Pastor Karl’s books, articles, and other resources can be accessed at his website here.

As always, if you would like to reach out to the podcast for encouragement, or to give ideas and feedback, you can contact the host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

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As always, if you want to reach out to the show with ideas or feedback, or to get encouragement, connect with our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post All Things to All People: Contextualizing Rural Ministry Part 2 with Andy McMillan appeared first on Rural Advancement.

As always, if you want to reach out to the show with feedback or ideas, or to find encouragement, contact our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

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As always, if you want to reach out with ideas or feedback, or just for encouragement, please contact our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

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I have never met a pastor that did not want to make a lasting impact.

I had the privilege recently of talking with Cecil Culbreth, a pastor in the state of Arkansas, who believes he has discovered the best way to have a lasting impact. At first this claim sounded too bold, but with over forty years of ministry experience, Culbreth meets the qualifications to make such a claim. He has served in multiple roles throughout his ministry career. From being a lead pastor for ten years after Bible college, then engaging in full time youth ministry for thirty years, as well as serving the Assemblies of God fellowship in various local and executive capacities. He currently serves as the district secretary for the Arkansas district, overseeing almost 100 missionaries and missionary associates, as well as leading in the task of walking with prospective ministers through the pastoral credentialing process. In short, Cecil meets the qualifications to say he has ‘done it all.’

As we discussed his career, it became clear that a golden thread ran through each distinct and diverse role, and it traced back to a lesson he learned during his first lead pastorate. Cecil described how he worked hard to come up with sermons Sunday after Sunday, only to find himself at a creative breaking point three years into leading a church. To be clear, up to this watershed moment his sermons had not necessarily been bad. He, like many pastors, tried to combine great life lessons, good illustrations, and engaging examples with a biblical backdrop to persuade people to grow in their faith. The problem he encountered was that, in some ways, the Bible really was just a backdrop for his sermons.

Luckily for Cecil, God uses the obvious to teach us the profound. Desperate for a shift, he returned to his notes from his recent Bible college courses. In this very elemental way, God led him to rediscover expository preaching. For the next forty plus years, Cecil would build his ministry with expository preaching as the backbone. First, expository preaching would revitalize his love for the word of God, and by extension, faithful biblical preaching. The passion this revelation gave him would turn a three-year tenure into a decade of service in his first pastoral role. It showed up again as he led the charge in distributing a student focused study Bible (called the Fire Bible), to school campuses nationwide. Expository preaching worked its way into his mentoring, and several pastors in the Arkansas district have begun to change their communities for the kingdom of God due in part to this influence.

As Cecil recounted the incredible ways in which God used expository preaching in his life, I felt compelled to ask an obvious question:

What is expository preaching?

Having taught a class on expository preaching for a number of years, he happily broke down the basic premise. Cecil explained that expository preaching allows the Bible to speak for itself. Instead of finding topics and then supporting scriptures, expository preaching seeks to wrestle with and draw out the main point of a passage of the Bible. Cecil grew more excited as he shared about the great themes of the Bible that emerge as one approaches the text through expository preaching. He chuckled as he spoke of the classic “three-point sermon” and how it could be replaced by finding the one point of a passage of scripture and drawing it out.

The goal of expository preaching seems simple, but Cecil explained that the true process is exacting and demands much of the minister. First, it involves picking a passage of scripture, then reading and re-reading it multiple times through. Without rushing into the sermon, the initial goal is to find emerging themes, thoroughly engage context, and truly letting the scripture speak. He encouraged using commentaries and word studies only after the minister spends sufficient time in prayer and asks the Holy Spirit to speak directly to the minister through the passage.

If expository preaching had simply been about working harder, it would not hold such sway in Cecil’s life and ministry. However, throughout our interview he outlined the incredible benefits he saw from expository preaching and its implementation. Outlined below are a few of those benefits:

1) Expository preaching enriches the devotional life of the minister.

The Word of God, as ministers likely can agree on, has endless depth. In the process of preparing a sermon, digging deep into the passage yields more than a good sermon, it draws the minister closer to God. Frequently, Cecil would meet with other ministers and talk about passages together. That process left each minister with a deeper sense of God’s presence and a greater knowledge of him.

2) Expository preaching leads to church growth.

Cecil spoke of churches in the Arkansas district that exemplified contemporary and growing congregations that affected lasting kingdom change. At the heart of those congregations are ministers utilizing expository preaching to give solid biblical messages that cover a wide range of biblical themes. This in turn, has created solid disciples who can share the word with others with both enthusiasm and depth.

3) Expository preaching can prevent burnout.

When pastors speak of why they move on from congregations, interpersonal conflict, stubborn board members, and church splits rank high on a list of reasons. However, Cecil spoke of hitting a creative wall with sermon building when he spoke of burnout. After years of coming up with topics and straining for fresh illustrations and impactful examples, some ministers may move on because the obligation of the pulpit becomes too much. With expository preaching, Cecil believes the minister will find plenty of sermon material.

4) Expository preaching builds a better sermon.

Cecil believes that preachers can often be tempted to spend all their time trying to come up with a topic, whereas expository preaching allows for the passage to be the topic, cutting down the initial time investment. The majority of a pastor’s prep time can be spent on details, supporting scriptures, illustrations, etc., which has the potential to create a more polished and impactful sermon.

Cecil’s final advice to ministers was both personal and professional. He spoke first of one’s personal devotion to God. A minister should read the word for its own sake, be devoted to consistent prayer, and cultivate a walk with God that defies and resists the various temptations of each season of life. In reference to a pastor’s marriage, Cecil encourages prioritizing time with family ahead of a demanding ministry schedule. Finally, he spoke of resisting the temptation to “read topics into” the Word of God. Instead, he encouraged sermons that are consistently founded on the Word of God. Upon hearing these words, I was tempted to treat them as all-to-familiar maxims. However, from his vantage point, working with ministers for a decade or more, Cecil has seen enough ruined lives and fractured churches to recognize the need for consistent practice of the basics. Whether applying to the pulpit or one’s personal life, Cecil’s devotion to expository preaching challenges every minister to grow deeper in their faith and calling.

Reflection Questions:

• Have you ever found yourself with “preacher’s block” when it comes to sermon writing?
• What can you learn from applying expository preaching principles to your own pulpit ministry?
• Which benefit would you most like to see in your ministry out of the four listed above?
• Have you considered meeting with another minister or friend for the purpose of studying a passage together or gleaning from their insights through conversation?

The post Preaching That Endures appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Outline & Theme

Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird outlined their book, Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers, into four parts to assist reader’s use of this resource. First, Stetzer and Bird begin with the methods and the standards of their research for writing their book. Second, they discuss importance of evangelism, and the dependency of church planting to accomplish the mission of church multiplication. Third, the authors look at the different church planting methods exploring the benefits and hindrances in church panting models. Fourth, they discussed the importance of looking at new ways to evaluate if the church has a multiplying mindset and what factors produce fast or slow growing churches.

Stetzer and Bird express that the purpose of writing their book, “We are absolutely convinced that a huge influx of new churches is required in this country, an influx that will not happen unless present patterns change.”[1] The premise of this book, continuing to do church, in the same way will not impact the world we live in today.

The authors believed that, “…church planting is the best way to take the church to the people it needs to serve. We believe new churches are the best platform for followers of Jesus to live as salt, light, and doers of good deeds in our communities, to demonstrate love in practical ways, and to intentionally make more disciples of Jesus Christ.”[2] Stetzer and Bird’s classification of what it will require Christ-followers to reach and disciple their communities has the prerequisite of a healthy church planting movement that leads to multiplication.

Most Meaningful Material & Ministry Related Issues

Stetzer and Bird wrote about how churches need to use a new matrix to measure effectiveness. By using a different matrix, could enable churches to focus on multiplication instead of addition. Stetzer and Bird believed, “The way that most pastors and congregations measure health by whether their church is growing.”[3] The challenge that this assertion raises for congregations and pastors that churches can have the appearance of health; however, with different criteria, churches may not have the health that church leaders thought they had.

The authors continued, “The better measurement is whether their people are learning to reproduce themselves. Ralph calls it disciples multiplying churches.”[4] As pastors and congregations overcome the fear that they will lose control or lose people when they reproduce themselves, they will see multiplication in the church as a necessity.

Significant Quote

Evangelistic methods have evolved; at times, the church needs to evaluate its effectiveness. One of the ways that church leaders could do this by looking at the past. Stetzer and Bird noted, “Paul’s evangelistic strategy was to plant new churches that in turn planted new churches.”[5] This statement’s significance should raise the question for church leaders to consider how they may become more effective in reaching the lost in our world today. Do churches need to plant new churches or for smaller churches to partner together to plant churches. As churches return to this evangelistic method, church leaders can look at nontraditional ways of doing church that may provide more effective ways to multiply itself.

Critique

Throughout the book, Stetzer and Bird discussed that the church needs to move from an addition to a multiplication mindset[6]; they keep this theme throughout their book. Stetzer and Bird wrote, “…this is not a book for those whose approach is to start only one church. Instead, we are speaking to those who have a dream of starting lots and lots of churches. Not via one-by-one addition, but by multiplication.”[7] Stetzer and Bird did well presented the need well for new churches to plant new churches,“…when the church uses new benchmarks this can be accomplished.

More organic mindsets focuse on abundance versus size. In agricultural terms, farmers sow lots of seeds with the mindset that they will reap more than they sow.”[8] From establishing new benchmarks in the conclusion of their book or establishing the intended purpose in writing their book stayed consistent with multiplying the church. Stetzer and Bird covered the intended purpose of their book well. The authors provided a detailed account on how they conducted their research, which provided (possibly validity or anything else you think this gave the text).

Recommendation

Church planters or those interested in the church planting movement would benefit from reading this book and having it as a resource to refer back to as a tool. As churches embark on the journey of planting a church, this book shows the importance of not only planting one church but multiple churches. Stetzer and Bird cover a broad range of topics that could help existing churches get out of the church’s Status quo.

Bibliography

Stetzer, Ed, Warren, Bird. Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint, 2010. Kindle.

[1] Stetzer, Ed, Warren, Bird. Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers: (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint, 2010), Chap. 2. Kindle.

[2] Stetzer, Bird, Viral Churches Chap. 2.

[3] Stetzer, Bird, Viral Churches, Chap. 3.

[4] Stetzer, Bird, Viral Churches Chap. 3.

[5] Stetzer, Bird, Viral Churches Chap. 2.

[6] Stetzer, Bird, Viral Churches, Chap. 2.

[7] Stetzer, Bird, Viral Churches, Chap. 2.

[8] Stetzer, Bird, Viral Churches, Chap. 14.

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By Paul D. Maunu

What factors led rural pastors from a season of plateau or decline to turnaround; producing church growth? Answering the question, what factors led rural pastors from a season of plateau or decline to turnaround; producing church growth, compelled this research.  Spiritual fervency, productive relationships, and community outreach represented the key to turnaround.  This thesis sections include; research methodology, literature review, findings and analysis, theological reflections, and application.  The research methodology concerning rural church turnaround; focused on the context of the study, research methodology, and obtaining results from the rural context.  The literature review included biblical expression, rural ministry challenges, and valuing rural ministry.  The empirical research portion addressed findings and analysis from ten interviews of pastors leading turnaround, detailing expected findings, key components, and contributing factors.  Expected findings considered programs, leadership factors, pulpit ministry, and other challenges.

The key components identified include spiritual fervency, productive relationships, and community outreach.  Spiritual fervency examined prayer, spiritual encounters, and personal refreshment.  Productive relationships included intentional investment, peer friendship, and relationships among church leaders.  Community outreach investigated mentality shift, servanthood, and catalytic ideas.  These factors provided the commonalities and framework for turnaround in the ten churches studied.  Theological reflections on Orthodoxy, Orthopraxis, and Orthopathos in the rural setting assisted in the reflection and consideration.  Applications from the research addressed the following: establishing the call to rural, pursuing spiritual growth, initiating outreach, and establishing relationships.  The methodology, literature review, findings and analysis, theological reflections, and application form the major sections of the thesis.

The challenges of life and pastoral leadership can lead ministers to feeling or getting stuck.  Moving beyond the challenges of ministry when in plateau or decline seemed an important issue to consider.  When a church encounters a season of no growth, discouragement can impact the pastor, leadership, and church members.  A church that loses people can move towards despair; leading other members to consider leaving, placing pressure on pastoral leadership to ‘righting the ship.’  Neil Anderson and Charles Mylander in Setting Your Church Free said, “Your leaders may ache over good people who have chosen to go to other churches and left the burdens of ministry to an overworked few.”[1]  Seasons of plateau and decline tend to impact many within the church, yet the minister tends to carry the weight of the burden during these seasons.  Ministers may experience defeat resulting in leaving the church and at times the ministry.  Pursuing the accounts of ministers that overcame the factors that hinder progress in the rural setting formed the framework for this research.  The narrative of pastors that battled through the discouraging times provided a paradigm for others to consider; extending hope to the pastor struggling to establish turnaround.  This research set out to discover pathways of optimism for the health of pastors and strength for churches in rural America.

Small church health proved more complicated to assess than the first appearance would indicate.  Glenn Daman, pastor, author and rural ministry specialist, referenced material that indicated that the small church often rates as the healthiest church.[1]  This concept seemed hard to understand or believe, because the factors that seemed the strongest indicators of success often connect growth in numbers and the health of church finances.  When churches fail to grow this presents a significant burden to overcome.  Whether voiced or not, the question, ‘what is the matter with us’ tends to add pressure. The burden often lies heaviest on the pastoral leadership.

Pastoral breakthrough provided a key component for the research.  Author Peter Scazzero in Emotionally Healthy Spirituality discussed “the dark night of the soul” or what he termed ‘the Wall’ when he said, “For many, going back in order to go forward thrusts us up against the Wall.  Others are brought to it by circumstances and crises beyond our control.”[1]  Finding and documenting cases of moving beyond significant challenges to places of victory marked the research.  These pastoral interviews developed out of contact with various leaders who connected me with pastors that fit the criteria of this research.  Often it took numerous attempts to uncover pastors willing to participate with experiences that matched the desired framework.  The interviews occurred through phone calls to document the key components of their church turnaround.

The research criteria necessitated experiences uncovered that included turnaround from a state of plateau or decline.  This element can provide hope and encouragement to the pastor engaging in the battle to overcome the season of challenge.  This research may stir the belief that growth can happen through the difficult seasons of ministry.  The rural context often tends to get overlooked when celebrating the stories of success.  Uncovering accounts that demonstrated the plausibility for ministry turnaround offered value.  The situations discovered in this research varied in many ways; the challenges inherent in the church and local community dynamics presented unique obstacles to turnaround.  This material does not provide a one size fits all approach.  Principles came forth offering ideas to consider and apply to multiple rural ministry situations.  After the interview process concluded, the categorization and analysis of the data took place.  These commonalities offered breakthroughs and insights suggesting hope for struggling rural churches.

Separating the rural pastor from the rural church appeared difficult due to the close connection that often exists in the small communities.  The rural pastor does not represent the church in all ways yet in many aspects there seems little distinction.  This research will refer to the minister at times and the church at times.  Many rural settings where the pastor represents the only paid staff made conclusive distinctions challenging.  The church and pastor remain associated in significant ways and tend to provide a single narrative for the pastors and churches referenced.  The plateau or decline and turnaround, though differing in elements from pastor to church, will retain a link in the research.  Church dynamics and pastoral ministry provides factors to consider as a whole and dividing them would represent more investigation than this research provides.

The ability to implement change might serve as the most vital component of moving from plateau and decline to turnaround.  Dr. Henry Cloud in Necessary Endings reflected upon identifying the source of the energy for change; “If you have energy without intelligence, it will be wasted and not go toward a direction or a path.  But likewise, intelligence or a plan without energy is not going anywhere at all.  Even the best-laid plans will stagnate without a force driving them.”[2]  The discovery of what motivated change proved foundational.  The change factors may vary according to circumstance within the church, community, and minister’s personal life.  The pastors surveyed found pathways to lead their churches from plateau or decline to growth.  Some components that produced turnaround proved similar while other aspects tended to fit individual situations.

This thesis details methods used to study rural church turnaround, focusing on the context of the study, research methodology, and obtaining results from the rural context.  The literature review includes biblical expression, rural ministry challenges, and valuing rural ministry.  The main portion of this thesis addresses findings and analysis from the ten interviews of pastors leading turnaround, detailing; expected findings, key components, and contributing factors.  The key components include spiritual fervency, productive relationships, and community outreach which form the quintessential elements from the research.  These factors provide the framework for turnaround.  Theological reflections on Orthodoxy, Orthopraxis, and Orthopathos in the rural setting garnered exploration.  Applications from the research address; establishing the call to the rural context, pursuing spiritual growth, initiating outreach, and establishing relationships.  The methodology, literature review, findings and analysis, theological reflections, and application provide the framework for this thesis structure.

[1] Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It’s Impossible to be Spiritually Mature While Remaining Emotionally Immature (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 117.

[2] Henry Cloud, Necessary Endings: The Employees, Business, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward (New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2010), 112.

[1] Glenn Daman interview with Paul Maunu, January 22, 2020.

[1] Neil T. Anderson and Charles Mylander, Setting Your Church Free: A Biblical Plan for Corporate Conflict Resolution (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 2005), 154-155.

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