www.lkjennings.blogspot.com
The Church
What Church did you visit?-Rabbi Ed’s church
What city or town is this Church located?
-East Berlin
What date and service did you attend?
-Saturday night 2/28/09EvaluatingHow would you rate this church?-I would rate this church as an 8 on a scale from 1-10.
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: 5
Singing: 4 (I love the Hebrew/style music) Rachel Ralston and I went and we learned the dancing so quickly! It was a lot of fun!
Preaching: 3-As far as his preaching, it is interesting to learn different religious cultures but at times, he doesn’t hold my attention too well.
First ImpressionsOutside:
Was the building easy to find?-Well, sort of. It was down all of these back roads and I get lost very easy haha!!
Was it difficult to find parking?-No. The parking lot was small but accessible.
How about the interior or exterior signage- what would you do differently?-I understand that they don’t have a lot of money so, the building was very small. Also, the bathroom was an experience!!! The toilet was a porta-potty inside of the building with directions on how to use it. It was a good time.
What did the appearance, style, or construction of the building communicate to you?-It had a very homey feel to it. There were strings of white lights to help make it look nice inside as well as Judaic pictures and artifacts placed around the room.
Before the service:
Did anyone approach you and speak to you before the service got underway?
-YES! That was the most friendly congregation of people I had ever experienced. Of course, there were about 20 people all together so, a family-type congregation is not surprising. If someone did speak to you, how did you feel about that? I felt great about it! They weren’t awkward or anything.
Can you share their names? Marcia, Brittani, Willi, Nick, Sophia, Ken, etc…
Did you know them before the visit? I knew a few of them from Rabbi Ed’s bible study but, I got to meet a lot of people as well.
General observations:
As you observed the people "doing their church thing", what went through your mind?-I thought, “This is an interesting and pleasurable experience to see this cultural change.”
Were you able to understand why they do what they do?-Not exactly…I asked some questions about different things such as the dancing, the pictures, the singing etc…and was able to learn some pretty cool things.Do they seem sincere?-YES they do!! I sort of fell in love with them.
What do you think about the overall presentation of the service? (the liturgy, program or flow of the service)-Well, the flow was very relaxed…almost to the point where I could’ve fell asleep. Which, on one hand was good because there was incredible peace.
Bulletin and communications:
Is there anything in the church bulletin that you find confusing or offensive?-I don’t remember receiving a bulletin.
If this were your "business", how would you improve the communication part of it- the bulletin especially?-Getting a bulletin might not be a bad idea…
Were announcements clear, and interesting (did you want to sign up for anything)?- I don’t remember any announcements. It didn’t seem to fit the culture of the church actually.
Children's Ministry
Does this church appear kid-friendly?-Absolutely. There were toys in the back for them to play with. Some kids were even allowed to play quietly during the service! I thought that was sweet.
Did you bring any children with you to the service?-NO
If so, ask them about their experience. What did they tell you? N/A
Music and Prayer:
How would you describe the music?- Its Hebrew. Absolutely beautiful. There is a calming, alluring presence that fills the room when the music is played.Did you enjoy any of it?- I enjoyed all of the music. Rabbi’s son Nick sang a few songs and he has a beautiful voice!
Did you feel like you connected with God during any part of it?-Yes I did.
How was it different from what you are used to?-The question should read, what isn’t different? I can’t think of too many similarities between our church and theirs.
Would you enjoy worshiping like that often?-Yes I would but not as my daily form of worship. The nicest thing about their worship is that it’s peaceful. I can’t remember feeling so feminine than I did while I was dancing with the other ladies in the church. It was lovely.
What did you think of the prayers that were offered in the service?-They almost have a repetitive feel to them. Before and after each prayer, Rabbi says a few names of God in Hebrew (cultural I’m sure). But each prayer was straight from his heart and I believe are very effective.
As you listened to the prayers, what did you learn about how that church might think of people, or of God?-They have such reverence for God. The impression that they give off towards the Lord is that He is incredibly Holy and needs to be taken a little bit more seriously. Towards people-they really love people. Rabbi Ed has a wonderful heart for everyone he’s around.
The Speaker's Presentation:
Did the Pastor or speaker seem likable?-Yes he is.
Is he/she a person you might enjoy having coffee with? Why?-I have had coffee with Rabbi Ed…during his bible studies. I would imagine f we went out for coffee it would be like a bible study. It’s so fun and exciting to pick his brain and be challenged in my thinking.
Did he/she seem engaged/sincere/condescending?-He seems very sincere above all else. It is so obvious that he loves the Lord so deeply.
Were you motivated to do or think anything differently because of the talk?-Not too much. I was motivated to find out more about their culture.
What could they have done to make it more enjoyable or useful?- I think he should make the messages more challenging to us…we need to be challenged in our faith and in our presentation of the Gospel.
Please erase any of the following descriptors that did not apply to the talk: Enjoyable, Thought-provoking, Relevant, Slow, Credible, Useful, Life-changing
The Message
What was the main idea of the message?- I can’t remember if there has ever been a main point to the message when listening to Rabbi Ed. He reads from their three sections of the Bible. Two from the OT and one from the NT. But the three of them don’t really tie all together.
What action did the speaker want you to take or consider taking?-There was no challenge/action presented.
Did the talk itself (the subject matter) hold your attention?-Parts of it did, parts of it didn’t, other parts of it didn’t make any sense to me (such as his theory that the world was created out of water droplets and such).
Did any part of the talk stand out to you in a positive or negative way?-Positive…his knowledge from the Jewish culture thousands of years ago can be so astounding and insightful to listen to.
What is the one thing the speaker could do that would improve his/her presentation?-Nothing I don’t think.
Do you think that you particularly will remember anything that was taught?-I remember some things, yes. Weather I understand or agree with them is another story. It’s all good though-I love the challenge!
Do you understand God or people better because of it?-In a way, yes.Did it make you feel like you wanted to preach someday yourself ?-Not really.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Jason Lamer
http://lkjennings.blogspot.com/
I remember seeing Jason and his wife years ago when I was in youth group. Then I had the privilege of working close with him during Master’s Commission. Every time I saw him, it was in a very fast-pace-professional environment so it was really awesome to hear him calmly share heart and God’s calling for his life.
Even though we work with him in the public schools, I had no idea how much actually goes into his work. It’s so wonderful to see his passion for kids who don’t know Christ because public schools are a very hard place to present the name of Jesus.
One of the things that I admire so much is the 777 follow-up plan that his team devised. It seems to me that for the speakers we’ve heard so far, there is an issue with following up with people who are new believers. One thing Jason mentioned that I liked a lot was that you can’t just get them saved and walk away. It’s not enough to call a new believer a week later and that’s all. Be consistent! Consistency grows comfort and when people are more comfortable, they are more likely to get involved and grow in their faith.
The most bitter-sweet comment he made all night was this: “The hardship of our country will be the harvest of the church!” Bitter because it’s a shame that our country will be enduring hardship but sweet because it’s in desperation that people are apt to look for faith.
I remember seeing Jason and his wife years ago when I was in youth group. Then I had the privilege of working close with him during Master’s Commission. Every time I saw him, it was in a very fast-pace-professional environment so it was really awesome to hear him calmly share heart and God’s calling for his life.
Even though we work with him in the public schools, I had no idea how much actually goes into his work. It’s so wonderful to see his passion for kids who don’t know Christ because public schools are a very hard place to present the name of Jesus.
One of the things that I admire so much is the 777 follow-up plan that his team devised. It seems to me that for the speakers we’ve heard so far, there is an issue with following up with people who are new believers. One thing Jason mentioned that I liked a lot was that you can’t just get them saved and walk away. It’s not enough to call a new believer a week later and that’s all. Be consistent! Consistency grows comfort and when people are more comfortable, they are more likely to get involved and grow in their faith.
The most bitter-sweet comment he made all night was this: “The hardship of our country will be the harvest of the church!” Bitter because it’s a shame that our country will be enduring hardship but sweet because it’s in desperation that people are apt to look for faith.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
New Believer #2
http://lkjennings.blogspot.com/
1. Tell me about your journey to faith in Christ:
a. I was raised in church for 19 years. Went for the social gathering (because all my friends were there. After high school I got out of church and lived an ungodly lifestyle. I got to the point where I realized nothing else can give satisfaction so I got back into church with my parents. I went to a youth revival conference and dedicated my life to the Lord.
2. What has been the best part of being a Christ-follower so far?
a. Being able to find satisfaction in Christ when I couldn’t find it elsewhere. There are still things that I want and still growth that needs to happen but I at least have a sense of peace.
3. What helped you step over from one life to another?
a. I felt like I needed to for years but I never understood what it was all about. I ignored it the promptings in my spirit and kept living a lifestyle of sin.
4. What has been the most challenging part so far?
a. Not following back into my old lifestyle. I still struggle with it all the time: rough language, drinking, smoking etc…
5. Do you think there will be a point where these things become less hard?
Yes. It has already gotten easier to resist these temptations.
6. What has been the biggest help so far to grow your faith?
a. Three days after I was saved I lost my job and I haven’t worked at all since then. Being in Master’s and constantly in the presence of God has helped in a huge way.
7. Have you thought about what it will be like when you’re not always in His presence?
It will be harder to deal with tings but, I’ve learned and felt the satisfaction that the presence of God brings. It brings so much joy so it will help a lot with keeping me away from things. Going home and jumping back into my home church will help a lot too.
8. What advice do you have to help others like you grow in their faith?
a. Don’t do anything just because you think you should…it will only bring confusion
b. When you listen to people don’t just take their word for it but search it out for yourself.
I interviewed twenty year old Evan, as a new believer. I have had the pleasure of hearing his whole testimony and I must say, he has been through quite a bit. I admire where he has come from and the work that God has done in his life. These interviews are so refreshingly powerful because they help strengthen my faith a lot. It reminds me that the hand of God still moves to change peoples' lives. Praise God for the redemptive work and saving grace of new life!!!
1. Tell me about your journey to faith in Christ:
a. I was raised in church for 19 years. Went for the social gathering (because all my friends were there. After high school I got out of church and lived an ungodly lifestyle. I got to the point where I realized nothing else can give satisfaction so I got back into church with my parents. I went to a youth revival conference and dedicated my life to the Lord.
2. What has been the best part of being a Christ-follower so far?
a. Being able to find satisfaction in Christ when I couldn’t find it elsewhere. There are still things that I want and still growth that needs to happen but I at least have a sense of peace.
3. What helped you step over from one life to another?
a. I felt like I needed to for years but I never understood what it was all about. I ignored it the promptings in my spirit and kept living a lifestyle of sin.
4. What has been the most challenging part so far?
a. Not following back into my old lifestyle. I still struggle with it all the time: rough language, drinking, smoking etc…
5. Do you think there will be a point where these things become less hard?
Yes. It has already gotten easier to resist these temptations.
6. What has been the biggest help so far to grow your faith?
a. Three days after I was saved I lost my job and I haven’t worked at all since then. Being in Master’s and constantly in the presence of God has helped in a huge way.
7. Have you thought about what it will be like when you’re not always in His presence?
It will be harder to deal with tings but, I’ve learned and felt the satisfaction that the presence of God brings. It brings so much joy so it will help a lot with keeping me away from things. Going home and jumping back into my home church will help a lot too.
8. What advice do you have to help others like you grow in their faith?
a. Don’t do anything just because you think you should…it will only bring confusion
b. When you listen to people don’t just take their word for it but search it out for yourself.
I interviewed twenty year old Evan, as a new believer. I have had the pleasure of hearing his whole testimony and I must say, he has been through quite a bit. I admire where he has come from and the work that God has done in his life. These interviews are so refreshingly powerful because they help strengthen my faith a lot. It reminds me that the hand of God still moves to change peoples' lives. Praise God for the redemptive work and saving grace of new life!!!
Unchurched interview #2
http://lkjennings.blogspot.com/
What are some things in your area that you would like to see change in?
I would like to see a change in how lower-class people are treated. People who live on social security have a hard time keeping jobs due to learning disabilities and such (which he can personally relate to) don’t have much hope to hold onto. I would like to see that change for them by way of better opportunities for jobs that would fit their disabilities.
What are some different topics/issues etc…that are of interest to you?
I have a lot of personal interests/hobbies. But nothing really globally that sticks out.
Are you actively attending a church?
No. That stuff isn’t really for me.
Why do you think most people don’t attend church?
It doesn’t seem real. If there was a God, there wouldn’t be so much suffering in the world.
If you did look for a church, what would you look for?
Good people who are honest and real. It’s nice when people actually want to have a relationship with you with no agenda of converting you.
What advice would you give a pastor who really wants to be helpful to people?
Again, just be honest and real.
For this interview, I spoke with my brother, Brian. He went to church with my mom a couple times growing up but since he is 10 years older than me, I can’t remember him attending with us at all. He was very hurt in his past: His real mother died from leukemia when he was only two years old, leaving my father and him to fend for themselves. So, understandably, he has a lot of bitterness toward the idea of “god”. Interviewing Brian was hard for me. I know where his deep-hearted wounds come from and I’ve been praying for him for a long time. He wants relationship…to know that people actually care for him and that they don’t have an “agenda” for getting to know him just to convert him. Presenting him with these questions was because I know he’ll be meditating on it throughout the week. I’m praying it was an open door for more opportunities in the future to talk to him about the Lord and about what He has done in my life.
What are some things in your area that you would like to see change in?
I would like to see a change in how lower-class people are treated. People who live on social security have a hard time keeping jobs due to learning disabilities and such (which he can personally relate to) don’t have much hope to hold onto. I would like to see that change for them by way of better opportunities for jobs that would fit their disabilities.
What are some different topics/issues etc…that are of interest to you?
I have a lot of personal interests/hobbies. But nothing really globally that sticks out.
Are you actively attending a church?
No. That stuff isn’t really for me.
Why do you think most people don’t attend church?
It doesn’t seem real. If there was a God, there wouldn’t be so much suffering in the world.
If you did look for a church, what would you look for?
Good people who are honest and real. It’s nice when people actually want to have a relationship with you with no agenda of converting you.
What advice would you give a pastor who really wants to be helpful to people?
Again, just be honest and real.
For this interview, I spoke with my brother, Brian. He went to church with my mom a couple times growing up but since he is 10 years older than me, I can’t remember him attending with us at all. He was very hurt in his past: His real mother died from leukemia when he was only two years old, leaving my father and him to fend for themselves. So, understandably, he has a lot of bitterness toward the idea of “god”. Interviewing Brian was hard for me. I know where his deep-hearted wounds come from and I’ve been praying for him for a long time. He wants relationship…to know that people actually care for him and that they don’t have an “agenda” for getting to know him just to convert him. Presenting him with these questions was because I know he’ll be meditating on it throughout the week. I’m praying it was an open door for more opportunities in the future to talk to him about the Lord and about what He has done in my life.
Nick Poole
http://lkjennings.blogspot.com/
With 8 church plants, coaching new leaders into church planting, and finding time to help grow his church, clearly Nick Poole is certainly a successful man of the ministry. At only twenty seven years old, his level of professionalism is very refreshing and inspiring. He knows what needs to happen to get the job done.
I like his take on working with other churches in the community. Again, as most speakers, Nick recognizes the deep importance of unity and involvement in the community. When asked about deciding where to plant a church, he said it’s important that you look for a community that best suits your style. Then, work as a team with the other churches and such to make the community stronger. “We are not a bunch of individual plants trying to make things work-it’s everyone working together as a body. It’s not a competition, it’s a partnership.” This is a great principal that we as a church need to embrace more readily. We are one body so we should work together as one.
I’m a little bit reluctant to touch on this but one thing I noticed that I wanted to question him about was his methods on finding people to work in the churches. He mentioned that he needed four or five children’s pastors. To me, that sounds like an open door to invite people within his church to get involved and “apply’ for the positions. However, I don’t think he said anything about finding people that way. It seemed as though he wanted to find a more qualified person for the job but, maybe God is putting it on the hearts of some average people to rise up into that leadership. That’s what happened with Jan Workman and we all know how exceptional that has turned out!
Overall, Nick Poole is a very inspiring, young leader. We (I) can learn a lot from the things that he is accomplishing with his church plants.
With 8 church plants, coaching new leaders into church planting, and finding time to help grow his church, clearly Nick Poole is certainly a successful man of the ministry. At only twenty seven years old, his level of professionalism is very refreshing and inspiring. He knows what needs to happen to get the job done.
I like his take on working with other churches in the community. Again, as most speakers, Nick recognizes the deep importance of unity and involvement in the community. When asked about deciding where to plant a church, he said it’s important that you look for a community that best suits your style. Then, work as a team with the other churches and such to make the community stronger. “We are not a bunch of individual plants trying to make things work-it’s everyone working together as a body. It’s not a competition, it’s a partnership.” This is a great principal that we as a church need to embrace more readily. We are one body so we should work together as one.
I’m a little bit reluctant to touch on this but one thing I noticed that I wanted to question him about was his methods on finding people to work in the churches. He mentioned that he needed four or five children’s pastors. To me, that sounds like an open door to invite people within his church to get involved and “apply’ for the positions. However, I don’t think he said anything about finding people that way. It seemed as though he wanted to find a more qualified person for the job but, maybe God is putting it on the hearts of some average people to rise up into that leadership. That’s what happened with Jan Workman and we all know how exceptional that has turned out!
Overall, Nick Poole is a very inspiring, young leader. We (I) can learn a lot from the things that he is accomplishing with his church plants.
Brian and Angie Bolt
http://lkjennings.blogspot.com/
Brian and Angie are incredible people. Their personalities are not only attractive but also inspiringly driven. The first thing that stood out to me was their passion to preach the Gospel of Jesus. Bringing the message of salvation to people who have never heard it before is extremely challenging for me. Both of their relational skills are astounding. The way they connect with people is so personal and it’s very evident that they actually care about the people they’re ministering to. A lot of people do ministry are so busy thinking about themselves: what they are doing and about what they’re going to say etc… The importance of relationships has become a pattern with each speaker we’ve heard in this class so far. The heart of Jesus’ ministry was to love people. I don’t think that point can be stressed enough.
Brian shared his testimony about his journey in becoming a Christian (which no matter how many times hearing it never gets old to listen to.) It really moved me this time, reminding me that God’s compassion, grace, and passion for us is unfathomable. If God can change around a life like Brian lived, He will certainly do it for mine and those around me.
God promises to give us the ability and strength to accomplish the things He calls us to do…His will is never out of reach, or impossible. The most important thing I got out of the interview was direction for how to “carry the weight of the ministry”. Unwarily standing on God’s word, and proclaiming the promises of God over each situation is the biggest tool we have to fight doubt and unbelief.
Brian and Angie are incredible people. Their personalities are not only attractive but also inspiringly driven. The first thing that stood out to me was their passion to preach the Gospel of Jesus. Bringing the message of salvation to people who have never heard it before is extremely challenging for me. Both of their relational skills are astounding. The way they connect with people is so personal and it’s very evident that they actually care about the people they’re ministering to. A lot of people do ministry are so busy thinking about themselves: what they are doing and about what they’re going to say etc… The importance of relationships has become a pattern with each speaker we’ve heard in this class so far. The heart of Jesus’ ministry was to love people. I don’t think that point can be stressed enough.
Brian shared his testimony about his journey in becoming a Christian (which no matter how many times hearing it never gets old to listen to.) It really moved me this time, reminding me that God’s compassion, grace, and passion for us is unfathomable. If God can change around a life like Brian lived, He will certainly do it for mine and those around me.
God promises to give us the ability and strength to accomplish the things He calls us to do…His will is never out of reach, or impossible. The most important thing I got out of the interview was direction for how to “carry the weight of the ministry”. Unwarily standing on God’s word, and proclaiming the promises of God over each situation is the biggest tool we have to fight doubt and unbelief.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Mike Hammar
http://lkjennings.blogspot.com/
Mike really displays a love for people and seems good at building honest, real relationships with them. The various outreach ministries: Bridges event, Skate Park church, took a lot of faith and work to launch. But, he did it anyway. As I listened to him, I couldn’t help but think, “This man is a dreamer, and he doesn’t stop until it happens.” That is a great nugget of character I’d love to have some day.
I love that he understands what it truly means to be vulnerable. As a leader, as a husband, as a father etc… He spoke about how people (outside of the church) would gain respect for us if we learned to be open about our weakness. It takes a great amount of humility to admit your faults- especially when you make them while in leadership. One point he made about this is, “secrets make you sick.” I couldn’t agree with this more. I have found that truth always comes out at one point or the other so, we might as well be honest from the get-go.
Even though I agree with most things he said, I noticed he didn’t talk much about how he reaches out to the community. The skate park and different events he puts on are based around believers. Isn’t the entire purpose of church to prepare the body to go out and “make disciples of all the nations?” If we keep the Gospel primarily inside the church walls, then (forgive me if this is off) church becomes something that God never intended it to be. Freedom Valley is doing a wonderful job of moving into the direction of evangelism with their vision of church planting. My God put it on the hearts of many others to do the same. After all, that’s what we’ve been called to do, isn’t it?
Mike really displays a love for people and seems good at building honest, real relationships with them. The various outreach ministries: Bridges event, Skate Park church, took a lot of faith and work to launch. But, he did it anyway. As I listened to him, I couldn’t help but think, “This man is a dreamer, and he doesn’t stop until it happens.” That is a great nugget of character I’d love to have some day.
I love that he understands what it truly means to be vulnerable. As a leader, as a husband, as a father etc… He spoke about how people (outside of the church) would gain respect for us if we learned to be open about our weakness. It takes a great amount of humility to admit your faults- especially when you make them while in leadership. One point he made about this is, “secrets make you sick.” I couldn’t agree with this more. I have found that truth always comes out at one point or the other so, we might as well be honest from the get-go.
Even though I agree with most things he said, I noticed he didn’t talk much about how he reaches out to the community. The skate park and different events he puts on are based around believers. Isn’t the entire purpose of church to prepare the body to go out and “make disciples of all the nations?” If we keep the Gospel primarily inside the church walls, then (forgive me if this is off) church becomes something that God never intended it to be. Freedom Valley is doing a wonderful job of moving into the direction of evangelism with their vision of church planting. My God put it on the hearts of many others to do the same. After all, that’s what we’ve been called to do, isn’t it?
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