How do we motivate staff members at our local Churches – Bribe them with money!

As Church we can learn a lot from the business world, but we can never function by the same principles as the business world. We should never consider our church workers as mere employees. We are called to be contra-culture, but especially as regards to the way culture and economics “reward” achievements. In the church today, however, there seems to be a growing tendency of working for bonuses, honour, and outcomes.

When the Church buys into this way of thinking, we give up the idea of worship/service as the highest calling. We, as Church, function on the premise that all are equal before God, and that God the Spirit is working through us. Everything we do, we do because we love God, and we love those around us. We are not in the business of church, we are in the ministry of church. We are not in the business of judging or evaluating each other on accomplishments, or results. We are in the business of worshipping God through our lives.

If we work with scorecards, by what measure, method, or vehicle, are we to judge success? If we are truly worried about what is happening in the church, then we would not “bribe” people to do better. We would spend more time with them in worshipping and make sure that they are experiencing Christ in their ministry. If you are in a leadership position in the church, and you are not praying with people, worshiping with them, and encouraging them through serving them, there is something wrong.

Christian Culture? – By Cobus Van Wyngaard

Cobus is a guest publisher this week on the blog. A Pastor with a vision of Church that is biblical. You can read more of his stuff on his blogs
http://mycontemplations.wordpress.com
http://anderkant.wordpress.com
If you park and enter on level 6 of Menlyn mall, on your way to the movies, you used to walk past the tattoo-parlour and then CUM books. According to some the tattoo-parlour was quite dodgy, with the girl with the leather straps which only cover the most needed parts decorating the front window.

Right next to it was CUM. Surely one of the biggest symbols of Christian culture here in South Africa. I’ve always found this two shops next to each other a beautiful picture of the tension in which we live. Until yesterday…

Creative question of the day.

Thanks to all for reading my blog on a regular basis. I would like to get to know you better and therefore I am going to post a “Creative Question” each day.

Today’s question: What was your Funniest moment in Church?

If you have trouble leaving a comment here, email the comment to me at barnardpaul38@gmail.com and I will paste it for you.

Stories of Faith

This is the stories of faith that was read on radio

1. Blotted tears and Grace

2. The morning I met Jesus at the Petrol station.

3. My Prison Miracle

4. God loves tough guys.

Send in your stories of Faith.

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Sinners prayer

How would you help someone to give his/her heart to God? I recently came across an article from Carlos Whittaker that I really enjoyed. (http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com/2010/09/rewriting-the-sinners-prayer-amen-the-church-camp-curse/)

Rewriting The Sinners Prayer, Amen, & The Church Camp Curse

“Heavenly Father, I know that I have sinned against You and that my sins separate me from You. I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my sinful past and turn to You for forgiveness. Please forgive me and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, that He was raised from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become my Savior and the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen”

Top 10 Christian blogs I like

1. Jesus Creed
2. Internet Monk
3. Desiring God
4. Raggamuffinsoul
5. The Thirsty Theologian
6. Challies
7. Reformation21
8. Donald Miller 
9. the emerging bracken
10. Deeper things

Super 15 2011 Schedule

For all my Rugby friends, here is the draw for Super 15 2011. It is now time to make sure your calenders are up to date. The team first mentioned is the team with the home-ground advantage.

Part 3: My Whacked out Idea of ministry

This post is part  of the series My whacked out idea of church.
Go to Part 2
Our Sowetan friend, Devon, and Alak, from Thailand, have booming churches. But their ministry models are so simple, so non-existing. It is here where my American friend with the mega church, with a weekly attendance of 14 000, took me by surprise. The big question in ministry is, "How do we demonstrate our faith in the community?"

God loves tough guys.

These days I find myself crying more often than I am comfortable with. But if there is one thing that opens me up like a sprinkler system on a Kalahari farm, it is when somebody commits their life to Christ. This is the most amazing miracle anyone can ever experience and if you are close to me when this happens, make sure you have a raincoat.
The tough guy I am talking about is not me, I would have said “seriously tough” if I was talking about myself. No the tough guy I am talking about is a youngster, seventeen years old. He is a young leader I have met during one of the greatest experiences of my life – The “Kalahari Vasbyt”.
Every year at the end of December till early January Themba Tours organises a tour for young leaders, Grade 10-12. This is for tough guys, leaders and athletes. They would face the toughest and almost certainly greatest 18 days of their life.  They would tour through Botswana to Zimbabwe where they would be river rafting on grade 5 rapids the  biggest in the world(It is here where they learn to pray for small things – like air).

Part 2: My whacked out idea of congregation!

This is part 2 of the series My whacked out idea of church. This week while talking about church and what is happening in the world, the following 4 points came to my attention.
What is your understanding of active members?
I grew up with the whacked out idea that in congregation, an active member implies a person doing the following:

• Goes to church every Sunday.
  
• Partakes in a small group (If a person is willing to be a small group leader or play a specific role in the leading of the small group he/she naturally moves to the next level of membership. They are worth more.
  
• If they are active in one of the ministries of the Church like Family, Outreach, worship ministry then they move to the next level.
  
• If they are giving 10% or more they move to the next level of commitment.
  
• If they are leading someone in Discipleship they are ready to become a Deacon, Elder or Pastor. This would be the highest level.
  
  
  

God please help me with relationships.

When we talk about relationships we use economical metaphors like:

• we value people
• we invest in people
• relationships could be bankrupt (how many times have you heard the sermon that you should do good things for your partner, it is like banking. When the hard times come and you make mistakes you will still have credit)
• people are priceless, etc.

My whacked out ideas about Church?

Where did I get my wacked out ideas about Church? About how ministry is supposed to work, about what is important? This week I have been amazed by the idea about Church that I grew up with. No, more than that, that which I had been taught in my years in the Church and in seminary.

What happened? I had the privilege to spend this week with 9 individuals from different parts of the world. Two of us from South Africa(Devon is from Soweto), one from Egypt, one from Ethiopia, one from Nigeria, one from Tanzania. Two from the USA, one from Thailand and one form Germany. What a challenging group! Each one of us from a different denomination and cultural background. But most of all what an amazing spiritual experience!