Let me tell you about my recent Perfect Storm.  A few weeks ago I was on a five-day road trip meeting with pastors and church leaders in WI, IL and IA.  It was a great trip and most productive.  On the way back home, I met with a pastor in Colfax, IA when the perfect storm hit.  Literally!  I got snowed in and could not travel north to Minneapolis because all the Interstates were closed.  Here is where the storm gets interesting.  Colfax has two hotels.  One that is nice and comfortable.  The other . . .  ah not so nice.  I made the reservations thinking I chose the nicer accommodation, BUT I WAS WRONG.  How could I have made such a mistake?  Great.  Now I am stranded in this small Iowa town, residing in something like the "Bates Motel" and I can't get home.  I stayed the first night and woke up at 5:00 am only to discover that the Interstates were still closed.  What now?  I stagger to the breakfast lounge for some well needed coffee and was greeted by another stranded traveler.  After about fifteen minutes of small-talk regarding the weather, the convergence of the storm began.  He asked me, "So what do you do?"  Oh I have been there so many times and I knew what God was doing.  I honestly thought to myself, "But I am in the wrong hotel Lord and all I want to do is get home."  Well the questions kept coming about the meaning of life and all this man wanted to hear was more about God.  I had a choice to make.  Do I obey God, submit to my untimely circumstances in the Bates Motel and the surrounding snow blizzard or share the Gospel?  I obeyed.  I said to the man, "Now wait here because I want to get a booklet from my room, so I can tell you about someone who changed my life forever."  I dashed to my room and when I returned to the breakfast lounge, he was gone.  When I spoke to the hotel representative as to his whereabouts, he told me that the man left as if there was a fire.    Disappointed, I went back to the room to recheck the weather and to my delight, the Interstates were now open.  As I was walking down the hallway to load my car, I hear this faint voice, "Here I am!"  What??  He didn't leave and he wants the "rest of the story".  I quickly grabbed my "Steps to Peace with God" and Bible to go finish what God started.  It was the Perfect Storm.  After about twenty minutes of sharing the Good News, he prayed to receive Christ right in the lounge.  Alex was a truck driver and wait for it . . . a staunch orthodox Jew.  What a joy to see the Holy Spirit descend upon him and give new life in Christ.  He said, "I guess the Messiah has come and now I believe." 

 

Jesus experienced many "Perfect Storm" scenarios.  In Luke 19:1-10, Jesus was traveling through Jericho to get to Jerusalem, which was a mere 20 miles away.  He was on his way to the cross.  I love what verse five says, "When Jesus came to the place, He looked up (in a sycamore tree) and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.'"  The NIV says, "When Jesus reached the spot . . ."  Friends, don't you think for a moment that Jesus might have been distracted a little, knowing he was only eight days from His crucifixion?  Clearly, it was appointed and ordained that Jesus obey the opportunity to share the way of salvation with Zacchaeus, so he might find new life in the Messiah.

It's time to start planning for the next MOODY PASTOR'S CONFERENCE.    For the line up of  speakers, musicians, and the 2016 schedule  click on the picture  above   to go directly to the site.

 

Early Bird Information is HERE!  Click here for more information.

 

Years ago, when my wife and I were first engaged, we decided to attend a Good Friday service at a very large local church, where the sanctuary accommodated thousands. This Good Friday, the service consisted of a theatrical performance portraying the Passion of Christ. As a pastor's kid (always seated in the front row), I relish the opportunity to visit a church and sit in the back. So, my fiancé and I took our seats in the back row and spent the next couple of hours deeply engaged in the trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of our Lord. The performance was beautiful, complete with scores of actors, animals, set pieces, etc. At the very end, after the resurrection, the house lights went out while the orchestra continued to play. Expecting that the actors would be coming out next to take their bows, I nudged my beautiful fiancé and whispered that we should leave now to beat the traffic. Just as we arrived at the exit doors, located at the rear center of the auditorium, every single spotlight in the sanctuary came on, all centered directly on us.

Uh oh. 

The double doors swung open, the music reached a major crescendo, and there, directly in front of us, was Jesus...on a nine foot tall white horse.

Yes, they had decided to include the triumphant second coming into this performance!

I was stunned, panicked, and momentarily paralyzed under the watching eyes of about 2000 people.  Then it happened: from behind Jesus, a panicked usher screamed at me, "GET OUT OF THE WAY! YOU'RE RUINING THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST!"

Followers of Jesus generally don't hear those words!

As all embarrassing stories have the potential to be, this one is an incredible illustration, specifically of what happens when we put our own desires at odds with HIS desires. Serving as the director of WorldVenture's Church Mobilization efforts across the nation, one thing I see frequently is that we elevate our own plans and ask God to bless them, rather than finding out how/where God is moving, and joining him in His plans.

So many Christians memorize Jeremiah 29:11 and take it to mean that the goal of our spiritual journey is simply "to find God's plan for my life." We need to challenge church members with an understanding that our goal is to join God in the plans He has already set in motion. God is on the move, and we have the privilege of joining in.

It's my goal to see our churches living up to the calling they've received. Churches are to be mobilization centers where people come to be equipped and then launched to the ends of the earth-in line with the movement of the Father.

So, I make a simple ask: if anyone in your church is praying about a role on the mission field, please connect them with me. I want to help them launch, and do it in a way that engages your congregation.

"DEVELOPING HEALTHY CONGREGATIONS" SEMINAR

Central Minnesota

Pastor Wade Duroe

In the past few years, Crossroads Church has benefited from CB North Central in two key ways. In 2010 and 2012, we have taken the Natural Church Development Assessment Surveys. With the help of a trained NCD coach, we have been able to see the overall health of our church.  We were encouraged to see that we are doing well.  We were excited to see our areas of strength.  We have tried to build on them.  We addressed the areas of weakness in our church by developing action plans to strengthen the weaker areas.  We continue to use the NCD surveys to evaluate and build upon our strengths and to improve our weaknesses.

The churches of western Wisconsin put on a joint men's retreat in the fall of 2015.  While we were there doing all kinds of manly things like teaching and worship, praying and singing, eating, snoring and playing games, guys from Crossroads spread the word that we were looking for a youth pastor candidate.

Pastor of Crossroads Church, Chippewa Falls, WI

God is so good to give us every once in awhile an "extraordinary day" Sunday January 17 was one of those days. There were two couples and two teenagers who were baptized and became members of our church along with three others who transferred their membership.

 

What a defining moment to hear the testimonies of the baptismal candidates! The teenagers had accepted Christ through our youth ministries. Their father had accepted Christ as a youth. The mother became a believer through a church Bible study. All of these had been baptized as babies, but now wanted to follow the Lord in believers' baptism.

"God is so good to give us  every once in awhile  an 'extraordinary day' "

A young couple was also baptized. The wife had been baptized at about 10 yrs of age but felt she was not really a believer at the time. Her husband, was baptized as an infant. Along with their three young children, they have been attending our church for several months and having made commitments for Christ, wanted to be baptized and become members.

 

In the baptismal pool, one of the deacons assisted me in baptizing the couples. Our youth leader assisted me in baptizing the teenagers. After each baptism the congregation shouted "Alleluia Amen!" and cheered with great joy.

 

There were also three adults who transferred their membership to our church. 

 

We are all praying that this is just the beginning of God's special blessing on our congregation. There are already some others who are expressing interest in "growing deeper." Nearly every Sunday, there are new people attending our church. May God be pleased to continue His blessing!

 

Dr. M. Fred Polding, Interim Pastor
First Baptist Church, Lake Crystal, MN