SPRING 2013 EnrichmentEnriching and equipping Spirit-filled ministers Keep your leadership fresh 16 When is your Sabbath? 20 Kingdom networking 30 Blockbuster sermons 32 enrichmentjournal.ag.org We may be separated by distance, But we are connected FREE 7:14 Prayer in prayer… App and now by technology. Ad Encounter the power of your AG prayer community every day. Download the FREE app 7:14 Pray. Distinct Features: • Customizable personal prayer list • Daily devotion • Daily prayer reminder • Live prayer feed and more iPad, Android, and Nook coming soon 7 14movement.org coming soon. MyHealthyChurch.com @MyHealthyChurch Toll Free: 855.642.2011 /MyHealthyChurch Editor’s Journal o more pencils, no more books …”. As a child, did you cheer the end of school? The “no more books” part was only temporary, of course. Life is about learning. Semesters may end, course- Nwork may be completed, but education never stops. It’s a life-long process. That’s why professionals in all fields recognize the value of continuing educa- tion. Enrichment is our ongoing investment in your continuing education. Think of each issue as a seminar; each article, a workshop. You need travel no further than your desk to deepen your theological knowledge and sharpen your ministry skills. Enrichment exposes you to best prac- tices in church leadership and shares the wisdom and experience of sea- soned ministers. Best of all, there are no exams or research papers. What size is your church? The question invariably comes up when pas- tors “talk shop.” Nearly 7 out of 10 pastors who read Enrichment serve congregations of 100 or less. We believe this issue, “Small Church, Big Impact,” will resonate with many of our readers. Be sure to share your thoughts on these articles — or on Enrichment in general — with us. Press on! Feedback read the Winter The article “Let’s be Honest” by I 2013 issue high- Thomas Lindberg is so true. Too often, lighting the essen- pastors set themselves up as icons tial role of effective untouched by the dirt of this world — proclamation in too cool to get roughed up. What our the life and mis- people need to see is, “Yes, I burn. sion of the Church. I Yes, I struggle. Yes, I cry out. And Winter 2013 rejoiced at the help- every time, God answers.” Preaching: ful information and Credibility, Cindy Lyon King Clarity, and healthy guidance Jackson, Kentucky Connection in that young preach- the Ministry ers would receive. We look forward to and enjoy Enrich- of God’s Word Interesting to me, ment. We are in the small minority however, is that the issue neglected of people without a computer. Your to give the same kind of visibility and magazine is of great joy and value to emphasis to expository preaching us. We especially enjoy articles by as it did topical preaching. This left George O. Wood and James T. Brad- me disappointed, given the dearth ford. Thank you. of effective expository preaching in Larry and Pat Armstrong most Pentecostal churches. Mondamin, Iowa Thank you for your emphasis on preaching! n Letters to Enrichment journal may be edited for length and clarity. E-mail LeRoy Bartel, D.Min. correspondence to [email protected] or Dean, College of Bible and Church Ministries Southwestern Assemblies of God University post comments on our Facebook page Waxahachie, Texas (Enrichment-journal). 4 Enrichment SPrING 2013 InsideEnrichment Volume 18 / Number 2 SP rING 2013 iStockphoto / Thinkstock 26 D EALi NG WiTH D O ubTERS In Depth: Did new Testament Writers Misquote the old Testament? 16 LEAD LONG … LEAD STRONG By PAuL CoPAn Did New Testament writ- Fast and Furious … ers rip Old Testament but Still Fresh texts out of their context By SCoTT HAgAn just to suit some Jesus-is- Jesus was both the Great Messiah campaign? High Priest and the employee of a carpenter- 30 WELL CONNECTED father. Even after His public entry into ministry, Five Habits of a Jesus kept the carpenter’s Kingdom networker persona and robe. By JuSTIn LATHRoP The more expansive your 18 Q&A fOR Mi NiSTRy WivES network, the greater the opportunity God has to I’m Hurt over our multiply the work you are Church Split already doing. By gABRIELE RIEnAS Leading At one time or another, 32 ON PREACH i NG those of us in ministry Yo u r will eventually ask, “Is Blockbuster Sermons it worth it?” By Doug gREEn Congregation Why am I willing to sit to Outsized 20 MANAGi NG THE MA yHEM through a 2-hour B-movie Influence Of M iNiSTRy yet struggle to sit through a 30-minute sermon? Since You Work on Sunday, When 34 MiNiSTRy & MED i CAL ETH i CS Is Your Sabbath? 40 Introduction Abortion, Vaccine By CAL LeMon Pastoring a Small Church With Is your ministry anemic Production, and Your Head, Heart, and Hands and routine? Are you Moral Values By gEoRgE PAuL WooD exhausted most of the By CHRISTInA M.H. PoWELL Impact rather than size is the true marker of a time? Then try these four How should Christians well-led, spiritually healthy church — whether regimens of rest. evaluate the use of vac- small or large. cines developed with cells 42 23 MOviNG LEADERS fORWARD derived from abortions? Cultivating Faithfulness By gEoRgE o. WooD The Leader’s Best 38 iN CONTExT The most important truth his parents taught Friend him was the real measure of success. By gLEnn REYnoLDS Location of the Day 46 The double play is a of Pentecost InTERVIEW picture of teamwork in By MARC TuRnAgE Challenges and opportunities action. How do you move Did the events recounted Facing Smaller Churches your team toward that in Acts 2 take place in the DAVID CAMPBELL, KAREn RYDWAnSKY, level of collaboration? Upper Room? and DAVID SILVA Three small-church pastors share their suc- cesses and challenges. (continued on page 6) 10 eShorts 17 EJ online ENRICHMENT (ISSN 1082-1791) is published quarterly (January, April, July, October), ©2013 by The General Council of the Assemblies of God, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. Assemblies of God ministers may reproduce nonbyline material from Enrichment in church publications, giving credit to the journal. Except for brief quotations, signed articles may not be reprinted without permission of the authors. Subscription rates: USA –1 year $24; 2 years $42. Outside USA add $30 per year for postage. Subscriptions: All subscription correspondence, including change of address, should be sent to Enrichment, Customer Services, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65802, phone 1-800-641-4310. Periodical postage paid at Springfield, Missouri, and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Enrichment, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65802. Enrichment SPrING 2013 5 InsideEnrichment Small Church, BI g IMPACT (continued from page 5) 52 86 The Healthy Church: How to Assess Your The other 80 Percent: How to Recruit, Church’s Well-Being, Whatever Its Size Resource, and Refine Big-Impact Volunteers By L. ALTon gARRISon By WARREn BIRD The road to church health, regardless of size, begins If smaller-church pastors are to lead their congregations with asking the right questions. into greater influence, they must think rightly in order to lead well. 58 A Culture of Yes: How to Lead From Your 92 Strengths, not Your Weaknesses no More Casualties By MICHAEL CLAREnSAu By LoRI o’DEA Many pastors confront the limitations of their settings so Here are six effective strategies for conflict management often that a culture of can’t cripples their thoughts. Must in the small church. this be the plight of the smaller congregation? 98 Tent Making in the 21st Century: 64 The Start-up Funnel: How to use How to Turn Bivocational Challenges Church-Planting Insights to Expand Into opportunities Your Circle of Influence By TIM LEATHERS By STEVEn M. PIKE God is calling a new generation of ministers to take the Consider this workable model that can be universally added responsibility of bivocational ministry and turn it applied by any church desiring to increase its evange- into opportunities to be salt and light to their communities. listic effectiveness. 102 Emotionally Healthy Pastoring 68 The Externally Focused Small Church: By PETE SCAZZERo How to Move From Maintenance to Mission Staying emotionally healthy in the ministry starts by By ERIC SWAnSon confronting how you are doing in three major areas of You may never be the best church in the community, life and ministry. but you can become the best church for the community. 108 Here is how. InTERVIEW Church Partnership: 74 Small Towns … Big Possibilities: Models of Creativity and Synergy Leading Your Community to Become RICH guERRA, MIKE QuInn, and ERIC RounTREE a Better Place to Live The challenges of small-church ministry sometimes By STEVE DonALDSon force pastors to realize they need outside help. Smaller Here are six keys that will enable your church to take a churches are partnering with larger churches in creative leadership role in your community. ways with positive results. 80 128 Welcome! Seven Diverse Churches, A Final Word o ne Inviting Atmosphere An open Letter By EFRAIM ESPInoZA and SCoTT TEMPLE By KARL VATERS with SCoTT HARRuP Small churches have already infiltrated the communi- How seven small, ethnic churches are applying funda- ties they serve, making them the largest, most readily mental ministry principles, often on a scale belying their deployable force for spiritual transformation, emotional size, and experiencing steady growth and influence. encouragement, and material sustenance. 116 ClergyCraft 119 news&Trends 121 With Christ 122 Books 126 news&Resources 127 Ad Index Enrichment is prepared under the direction of the Executive Presbytery: George O.