I love learning the history of Campus Crusade. So much has happened in the last 60 years! Awhile back, the Legacy Project was started as an initiative to benefit young leaders, by connecting us to our organizational heritage. There are dozens and dozens of videos. Check out this one from a Jacquie, a staff woman from Madison, WI, about her husband's military ministry:
Click here for more info on the legacy project.
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Francis Chan's plans
A couple weeks ago I had the chance to hear from Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love and Forgotten God, in person. He was in the Cities speaking at a Desiring God conference, and dropped by a church in south Minneapolis, where about 200 people from various ministries and churches had gathered. I've been a fan of his since reading Crazy Love with my Bible study the Fall of 2009, and have since listened to many of his podcasts. It was really fun to see Chan in person while hearing his voice.
The thing that I was most surprised about was his humility and authenticity. He had notes ready for his talk, but he didn't use them. He spoke off the cuff about many different things, and while it was a little randomly put together, it was refreshing that it wasn't polished. He truly just shared his heart. It was like you were just sitting down with him in a coffee shop.
Even though he said he's been busy speaking at some conferences and helping some pastors with their urban ministries, Chan also stated several times he isn't totally sure what he and his family are doing. This was a bit shocking to me. Shouldn't he have a plan? He needs to know what's next!! He sold his house, left Simi Valley with his wife and kids to travel internationally for awhile. They are back in California for right now in a big urban area (I can't remember what city, I think he said LA). Even though it doesn't seem like he has a plan, he does: glorify God today. He's trusting God to reveal what's next in due time. In the mean time, he's actively helping others follow Jesus: serving the poor in his neighborhood, challenging and motivating believers at conferences, and coming alongside urban pastors and churches to encourage and equip them. Sounds good to me.
But what about his church he left? I mean, he just up and left!
I'd say Chan has followers of tens of thousands, at least. His book Crazy Love sold more than a million copies just 15 months after being released in May of 2008. At one time in his pastoral career, Chan told his church staff of 60 people, you could all quit tomorrow and we'd be fine. We'd miss you, and we'd need to figure out what to do next, but we'd be fine. His heart is that people would use what they've learned in the world. He didn't want people to continue to leave other churches to join his church.
Jesus was a realist. He did what He could to help the multitudes, but He had to devote Himself primarily to a few men, rather than to the masses, in order that the masses could be saved. He needed men who could lead the multitudes after he was gone.
Sounds like what Chan is doing right now. I think he realized that people were starting to become followers of Chan and not followers of Jesus.
The thing that I was most surprised about was his humility and authenticity. He had notes ready for his talk, but he didn't use them. He spoke off the cuff about many different things, and while it was a little randomly put together, it was refreshing that it wasn't polished. He truly just shared his heart. It was like you were just sitting down with him in a coffee shop.
Even though he said he's been busy speaking at some conferences and helping some pastors with their urban ministries, Chan also stated several times he isn't totally sure what he and his family are doing. This was a bit shocking to me. Shouldn't he have a plan? He needs to know what's next!! He sold his house, left Simi Valley with his wife and kids to travel internationally for awhile. They are back in California for right now in a big urban area (I can't remember what city, I think he said LA). Even though it doesn't seem like he has a plan, he does: glorify God today. He's trusting God to reveal what's next in due time. In the mean time, he's actively helping others follow Jesus: serving the poor in his neighborhood, challenging and motivating believers at conferences, and coming alongside urban pastors and churches to encourage and equip them. Sounds good to me.
But what about his church he left? I mean, he just up and left!
In the book Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert Coleman explains the strategy of Jesus' earthy ministry. He writes, "why did Jesus deliberately concentrate His life upon comparatively so few people? (the disciples, specifically the inner 3)...he easily could have had an immediate following of thousands if He wanted them."
Jesus was a realist. He did what He could to help the multitudes, but He had to devote Himself primarily to a few men, rather than to the masses, in order that the masses could be saved. He needed men who could lead the multitudes after he was gone.
Sounds like what Chan is doing right now. I think he realized that people were starting to become followers of Chan and not followers of Jesus.
It reminds me of Saul. He wanted to be king, but he couldn't follow God in the midst of his role. It seems like Chan has his head on straight; he wants to follow God, and God called him to give up his role as pastor of his church, so why wouldn't he? If he stayed against God's plans, it's likely that His walk with God would really suffer.
I don't remember where I first heard it, but it's true: the best thing to do with the best things in life is to give them away. It seems like that's Chan's plan right now. Not a bad idea.
I don't remember where I first heard it, but it's true: the best thing to do with the best things in life is to give them away. It seems like that's Chan's plan right now. Not a bad idea.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
From Talk To Action
One of the overarching themes of the last year or two of my life has been discovering the true meaning of the Gospel. I'm sure that I will continue to learn about it for the rest of my life, as I'll never fully understand how it works and why God designed life this way.
Lately I've come to a much deeper understanding of the Gospel; it's more than a one-time prayer that I know I should pray. The Gospel affects our lives in eternity, but is also life-changing while we are on this earth.
Under this overarching theme lies another issue that has consumed much of my thinking: good deeds.
Just by reading the accounts of Jesus interacting with people in the Gospels, one can see that He wasn't only about truth, and He wasn't only about good deeds. He had a unique balance. The Great Commission and The Great Commandment were both important to Him, and they should both be important to us.
Why do we shy away from helping others when we see they are in need? Why do we justify our lack of action? Why do we make the excuse that they may use this money I'm giving them for booze!
"When a Christian sees someone who is physically hungry, a Christian feeds the hungry person. Why? Because hungry people can’t understand the plan of salvation? No. Simply because that person is hungry. That’s what Christians do. And if a person is spiritually hungry, a Christian becomes “one beggar telling another beggar where he or she found bread.” Why? Because that’s what Christians do" (Steve Brown).
Books like Crazy Love and The Irresistible Revolution have also fed my interest in this area, along with many articles from Relevant Magazine and Worldwide Challenge.
Nancy Ortberg was recently quoted about this in an online Relevant article: "Many churches I come in contact with have all kinds of programs for banquets, and teas, and Bible studies, which in and of themselves are not bad, but there is not an equal amount of serving the poor, and getting our hands dirty, and coming alongside people in need. The Church has to go to them. Many people started clamoring around Jesus initially because He was healing people, and then when they got close enough, they began to hear His message. And His message was, “The Kingdom of God is available right now.”
Shane Claiborne is also quoted in the same article: "People are hungry, I think, for a Gospel that embodies a social, political alternative to the patterns of our world. To me, that is the very essence of what spread within the early Church— they were caring for the poor, preaching another Kingdom and another emperor than Caesar’s. And it was absolutely magnetic because the faith people had placed in Rome was at an all-time low, so when they were saying, “We’ve got another Kingdom,” people were like, “Yes, we’re ready, because the world as we’ve experienced it is not working.” The beautiful thing is, people are saying the same thing now."
How much more credible are our lives when people see our loving actions, then hear about the love that motivates us?
Now that I know this, what do I do about it?
What action steps can I take this week, this month, this year, to move toward a better balance?
Lately I've come to a much deeper understanding of the Gospel; it's more than a one-time prayer that I know I should pray. The Gospel affects our lives in eternity, but is also life-changing while we are on this earth.
Under this overarching theme lies another issue that has consumed much of my thinking: good deeds.
Just by reading the accounts of Jesus interacting with people in the Gospels, one can see that He wasn't only about truth, and He wasn't only about good deeds. He had a unique balance. The Great Commission and The Great Commandment were both important to Him, and they should both be important to us.
Why do we shy away from helping others when we see they are in need? Why do we justify our lack of action? Why do we make the excuse that they may use this money I'm giving them for booze!
"When a Christian sees someone who is physically hungry, a Christian feeds the hungry person. Why? Because hungry people can’t understand the plan of salvation? No. Simply because that person is hungry. That’s what Christians do. And if a person is spiritually hungry, a Christian becomes “one beggar telling another beggar where he or she found bread.” Why? Because that’s what Christians do" (Steve Brown).
Books like Crazy Love and The Irresistible Revolution have also fed my interest in this area, along with many articles from Relevant Magazine and Worldwide Challenge.
Nancy Ortberg was recently quoted about this in an online Relevant article: "Many churches I come in contact with have all kinds of programs for banquets, and teas, and Bible studies, which in and of themselves are not bad, but there is not an equal amount of serving the poor, and getting our hands dirty, and coming alongside people in need. The Church has to go to them. Many people started clamoring around Jesus initially because He was healing people, and then when they got close enough, they began to hear His message. And His message was, “The Kingdom of God is available right now.”
Shane Claiborne is also quoted in the same article: "People are hungry, I think, for a Gospel that embodies a social, political alternative to the patterns of our world. To me, that is the very essence of what spread within the early Church— they were caring for the poor, preaching another Kingdom and another emperor than Caesar’s. And it was absolutely magnetic because the faith people had placed in Rome was at an all-time low, so when they were saying, “We’ve got another Kingdom,” people were like, “Yes, we’re ready, because the world as we’ve experienced it is not working.” The beautiful thing is, people are saying the same thing now."
How much more credible are our lives when people see our loving actions, then hear about the love that motivates us?
Now that I know this, what do I do about it?
What action steps can I take this week, this month, this year, to move toward a better balance?
Saturday, November 14, 2009
quotable!
"You WILL carry out God's purpose. But it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John." ~ CS Lewis
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Church.
Last Sunday, during a sermon at a church in Des Moines, I had several really good thoughts that I will attempt to share. I honestly don't remember much about the sermon but I wrote down several statements that were in my head. One statement (paraphrased) that came from the Pastor was "The church is not the end - 'this is as good as it gets, there is nothing more to hope for.' "
I don't even remember why he brought this up, but the statement, and idea, stuck out to me. As a new Christian, it was so easy for me to get wrapped up in the weekly church service. It was a joy to experience true fellowship, sincere sermons and meaningful music. As I've continued to go to church each week and grow immensely in my faith, I see that even Hillside, which I idolized for several years, has flaws. Any church will. And maybe in every church there are people that need to be reminded that church is not the end.
I don't think we should expect the church to provide a person a weekly, consistent spiritual high. This expectation puts too much pressure on the pastor, worship team, even on the congregation. Time for the cliche 'If the church was perfect you couldn't be a part of it.' It's our responsibility to bring ourselves into the presence of God in times outside of the church service.
Every Sunday in church, the scales threaten to tip towards complacency. The movement is often so subtle we cannot notice. We start to feel that church is the end, the crown, the goal. We walk through the doors of familiarity, surrounded by kindness and warmth, and we rest in the comfort. We strive as a church to be familiar, comfortable and kind- which we could be to outsiders, yes, and fellow Christians, too. But we can't let that comfortableness distract us from the goal of serving and glorifying Christ in whatever capacity he wants. Sometimes that is getting involved in and serving our local church. Sometimes it is serving our community in addition to or instead of. I think the trouble is when we consider serving in our church the end-all-be-all. We must be conscious of the community in which we live, and consider how God might be calling us to reach out to them.
I don't even remember why he brought this up, but the statement, and idea, stuck out to me. As a new Christian, it was so easy for me to get wrapped up in the weekly church service. It was a joy to experience true fellowship, sincere sermons and meaningful music. As I've continued to go to church each week and grow immensely in my faith, I see that even Hillside, which I idolized for several years, has flaws. Any church will. And maybe in every church there are people that need to be reminded that church is not the end.
I don't think we should expect the church to provide a person a weekly, consistent spiritual high. This expectation puts too much pressure on the pastor, worship team, even on the congregation. Time for the cliche 'If the church was perfect you couldn't be a part of it.' It's our responsibility to bring ourselves into the presence of God in times outside of the church service.
Every Sunday in church, the scales threaten to tip towards complacency. The movement is often so subtle we cannot notice. We start to feel that church is the end, the crown, the goal. We walk through the doors of familiarity, surrounded by kindness and warmth, and we rest in the comfort. We strive as a church to be familiar, comfortable and kind- which we could be to outsiders, yes, and fellow Christians, too. But we can't let that comfortableness distract us from the goal of serving and glorifying Christ in whatever capacity he wants. Sometimes that is getting involved in and serving our local church. Sometimes it is serving our community in addition to or instead of. I think the trouble is when we consider serving in our church the end-all-be-all. We must be conscious of the community in which we live, and consider how God might be calling us to reach out to them.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
engaged.
Last Fall I was presented with Mark 10:45- "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Since then I've read a handful of books about putting faith into action, and conversed with many people about being more focused on those around us who are in need. It's challenging for me to think of ways to engage in the world and serve others instead of being focused on myself.