denver, CO.  If you want to attend please RSVP to Emily Eckley at the listed phone number.  I hope to see you there.

Thank you to Ashley and Jon Cabra and Emily and Matt Eckley for making this happen.

Redeemed Technology

I am a techie.  I love computers, gadgets, smart phones, and electronics of all shapes and sizes.  But I also know the inherent danger of these devices.  Communication is available through an unlimited number of options, yet community is less present than ever. (Even as you read this, we have replaced a conversation with information on a webpage.)  Relationships need to be vital, not virtual; personal, not personless.

On Tuesday night, I saw technology redeemed.  I know computers and smart phones are not mortal beings in need of a Savior, but they can be used for God’s purposes and that is exactly what happened Tuesday.  With a target of 50 prayer partners before we move to Colorado Springs, Amanda and I worked on adding partners through text, Facebook messenger, twitter, phone calls, email and even Facebook posts.  Not only did we reach our target number, but we exceeded it by 15. Of course, we could always use as many partners as will pray for us.  If you are interested in being a prayer partner, we would love for you to join us on our journey. Please send an email to eric@sanfordfamily.org to sign up. We will send out a prayer newsletter at least once a month with praises and answered prayer, as well as up to date prayer needs.

Overwhelmed

It has been my pleasure to serve the students of Alabama for the past five years in Super Summer Alabama. I have met incredible students who are turning their world upside down for Christ, college students who are defying the statistics of young people leaving the church at graduation, and student ministers who see discipleship as a top priority. In the past five years, Super Summer has grown from a small collection of students and leaders from a few churches to several hundred students and a group of youth ministers and college students larger than the whole camp the first year. God is up to something in this generation and I am glad to be a part.

Tonight, I was surprised and overwhelmed to be selected as the recipient of the offering this year from the Super Summer students. Words cannot express my gratitude and thankfulness for such an honor and a gift. These funds will help us share the love of Christ in Colorado in the days ahead. It is truly amazing to be blessed by these wonderful students and adults. All the glory honor and praise goes to God who saved me, called me and equipped me for such a time as this.