On Being a Good Church Member Part 7: Practicing the Presence

A secret of successful church life is the commitment of her members to practicing the presence of God consistently and persistently.

Practicing the presence is a discipline. It means pursuing an intimacy with God that allows you to see Him in the most difficult places, hear Him amongst the distracting voices that clamor for your attention, and engages the will to obedience even when obedience seems an impossible choice.

During the music worship part of the service, it is easier to sense God's presence. Music engages us on so many levels. The eye gate takes in the words we are singing. The ears soak in the melodies that resonate with our souls. In some liturgical churches the aroma of incense reminds us of tabernacle and temple experiences recorded in Scripture and practiced throughout the centuries by the faithful. But what happens when the music stops and other parts of the service follow? The interactive part of our worship gives way to a more passive involvement. Or does it?

The practice of the presence continues throughout the church service. It is at this time that we must pray and discipline our minds to stay connected with God. Let me run you through some of the components of a typical service and how we can practice the presence.

The announcements: During the showing of videos or as the pastor or other church leader guides us through the announcements, we can be prayerfully asking God to reveal to us which of the activities and programs planned He would want us to participate in. We can pray that God would bless the leaders and participants of those programs. We can ask God to meet the needs of the target audiences and that believer and unbeliever alike would encounter God.

The offering: The importance of bringing an offering cannot be overemphasized. Giving imitates God. He showed His love for us by giving His Son. We can show our love for Him by supporting our church as we pool our resources together to expand the influence of the kingdom. Missionaries that are supported by our giving can be prayed for. Programs that are funded can be lifted to the Lord. Our paid staff, can be prayed for and thanksgiving be given to God for his generous provision of dedicated, often overworked and underpaid workers in the ministry.

The passing of the peace: Make eye contact with people as you extend the peace of God to them. Ask God to help you love them and that they would experience a sense of appreciation and love of God through you. Take a moment to extend a bit farther than your comfort zone and reach out to a few people you don't normally greet to pass the peace.

The sermon: Ask God to keep you attentive throughout the entire message. Take notes if that will help. Pray for the preacher, that God would help him/her come across with conviction. Pray for the listeners that they would hear God's voice clearly. Ask yourself the questions, "What is it that my pastor is saying that is specifically for me? What would God have me to do with this new information?"

The Table: Pay particular attention to the corporate prayer of forgiveness. Pray for our corporate and our individual responsibility for sin. Confess and repent of known sin while asking God to reveal to you attitudes and behaviors that are sinful that you may have become unaware of or calloused toward. Approach the table with thanksgiving for the sacrifice of Christ and receive his blessing with joy.

The Dismissal: Remember that this is the church's opportunity to go out into the world to represent God's grace. Commit yourself anew to going forth with faith and commitment to be used as God desires.

If more of us do this consistently, our church will have impact in our community and beyond. Practicing the presence doesn't come without its potential battles. The enemy of our souls would rather that we put our brains and will in neutral and just punch our spiritual time clock. Ritual is a great danger to cultivating the real presence of God. Intentional commitment given to this spiritual discipline will make our time in church most beneficial.

On Being a Good Church Member Part 6: Offering Hospitality

One of the biggest differences between being a pastor and a church attender was made evident to me at the first church we visited after moving to Jacksonville. We filed past numbers of people who hardly noticed as we entered into their house of worship. The designated greeters did a fine job, but the rest of the church family's reception was tepid, or awkward at best. The people were nice enough, but they didn't seem to know how to offer hospitality. This is not meant as criticism because it caused me to reflect on what church life was like when I was a pastoral leader.

When you are a pastor, everyone seems to feel free to come and greet you. As a pastor you feel you have access to anyone and everyone who comes to the church. It is not quite the same as a member. Since there isn't that pastoral connection, it does not feel as natural to greet and enter into a conversation with people you hardly know. I understand better now why people seem to break off into the same small groups of acquaintances they have at the church and don't venture too far out of their comfort zone to greet and welcome "strangers."

I always wondered why people did that when I as a pastor wanted them to be so much more outgoing and friendly to visitors. Now I think I understand the dynamics better. One church I pastored described themselves as a "friendly" church. My observation was that we were friendly to the people we knew. It wasn't that they were unfriendly to visitors, but most felt awkward outside of their circle of friends.

Now I find myself gravitating toward the same kind of behavior. We have been attending our new church now for about 7 months. We recognize enough faces now so that we find it easy to seek them out to greet before and after the service. It isn't quite the same during the "passing of the peace" because we often sit by people we don't know as well. But we want to change that.

We have fabulous greeters in our church. We have our hand shaken a dozen times before we find our seat. While we know that is a great first impression of our church, we also know that it will take more than that to make a visitor feel truly comfortable. Because we know this, my wife and I have made it a point to find at least 3 new people every Sunday that we don't know and greet them and try to enter into a bit of a conversation with them beyond just polite pleasantries. We don't often remember their names from week to week, but in time we hope to know as many of our new church family as possible.

Many people come to church with expectations of finding friendship and connection even beyond the obvious connection and friendship they are seeking from God. God certainly does his part by extending to us the deepest of relationship we can have, that of Bride and Groom. By his grace he adopts us into his family and calls us friends. Now he wants us to enter into familial relationships with one another.

The Great Commission and the Great Commandment go hand in hand. These two principles can be encapsulated in a simple phrase. God wants us to love Him and love people. Extending a greeting that can open the door to friendship is a very important part of fulfilling the Gospel. My wife and I want to be a part of the friendliest church in our part of the Vineyard. We desire to make our circle of friends as inclusive as possible. We want to become good at extending friendship within our church family, especially to those who are new.

On Being a Good Church Member Part 5: The Altar Call

When I was in pastoral ministry I loved to spend time at the altars praying with people. Sometimes it was for healing. Other times it was for support during a trial. The best part was during the times I made an appeal for people to join me at the altar if they wanted to make a first time commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. There is nothing like praying for someone to be given the assurance that they can claim their place in the family of God by repenting of their sins and accepting the forgiveness offered by God through Christ.

It is during this most important part of the service when I would ask the members of the congregation to pray along with me as the Holy Spirit would do his work convicting and persuading those in the congregation to make their decision. But one thing always puzzled me. Why did so many seem to think that this time of the service was the time to make their preparations to leave?

I would see people gathering their belongings or slip away to get their children from kids church. Some would even head out the door to get a head start to the restaurant they would dine in after the service. I made it a point to always remind people of the importance of this time and the need for their support in prayer. I would plead with them not to become a distraction to someone who may be at the point of making the most important decision of their lives. Many would comply, but some would ignore the appeal. It left me wondering why?

We are privileged to be served by pastors who have a passion for the lost. At every single service they give people who don't know Jesus an opportunity to respond to His saving grace. I find myself thinking of all those times I pleaded for lost souls to respond to God's Holy Spirit. It is during this time that I bow my head and pray fervently for those in our congregation who have not made the decision yet. This may be the only chance they will get to make their decision because we are not promised one more breath. Something, anything can happen that will take away that chance from them and I don't want this opportunity wasted.

I hope to influence my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to be witnesses where they live, work and play. I also want them to support each other by praying for the lost in their families, their workplaces and yes, even in their churches. But I also want them to join with others to pray during the altar call. Souls hang in the balance and this part of the service can be instrumental in tipping that balance in the Lord's favor.

On Being a Good Church Member Part 4: Financial Support

During the years I was a pastor I estimate I was responsible for approximately 20 million dollars. That's a lot of money. Every year I preached a series on biblical stewardship and most Sundays I gave a mini-sermon at offering time encouraging people to support the work of the ministry. For some people there is a sense of tension surrounding the collecting of money by the church. I was pragmatic enough and biblically literate enough to know that not only was raising money a necessity, but it was mandated by the mission of the gospel. I had no problem asking our membership for it and was very careful in the administrating of the church's finances.

It takes various levels of commitment to do everything the church has been called to do. People are asked to commit time out of their busy schedules to staff various programs and ministries of the church. From serving on a board, teaching Sunday School or accompanying youth on a short-term missions trip, giving time is essential for a church's success. Without the commitment of time, much of the work of the church would not be done.

Church members are also asked to contribute their talents for the glory of God. Over the decades of ministry the churches I have been privileged to pastor have been blessed by people who sing well, or play a musical instrument ministering to my soul. I have witnessed carpenters build furniture for the children's ministry or sets to facilitate those who are gifted in drama. Electricians, roofers and painters have used their talents in our building projects. Bookkeepers have given of their time to help the church keep their financial dealings and records in order. I can create a very long list of members who have been used by God to do the work of the ministry. Without their commitment of talent, much of the work of the church would not be done.

Church members work hard all week at their jobs and professions. They earn their paychecks and are required by God to be good stewards of their wages to provide for their families and to fund the work of the kingdom. Missionaries count on churches supporting them financially on the field, pastors and other staff members are able to concentrate on their ministries full time because of the generosity of the membership, buildings are built that make ministry to the masses easier because of church members obedience to set aside their offerings to ensure quality facilities. Without their commitment of their tithes and offerings, much of the work of the church would not and could not be done.

If it is true that average American evangelicals gives less that 3% of their income to their churches, then there is plenty of room for improvement that would result in the launching of a massive thrust of gospel ministry if giving was increased. While it is true that Americans have been generous in their giving in terms of the size of the total numbers, there are two levels of giving that can be improved upon. One is a level of giving that reflects gospel priorities and the other is giving that is sacrificial. Each of these two challenges would result in tremendous benefits to the lost of the world if the church rises to accept this two-fold challenge.

Giving that reflects gospel priorities can be deduced by looking at our bank statement. Jesus said that, "wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be also." A quick review of our checkbooks often tell us that pursuing a material lifestyle is at the root of our hearts. Adjustments can be made that improve the ministry bottom line without jeopardizing much by addressing genuine needs rather than desires.

Sacrificial giving can be addressed by taking some of our cultural "necessities" and converting the dollars that go into that category into a new category for ministry. As an example, most of us can spend less on clothing, dining out, and fringe benefits such as premium cable, cell phones with unnecessary bells and whistles, expensive toys like 3 or more televisions sets in our homes, and other high tech devices that are rarely used. I know, that may sound like I'm meddling into "private" matters, but the point remains that many of us can "sacrifice" some of these luxuries in order to prioritize the disseminating of the gospel.

Most churches today know that they are being scrutinized in the matter of how they allocate their finances. Most churches are excellent stewards of their offerings. If you attend a church that has great vision for spreading the gospel, maintains a quality place for the people of God to worship and grow, call and appoint pastors and staff that are fully committed to serving Jesus, then your investment in that church will get you greater returns than anything you can invest in outside of the ministry. The return may be intangible in some ways, but knowing that souls are being added to the kingdom, the poor are being fed and clothed, the gospel of healing is being preached, and deliverance is coming to those who are bound by sin and devils, well what kind of price can be put on that?

Good church members give to support the work of the ministry. The churches I pastored benefited from many good church members. Now that I am on the other side of the pulpit I get a chance to support God's work from a totally different perspective. After being at our present church for only 7 months, I know what my church is doing locally and in the world. I like where my offering is going.

On Being a Good Church Member Part 3: Listening

Every week our pastor gets about 30 minutes to communicate with us. These are extremely important minutes because once we leave the church, there is a good probability that the majority of us won't get a chance to listen to him again for at least another week. Whereas in times past I was the one speaking, these days I find myself in the audience.

The Bible says that "faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God." Listening to the prophetic voice of our shepherd is nothing to take lightly. Our pastor has to do a number of things in this short amount of time.
First he has to "rightly divide the word of truth." That means that the hours he has spent in prayer and meditation, reading and studying Scripture, determining context and bridging the gap of 20 or more centuries between today and when it was written, must now be stated clearly and concisely for the average church attending, non-biblical scholar. It is a humongous task that takes relying on the Holy Spirit in order to accomplish. I have to give the same kind of diligence to listening that he has given to studying if communicating God's message is to happen.

Second, our pastor has to take advantage of this short amount of time to communicate the vision God has given to him for leading our church. It is imperative that we members be on the same page in order to fulfill God's destiny for our church. God reveals his will to the leader, and the leader must now communicate to the members. It is imperative that we both be tuned to the same frequency in order to hear what God wants.

Third, pastor has to compete with the hundreds of voices that are speaking into the heads, hearts and souls of our membership. Chores that need to be done, work projects that clamor for our attention, the tiff we may have had with the children or spouse as we piled into the car on our way to church, bills that need to be paid, dental appointments that need to be made, etc. You get the picture. It is easy to be preoccupied with life to the point of missing the most important voice that can bring direction and purpose to our lives.

As a listener I've only got 30 minutes or so to capture what God is speaking through the man he has appointed as my shepherd. It is imperative that I give the best attention that I can to that short period of time.

Being a good church member means I have to prepare to hear. I must attend church in a fit state of mind, purposely tuning out the competing voices. I must be rested and focused. I know a little bit better now of how hard that can be. But I also know what can be done to make that time fruitful. I want to be a good church member, I will cultivate listening skills in order to make all of my pastor's time in the study worth his commitment.

On Being a Good Church Member Part 2 Worship

Nothing will take the gas out of a worship service faster than an uninvolved congregation. Worship can be introspective to a point, but public worship needs to be unabashedly expressive.

Whenever the people of God gathered together for worship there was action. There were a variety of instruments: drums, cymbals, lyres, flutes, even an interesting instrument called a "sackbut."

The people stood, they bowed, they fell on their faces, they lifted their hands, laughed, shouted, sang, responded antiphonally. They had marches and processions. They danced. It was a raucously joyous time. The celebrations sometimes lasted for hours.

But it wasn't about being emotional. It was about being emotionally connected and involved. Emotional connection happens in all kinds of places. My daughters wedding, just a short year ago, was filled with joyous laughter, dancing, and different people got involved at different times to express thanksgiving, extend a blessing, or offer effusive congratulations. It was wonderful!

I love going to the ballpark. When the bases are loaded and your best hitter is up, the clapping and cheering don't need to be pumped up artificially. It's what being at the ballpark is all about. And when the hitter comes through, the place goes wild. It is spontaneous but also unavoidable.

As a pastor, I was responsible for gathering people every week to celebrate the goodness of God in Christ. Throughout the week I would think about what that Sunday or Midweek service was going to look like. I envisioned my congregation thinking about the devil's defeat, the Resurrection, the parading of the defeated enemy, and the celebration of God's power over the powers of darkness. I would prepare a message to get them to focus on the faithfulness of God and His promises. It was my goal to get them to think about what it would be like to be given a second chance called the New Life. Marriages could be salvaged, fractured families restored, broken bodies healed, depression lifted and God in Christ encountered. I would be pumped. My goal was to lead my team into victorios worship, be doused with Gatorade and carried off the preaching platform by the excited congregation. :)

It has always been easy for me to celebrate God's goodness. Some would be tempted think it was "theatrical" because I needed to "model" worship to the congregation. After all, how could somebody so consistently turn it on between 10:00 and noon every Sunday? But I can assure you that none of it was contrived. It was a matter of being prepared for the opportunity to celebrate. In fact the times when you would think it was the most difficult, because of the typical issues of life, became the easiest time to express my worship most fully. It was during those times that my worship was offered in simple and pure faith. After all, it's easy to worship God when things are going well. To be able to do it during difficult times is hard, but most refreshing.

Now I don't have to "inspire" the congregation. I'm on the other side of the pulpit. I can worship the Lord the way I wanted my congregation to the worship the Lord when I was the leader. Nothing has changed though. God is the audience of our worship and he always has been. I have a feeling that if one won't express herself in passionate praise to God, one will not do it for your pastor.

I wanted our people to express their worship to God. I'm sure my present pastor wants me to fully express worship to God. By pleasing God, we can make our pastors happy as well.