Go and do something!

a Jesus thought...
The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (John 14:26)

a Godly thought...
Postmodern culture yearns for corporate worship that is EPIC, that is Experiential, Participatory, Image-driven, and Communal. (Leonard Sweet, p103 Frost & Hirsch)

a leading thought...
Instead of just wringing their hands about the evil in the world, good leaders seek to redress it and make a difference. (p49 Harris)

a Dave thought...
It is now over 30 hours since I saw the Jammed, the movie I referred to in yesterdays blog, and the disturbing images continue to remain with me. This is a good thing as it may mean that if I am actually disturbed enough I may, like Wesley Harris says above, seek to redress the evil in the world and make a difference.
It was 1887 when William Booth was returning to London very late one bitterly cold night, that he too was shocked after seeing how many were sleeping on the banks of the Thames and under bridges. His response was to tell Bramwell with the order, 'Go and do something!' The result is now hundreds of homeless shelters around the world.
So what can we do? I'm still working that out but what I do know is that if we are exposed to injustices up close in our faces so they continue to annoy and disturb us, we may just go and do something.

Just a thought.

Jammed

a Jesus thought...
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35)

a Godly thought...
Most of us know intuitively that spiritual growth often takes place in contexts of pain, struggle, doubt, and the unknown. In these times, neat, off the shelf answers don't suffice. (p97 Frost & Hirsch)

a leading thought...
The highest form of motivation happens when your people are on the same page as you are. They share your vision and so are motivated, not manipulated. (p42 Court)

a Dave thought...
Last night I saw the latest Australian movie, The Jammed http://www.thejammed.com/ which highlights the horrific injustices of human trafficking and prostitution. One reviewer writes...


MELBOURNE film The Jammed seems the unlikeliest success story.It's a confronting, low-budget movie set against a background of human trafficking and the sex trade. Yet the film, directed by Dee McLachlan, has broken box office records in its first week on a single screen at Melbourne's Nova cinema, leading to its release in cinemas across the country.
The Salvos were for many years always willing to get involved in the injust issues of society to help victims of issues such as people trafficking. In England in the 1880's we were responsible for lifting the age of consent from 13 to 16, and today in Australia we are once again helping victims of this illegal trade.
It is often not until we get angry that we are willing to do something, well let me warn you this movie will make you want to do something. What do we do, is the question.
If we want to make a real differnce firstly I would suggest you take as many people as possible to see this film as it is shockingly disturbing. Then lets partner with those in the know like Danielle Strickland (justsalvos) and have the courage to confront. Catherine Booth said to better the future we must disturb the present, well I suggest now is the time to disturb.

Just a thought.

Women

a Jesus thought...
And if anyone hears my words My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. (John 12:47)

a Godly thought...
The church has sought to guide the spiritual lives of its members in very practical, reasonable ways. That sounds like a compliment. It's not. Contrary to Western thought, spirituality is anything but reasonable and practical. (Jeff Woods, p95 Frost & Hirsch)

a leading thought...
You can tell the quality of a leader by the quality of the followers, not just the quantity. (p30 Court)

a Dave thought...
Yesterday I made a visit to the Heritage Centre and had some great conversations with Historian Lindsay Cox. One of the statements he made about the early Army in Australia was that when we had 365 corps operating around 1894 of them 250 were officered by women, with many 17, 18, 19 year old sigle females in charge of corps. Over 100 years later it seems we now have about 340 corps across the 2 territories and my guess would be close to 50 would be solely led by women. Women in leadership is something we must encourage once again if the Salvos is to reach its potential. So is it that we were the only movement that encouraged women in the late 1800's so the best female leaders signed up? Or perhaps like Lindsay suggests it was deliberate and strategic as the women preachers always attracted the biggest crowds to hear the gospel. I'm sure if Jennifer Hawkins was preaching this Sunday I could get a lot of my mates to the open-air.

Just a thought.

Go

a Jesus thought...
Father I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me. (John 11:41)

a Godly thought...
It's in the engagement with not-yet-Christians that we regularly adjust our language and its idioms, our practices, our empases, and our worship life. We need to be regularly swept by incoming new Christians. (p86 Frost & Hirsch)

a leading thought...
Good leaders make their mark. And a mark of a good leader is loyal followers. (p23 Court)

a Dave thought...
I once heard a preacher say that two thirds of God is GO. The classic example of GO in scripture is in the great commission from Matthew 28. If the the main reason we exist as a church is to go then sending should be something we value enormously.
If this is so we need to start measuring how many we send and how many go rather than who stays and prop up our Sunday figures so we look like we are not declining. So is the healthiest church one that has 400 attend every week and sends a couple out a year, or a church of a hundred that sends ten people out each year? We always tend to measure in church what we value most. So we value big and staying by measuring attendance rather than small and sending by measuring departures. So if the Great Commission is the real test of church growth lets value departures over arrivals.

Just a thought.

I will

My new leadership book is written by two famous Australians - Wesley Harris & Stephen Court so my quotes will be coming from Proverbial Leadership over the next few weeks.

a Jesus thought...
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (John 10:27)

a Godly thought...
It is necessary for the church to rethink its stance entirely and to become a missionary church within the West. (Martin Robinson, p84 Frost & Hirsch)

a leading thought...
Effective leadership involves being wise with foresight - before, not after the event. (p5 Harris)

a Dave thought...
Yesterday we conducted the last of our soldiership classes for a group of young guys at Box Hill. We were looking at each of the ten ''I will" statements on the soldiers covenant and what it means to commit to each of these. If you want to brush up have a read at... http://www1.salvationarmy.org/ind/www_ind.nsf/80256e520050a2e280256b3b0048eb4b/80256e520050a2e280256c54007234c9!OpenDocument
The comment was made that the 21 statements which we sign up to, which include 11 doctirnes and the 10 I wills, have been summarised by one negative statement ...I am not allowed to drink. This is really 2% of the whole covenant but gets the most press, maybe because it is counter-cultural or maybe because our friends see it? But these ten statements are full on and if we had soldiers willing to actually live these the Army would be amazing, if you are a soldier try living this out...

I will be actively involved, as I am able, in the life, work, worship and
witness of the corps, giving as large a proportion of my income as
possible to support its ministries and the worldwide work of the
Army.

It seems this ''I will'' doesn't get the same air time, maybe it is because we don't have to go public with it?

Just a thought.

Talk to Tom

a Jesus thought...
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (John 9:5)

a Godly thought...
Whenever the church is led by outsiders rather than indigenous leaders there will remain a suspicion that although Jesus has come into the host community, he is not really part of that community. (p74 Frost & Hirsch)

a leading thought...
When organisations struggle, genuine leaders don't blame their people; they ask God to show them how to make a positive difference. (p285 Blackaby)

a Dave thought...
It was reported in the media yesterday http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22304224-2,00.html?from=public_rss how Tom Wood a 16 year old boy bypassed the governments new $84m porn filter in 30 minutes.

It makes me ask why we don't get the people who we are recipients of the system to be involved in its creation rather than pretend we have the answers. You see it is often a 16yo who could tell you why a new program, structure or service may not work but as the baby boomers have the power they also think they have the answers.
I have been asked to serve as the youth rep on numerous committees over the last few years and I am now 36. People think I am young but maybe I am just younger or is mid-30s now considered youth in an aging movement? So let us engage the real youth of our movement into the heart of our discussions and please look for someone 20 years younger than me for answers.
Just a thought.

Wanted: more APEs

a Jesus thought...
He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first (John 8:7)

a Godly thought...
Any church that cannot get by without buildings, finances and paid experts is not fully being the church. (p69 Frost & Hirsch)

a leading thought...
The responsibility of leadership can become overwhelming unless leaders are strengthened by strong friendships. (p282 Blackaby)

a Dave thought...
A few years ago I came across APEPT this take on Ephesians 4...some are are called to be Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Patsors and Teachers....here is an updated take on it...

Entrepreneur- Pioneer, Strategist, Innovator, Visionary- Groundbreaker who initiates an organization's mission
Questioner- Disturber, Agitator- Upsets the status quo, challenging an organization to move in new directions
Recruiter- Passionate communicator of organizational message- Recruits to the cause
Humanizer- Carer, Social cement- Provides organization glue by caring for the individuals in it
Systematizer- Philosopher, Translator- Organizes the various parts into a working unit and articulates that structure to the other members
(from the The Shaping of Things to Come )

If you are interested in getting some confirmation you can do the test but it does cost
$10:( http://www.theforgottenways.org/apest but most will know where they fit from the above definitions. I myself am an apostle or rather fill an apostolic function. I have come to realise that I am not as normal as I thought I was! We as a Salvation Army when we began like all new movements were lead by apostles, prophets and evangelists but as we have matured we are lead more by pastors and teachers. For us to see growth once again it is going to take apostles to start something new, prophets to keep annoying us to change and evangelists to get people on board. I have noticed that not many of these types are naturally attracted to 120 year old movement and even when they are tend to flirt around the fringes. Anyway I thank God for lieutenancy as this has enabled 68 people in this territory to serve in this territory a lot of whom are not your standard pastor/teachers.
Maybe Spongs take on APEs starting the world through evolution has some biblical foundation:)

Just a thought.