Tommy Mitchell / The Rurban Church Blog

Some Things are Just Hard! Part 2

I remember back in 1985 when I was pastor at Liberty Hill Baptist Church near Batesville! It was a great church  - and the people were wonderful to us and the church bustled with people wanting to serve.  We had a lot of great times at that church - never really could imagine leaving it during that time.

In 1985, I had been there a couple of years when I attended a spring preview for prospective students at Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY.  When I came back, I told Andrea that she just had to go back up with me.  We loved the seminary. And we knew we had to go.

We moved up there, with the help of a great friend, in a horse trailer and pickup.  We got our stuff put in an apartment owned by the seminary.  Here is what we had.  No savings! Around $300 - $400 dollars in the bank - and no job or even knowledge of a job. Now we had to come up with rent and utilities.

We moved over 650 miles away with a baby boy who had just turned 3, and we had nothing to amount to anything materially. 

But we did have one thing - an absolute clear, unmistakable call to go - to go immediately - to go and trust God to take care of us.  We did - and He did!

I had only been there a few days when I landed a job as a security guard.  Andrea began keeping seminary kids in the apartment.  Occasionally we would get a little money from home  - and then we had our first test.  The engine on my car threw a rod! The motor blew up.  We took it to a repair shop - put it in - and prayed.  Mr. Earl Cockrell, who owned Cockrell produce in Tupelo, MS, heard of my plight and sent me a check sufficient to cover the $1,108 bill!  God blessed.  We did not have a lot most of the time - but we always had what we needed just in time.

After a few months, I was called to a small church that had a double-wide trailer parsonage. It looked like heaven to us - God had provided.

When I think of the dream I have always had of starting a new work - a work that is outwardly focused from day one - a work that is grounded on the word - a work that demands high expectations of its people - a work that exists to glorify God and reach every person for Christ within it's influence -  when I think of it - I wonder - why have I not done it? 

God has certainly provided for me before! God has certainly taken us from nothing to security before. The longer we live - the more comfortable and dependent we become on those around us. The longer we live, the fewer risks we tend to take.  The longer we live - the more we discover that we trust in good people, good institutions, and good jobs - probably much more than we trust in God.  What stands between  me and my dream?  What stands between you and your dream? 

Lots to think about.

Some Things are Just Hard!

You know, some things are just hard to do!  It is hard to bring yourself, at times, to pursue your dream when everything is screaming that's impossible! It is also hard when the dream seems so ill-timed, the resources seem uncertain, and failure would be pretty disastrous! 

I have been praying for wisdom and courage to follow the Lord's hand in faith - but I have to admit - I am no hard-charging warrior on this one. Lots of questions - few answers.  Kind of Old and New Testament, huh?!?

Getting in the Way!

I have been reading Organic Church, by Neil Cole. The book is a great read - but what I have really enjoyed are portions of the book that remind us that everything God needs to build the kingdom is part of the DNA with which we are born as children of God.  If there was no church in your city, and no believers but you, and you were a new believer, everything needed for the kingdom to expand would be located in your own spiritual DNA!

The question worthy of being asked - "What gets in the way?"  What stops people from using the power that dwells within them?

We have a strain of FAULTY discipleship in our churches that says that people must be trained before they can share their faith. They have to be trained before they are really a "disciple!"  But Christ took His disciples and trained them by doing.  It is not that they had NO training - but they trained ON THE JOB!

Can I learn how to better answer the question of an atheist if I sit down with someone who has much experience in leading atheists to the Lord? Yes!  Do I have to have that conversation before I even try? No!

Before last year, I had never built a house!  I did not go to school to learn how to build a house! I learned by building one.  I had someone who had built a house tell me - DO THIS! So, I went out and DID THAT!  I started digging ditches (footers) for the house foundation. That helped to strengthen me for the work that would follow.  When I had a question, I asked - and I learned.

Christ has redeemed us and set us loose on the world. We should go and be salt and light - and when we have a question - ask Him!  He may direct us to others for further instruction - but I am firmly convinced that we too often "get in the way" of what God has placed within us while we substitute our EXPERT training in place of the Holy Spirit!  

Training is fine - so long as it does not become our excuse for not DOING the word of God!

Working Through the Challenges

We have been a very blessed church over the last 5 years.  I just received our "Five Year Giving Summary" from our state convention, and the numbers were gratifying. They also indicate the challenges we face.

Our Undesignated Giving and Special Offerings total for 2004 was  $522,280.
Our Undesignated Giving and Special Offerings total for 2008 was $1,101,956.  (that included a First Fruits
offering of $250,000.

Our average Sunday School attendance in 2004 was 255.
Our average Sunday School attendance in 2008 was 339.

Part of the difference in attendance and giving was that beginning in the fall of 2007 through December of 2008 we had Dual Sunday Schools and Dual Worship Services.

Our Dual Sunday Schools were fabulous. We created many new classes, placed classes in better space, and actually had a few empty classrooms available for expansion.

We had one dismal failure!  Our Dual Worship side of the equation was not good. Our people did not ever grow accustomed to being separated in worship.  There is a lot, I suppose, that one could say about all that. But, after every kind of effort was made to make the two services identical, our worship attendance actually declined while we enjoyed a wonderful Sunday School attendance. We had been having around 450 in worship before duals - that declined into the upper 300's after Duals.

Now we have gone back to one Sunday School. We were able to preserve the newest and strongest classes created out of Duals. But, we are back to using every space, including undesirable space, and our Sunday School has shrunk. Right now we are just holding on to an average attendance of 300. 

It is frustrating to see that decline - but it was not unanticipated.  Worship services, on the other hand, are much stronger again and people are without a doubt, much happier. Our worship attendance was almost 600 on Easter, and has maintained around 425 or more mark since then.  So therein lies the challenge.  At least for me.  It is hard to see how we can just write off folks from Sunday School.  Yet, the 80% rule is really a rule - no matter how many people you want to crowd into a room.

So, we have approved a new preschool / children's building and when completed in about a year, it will provide substantial increases in space.  Until then, all we can do is look for creative ways to keep our Sunday School from falling behind. 

Right now, I am praying about how some small groups can be implemented beyond Sunday morning and fit in alongside our Sunday School.  We will see!

Will Blogging Be Blown Away by Facebook?

Just wondering!?! I used to consistently average 180 visitors a day to my blog.  Today, I average about 40. I have more subscribers - less visitors.  Just wondering if the downtick corresponds to uptick in facebook - or the lack of an ABC updated website.  Just wondering!  I am going to experiment to find out.

If There Was Just One Thing.....

You know, it is easy to get caught up in an earthbound mentality - even with good things - in the church world!  It would be interesting to see what the response would be if people (ministers especially) were asked..

If there was just one thing that you could get done at your church, what would it be? 

There are a huge variety of answers one might anticipate.
....get a good media center.
....improve the lighting.
....transition to "you name it" style of worship.
....add "you name it" staff member.
....get rid of "you name it" people, person, object or idea.

I've been doing this for better than 30 years - and I suppose it is hard to narrow it down to one - but I know of one thing I would do if I could get it done - and it would do the rest!

If I could get one thing done at my church - I would get people to TRULY love Jesus more than anything or anyone else in the world!   Then I know they would care more about winning others to Christ!  That would be my secondary desire for the church - that they be a soul-winning church.  The only thing that gets that done - or really anything else of genuine importance - is to TRULY love, in word and deed, Jesus Christ! (supremely)

Walking by Faith - Cliche or Reality Part 4 (last one)

4. Sight walking limits the impact of my walk - Faith walking unleashes the impact of my walk!

Sight walking is to walk alone!  Sight walking essentially says, "I believe in myself - all I need to see, all I need to do, all I need to become - is for me to determine and for me alone."  The only help I can receive in a determined "sight walk" is from other faithless people with whom I am walking.  The result - the blind leading the blind.

It would be quite a mistake to say that sight walkers can have no impact. Banded together, those who walk by sight in the church can reach an attendance goal and support the offerings.  But they miss the Divine - who can do so much more.  Sight walkers can also have a cumulative impact in the negative!  And this is more often the result of sight walking - negative and doubtful positions on nearly everything. 

One can walk by sight - but the impact of their life will limited to their faithless understanding of life.

Faith walking is to walk with God! All I need to see, all I need to know, all I need to do, all I need to become is enabled, empowered, and emboldened by faith in the living Spirit of God.   It takes absolutely nothing to walk by sight - just start walking. Walking by faith takes courage and devotion. 

The Bible is full of these contrasts between those who "could see it" and those who could not! Think about Cain vs. Able!  Think about Noah vs. all the people on earth!  Think about Abraham vs. his family!   There have been people who accepted what God has said and through faith, acted upon His word.  The impact of their walk is magnificent.  They are in God's "hall of faith!"

While sight walkers can band together and accomplish some pretty impressive things, faith walkers can gather in Christ and see things happen that are truly miraculous.  We call those miracles "God sized" actions! 

When we walk by faith, the impact of our life is not limited to us - it is unleashed  - and is in fact, the impact of Christ upon the world. 

Would I rather impact the world - or be used by Christ to impact the world?

Walking by Faith - Cliche or Reality Part 3

3. Sight Walking Limits the Depth of My Walk - Faith Walking Extends the Depth of My Walk!

When I walk by sight and not by faith, my intellect will draw many wrong conclusions.  For example, if I go outside and observe the sun, I note that it rises in the east, moves overhead, and sets in the west!  If I go by sight alone, I have to conclude that the sun is moving across the sky!  Yet, in reality, the sun is fixed and the earth is moving. Walking by sight leads to wrong conclusions.

If I walk only by sight, I am likely to miss entirely the microscopic world.   If I walk only by sight, I am likely to miss a spiritual world - a world of angels, demons, God, and Satan.  Walking by sight leaves me vulnerable before them all.

When I walk by faith and not by sight, my intellect becomes much more robust.  Some folks seem to believe that when they are admonished to walk by faith, they must check their brain at the door!  Not true. To walk by faith means that my intellect is informed by Christ, and not restricted by the world.  The world says things like, "It can't be!" God says that nothing is impossible. Through faith, I see the unseen. I become aware of Satan and his demons. I begin to see that I have, in Christ, weapons of warfare, not made by human hands, that are powerful for the pulling down of strongholds.  With and through faith, I am "armored up" to resist temptation and sin. When I walk by faith, I will please God. The depth and knowledge of my walk grow exponentially. 

Walking by Faith - Cliche or Reality Part Two

Post grandchild being born - I am back to the series - Part Two.

2. Sight Walking Limits the Length of My Walk - Faith Walking Give Me a Long Reach in My Walk!

When I walk by sight, I have a limited distance that I can see.  Depending on where I am, and the terrain around me, I may see more or I may see much less.  Regardless, my sight is self-limiting.  This is all the more true in the spiritual realm.  If I walk purely by sight, and not by faith, I will only be able to see what I can figure out, put on paper, and fully understand.  Depending on the person and their abilities, the sight walk may carry some folks further than others - but it will always be self-limiting.

When I walk by faith, I will gain a stride in my walk that is longer than I can naturally take.  I will not be limited by sight.  Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure what we hope for and certain of what we DO NOT SEE!   God sees everything!  I only have to see Him. I see to the next rise, fall, or turn in the path.  He sees it all.  I see Him and I see through His eyes. 

This kind of vision helps me with the "I can't see its...!" I don't have to be able to see everything, every detail, have everything completely figured out. I just have to see and trust Him.  Without a long reach and faith vision, we would never send a missionary, nor would we ever be a missionary.  We would seldom tell anyone about Christ. We would never trust God for a miracle. We would never move beyond ourselves.  The individual who never walks by faith seldom, if ever, experiences God. 

The church that walks by sight never lengthens their walk.  But the person who does and the church that does extends themselves literally around the world on the arm of Jesus - because He has the whole world in His hands!!

Two More RILEY pics

Here are two more pics I got from Drew!