Healthy Church

From time to time I think about the work that we did to help make Woods Chapel UMC a healthy church.

One of the things that we did was to have a ministry audit by Bill Easum's company.  The result of that audit was a number of motions that were passed by the church council and put into motion over the next months and years...

From church council, Saturday, August 26th, 2000 6:00pm and passed unanimously.
4. Motion: That the missions statement is the plumb line of the church by which everything else is measured.

5. Motion: We affirm that the mission is non-negotiable and that everything else is expendable for the mission if need be. I.e. ballfield vs parking

10. Motion: when we find that we are struggling to reach consensus, we are committed to pray and to carefully ask the question “What is God doing, and do I disagree because this goes against the leading of the spirit and the mission of the church or because I prefer something else?” And that we consider the question “where is God’s will, and where is my will?”

11. Motion: that we work toward balanced programming by affirming the cycle of ministry as defined by the “inviting, forming and sending” model.

15. Motion: while being committed to serve those who hurt, we agree to grow in Christ so that we are able to affirm the statement “we are called to serve, not to be served”

16. Motion: that we commit to dream big. That we affirm the belief that God is big enough to fulfill his dreams in us as outlined in Eph 3:20 “God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

18. Motion: that we affirm the statement “membership is a responsibility not a privilege” [33]

23. Motion: We affirm the belief that those who are not here matter as much if not more than those who are already here.

25. Motion: that while we work to nurture people of all ages, we make a stronger commitment to reach folks in their 20’s, who are the future of tomorrow’s church. [35]

You can see that there were many more motions that passed, but I hold these few out as those that seem most important to me. You can hear the outward focused nature of the proposals. You can hear the church reaching for and embracing the ideals of selflessness.

When we make it about me, my comfort and my preference, we get off track, we get off mission. When we put others first, when we put the mission first, things start to get back on track.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

ridiculous

I read the online news.  Maybe I should stop.

One of the current headlines is this: "100 foot waves are headed for the US."  

This is theoretically from Hurricane Erin that is several hundred miles off shore.  In 2016, hurricane Matthew was 30 miles of shore and we did not get any huge waves.

I get so disgusted with the way the news media needs to exaggerate everything.  It is like they need to keep everyone in a state of fear.

How about this... If it is a calm news day, just tell us that there is a calm news day.  No traffic issues... weather as usual.  Sports is all preseason...

Another thing about their sensationalism... they never come back and apologize when they predict a 12" snowfall and it snows 1/4 of an inch.  They never admit they were wrong when the predicted tsunamis do not hit.

Why try to keep people all up in arms all the time?  Life is good.  Just work on seeing the good and helping people live happy productive lives.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

storage

Before I start this post, I give a pass to anyone who has kids who are in that not quite moved out/moved back in stage... mine filled an apartment with stuff and then had to come home = storage unit.

I am forever amazed at the number of new storage facilities that are being built.  We Americans have so much stuff.   It doesn't work in the living room so it goes to the closet.  The closet is over run so some of it has to go to the garage.

Eventually it gets tossed into the trash or donated to the thrift store.

But now we have a storage unit.  That is where you pay to rent space so you can visit your garbage.

I read some years ago that 30% of what you have in your house, in your office, in your any where, could just be donated or thrown away into the trash.

We have so very much.  Instead of storing it away somewhere, why not give it to someone who could put it to use?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

if you want to listen to Sunday's abbreviated sermon, you may click the link below.

click here to listen to Sunday's short sermon

The rumble seat...

My Uncle Carl had a Ford Model A with a rumble seat.  The rumble seat was like where a trunk would be in a car, but instead of a trunk, you popped open the hatch and there was a seat.  A rumble seat.

You can imagine why it was named that.

I remember riding in that car many times when we were young.  

And like many things that take you to the edge, you have a number of options.  Some people got sick.  Some were frightened.  Me and my cousin, we just hung on for dear life and laughed.

On the road of life, sometimes we find ourselves riding in the rumble seat.   We can get freaked out or we can hang on and enjoy the ride.

It's all going to be fine in the end.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

The life saving station...

I first posted this story in 2010... it continues to be relevant today...

I have been thinking about this story. It is a clear reminder of why the local church exists and the sacrifices that it's members are called to perform for the sake of it's mission.

The life saving station

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur there was a once a crude little life-saving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought for themselves, they went out day or night tirelessly searching for the lost.

Many lives were saved by this wonderful little station, so that it became famous. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding areas, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews were trained. The little life-saving station grew.

Some of the new members of the life-saving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and so poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea.

So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in an enlarged building. Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they re-decorated it beautifully and furnished it as a sort of club.

Less of the members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions, so they hired life boat crews to do this work.

The mission of life-saving was still given lip-service but most were too busy or lacked the necessary commitment to take part in the life-saving activities personally. About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boat loads of cold, wet, and half-drowned people.

They were dirty and sick, and some of them had black skin, and some spoke a strange language, and the beautiful new club was considerably messed up. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.

At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club's life-saving activities as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal life pattern of the club.

But some members insisted that life-saving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the life of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. They did.

As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. They evolved into a club and yet another life-saving station was founded.

If you visit the seacoast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, only now most of the people drown.

May we all rise above the traditional ways that church people tend to think.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

outward and inward focus...

Healthy growing churches infuse their members with the idea they are all on a mission from God and a mission for God.

When we forget that we are here to be outward focused, we easily become inward focused.  We make church about us and our personal comfort.

The outcome of such choices is predictable, and it is one of the primary reasons that the mainlines churches have been in decline for decades.

Yes I want you to like your church, but the church is the means, it is not the end.  The church is a tool that we use to reach and care for others.  It is not meant to be a vacation home.

Christianity is lived off property... outside the doors of the church.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

 

from my friend Bruce

 

Not much more to be said.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

responsibility

I am a big fan of getting things done.

Sometimes responsibility belongs to those who are willing to bear it.

Why put off til tomorrow what you can do today.

The following photos were a discussion between Denzel Washington and a young man in one of the Equalizer movies.

Sometimes we have to just step up and do a thing.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

What were you taught?

When we came home from school, my mom used to ask, "what did you learn today?"  Your parents may have said something similar.

Recently I was talking with someone who told me that they were also asked this about church.  And the follow up question then was, "were you taught to believe or to think?"

It is a great question... What are you learning from church?

• What to believe? How to believe it just right?
• Or how to think. How to think honestly and critically about what you are hearing.

It is easier to swallow and regurgitate things that you are supposed to believe.  Those that just buy whatever is being sold are taking the easy road.

But when you really start to think about what you are hearing at church, that is when something can become your own.  It is no longer something that I just adopted from the pastor/teacher.  I think that we feel more genuine and more grounded when we have the freedom to ask questions and process what we are hearing and make choices about what we are believing.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

A great duck story....

This article appeared in the Missouri Methodist Magazine. If you are not from Woods Chapel, I would tell you that it was my pleasure to serve as Pastor of that church from 1994-2016.

Here is the article...

For the past five years, Woods Chapel has been a sanctuary for visitors who reside at the church, protecting their young from danger. They weren’t invited, but they weren’t turned away either. Before this story continues any further, it is important to note that they are ducks.
An inner courtyard at Woods Chapel is walled in. Five years ago, a duck made a nest in the courtyard, where it is safe from foxes sometimes seen around the church. It hatched its brood there. The brood typically consists of 10-12 ducklings.

Staff at the church provided some duck food and a kiddie pool for water. The water is replenished and refilled daily. Bricks were stacked up so the baby ducklings could get to the water. Human contact with the ducks and ducklings is limited, so they don’t become tame.

When the ducklings are around five weeks old, the mother duck leads them to the glass door that exits the courtyard. Someone on staff opens the door, and she leads them down a long hallway to an exit door. They then walk to a nearby pond.

This year, the church was surprised when a second mother duck appeared with 11 more baby ducks. They then had a total of 17 ducklings, three adult females and three mallards in the courtyard. They bought a second pool for them all and a lot more food. The third clutch of 10 eggs hatched the second week of July.

“We are suddenly the hottest AirBnb in town,” said Ann Williams, missions and care director for Woods Chapel UMC.

Those first ducklings made their appearance in March and remained until mid-June. At press time, the church was still awaiting the hatch of the third nest.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

lightning bugs and yesterday's sermon

I get so much information into this old brain, it is hard to remember where it all comes from.  I am not bragging, I am simply declaring that I just can't remember things like I used to...

I have a friend who signs off her emails by saying, "be a lightning bug for God."  Lovely.

Someone else sent me a note that said, if God can make a lightning bug's rear end light up, just think of what He could do with you.  I Love that!!!

If you are interested in listening to yesterday's very serious sermon about revenge and forgiveness, the link is just below...

click here to listen to the sermon

Hugs to you all my friends!

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

bumps along the way

What bumps are in the way of your life?  What difficulties are you experiencing that you wish would go away?

At some point in life, you will look back on those bumps and see them as just a part of the journey.  Even the most difficult things, I can look back on now and see them as a part of the story.

The point is this... don't over glorify today's bumps in the road.  In a short time, they will be water under the bridge and become a part of the timeline of your life.

You are ok and you will be ok.   Don't let today's annoyances [large or small] get you down.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.

Miracle

There are many miracles in this daily journey of life.

On Wednesday I woke up at 2:30 am.  We drove to the airport and flew to California as I had work to do for my sister.  I slept a bit on the plane, but I was exhausted...  It felt like I was having a near death experience.

I went to bed on Wednesday night at 6:30 which was 9:30 Florida time.  Then the miracle happened.  The miracle of sleep.  The miracle of rejuvenation.  The miracle of waking up refreshed.  Thursday morning I woke at 4:30am, ready to tackle the day.

After how I felt the night before, that was truly a miracle.

We have much to be thankful for.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

making it work

Recently heard: "we can make it work, we can always make it work."

This is a very constructive attitude to bring to the table.  It reminds me of this:  "blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape."

What ever you or your organization may be facing, you are probably able to adjust and change much more than you think.  

Once you get past your reservations, step into the new and it will be fine.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Change

The one thing that is constant is change.  The only thing that cannot be changed is change.

We humans are fine with change as long as it doesn't affect me.  But in this life, we must grow accustomed to the fact that nothing stays the same.

They tore down my grade school.  South City View...

They closed the church that I was baptized in:  Zion Lutheran Church...

I am still here.  We survived.  Everything is still ok.

It's a beautiful, change filled day in God's world, be sure to see the good in spite of the change.

Birthday Cards and scam

Let's start w the scam... some people have received a facebook friend invite from me.  It is not me.

the account is @jeff.brinkman.586674  This is not me.  Do not accept.  Do not click.  Delete it.

Now on to today's post...

Sometimes people tell me that I am too serious.  So here is a light post that features two cards that I received for my birthday last month.

Made me smile.  Hope it made you smile too!!!

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

living scared

Living your life scared of going to hell will cause you to miss a life of love.

Decide which God you believe in:  the God who judges or the God who loves.  That choice will say everything about how you feel about day to day living.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

If you want to listen to last Sunday's sermon, here is the link...

click here for the sermon

story

I heard a story the other day about a man who was burned out.  He was exhausted.  He had lost the joy of living.  He decided to take a retreat to spend time with Tibetan Monks.

When he got to Tibet, he complained about the altitude, the amount of hiking and the food.

He had left his surroundings of home, but brought himself along on the journey.

Moral of that story is this:  if we are going to find renewal in this life, we need to do more than change our surroundings.  We need to change our attitudes.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

when someone passes

When someone passes that we care about, it hurts.  The greater the hurt, the greater was the love.

Many random emotions come to us when someone dies...

Shock.  Grief.  Anger. Disbelief. Repeat...

Then I hope that we can come to an appreciation.  I hope that we can think of the person and savor the blessing of knowing them.

As I work thru my recent loss, I am able to celebrate the wonderful life of my friend.  We have so much to be thankful for.

Enjoy your friends.  Love your peeps.  Nothing lasts forever.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Kathy Rice

Last Sunday... It was a nice day. I got up and had a cuppa coffee. Feeling good. Got dressed for church. Had a nice drive to Juno Beach.  I led the Service and preached the sermon thought everything went fine.  It’s a good day.  I’m in a meeting after church with a joint discernment team.  Meetings going great really good people.

My phone starts to buzz. It’s on silent, but it’s buzzing. I picked it up and looked at it.

Kathy Rice died.
What?  WHAT???

I exclaimed out loud and interrupted the meeting. I didn’t mean to. I apologized.

It’s a complete shock. One year older than me- young- nice- friendly, kind, and an important piece of the Fort Pierce First United Methodist Church.

Kathy Rice died.  What a loss.  She greeted me and others every Sunday.  She was quick with a smile and a hug.  She was a unique, warm amazing peron.

The quote at the top of this blog came from her.

She was a fantastic human and she will be dearly missed.

Also from her facebook page...

I join the many who will miss her...

30 years ago

Thirty years ago I wore this tie on Sunday morning...

This was the Sunday when we had outdoor worship.
Bill Hampton presented Woods Chapel with the first
grant check to build a new building. 
I would say this is August 1996.

I still have the tie... since I have started preaching in Juno Beach at Ocean View, some of my ties are coming out of mothballs.

hanging in the closet...

Doesn't hardly even look like the same person... 30 years... where did the time go?  Heck, where did the hair go???

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.