Brentwood Benson does VBS RIGHT!

It is normal for people in church life and ministry to think about VBS in February or March.  I have done this for most of my life - even as a child attending every summer VBS of childhood.  But what about actually doing VBS in October?  Now that is totally out of the box.  And that is totally just what we did!  This is a short story of our journey into Fall VBS and the results thereof.

To begin with, Lifeway ending it's relationship with Jeff Slaughter played a huge role in what I will share.  There is none better than Slaughter at developing VBS material and music that shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ clearly and effectively with children.  None better anywhere!  And since Slaughter was picked up by Brentwood Benson to put together their first ever VBS material offering, our staff got a little curious.  Our curiosity led us down a new path for VBS.  We decided to go with a Fall VBS and see what would happen.  We contacted Brentwood Benson and asked if we could premier this new offering.  They agreed.  We contacted Slaughter and secured him to be live on stage for two nights of VBS worship and celebration.  He agreed!  Fall VBS would indeed occur.

The following is what we gleaned from this adventure:

1.  Slaughter - still NONE BETTER.  Lifeway really blew it with this one.  His heart for children and the gift and blessing on his writing and arranging cannot be denied.  He is in person as he is on stage - the real deal.  He wants to see people reached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  And he gives his all to see that this takes place.  The music was beyond good with this material.  Our adults even loved it and get this - it led to a VBS Flash Mob in both morning services this past Sunday.  it was incredible!

2.  The material - what Brentwood Benson has put together is the BEST ever!  My wife who has the same track record as I do in VBS said it this way:  "this material in structure, ideas, how to's, and message was the best ever!"  She loved it.  And so did our other workers.  It was done by people who know VBS and know what is needed.  Often those who write VBS material make the structure difficult and the message seems to get lost in the implementation.  Often the ideas for sharing do not relate to the children of today.  Often, VBS does NOT really get a clear message across.  Not with this one.  The message was clear and powerful!  The children got it!  I have never heard children so get the theme and message of VBS like I did this year! 

Since the theme was a world tour, missions was all over this material.  Our leaders decided to up it even more by Skyping in Missionaries from each of the countries that the tour visited each evening during the group times.  And this was awesome!  The children heard first hand from people doing mission work and prayed for that person and country!  You would not have believed the prayers that went up from these children.

The snacks were even designed to fit the countries each night on the tour and allowed for total theme involvement!  And man were they good!

3.  Evangelistic - everything about this material was evangelistic from start to finish.

4.  Theology - this material is sound and void of the modern hangups found in much material these days.  There are NO worries with theology here!  Straight Jesus and His gift to all who will receive!

5.  Cost - we actually did VBS with less money spent this year than in years past.

Conclusion:
If you want a VBS material that your workers will love, that will clearly and easily share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that will have your children engulfed in VBS and actually "getting it", then you need to call up Brentwood Benson and get your order in!  You will love it!

Dont Ask, Trust Us! We are in trouble!

In the convention "vetting" of the Presidential pick by the Search Team of MWBTS we have an email sent out in response to a question asking the Theological leanings of the proposed candidate. The response simply says trust us, we got this, wait until the man is voted on to learn his Theology.  Was it not the Democrats in congress who said when asked what was in the health care bill to trust us, let us vote it in and then we will see what we actually have in the bill?  Just a thought!

The heart of my concern over such a response goes to the heart of the SBC - Cooperative Program giving.  We are hearing that giving is down due to the economy.  What we are not hearing is that churches are lowering their percentages due to SBC power plays as the email mentioned above reveals.  The people in the pews are losing faith in the SBC leaders at an alarming rate.

Why?

Little occurs from the SBC anymore that really meets the needs of local churches.  The only clear voice I hear week in and out is "send more money to the IMB and forget the rest!"  This voice is from the pews of the our churches.  Even retired missionaries are sounding this call at a shocking level.  Could it be that our institutions have lost the trust and faith of the people in the pew?

When one sits back and simply lists the events, the people placed into lead roles, the sealing of documents, the don't ask - trust us approach, one sees why few care anymore.  And if someone raises a question, that person is labeled as a trouble maker and quickly attacked in an attempt to silence their voice.  Last time I checked the above did not fit the definition of accountability. 

No doubt this type of maneuvering has been around for some time.  It is almost human nature when one looks at large groups that must somehow find a way to work together.  Yet no excuse should be allowed to triumph such a conduct.  The people in the pew are tired of the junk.  The people in the pew are fed up with their churches being forced into battles over theology they do not hold to.  The people in the pew will respond to missions and ministry.  They will reject political plays every time.

It might be a more prudent decision for the search team to answer the questions now, not later.  Dr. Allen and his family deserve better than this.  We live in the age of instant information and communication.  I thought our leaders knew this.  To role this selection out in a manner that does not reinforce the selection is institutional abuse at its finest.  If the search team truly believes this is their man, then they should be out front promoting and highlighting why they believe this.  We have seen and heard little.  Sad!

Instead, we are told NO ANSWERS, TRUST US.

I have one question:  Please tell me how we can trust when you handle the process in this manner.

I think more than MWBTS is at stake in this decision.  We are seeing in a vivid way why CP giving is dropping.  The real clue is not in the total dollars but rather in the percentage that a church gives.  The percentage is the key issue and it is speaking loud and clear!

Will someone wake up and realize the damage being done?  When only Pastors care about this stuff the problem is already bigger than we realize!

Lessons for Leaders

The news on Monday carried the story of the head of the Segway Corporation who drove his Segway and off a cliff and died. How in the world could this occur? The owner of ..., drove the Segway off... surely not. But it is true. hen it dawned on me - what a tragic picture of a great lesson for those in leadership.

The man had the title. He was the boss. The man had authority and influence. He was the boss. But the man was not the developer of the machine he was driving and his experience with the machine was from a limited perspective.

Serving in leadership is not easy. Those who have never done so do not understand the complexities of such a role and calling. Decisions are made moment by moment. Once in the position you are expected to make the right decisions for the team, corporation, ministry etc. You are pulled by differing ideologies and rare are the days when you can find a few if any who agree with you. But this is the role. This is the duty of the position.

Problems will always be in front of you. But not all problems have to be deadly. The key in being an effective leader is to learn. Leaders must learn their product and get to know it better than anyone else. Leaders must know where they are going and how to steer the whole of the organization in that direction. When one fails at any or even just a few of the above, the leader drives off the cliff. Ideas and dreams are great. But it is in the fundamentals of life that those things are brought to fruition and survive.

Our world sees the lack of these fundamentals in every facet of our lives. Churches, Denominations, Conventions, Organizations, and world leadership as a whole suffer from the same issues today that the owner of the Segway Corporation obviously held. Tragic yes. But it does not have to be so!

If you are leader ask the following questions:
1. Do I know what I am leading?
2. Do I know the inside out of what I am leading?
3. Am I compromising basics to reach consensus?
4. Am I using "pressure tactics" instead of vision to lead?
5. Do I really know where I am going?
6. Is where I am going the place I really know I need to be?
7. Am I listening to sound wisdom from those who may know more than I?

There are so many more questions that could be asked. But I can assure you that the answers to the above will give you a more broad perspective in your mission. There are many cliffs. You do not have to drive off any of them. The choice is up to you.