Go Glocal

I just finished reading a fantastic book by Gene Wood. Going Glocal articulates so simply and easily what is on my heart about missions.

Everyone is a missionary. We all have a responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission.

Let me add a word to your vocabulary: Glocal. Glocal is a portmanteau of the words globalization and localization.

The world is no longer a large place. You can go anywhere within a matter of days. Because of that reality, anyone can be a missionary - at least a short-term one. You don't have to quit your job, learn a new language, go to seminary, move to a new country, etc. You don't need a mission organization to approve you. You can be a missionary by going glocal.

I have a new goal. Everyone at Dodge Park Church should go on a short-term missions trip in the next 5 years. Every Christian can do the Great Commission.

The next chance to Go Glocal happens in February 2008. We are taking a medical and construction team to Guatemala. Post a comment if you want information about going along.

"But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
you will receive power
and will tell people about me everywhere
—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 (NLT)

Signs of Heart Attack

My brother-in-law had a heart attack this week. What a shock! We went to be with him and his family as he underwent bypass surgery. He's doing well, thank God. But, as he described how he was feeling lately I couldn't help but notice that he has been ignoring some obvious signs for a while.

Linda's family has had warning about heart problems. Her dad died of a heart attack at the age of 62. In spite of that, her brother has not had checkups or cholesterol tests. That simple blood test would have warned him that something was seriously amiss.

So, take note. Do you have a family history of heart problems? Have you had your cholesterol checked in the last year? Do you know the signs of heart attack?

Here are the signs as identified by the American Heart Association:

Heart Attack Warning Signs

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
  
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
  
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
  
• Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Learn the signs, but remember this: Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, have it checked out. Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives — maybe your own. Don’t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1.

Before you ask ....

I have my cholesterol checked annually. It always surprises the doctor that I am well within a healthy range. And I passed a stress test last spring with no problem.

How about you?

Calling

Paul Hardaloupas is a member of Evanswood Church of God, our sister congregation in Troy. He grew up in a Greek Orthodox family and accepted Christ after he began attending Evanswood.

As a college student at Michigan State he became involved in Campus Crusade for Christ. They helped him build a foundation for his spiritual life.

Paul has a calling. He understands that as Christians we all have a calling. Serving Christ and extending his message is not the exclusive domain of pastors and missionaries. The work of the church is never done only by the ordained.

This year he is serving as a staff member with Campus Crusade at MSU. Our missions committee just sent him $500.00 toward his support. (All CC staff have to raise their own salary.)

His vision is "to guide students into the realization that they are sons and daughters of the King ... Know Christ, they are servants of the King ... Surrender to Christ, and they are ambassadors of the King ... Share Christ."

Pray for Paul. He also asks that we pray that every student would walk in the light of their identity in Christ.

You have a calling too. There is a mission field that needs your labor. Frank Tillapaugh and Richard Hurst make a powerful statement in their book Calling: When it comes to mission, the most important resource the church has is the calling of each of each of its members.

Calling. Do you know yours? Are you making a Kingdom impact? The calling of God is not something to disregard.


For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

- Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

30 Days to Live

How would you spend the next 30 days if you knew they were your last 30 days? LifeChurch.tv is doing a series of talks on the subject. Larry's story is a part of the series. He has ALS and will not live much longer. Watch an exerpt of his powerful story.




What are your thoughts?

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Innovations the Church Should Embrace

Willow News, the periodical of the Willow Creek Association, has an interesting article on innovative ideas the church should embrace. Check it out here.

I particularly like how they define some of the innovations. Such as "Blogging: Digital Discipleship" and "Email: Word of Mouse."

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Exemplary Peace

Yesterday's plans for worship were washed out. I went to the park at 8:00 AM to check out things. It was barely raining, but a very cool breeze was blowing across the lake. Everything was wet. We immediately canceled the picnic and called everyone to meet at church.

What I later discovered was that we had an enormous amount of people out of town. Since so many missed the worship service I am posting a bit of my sermon here. No illustrations. No fills or frills. Just some of the basic ideas I talked about. The sermon title is "Exemplary Peace."

Paul reminds us that relational peace is an outgrowth of inner peace. I see a Personal Peace Plan outlined as we develop the virtues of joy, gentleness, and trust.

Here goes ....

Philippians 4:1 through Philippians 4:7 (NLT)
¹Dear brothers and sisters, I love you and long to see you, for you are my joy and the reward for my work. So please stay true to the Lord, my dear friends.

²And now I want to plead with those two women, Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. ³And I ask you, my true teammate, to help these women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. And they worked with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.

⁴Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! ⁵Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

⁶Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

Michael Vick, quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, is scrambling for his reputation. Once known for his strong arm, fast feet, and substantial income, now he is known for questionable water bottles, vulgar hand gestures, and mounting legal troubles. A few weeks ago his sports paraphernalia were some of the most sold items on the market. Now you can only buy them on Ebay. When I last checked, his jerseys were drawing almost no bids.

His reputation has gone from the penthouse to the outhouse in a matter of months.

Reputation is defined as the “overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general.” (Miriam-Webster Online)

Two women in the city of Philippi developed quite a reputation. Euodia and Syntyche are only known because they had a quarrel. What a legacy they have left of themselves! We know so few names of people from 2000 years ago. But, these two women have managed to have their names included in the best selling book of all time. Wouldn’t it have been nice to have them remembered for something positive?

Imagine this – 2000 years from now someone opens a church history book and finds your name recorded for a significant event. “John and Jill destroyed the reputation of the congregation in Sterling Heights because they had a fight and couldn’t settle it.”

Many Christians have named their little girls after women in the Bible: Sarah, Deborah, Lois, Naomi, Ruth, Rhoda Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, Esther, Mary Abigail, Hannah, Phoebe, Anna, Candace, Chloe, Elizabeth, Judith, Julia, Lydia, Martha, Tabitha, Susanna, and Pricilla. These are all names we have known in contemporary time. But, when have you heard of someone named Euodia or Syntyche?

Those two women had a reputation for quarreling. What are you known for? Are you known for being a loving person? For serving others? Are you known as a person of peace?

Immediately after encouraging these two women to settle their disagreement, Paul urges the church to live at peace. He describes a way of living that includes the inner dimension of personal peace as well as the relational peace we ought to have with others.

Let’s look at his personal peace plan.

1. Paul's peace plan begins with joy.

⁴Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

Rejoicing is the keynote of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. It is a quality that we are to live with. It recognizes that life may not always be filled with happy circumstances. However, our spiritual and emotional well-being is not dependent on circumstances, but rather our fellowship with Christ.

Our inner attitudes do not have to be directed by our outward circumstances. It is amazing to note that Paul wrote these words from prison. He does not consider his encouragement to rejoice to be an unattainable attitude.

Psalm 16:8 through Psalm 16:9 (NIV)
I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

2. The second part of Paul’s peace plan is gentleness.

Philippians 4:5 (NIV)

⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

The Greek word here is “epeikes.” It is one of the most untranslatable words in the Greek language. As such, it is translated differently in almost every English translation of the Bible.

Let me list some of the various translations of the word. Do these words and phrases describe you?

KJV – moderation

Wycliffe – patience

Tyndale – softness

Geneva – patient mind

Rheims – modesty

Moffatt & RSV – forbearance

NEB – magnanimity

NLT – considerate

PH – reputation for being reasonable

NIV – gentle

• Are your hearts homes where other people can come without being worthy or deserving? (Magnanimous)
• Are you patient with others?
• Is there softness about how you relate to others?
• Are you modest in your estimate of yourself?
• Are you considerate of others?
• Is there a gentle quality about you?
• Do you have a reputation for being reasonable?

3. The third leg of Paul’s personal peace plan has to do with trust.

Philippians 4:6 (NLT) "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.

Anxiety is our most common problem. We sell millions of dollars of medications to treat it. Anxiety is the futile and frustrating attempt to bear the burdens of life and our future alone.

Paul’s peace plan teaches us to quit carrying our problems and to turn them over to God. The question is whether or not we trust God enough to commit them to him. He encourages us to tell God every detail of our need in prayer. We yield the problem to God and leave it safe in his hands.

What is your reputation? Are you a person of peace?

Purple Cow

I am posting this so that I can find it again. Maybe you will enjoy it too.

What is remarkable about your church?

Make a Good Presentation

Guy Kawasaki is a big-time name in the business world. I am reading his book "Art of the Start." He has some interesting comments about making presentations. For those of us in the church world, a presentation is a sermon or talk.

So, for those speakers among my readers, here are his suggestions.

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Prosper

It's time to pray some positive prayers for the financial health of our neighbors and family. There has been too much bad financial news this week.

My brother's business is not going well and financial pressures mount. Our neighbors are about to lose their house due to layoffs. This morning, my daughter-in-law lost her job. My son's family will face a trying time until she can find a new one.

Enough is enough! Here are some great prayers from my friend, Ruth Shinness:

• You, God, are supplying all my needs according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (But my God shall supply all of your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19 KJV)
• Because you are my shepherd I do not want for any good thing. (The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. - Psalm 21:1 KJV)
• I enjoy all the things you have richly given me. (God giveth us richly all things to enjoy. - 1 Timothy 6:17b KJV)
• Because I love you, you have caused me to inherit wealth; You have filled my treasures. My heart is overflowing with thanksgiving. (That I may cause you to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries. - Psalm 8:21 NKJV)
• Everything I set my hand on is blessed. I am blessed in the land you have given me. (The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. - Deuteronomy 28:8 KJV

I wrote down a line from Carly Fiorina last week at the Leadership Summit. Commenting on being fired from Hewlett-Packard, she said, "There is a gift in everything." I can't wait to see the gifts that God unfolds.

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Leadership Summit Session 3

Floyd Flake is senior pastor of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathredal of New York in Queens, NY. He is also the president of Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio (That's about 15 miles from where I grew up!) Dr. Flake was a US Congressman for 1986 - 1997.

I think Dr. Flake had much good to say, but he struggled with his presentation. He obviously had too much content for his alloted time. I found him difficult to follow. The notes below are from Scot McKnight, posted at the Summit blog.

Floyd Flake’s talk deals with five models of leadership.

#1: Transitional Leadership:

No matter what kind of leader you are, there is always a need for transition and transformation to achieve our goals and make the needed changes. But it is difficult to “sell” new ideas, to get folks to leave their comfort zone. Getting people involved in this change, getting them to see their own essence needs the change, is the secret of leadership. Leaders need to be selfless and know where they are going. This means they need to have a design for change, identifying needs and expecting opposition.

Identifying needs is crucial: whatever needs one finds in the community is for the “ecclesia.” Flake saw home ownership in trouble, education in decline, and the need for solid institutional support systems to sustain a community and pave the way for the future. They saw a future in Acts 2:1-4, 42-47: they built community by staying where the community was!

Opposition may occur. They built a school, and some didn’t think was a good idea. Elaine, an educator, took the responsibility and the congregation raised $1.5 million to build a $4 million school. Leadership doesn’t mean everyone will agree with you. They’ve continued to develop in the community. They’ve developed equity in people and empowered them.

#2: Transactional Leadership:

Committee work, persuasion, listen to the voices. Flake has worked as a pastor, as a politician, and as a college president; each involves transactional leadership. Delegation matters.

#3: Transparent Leadership:

Moral leadership and integrity. Information to the people and back to the leaders, communication. Get your finances in order and let the folks know what’s going on. Have competent co-leaders.

#4: Transcendent Leadership

Pastor Floyd cut back on this due to time constraints. He returned to this idea to emphasize that leaders prepare for leaders beyond the current leader’s lifetime. He’s developed a “transcendency plan” for the next 20 years. He wants to leave something for the next generation.

#5: Transformational Leadership
Is aggressive and confident. Sometimes the people bring a vision to the leadership, asking “What are we going to do next?” You may never have unanimous support, but you do need a majority. Transforming leaders are not intimidated. Pastor Flake expects opposition in NYC; he’s under the microscope. His life was threatened once; had he buckled, then the rest may not have happened. The senior citizen building is testimony of courage. Evangelism is about changing people, not denominations and buildings.

Leadership Summit Session 2

Carly Fiorina was named "The Most Powerful Woman in Business" by Fortune Magazine when she was 45 years old. She became CEO of Hewlett-Packard which ranked her as the first female CEO of a Fortune 20 company.

Her highlight statements:

• Educate yourself widely. Learn about the things that fascinate you.
• It is more important to ask the right question than to know the right answer.
• Every time you overcome something that you are afraid of you become stronger.
• I won't let other people's smaller ideas about who I am define me.
• Leadership is about moving people in a new direction. Management is about producing within defined parameters.
• Give people a vision that is more compelling than what they are afraid of.
• Leadership is about seeing and unlocking potential in others.
• You have to be learning all the time. You learn when you are outside your comfort zone. Create experiences that put people outside their comfort zone.
• In order to see truth, you need passion and dispassion.
• At it's core, leadership is about character.
  
• When fired from HP, she learned that there is a gift in everything.
  

Leadership Summit Session 1

Bill Hybels is founding pastor of Willow Creek Community Church. His talks are always outstanding. He has taught me as much about pastoral leadership as anyone. His talk is titled "A Vision to Die For".

Main points of his talk:

• Create a prayer mantra as you approach big events. His mantra for this year's summit is "Record Registrations, Record Impact."
• Nothing matters more than the vision. It must be held by significant numbers of leaders within the organization.
• You motivate people to own a vision to die for through process.
• Stages of Vision Development:
• Vision Formation - In the Sinai approach, senior leaders get a vision from God and deliver it to others. It worked for Moses, but it is not likely to work today. A team approach works better. Gather leaders and ask "What does God want our church to look like 5 years from now?
• Vision Refinement - Develop a first draft of the vision and take it to many groups for input, refinement, questions, etc.
• Vision Declaration - Give your talk to a test group to try to refine it. Get feedback. Vision declaration is a team activity rather than a solo activity.
• Remember that vision leaks. Use any and all resources to fill vision buckets back up. Celebrate along the way to accomplishment.
  
• Be willing to die for the mission God has given you. The choice is between being an owner or a hireling. The owner will pay any price. The hireling is interested in fame, career, how high the price might be.
  

Leadership Summit

The summit has been awesome, as usual. I will post some things in the next few days. In the interim, enjoy this guitar player I heard at the beginning of one of the sessions. He was wonderful.

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Happy Birthday!

Today is my best friend's birthday. Happy birthday, Linda. I love you.

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Oh What a Day

Today will be one of my favorite days of the year. I will be able to attend two of my favorite events.

In an few hours I will be leaving home for Kensington Church where I will attend the Leadership Summit.This is an annual can't miss event for me hosted by the Willow Creek Association. For the next three days I will listen to people like Marcus Buckingham, President Jimmy Carter, John Ortberg, Colin Powell, and Bill Hybels talk about leadership. This is the 12th year for the event. I attended the first one and since have been able to attend at least six others.

Then tonight I will celebrate the beginning of football season with all the other maniacs at Ford Field. One has to be a little bit football crazy to attend the first preseason game. The starters will play only a handful of plays, then the game will be turned over to a bunch of players you've never heard of. But, the Lions are playing my beloved Bengals. I just can't miss it.

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Stats

Readership of the church web page and this blog are growing! Here are the stats for the last week.

www.dodgeparkchurch.org

	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total	Avg
Pageloads	0	5	2	5	6	13	1	32	5
Unique Visitors	0	2	2	5	2	6	1	18	3
First Time Visitors	0	2	2	3	0	4	1	12	2
Returning Visitors	0	0	0	2	2	2	0	6	1

http://dodgeparkcog.blogspot.com/

	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total	Avg
Pageloads	0	11	6	1	0	1	0	19	3
Unique Visitors	0	1	6	1	0	1	0	9	1
First Time Visitors	0	1	6	1	0	1	0	9	1
Returning Visitors	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Thanks for stopping by!

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Idol Fans

Many in my family are American Idol fans. Below is an example of Idol British style. What a powerful singer!



This guy has talent. Yet, he works at a place called Car Phone Warehouse. Makes me think of the church. Our pews are lined with people filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These little lumps of coal are meant to be released to help others become fully formed in Christ. In the process, the little lump of coal is transformed into a diamond.

Diamonds sparkle. They have great value.

You are a precious child of God filled with His dreams. You have gifts to be used in His church. You have value. You can sparkle for Him. And in the process others are healed, saved, filled with the power and glory of God.

Go ahead. Sparkle.

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A Friend in Heaven

Rev. Oscar Berzins was an incredible person. I met him when I became pastor at Dodge Park Church. He had served the church well as its interim pastor between Pastor Lubek and me. Folks at Dodge Park Church knew him for many years as he pastored several of our sister German congregations in the US and Canada.

Oscar passed away today. He had been ill for several months with an inoperable brain tumor. His last days were uncomfortable. Our prayers are certainly with his wife, family, and church family today. Oscar and Helga live in St. Joe and are a valuable part of the Washington Ave. Church of God.

Oscar always had a smile. His positive attitude radiated to those around him. He loved people. I often looked to him as a person that I would want to be like. He was joyful, loving, humble, and kind. His love for Christ was ever present. Being around him encouraged me.

While we grieve, he is enjoying the reward of a lifetime of service to Christ and His church. I remember today that we grieve with hope, not hopelessness.

This Bible says in Psalm 116:15 (GWT) that

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.

A precious man is now enjoying heaven ... No more tears ... No more pain.

Glory be to God.

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Day Trip to Canada

Rolf and Agnes Siegle told us about a great day trip to Canada. So, we went last Friday with my mother and our daughter. We had a lot of fun at Point Pelee National Park of Canada.

I would encourage you to go. Take along some good walking shoes, bikes, a picnic basket, your swim gear if you want to jump into Lake Erie, and anything else you like to take with you on an outdoors adventure. Oh, yes. You might want some bug spray for the flies.

Be sure to take the shuttle to the point. You then have a short walk to the southern-most point of Canada.

On the way back we stopped in Windsor at one of Angie Kilp's favorite restaurants. Don't miss the May Wah Inn if you like good Chinese. After dinner we walked along the riverfront and enjoyed the view of downtown Detroit. We had a great time and I am sure we will do it again.

The pictures were taken on the boardwalk as we walked through the marsh.