Church of God Laity Ministries

A message and prayer from Dr. Raymond Culpepper, Presiding Bishop of the Church of God.

Isaiah 43:18-19
Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in bad lands. (From The Message)

I love to hear the innocent comments from children that reveal deep spiritual truth. Recently I read the comments of a little girl during the end of the year holiday season. She said, “Merry Christmas and a Happy New You!” Of course we know that she meant “year” instead of “you” but that doesn’t sound too bad does it? Wouldn’t it be great if 2010 could be the year of a “Happy New You?”

We get the word “January” from the pagan Roman god “Janus.” He was depicted with gates and doors and with two faces pointed in the opposite direction: one looking forward and the other backwards. This concept is still very appropriate for us today because January is a “hinge” month. We look backward over the past year and forward to the new year.

We have to glance back but only briefly; we cannot live our lives looking into a rear view mirror! Someone said, “We must take our hats off to the past but our coats off to the future.” Let me suggest five simple steps for a new START in 2010 that will make possible a “Happy New You.” (Click below “for more information” to see these.)

Five Steps for a New S.T.A.R.T. in 2010

1) S — Stop Making Excuses

Some people spend their entire lives just making excuses for hurtful or wrongful behavior. Consider this example. It is the story of a young man arrested for stealing a car. When confronted by the police and asked for an explanation for his actions he had the year’s most novel excuse. He said, “I found the automobile in front of a cemetery and thought the owner was dead.”

There is an old saying that there is an I in every accident and a U in every excuse. Proverbs 28:13 says it this way: A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance. TLB

The next time you feel like making an excuse for any inconsistency in your life consider some of the great heroes of the Bible. Here are some of the “excuses” they could have used for not being all that God wanted them to become.

Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
Elijah was suicidal
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
John the Baptist ate bugs
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer…
AND
Lazarus was dead!

What do you have that’s worse than that? So no more excuses!

2) T — Take stock

Perhaps your present circumstances do not reflect the true purpose of God for your life. We have to be prepared to go onward and upward for Christ. Sometimes the biggest miracle can be in the smallest opportunity. God’s best blessings sometimes come in “surprise” packages.

In Galatians 3:4 Paul says, Did all your experience mean nothing at all? Surely it meant something! (TEV). At the beginning of this new year, perhaps you should ask some questions about where you have come from, where you are and where you are going. Here are some examples:

o What have I learned?
o What are my assets?
o Who can help me?
o What is God doing in and around my life?

3) A — Act in faith

Matthew 9:29 According to your faith will it be done to you. We get what we expect. Our expectations affect our future. If we act in faith, we must do something. We must make preparations for the new year but trust God to do His work in our lives. Proverbs 16:9 says, We should make plans counting on God to direct us. (LB). Here are some examples of goals that we can set for 2006.: personal (physical, mental, spiritual), relational (family, marriage, children, friends), professional, church and personal ministry, and financial.

4) R — Refocus

As you set and reach new goals for 2006, you will notice that your mind as well as your behavior will change. Let the Word of God renew your mind this year. Proverbs 4:23 says, Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.(GN). In Romans 12:2 Paul says, Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is. (NLT).

Have you ever wondered why a pigeon walks so funny? According to an interesting article in the Detroit Free Press, a pigeon walks the way it does so it can see where it’s going. Because it can’t adjust its focus as it moves, the pigeon actually has to bring its head to a complete stop between steps in order to refocus. This is the way it walks: head forward, stop; head back, stop.

In our spiritual walk with the Lord we have the same problem as the pigeon. We have a hard time seeing while we’re moving. We also need to stop between steps — to refocus on where we are in relation to the World and the will of God. Our walk with the Lord needs to have built into it a pattern of “stops,” which enable us to see more clearly before moving on.

5) T — Trust God

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was leaving the room after paying a visit to the patient’s home, and said, “Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.” Very quietly the doctor said, “I don’t know.” “You don’t know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is after death?”

The doctor was holding the handle of the door, and from the other side of door came a sound of scratching and whining, and, as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, “Did you notice my dog? He had never been in this room before. He did not know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing: I know my Master is there, and that is enough.”

We may not know what is “behind the door of 2010″ but we know that God is there and that is enough.

Here are 10 things you can count on in this new year:

10. Bible will have the answers you need.
9. Prayer will still change things
8. Holy Spirit will still be active in our lives.
7. God’s praises will still abound
6. The anointing of God will still be available.
5. Church will still continue to grow.
4. Blessings of God will still be abundant.
3. They will still be room at the cross for you.
2. Jesus Christ will always love us.
1. God will give anybody a new START.

Covenant Group Evangelism is a method to help the local church reach out to the community with the Gospel.  It is based around the formation and activity of small groups.  We believe that small groups and team ministry is an effective way to grow the local church.  For more information, download our Covenant Group Evangelism Overview, a more detailed look at Covenant Team Evangelism.

Power of small groups and team ministry.

Robert Wuthnow, a social scientist at Princeton, has written that the small group’s movement is “the biggest social revolution of our day.” Carl George, noted church growth leader defines what he calls a “span of care.” This principle ensures that everybody is cared for, but no one cares for too many people. Each part must take responsibility so that Christ’s body can do its work in the world. Only when everyone works together will each life be transformed. In our plan each group has only about 12-15 members, and each of the four teams within the group has only three to four members

Foundation of groups. There are some key foundational or core components of small groups. These help create community and accountability in the church among the members. There are four blessings of small group ministry.

1. Small groups are built on authentic relationships.
2. Small groups are places where truth meets life.
3. Small groups experience healthy conflict.
4. Small groups provide well-balanced shepherding, so that people are both cared for and discipled.

Quick-start steps for success in initiating Covenant Group Evangelism and Ministry Teams in the local church.

1. Pastoral backing. The pastor must first cast the vision of evangelism outreach from the church to the congregation through either a message or through a time of motivational teaching to the members. (We have prepared a special PowerPoint presentation to help cast this vision.) The message in this presentation contains a comprehensive overview of the Covenant Group Evangelism concept with adequate detail provided to insure that the congregation understands that they will be empowered to serve in the area of their calling rather than be forced to participate in areas of evangelism for which they have no calling. We have prepared a second PowerPoint to assist in recruiting participants as well. It is titled CGE PowerPoint for Recruiting Participants. Our message is that each member of the local church is a valuable member of the body who needs to be functional in the area they are called and gifted and not to feel inferior because they cannot accomplish what some other member of the body is called to do.
2. Order teaching materials. Contact Church of God Lay Ministries to order our nine week Communicating the Gospel ministries kit and other books, tracts and forms we have for training on small group theory, formation and implementation, and witnessing materials.
3. Schedule initial planning meeting. Hold a planning meeting with a core group of individuals who, following the motivational message have exhibited a serious interest in the Covenant Group Evangelism outreach concept. This meeting will be utilized to determine the overall goals and objectives of the outreach ministry, with input from the core participants, and will also help to determine specific geographical locations for outreach as well as specific types of ministry which will occur during the progress of the outreach.
   This meeting will also assist in identifying the group and team leaders and will provide initial training as to their job descriptions and the overall organization, operation and function of the covenant group. It is not necessary that the group leader be a member of or leader of the evangelism team going door-to-door, but it is necessary that the group leader be a leader, organizer and motivator.
4. Call a meeting of the four team leaders. You and [hopefully] the pastor will share the vision of Covenant Group Evangelism in this meeting. We have prepared a special handout explaining valuable information concerning team ministry for you to distribute in this session. It is titled: Overview of Ministry Teams. Please take the time to first read it, then reproduce it and give a copy to each team leader and other team members. You will need to make about 25 copies in order to have enough for everyone.
5. Teach relational evangelism. Begin the nine-week Communicating the Gospel evangelism training seminar. This can be done as a Wednesday night class in order to not require another weeknight. All of the members of all teams should be involved in this training program [especially the Personal Evangelism team], even though they may not be a member of the evangelism team. The result of the group outreach activities over time will be that every member will experience an increase in their desire and burden to share the gospel of Jesus in their “Jerusalem” (their job, school, etc.). This training seminar will give them the tools they need to be able to effectively share the gospel. The nine-week seminar will be an ongoing training of group members from the start of the Saturday outreach. If schedules are tight, these nine weekly sessions can be taught in one weekend with our new Evangelism Impact Weekend Seminar. Contact Leonard C. Albert in the Department of Lay Ministries for more details!
6. Prepare for outreach. First, have a small meeting of the pastor, group leader and team leader. They will discuss and determine the location and route for the prayer walk team, determine the location and route for the church introduction team and determine the initial group of 12 homes that the evangelism team is to visit. The servant evangelism activities are often easily identified through discussion with church members. They may have an unsaved neighbor or co-worker that has a physical need that can be addressed by the team that will demonstrate the love of Jesus in practical ways (please see the book Conspiracy of Kindness by Steve Sjogren for more ideas.
7. Conduct the Saturday outreach. You could call this “Friendship Saturday.” We have found this name a better fit than what we used to call “knocking on door!” As the teams meet (each team can choose their own weekend) we recommend that they first gather for a time of intercessory prayer for this effort. This is essential to provide the prayer covering that is necessary for effective evangelism activities by the group for the day. Each team will then be given written instructions regarding the work they are to accomplish for the visitation period (two to three hours). The materials provided should include a map to the location, church promotional materials (brochures, etc.). New Testaments, tracts, contact report cards (spiritual survey cards) and other witnessing materials should be provided for the evangelism team. The servant evangelism team should have provided whatever materials and equipment they will require to accomplish their task for the day. The servant evangelism team leader should have already contacted the individuals where the work will be done to make sure they are expected, unless the work is outside and requires no prior notice. (Note: It is often beneficial for the evangelism team to begin the first Saturday outreach by visiting individuals who have visited their church, or who have been referred as potential salvation prospects by a church member. This will assist team members in getting started and give them some experience before visiting individuals who are completely unknown to them). The prayer walk team will walk and pray their area. It is usually a good idea to have the prayer walk team walking in an area ahead of the evangelism team.
8. Report back session. At the end of the outreach effort, all of the team members should return to the church for a brief (30) minute testimony and reporting period. It would be great if the pastor, evangelism director, or group leader could be at this meeting to share in the testimony time and to affirm and encourage the work of the group. This is usually a time of great encouragement for the group since there are usually successes to report that will encourage everyone. The spiritual survey cards with contact information should be turned in to the group leader and any pertinent comments regarding contacts should be shared in order to facilitate the determination by the group leader and the pastor of the nature and extent of follow-up which should be done. We recommend using the “Top Sales Basic” software program. It is a great way to tract people visited or ministered to by the teams. The group leader will oversee the data entry of all contacts. (Perhaps the work can be done by a church secretary.) The pastor and group leader should meet as soon as possible during the following week to determine the desired follow-up procedures. Some needs may be identified as very urgent which may require immediate action by the pastor or assignment to a team leader and members for immediate follow-up. Follow-up may, based upon the circumstances, take the form of any number of contacts, either telephone calls, letters, cards, or personal visits. This cycle is repeated for each outreach Saturday with interim ministry conducted by the pastor, group leader and other members as necessary to address immediate needs that have been identified.
9. Covenant Group Evangelism monthly meetings. Covenant group meetings are held each month in the home of the group leader. All of the team leaders and members should be in attendance. These meetings should last no more than an hour and will provide for a time of fellowship with light refreshments if possible. This will promote the growth of community within the group which will lead to bonding among the members. The meetings will also include a time for prayer, some training utilizing curriculum and subject matter approved by the pastor and group leader and a time for discussion of prior group activities and planning for the next Saturday outreach. This atmosphere produces accountability among the members as each member begins to understand the necessity of their position in the body and the importance of the work that they do to the overall success of the group. At the monthly meeting the group leader will advise the group of decisions of the pastor as to outreach and follow-up requirements for the next Saturday and will assign those responsibilities to the teams.
10. Ongoing involvement of the pastor. The pastor should remain involved with the group to the extent necessary that the members are encouraged and affirmed in their outreach activities and do not begin to feel that they are operating without the full support and backing of the pastor and the church. While it may not be necessary for the pastor to go out with the teams on outreach Saturdays, he or she should maintain contact with the groups and teams. This can be accomplished by attending some of the prayer times at the church before the teams depart or with occasional involvement in the monthly group leaders’ home meetings.
11. Involvement time. The time involvement of each team member will probably not exceed six to seven hours per month. This includes three to four hours on the once-monthly outreach Saturday and one to two hours each month at the group leaders’ home meetings. Some groups may desire to add a second monthly meeting for more time of fellowship and prayer. The training seminar can be held as a Wednesday night class so no additional time is added (or weekend seminar as previously mentioned).

It may be necessary to start a group without all of the teams intact. If this is the case, go ahead and start “Friendship Saturday” outreach activities with the teams you have and grow until you have recruited enough leaders and workers to have a full Covenant Evangelism Group.

Click here for more information and to register

More information to come in January!

Click here to order

David C. Nitz, State Evangelism Director

After the General Assembly of 2008 Florida (Tampa) made an aggressive effort to change the face of men’s ministries in our state. Feeling that the men/lay ministries in the state needed to be charged with new life and a more relevant strategy we decided to take a different approach and face the challenge of reaching and ministering to men. We felt we needed to ask ourselves tough questions and respond with a plan that would at least begin to address the pressing needs of today’s men.

The first and obvious question is “why?” Why make changes to the existing program? I think the revelation came when I hosted my first layman’s board meeting. Several of the men who served on the board did not even show up for the meeting. That was my first “heads up” that this ministry was in need of revitalization. There seemed to be a lack of passion. As the meeting progressed I personally did not feel it addressed any of the pressing needs in the lives of men. While the work being done was good work, it seemed stagnate. No one was really to be blamed, it just seemed it was time to do something new.

The name “Layman’s Board” itself seemed to conjure up ideas that were outdated or irrelevant. Since LifeBuilder’s was on our radar and I had started preliminary planning for a state event, it seemed that this board would be better called “LifeBuilder’s Board”. And rather than just laymen, why not include men who hold other offices in the church?  Which leads to the second question.

“Who?”  Who should we include on this board? We felt diversity was important in making this new board more effective. State Bishop Martin Taylor and I sat down and discussed the possibilities concerning this board. Since we were changing the name this opened the door to include more than just laymen. Since pastors are vital to the success of any ministry in the local church it was an obvious choice. We began looking not just for laymen, but for men who had expressed interest in men’s ministry and who had a passion to work. We also looked for men who were leaders If this team was going to change the face of men’s ministry in our state we felt they needed to be able to help lead this change.

What then would be the role of the men on this team? What is their function? First, it would be to be passionate. We wanted men who were willing to work. The LifeBuilder’s event we were planning was going to be different than anything we had ever done in Florida. I was confidant I would need their help to pull it off. I want these men to be creative. I had put together a plan, but when these men got in the same room the creative juices started flowing. These men are also promoters; part of their job to help us get the word out. I want them to make a lot of noise about the changes we we’re making.

Since our LifeBuilder’s Team is still new we are learning. I want the men’s ministry of our state to be life-giving. Our first team meeting consisted mostly of asking what could we do and how could we do it? Every man was given an assignment and then sent out to gather their team and do their part. I want it to be more than just guys sitting around talking. That’s why I chose the theme for our first LifeBuilder’s event to be “Let The Adventure Begin.” It had the feel we were doing something, going somewhere.

Since the changes we have made are still in their infancy we have yet to see the what will come of all this. However, since LifeBuilder’s 09 we have seen a definite surge in men’s ministries around the state. New men’s groups have been initiated and existing groups have been revived. This is a new venture with a new vision. So far it seems we are on the right path.

By Leonard C. Albert

My friend of many years, Pat Morley, says “Give men what they want in the context of what they need.”  Our minds immediately ask two questions: (1) “what do men want?” and (2) “what do men need?”  Men want adventure—they want a challenge.  They need a structure, a system to make number one work.   John Eldredge in his now famous book titled Wild at Heart says it this way, “Life is not a problem to be solved, it is an adventure to be lived.  A man just won’t be happy until he’s got adventure in his work, in his love and in his spiritual life.”  Where can a man find this “adventure” in his spiritual life?  Most of the time in church, he is required to just come and sit and listen to teachings or sermons.  What men really want is a church that will call them to action and they are attracted to churches that offer opportunities to really make a difference in this life.

What is “Matthew 25 Men?”

The LifeBuilders Men’s Ministry discipleship model has three elements:

1. Walk with Christ (know Him as Savior);
2. Live like Christ (know Him as Lord and Master;) and
3. Work for Christ (find a personal ministry).

Matthew 25 Men speaks to this third area: work for Christ.  This is a “servant” type ministry that helps people in the church family, the community and beyond.  It involves Church Projects such as “Workday at Church” where men volunteer for repair, painting, and maintenance work at the church.  The men of the church can meet periodically on a Saturday to trim shrubs, pull vines, spread pine straw or mulch, paint, make repairs, and do whatever else needs attention.  These church projects can include reaching out to the less fortunate of the church family by doing small repair work on homes like adding a wheel chair ramp, or repairing the steps, etc.  It involves Ministry Projects such as visiting shut-ins, people in hospitals, nursing homes, jails and prisons.  It involves being salt and light by sharing the gospel through personal testimony and showing kindness.  It involves doing good deeds both inside and outside the church such as snow removal, leaf raking or lawn mowing.  It involves Community Service Projects such as “Car Care Saturday” to help widows and single moms.  It could be a project like installing smoke detectors in low-income homes, or washing cars for free, or giving away coffee and water at a sporting event.  Your local chapter of LifeBuilders Men’s Ministry can plan a monthly service project lasting a half or a full day for most months of the year.

Matthew 25 Men is the outreach that helps a man find the adventure he is looking for, and at the same time reach out to hurting people in the church and community.  Matthew 25 Men challenges men to become active in a “feel good about helping others” outreach.  Our goal for men is to help them grow in Christ by moving toward the center of God’s will.  We do not aim to change a man’s behavior—we want God to change the core affections of his heart.  When a man works for Christ he discovers his own personal ministry using his unique spiritual giftedness.  Usually three things will happen.  (1) He will serve others in need in the church and community through special projects, (2) He will help family and friends grow in Christ and (3) He will win the lost to Christ.

As I travel and speak to thousands of men I feel they are sick and tired of not being challenged and offered some type of ministry adventure.  They are weary of just talking about sports, the weather, and the stock market.  This exciting outreach ministry of LifeBuilders helps fuel their competitive drive.  It helps them find adventure, change, competition, and expansion—all within the mission of Jesus to seek and save the lost.  Once a man has been in the real presence of Jesus, he will never be happy until he finds a way to express his gratitude through love and good deeds.  We believe that men have a passion in their lives that will make a difference in the world.  This ministry helps them find that passion.

Who are the men of Matthew 25 Men?

Matthew 25 Men are men who are being discipled in their local churches.  They work out of the existing men’s ministry group as this effort is always under the sponsorship of the local chapter of men’s ministries.  Matthew 25 Men are men who take seriously the challenge to us in Matthew 25: 35-36 where Jesus said, For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. We need more men in local churches to reach out to others with a servant’s heart.  Church of God LifeBuilders has thousands of men who are ready to put their skills and personal ministry to work in the local church and beyond.  It can be a great adventure to feed the hungry, give to the thirsty, help the stranger, clothe the needy, visit the sick and reach men in prison.

Steve Sonderman is a great men’s leader.  His book on How To Build a Life-Changing Men’s Ministry is sold here in our bookstore.  Here’s what he says about challenging men:

Men want to be involved in a cause greater than themselves. If I have learned one thing during my years of ministry to men, it’s that men want to be involved in something driven by a compelling vision. They want to be involved in something bigger and grander than themselves.  Men want to know what hill the church is climbing, where we are going, what we are about. Men are not going to give you their time, money, and energy to move papers around and attend committee meetings. They want to be about the work of Kingdom Expansion. They want to see a discernible difference in the world in which they live?

We believe Matthew 25 Men can make that difference in a man’s life.  Why not get started today?!

From here:

A total of 55 men from the New York metropolitan area, including men from Connecticut and Rhode Island, were treated to both the insight and humor of Leonard Albert during the Discipling Strong Men Seminar held at Solid Rock on Saturday, October 10.

Leonard Albert is the International Director of Church of God Laity Ministries. He is an enthusiastic motivational speaker specializing in training and equipping people to reach their full potential in ministry. Leonard Albert is a firm believer that you can’t share the gospel or your faith with others unless you have been taught on how to do so. So what does that mean exactly? Well for starters, telling someone that they must “turn or burn” or “sanctify or fry” is not an effective way to reach others for Christ.

So how did Christ impact so many? During his time on earth, Christ used stories (parables) to explain spiritual principles in a way they could be understood. He also established relationships to build disciples. “Discipleship is not just Christian education, Saturday morning breakfasts at the church, or memorizing scripture,” Leonard explained, “Discipleship is the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), it is multiplication through reproduction (2 Timothy 2:2), and apprenticeship (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8).

The goals of this seminar were clear: Learn a strategy, leave with a plan of action, and acquire resources. Leonard shared statistics on men in the church and why it is hard to keep them engaged. For the most part, understanding the needs of men and what they are looking for is key to maintaining or establishing a successful men’s ministry. Leonard shared several examples, acquired during his travels, of different creative methods that churches are using to reach men. “There is no one way that works for every church. You have to get to know the needs and types of the men in your community before you can be effective.” However, regardless of the method, he emphasized that we must identify a strategy that best fits their needs, create a plan of action to execute it, and acquire the resources to keep the momentum going.

In keeping with the strategy for Discipling Strong Men, seven more men just completed the “LifeBuilders Essentials” study with Don Stedge. Jose Pena, Terrance White, Ray Gonzalez, Leland Parkinson, Wilson Ortiz, Rick White and Sheldon Scott-Bonnick received their certificates of completion after finishing the 12 week study. This makes a total of 38 men from Solid Rock who have taken this first step to becoming a disciple.

Currently, Bim Nathaniel is leading another four men through the Kingdom Calling study and Mike Anson, Sr. is beginning the “10 Questions That Trouble Every Thinking Man” small group starting this Tuesday. As you can see, Armorbearers Men’s Ministry is on the forefront of “Discipling Strong Men”!

If you would like to hear this entire seminar for yourself, the Solid Rock Bookstore is selling a 4 CD set recorded live on October 10 for $10.

by Don C. Warrington

“Our church doesn’t have altar calls any more…”

How many times have you heard people say that?  Or, “we don’t do altar work anymore.”   Since the days of Charles Finney the altar has been a centerpiece of Evangelical and later Pentecostal churches, but many churches don’t even have altar calls in their service, let along altar workers.

Why is this?  One reason is that, too many times, altar calls are pointless.   People come down with needs that never really get prayed for.  They may get saved, but who will know?  No one asks! They come, they have some kind of experience, and they leave, with no follow up.

Ministering at the Altar was written to address this crying need in our churches.   It is written to train your altar workers in the basics of proper procedure at the altar, how to interact Biblically with those who come, and to gather the information necessary to follow-up on those who come.  It even helps you to qualify those who are gifted in altar work.  It also can be read individually to inform and inspire those who prepare to do the crucial work of meeting people at the point of their greatest need.

We speak of filling up our altars.  Ministering at the Altar will help you not only to fill up your altars, but fill up your church.  God is not only calling people to the altars, he is calling them to pray with those who come.  This little book will help the laity in your church make that a reality.