http://lkjennings.blogspot.com/
The First thing I noticed about Sam is his enthusiastic personality. He isn’t afraid to be upfront even if it means people won’t agree with his way of doing things. One of the biggest lessons I’m exploring this year is how to grow in leadership so it was really good for me to see this type of aggressiveness in a leader. Sometimes I feel as though I need to walk on eggshells so I don’t offend anyone, but I’m learning that you can not please everybody when you’re in a position of leadership-and that is okay!
At one point during this interview, Sam said “I don’t have to be a pastor to do my calling. I could work a regular job and still carry it out in some way, shape, or form.” I love this! In some respects, being in full time ministry seems to be the only way to effectively carry out your “calling”. But, I’m noticing very quickly that it is just as effective to minister to your friends and family, people at work, or even strangers in the grocery store. Simply loving on people and being a good, positive, encouraging influence speaks wonders and stimulates curiosity about the love and compassion of Christ.
I wanted to ask him about his approach on being relevant. From what I could pull out of his interview, it seemed like he has a pretty good handle at doing this. However, it really sparked my interest on a personal level. Where is the line between being relevant to this world without being of this world? I wish he went into some detail about that. Maybe next time I see him, I’ll ask him.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Rev. F. Wes Shortridge
http://lkjennings.blogspot.com/
I have to be honest and say that I thoroughly enjoyed this interview. I am amazed at how true and real Wes presented himself. He is unhindered and unafraid of rebuke or distain for bringing a new approach to sharing the Gospel. It was so evident to see his passion for reaching the lost.
When the interview first started, it was difficult for me to take him seriously. I had to repent because I sort of “judged the book by the cover”. But that judgment was quickly overtaken as he began explaining his heart in his methods in serving the Lord. There were a lot of great points that he made such as, “we will never hire people to do ministry again: only hire them to equip other people to do ministry.” What a great perspective!
I absolutely love that Wes doesn’t pretend to be someone else but himself. He uses his hobby of motorcycles to reach “manly” men. One thing brought up in class was that there is a higher rate of women then men that attend church in our society today. This is not true, however, for Liberty Community Church. Wes said that his church usually draws in men because the service and message is simple and raw. This is fascinating to me because we rarely have the opportunity to witness new ways in “doing church”.
The lesson for me here is to: 1.) Never judge a book by it’s cover-you never know what the content will hold. 2.) There is more than one way to present the Gospel if it’s bringing people to know and love Jesus Christ.
I have to be honest and say that I thoroughly enjoyed this interview. I am amazed at how true and real Wes presented himself. He is unhindered and unafraid of rebuke or distain for bringing a new approach to sharing the Gospel. It was so evident to see his passion for reaching the lost.
When the interview first started, it was difficult for me to take him seriously. I had to repent because I sort of “judged the book by the cover”. But that judgment was quickly overtaken as he began explaining his heart in his methods in serving the Lord. There were a lot of great points that he made such as, “we will never hire people to do ministry again: only hire them to equip other people to do ministry.” What a great perspective!
I absolutely love that Wes doesn’t pretend to be someone else but himself. He uses his hobby of motorcycles to reach “manly” men. One thing brought up in class was that there is a higher rate of women then men that attend church in our society today. This is not true, however, for Liberty Community Church. Wes said that his church usually draws in men because the service and message is simple and raw. This is fascinating to me because we rarely have the opportunity to witness new ways in “doing church”.
The lesson for me here is to: 1.) Never judge a book by it’s cover-you never know what the content will hold. 2.) There is more than one way to present the Gospel if it’s bringing people to know and love Jesus Christ.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Jonatan and Anna
http://lkjennings.blogspot.com/
Learning about other cultures and what approach they take on sharing the Gospel has always been a big interest of mine. Jonatan and Anna helped challenge me in ways that grew my desire to spread the loving Word of salvation through Jesus Christ. It was very apparent that they both have one desire and that is to make the love of Jesus known wherever they are.
They make sharing the Gospel seem so simple to do. When talking about cultural differences, they said they do a lot of preparing before they embark on their missions trips. They learn about the history of the culture, and different norms that they have. They learn about challenges the cultures face and about different things they lack. For instance: when Anna went to Bulgaria, she knew that the religion there was predominantly Muslim. In that knowledge, she said, “The main key with them, is to preach about the love of God” since they are only taught judgment and discipline. I love how simple they made this look! It’s something that I (and probably most American Christians) struggle with. After I heard their approach to breaking cultural divisions, something in me was very inspired to explore new ways to practice doing it. The motivation behind their passion for this ministry though, is loving God and responding to His calling to love people.
I noticed that the way they love people and really desire them to know Christ is very uplifting and presented another new challenge for me personally. Loving people takes a lot of effort, patience, compassion and discipline. This is one of the many convictions that God has been putting on my heart since I became serious about pursuing His calling. How can we effectively serve God, and His children if we don’t actually love them? It isn’t hard to miss the fact that Anna and Jonatan do a wonderful job of this.
May we grasp the importance of understanding what compassion and love really is. May God give us the grace to practice it in our weakness and may we learn from the example of Jonatan and Anna to really think twice about loving those who are “unlovable’.
Learning about other cultures and what approach they take on sharing the Gospel has always been a big interest of mine. Jonatan and Anna helped challenge me in ways that grew my desire to spread the loving Word of salvation through Jesus Christ. It was very apparent that they both have one desire and that is to make the love of Jesus known wherever they are.
They make sharing the Gospel seem so simple to do. When talking about cultural differences, they said they do a lot of preparing before they embark on their missions trips. They learn about the history of the culture, and different norms that they have. They learn about challenges the cultures face and about different things they lack. For instance: when Anna went to Bulgaria, she knew that the religion there was predominantly Muslim. In that knowledge, she said, “The main key with them, is to preach about the love of God” since they are only taught judgment and discipline. I love how simple they made this look! It’s something that I (and probably most American Christians) struggle with. After I heard their approach to breaking cultural divisions, something in me was very inspired to explore new ways to practice doing it. The motivation behind their passion for this ministry though, is loving God and responding to His calling to love people.
I noticed that the way they love people and really desire them to know Christ is very uplifting and presented another new challenge for me personally. Loving people takes a lot of effort, patience, compassion and discipline. This is one of the many convictions that God has been putting on my heart since I became serious about pursuing His calling. How can we effectively serve God, and His children if we don’t actually love them? It isn’t hard to miss the fact that Anna and Jonatan do a wonderful job of this.
May we grasp the importance of understanding what compassion and love really is. May God give us the grace to practice it in our weakness and may we learn from the example of Jonatan and Anna to really think twice about loving those who are “unlovable’.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Church Rater Survey #1
http://lkjennings.blogspot.com/
The Church
What Church did you visit?
-Bethel Assembly of God
What city or town is this Church located?
-Littlestown
What date and service did you attend?
-Sunday night service (when Johannes spoke)
Evaluating
How would you rate this church?
-It is beautiful on the insde. The people are accepting and joyful. The Holy Spirit is definately evident.
Please provide ratings based on your own experience. Yes, I realize this is subjective and your '1′ might be someone else's '5′. That's ok. It's your rating and I really want your opinion.
Rate the following from 1 to 5. 1 is not effective, 5 is very effective!
Overall: 4. Friendliness: 4. Singing: 3 (not my style). Preaching: 5-Johannes is awesome. It was grea to experience his preaching outside of Freedom Valley. It seemed like he was a little bit more reserved considering the culture of that church was more "traditional".
First Impressions
Outside:
Was the building easy to find?
-Yes
Was it difficult to find parking?
-Not at all
How about the interior or exterior signage- what would you do differently?
-I enjoyed the way everything looked. The children's room was enormous and decorated very appropriately. The sanctuary was large enough to accomodate alot of people and had a warm feel to it.
What did the appearance, style, or construction of the building communicate to you?
-Warm, friendly, welcoming atomosphere.
Before the service: Did anyone approach you and speak to you before the service got underway?
-Only other people from Freedom Valley. I would like to attend again on my own-a lot of our church body was there so, I didn't have much of an opportunity to get to connect with the Bethel church body.
If someone did speak to you, how did you feel about that? n/a
Can you share their names? n/a
Did you know them before the visit? n/a
General observations:
As you observed the people "doing their church thing", what went through your mind?
-"This is pretty stinkin' awesome!" There were about 5 different denominations worshiping the Lord together, which was incredible to witness.
Were you able to understand why they do what they do?
-YES
Do they seem sincere?
-YES. Jim Ruddy seems so free in his worship. (That was nice to see)
What do you think about the overall presentation of the service? (the liturgy, program or flow of the service)
-It had a great flow.
Bulletin and communications:
Is there anything in the church bulletin that you find confusing or offensive?
-I did not recieve a bulliten (it was not a normal sunday service)
If this were your "business", how would you improve the communication part of it- the bulletin especially?
-I would challenge the church body to bring friends or other people who needed to hear the Gospel. I belive the church needs to head into that direction more.
Were announcements clear, and interesting (did you want to sign up for anything)?
-Announcments were clear. Our purpose of being there was made very clear. Jim Ruddy did a good job.
Children's Ministry
Does this church appear kid-friendly?
-Absolutely
Did you bring any children with you to the service?
-NO
If so, ask them about their experience. What did they tell you?
Music and Prayer
How would you describe the music?
-Lively, very organized in their worship. They sounded great. It was interesting that the worshipers on stage are the leaders, but they seemed to be bored and not so in-tune with the Holy Spirit.
Did you enjoy any of it?
-Yes I enjoyed it. I had to remind myself that worshiping Jesus is a matter of the heart and soul. What the music sounds like shouldn't have a negative effect on the way we worship our Creator.
Did you feel like you connected with God during any part of it?
-Yes!
How was it different from what you are used to?
-It was alot more clam and organized than Freedom Valley. This isn't a bad thing necessarily. Calmer worship will reach out to older people, which is great!
Would you enjoy worshiping like that often?
-Probably not. I love being able to jump and be undignified in worship before the Lord.
What did you think of the prayers that were offered in the service?
-They were very effective.
As you listened to the prayers, what did you learn about how that church might think of people, or of God?
-Jim Ruddy prayed a few times and it was easy to see that he is fired up about the direction that God is leading him and his church. I believe he really loves people and is not afraid of cultural differences.
The Speaker's Presentation
Did the Pastor or speaker seem likable?
-Yes.
Is he/she a person you might enjoy having coffee with? Why?
-Sure. I love coffee and i love getting to know people.
Did he/she seem engaged/sincere/condescending?
-Engaged and sincere, Yes.
Were you motivated to do or think anything differently because of the talk?
-The message reiterated and reminded me of a few things having to do with forgivness.
What could they have done to make it more enjoyable or useful?
-Nothing in my opinion. I think it was wonderful and effective.
Please erase any of the following descriptors that did not apply to the talk: Enjoyable, Thought-provoking, Relevant, Energetic, Credible, Upbeat, Humorous, Useful, Life-changing, funny.
The Message
What was the main idea of the message?
-Forgivness.
What action did the speaker want you to take or consider taking?
-To forgive people who have hurt us and to move forward in our relationship with the Lord by embracing the freedom He offers us.
Did the talk itself (the subject matter) hold your attention?
-Yes.
Did any part of the talk stand out to you in a positive or negative way?
-It was all equally effective for me that night.
What is the one thing the speaker could do that would improve his/her presentation?
-Nothing in my opinion. I learn from Johannes' gift every time he speaks.
Do you think that you particularly will remember anything that was taught?
-Yes.
Do you understand God or people better because of it?
-Sure.
Did it make you feel like you wanted to preach someday yourself ?
-It always does. I would love to preach one day-especially when I see a speaker who is confident and using his gift with authority.
The Church
What Church did you visit?
-Bethel Assembly of God
What city or town is this Church located?
-Littlestown
What date and service did you attend?
-Sunday night service (when Johannes spoke)
Evaluating
How would you rate this church?
-It is beautiful on the insde. The people are accepting and joyful. The Holy Spirit is definately evident.
Please provide ratings based on your own experience. Yes, I realize this is subjective and your '1′ might be someone else's '5′. That's ok. It's your rating and I really want your opinion.
Rate the following from 1 to 5. 1 is not effective, 5 is very effective!
Overall: 4. Friendliness: 4. Singing: 3 (not my style). Preaching: 5-Johannes is awesome. It was grea to experience his preaching outside of Freedom Valley. It seemed like he was a little bit more reserved considering the culture of that church was more "traditional".
First Impressions
Outside:
Was the building easy to find?
-Yes
Was it difficult to find parking?
-Not at all
How about the interior or exterior signage- what would you do differently?
-I enjoyed the way everything looked. The children's room was enormous and decorated very appropriately. The sanctuary was large enough to accomodate alot of people and had a warm feel to it.
What did the appearance, style, or construction of the building communicate to you?
-Warm, friendly, welcoming atomosphere.
Before the service: Did anyone approach you and speak to you before the service got underway?
-Only other people from Freedom Valley. I would like to attend again on my own-a lot of our church body was there so, I didn't have much of an opportunity to get to connect with the Bethel church body.
If someone did speak to you, how did you feel about that? n/a
Can you share their names? n/a
Did you know them before the visit? n/a
General observations:
As you observed the people "doing their church thing", what went through your mind?
-"This is pretty stinkin' awesome!" There were about 5 different denominations worshiping the Lord together, which was incredible to witness.
Were you able to understand why they do what they do?
-YES
Do they seem sincere?
-YES. Jim Ruddy seems so free in his worship. (That was nice to see)
What do you think about the overall presentation of the service? (the liturgy, program or flow of the service)
-It had a great flow.
Bulletin and communications:
Is there anything in the church bulletin that you find confusing or offensive?
-I did not recieve a bulliten (it was not a normal sunday service)
If this were your "business", how would you improve the communication part of it- the bulletin especially?
-I would challenge the church body to bring friends or other people who needed to hear the Gospel. I belive the church needs to head into that direction more.
Were announcements clear, and interesting (did you want to sign up for anything)?
-Announcments were clear. Our purpose of being there was made very clear. Jim Ruddy did a good job.
Children's Ministry
Does this church appear kid-friendly?
-Absolutely
Did you bring any children with you to the service?
-NO
If so, ask them about their experience. What did they tell you?
Music and Prayer
How would you describe the music?
-Lively, very organized in their worship. They sounded great. It was interesting that the worshipers on stage are the leaders, but they seemed to be bored and not so in-tune with the Holy Spirit.
Did you enjoy any of it?
-Yes I enjoyed it. I had to remind myself that worshiping Jesus is a matter of the heart and soul. What the music sounds like shouldn't have a negative effect on the way we worship our Creator.
Did you feel like you connected with God during any part of it?
-Yes!
How was it different from what you are used to?
-It was alot more clam and organized than Freedom Valley. This isn't a bad thing necessarily. Calmer worship will reach out to older people, which is great!
Would you enjoy worshiping like that often?
-Probably not. I love being able to jump and be undignified in worship before the Lord.
What did you think of the prayers that were offered in the service?
-They were very effective.
As you listened to the prayers, what did you learn about how that church might think of people, or of God?
-Jim Ruddy prayed a few times and it was easy to see that he is fired up about the direction that God is leading him and his church. I believe he really loves people and is not afraid of cultural differences.
The Speaker's Presentation
Did the Pastor or speaker seem likable?
-Yes.
Is he/she a person you might enjoy having coffee with? Why?
-Sure. I love coffee and i love getting to know people.
Did he/she seem engaged/sincere/condescending?
-Engaged and sincere, Yes.
Were you motivated to do or think anything differently because of the talk?
-The message reiterated and reminded me of a few things having to do with forgivness.
What could they have done to make it more enjoyable or useful?
-Nothing in my opinion. I think it was wonderful and effective.
Please erase any of the following descriptors that did not apply to the talk: Enjoyable, Thought-provoking, Relevant, Energetic, Credible, Upbeat, Humorous, Useful, Life-changing, funny.
The Message
What was the main idea of the message?
-Forgivness.
What action did the speaker want you to take or consider taking?
-To forgive people who have hurt us and to move forward in our relationship with the Lord by embracing the freedom He offers us.
Did the talk itself (the subject matter) hold your attention?
-Yes.
Did any part of the talk stand out to you in a positive or negative way?
-It was all equally effective for me that night.
What is the one thing the speaker could do that would improve his/her presentation?
-Nothing in my opinion. I learn from Johannes' gift every time he speaks.
Do you think that you particularly will remember anything that was taught?
-Yes.
Do you understand God or people better because of it?
-Sure.
Did it make you feel like you wanted to preach someday yourself ?
-It always does. I would love to preach one day-especially when I see a speaker who is confident and using his gift with authority.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
New Believer Interview #1
http://lkjennings.blogspot.com/
I had the pleasure of interviewing a young man who has lived most of his life trying to seek a deeper meaning to existence, and to the word faith. He told me that his mother, who was a new believer at the time, raised him in church from the time he was very young. Then as he got older, he (as many of us do) desired to find his own faith and separate from the one his mom had enforced. That’s when I asked him to explain his journey to Christ. He explained, “As I became a teenager, there came a time when I wanted to find out life for myself, so I turned to other things.” That’s when he stopped going to church. Eventually he found that those “things” (worldly pleasures) never seemed to fill the void he felt inside. He said, “I was tired of things not working out in my life: I felt very empty inside. But I knew that there was more for my life so about four months ago, I became serious about the Gospel and dedicated my life to Christ.” “The best part of becoming a Christ follower is “knowing that this is where I’m meant to be. I don’t have to try filling the emptiness anymore by way of worldly pleasure.”
I love seeing the tangible change that God has done in this young mans life. As we talked, I was able to relate to him in a lot of ways as far as our pre-Christ backgrounds go. He inspired and challenged me in a very big way: To build relationships and love people as Jesus does. He said, the thing that has helped him transition the most was being around good people and really building relationships with them. That is very essential to having a good, successful ministry.
May we be fervent as the body of Christ to learn from this powerful testimony and pursue relationships on a deeper level. Maybe then people would be more interested in exploring the freedom Jesus has to offer.
I had the pleasure of interviewing a young man who has lived most of his life trying to seek a deeper meaning to existence, and to the word faith. He told me that his mother, who was a new believer at the time, raised him in church from the time he was very young. Then as he got older, he (as many of us do) desired to find his own faith and separate from the one his mom had enforced. That’s when I asked him to explain his journey to Christ. He explained, “As I became a teenager, there came a time when I wanted to find out life for myself, so I turned to other things.” That’s when he stopped going to church. Eventually he found that those “things” (worldly pleasures) never seemed to fill the void he felt inside. He said, “I was tired of things not working out in my life: I felt very empty inside. But I knew that there was more for my life so about four months ago, I became serious about the Gospel and dedicated my life to Christ.” “The best part of becoming a Christ follower is “knowing that this is where I’m meant to be. I don’t have to try filling the emptiness anymore by way of worldly pleasure.”
I love seeing the tangible change that God has done in this young mans life. As we talked, I was able to relate to him in a lot of ways as far as our pre-Christ backgrounds go. He inspired and challenged me in a very big way: To build relationships and love people as Jesus does. He said, the thing that has helped him transition the most was being around good people and really building relationships with them. That is very essential to having a good, successful ministry.
May we be fervent as the body of Christ to learn from this powerful testimony and pursue relationships on a deeper level. Maybe then people would be more interested in exploring the freedom Jesus has to offer.
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