Yes, We’re Still Here

Its been a few months since I posted here, so I thought I’d bring an end to my unintended self-imposed exile from the blogging world by giving a much-needed update.

This has been by far the busiest school year I can remember.  Juggling multiple responsibilities while having too much on my plate has made this an unforgettable season.  Working full-time in security, then part-time teaching, plus trying to lead our small church and Indian bible study outreach group, as well as serving in the TN State Guard and training with the Civil Air Patrol.  Yes, its been too much.  What put me over the edge was the school losing a teacher a month into the first semester which necessitated me taking up some of the slack.  It was one of those things I felt like I had to do, and its now almost over.  I’m looking forward to moving on with so many things that have been waiting.

Brenda also is teaching part-time at the same school and continuing with homeschooling.  Leah still does ballet and was selected as a cast member for the Orpheum Theatre’s Nutcracker performance.  This was a city-wide tryout for the professional production.  Sarah has really gotten into writing and is doing a great job exploring her gifts in storytelling.

Mid-South Church

Our small fellowship of families continues to meet regularly.  We are currently going through a study of the book of Acts, doing a chapter a week.  We are using the Visual Bible:Acts movie as a nice aid, since it is a word-for-word dramatized portrayal of the Acts story.  I once led a study in Matthew using the same method and found it enjoyable. 

Truthseekers
We continue to meet 1-2 times per month with our friends from India for the purpose of Bible study and discussion.  This is a seeker’s group with folks from different faith backgrounds and we are currently going through the book of Matthew with them (no video on this one) and plan to continue through the summer.  This is very much a seed-sowing time with teaching, fellowship, singing and prayer, and great authentic Indian food!

With both groups there are families that host our meetings in homes, ranging from Munford and Millington to Memphis, Germantown, Cordova and Collierville.  Both groups include everything from singles to whole families with lots of kids. 

In recent months we enjoyed visits from ministry advisor Mike Morgan from Church of the Nations and missionary friends Mark and Ronda Benz from Cambodia, who shared about their ministry to children there.  Thanks guys, for coming!

Emergency Services
I really can’t explain it, but I’ve been feeling drawn for some time to the emergency services field.  I enlisted in the Tennessee State Guard, the volunteer reserves for the National Guard, whose primary task is disaster relief and emergency services.  Likewise I also previously joined the Civil Air Patrol, which does the same thing as well as aircraft search and rescue.  I’ve been getting training through FEMA and the American Red Cross, and recently got my Amateur (HAM) Radio License through the FCC.  Part of my goal is community service, part of it is my own genuine interest, and part of it is connecting with folks who may not know the Lord.  There are lots of men in these types of groups who selflessly volunteer their time for the welfare of the city and my desire is to be a light among them for the Kingdom.

Well, that’s it for now.  I hope to be posting more regularly soon.  God’s Peace!

Ruben & family

What the Church can learn from a beer commercial

if you visited a church that looked like this, would you stay or leave?

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is upon us!  The holiday, that is.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, and encourage everyone to remember in your prayers all our servicemen & women overseas as well as any missionaries you may know.  If you’d like to know more about the history of this holiday, click HERE.  I’ve included just some of the many scripture verses relating to the subject of giving thanks.  May God bless you with a thankful heart this holiday season.  --rb 

• “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” (1 Chronicles 16:8-9)
• “I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” (Psalm 7:17)
• “I will give thanks to him in song.” (Psalm 28:7)
• “These things I remember as I pour out my soul how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.” (Psalm 42:4)
• “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” (Psalm 69:30)
• “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” (Psalm 95:2)
• “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (Psalm 100:4)
• “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good…” (Psalm 107:1)
• “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.” (Isaiah 12:4)
• “Nor should there be any obscenity, foolish talk or course joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” (Ephesians 5:4)
• “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
• “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes. 5:18)
• “I urge you then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for all kings and those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Truthseekers Bible Study–October

Our ministry to the Malayalam-speaking Indians continues, and this past week we studied Matthew chapter 3.

We took a look at the very interesting John the Baptizer and his likely connection to the Essene community, the nature and forms of baptism and its roots in the Jewish rite of miqveh, and the meaning of repentance, which was his basic message.

We also spent time discussing the Kingdom of Heaven, and what that means in its Jewish context, and why that’s vitally important to us as Christians.  Also, I shared about who the Pharisees and Sadducees were, and how we’re not that different (doctrinally) from Pharisaism. 

Here are our study questions for your consideration:

1. Locate Desert of Judea, Galilee, Jerusalem, and the Jordan River on a map.

2. Terms to define: kingdom of heaven, Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, baptize.

3. When did John the Baptist preach? What does “in those days” mean?

4. What was John the Baptist’s message, and what does it teach us about the kingdom? Why does he say kingdom of heaven rather than kingdom of God?

5. Why would Matthew specifically mention the type of clothing that John wore and the food that he ate?

6. What did the people do when they got baptized?

7. John’s message to the Pharisees and Sadducees was a stunning rebuke. Why would he say such things? Is it ever appropriate to speak to someone like that today?

8. Who was John referring to as the “one who who is more powerful than I?”

9. How does the image of Messiah (the One) of verse 11-12 fit with your image of Jesus?

10. Why would Jesus need to be baptized? Did he need to repent of anything? What does it mean “to fulfill all righteousness?”

11. Compare verse 17 with its parallel passages at Mark 1, Luke 3, and John 1. Are there any differences or insights you notice? Does it matter?

Truthseekers is the name of the Bible study group we lead for Malayalam-speaking Indians from various church backgrounds. 

Halloween Already?

Time sure flies when you’re having fun, or as a friend used to say, “Unless you’re a frog, then time is fun when you’re having flies.”  The calendar just keeps moving on, with or without our approval, and before you know it, Thanksgiving will be upon us then Christmas and 2012.

Since Halloween is coming up this Monday night, I thought I’d share an article I wrote that has received a lot of comments in the past and has been published in various places. 

Where did Halloween come from?  Should I participate?  How can I use this holiday for God’s Kingdom?  These are just some of the many questions people ask this time of year.  Click here or below to learn more.

http://rubenbarrett.blogspot.com/2010/10/halloween.html

Pastor Steps Down Over Discipleship Failure

This one will have you scratching your head.

Shaun King, notable Christian leader in Atlanta, GA, has stepped down from his church which he pioneered just two years ago.  Why?

Discipleship, the most important thing that Jesus commanded, simply wasn’t happening with the type of structure and methodology that they were using.  The solution?  Try to change the structure and methodology, of course.  However, the people just wouldn’t have it.  In a church only two years old, the people were firmly planted in their tradition.

Wow, this really tells us how important tradition is.  The trajectory you start with is very difficult to change.  This is why we are trying to be very careful about the pattern we’re establishing with our church plant.

Here’s an excerpt from the Lk10 Revolution blog:

Called "Courageous Church", it was, in Shaun's words, a "super cool Sunday worship-service-centered church with 700 people". A mixed race congregation, it was seen as one of the cutting edge churches in the city. Highly "successful"!   Leonard Sweet, scholar and author, called Shaun, "One of the most dynamic, entrepreneurial, creative and passionate leaders on the American scene today." How could this guy possibly fail? What would cause him to throw up his hands and give up?
 
Shaun stepped down not because of any scandal but because he was disillusioned and burned out. He had followed the advice of church planting experts on how to develop an exciting, growing church by focusing on a dynamic Sunday morning "experience". He writes, "I sold my soul for church attendance in our first week and I could never quite get it back."

Over time Shaun came to understand that "the overwhelming percentage of our time, energy, skills, budget and creativity were spent preparing for Sunday morning services, getting people to our Sunday services and getting them to volunteer for our Sunday morning services." Then, Shaun made a big "mistake". He tried to change all of this. He tried to create a discipleship oriented church where the "time, energy, skills, budget and creativity" went primarily into caring for people and meeting needs in the city. And, since he was the senior leader, he could make this work. Right?
Shaun planned to move the whole congregation into small missional groups with one large meeting each month. He worked with his leaders to develop the new structure.

He preached a whole sermon series on the new vision. http://www.shauninthecity.com/2011/03/its-true-preaching-my-last-sermon-series-courageous-church.html (Preaching changes people. Right?) He reports that, as long as he was preaching about it, the people loved it.

But, once the "shift" took place, in his words, "all hell broke loose". Three months later, 85% of the congregation wanted to go back to the "super cool worship-service-centered church". Four months later, Shaun stepped down as the lead pastor. Here's his evaluation...

"What I am saying is that church attendance, Sunday morning services, sermon-listening (or even sermon preaching), song-singing, hand-clapping, amen-saying and all the other things that "Christ-ians" have lifted up so high look so little like Christ himself that I am utterly convinced that we are completely off base with what discipleship means. Considering all of this, I think I have given up on church as I knew it. Big buildings. Hugh crowds. Few disciples. I'm not with it. It's inefficient and just doesn't feel right with my soul. This is not a rejection of big buildings or huge crowds, but an indictment on how few disciples are being made in the process of it all. A better way has to exist."

Well, Shaun, welcome to the growing number of traditional church leaders (perhaps 1500 a month by some estimates) who are coming to the same conclusion. That is, that the building-centered, Sunday big worship-service-centered "experience" (one mega church here in Denver calls this "the big magic") is a great way to entertain people but an inefficient way to make disciples. Not only that, but it takes a terrible toll on the pastors and on their families.

I for one have mixed feelings about this.  I’m not convinced that the right structure will magicly make discipleship happen.  I’ve seen what his church was doing and it all seemed pretty awesome.  What I can do, however, is sympathize with what he felt as a pastor, and the hunger he has for something more.

What do you think?

Welcome Back, Mr. Kot-taaare…!

After a long summer hiatus, I have officially returned.  Summer is winding up (or is it down?), and school is getting ready to start. Change is in the air…

So here’s a few updates in lieu of a summer newsletter:

(1) I took a new job working security for the summer that looks like it will be long-term, and it will allow me to continue with the teaching, church ministry, and community involvement that I have been committed to.

(2) The www.HaDavar.net website has been stripped of most of its content and transferred to the new domain www.RubenBarrett.net.  This change is in preparation for the coming publication of some of my many projects.  The HaDavar site will be remodeled into an outreach and apologetics site focused around the themes of Bible answers to various issues.  Be sure to check out the all-new blogsite at www.RubenBarrett.net.

(3) The house church continues to meet regularly.  We currently are studying the Minor Prophets, and just finished going through Jude, 1st and 2nd Peter.  The kids are studying the parables of Christ and are making skits/videos of their adventures.  We are looking forward to some missionaries to Cambodia coming to speak to us this month.

(4) I’ve been asked to teach a Bible study group of Malayalam-speaking Indians which should start this month hopefully.  Please pray that the scheduling can be worked out to involve as many of them as possible.  We’ll be studying the book of Matthew.

(5) I’m continuing my involvement once a month with the Civil Air Patrol, training for search and rescue operations, and have also spent the last 6 months teaching an aerospace education class to cadets.  Currently I’m also in the process of enlisting in the Tennessee State Guard, which is the reserve force for the TN National Guard but can’t be called up outside of the state.  Both groups are tied in with the military, FEMA and the American Red Cross and are part of my goal of getting Disaster Relief training.

(6.) The kids are tired of summertime and can’t wait to start back to school.
                                                          NOT !

(7) Brenda and I will continue teaching part-time with VCS, where she’ll teach math and I’ll teach Latin and Greek.  For the kids we’re exploring all the extra-curriculars as well: Ballet, piano, soccer or other sports, etc. 

Well, that’s a wrap for now.  I encourage you to take a look at the new website and let me know what you think.  Feel free to pass this on to anybody who may be interested.  For those new to the mailing list, thanks for joining!

God’s Peace,

Ruben & family