Monthly Archives: April 2012

Apr 30 2012
1 Comment
Christianity, Haiti, Manchester, Marathon, Prayer, sport

Manchester Marathon Miracles & Mud

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Well I’m far too stiff today to manage the celebratory forward roll which has become traditional in the office whenever there is something wonderful for us to celebrate as a church, in fact I couldn’t even put my own socks on this morning, but I did do a careful standing spin when I worked out the final total to date raised for the marathon run.

Yesterday was to be honest really pretty awful at times, the first 5 miles my back was still sore. You may know I pulled it running on a treadmill on Thursday, and by Saturday morning I couldn’t even weight bear, so it really was thanks to prayer and a (Christian) osteopath that I even got to the start line. I’d decided if my back didn’t get better I would just have to run it on my own sometime soon but really didn’t want to do that.

The conditions were terrible but the back pain kind of eased off a bit as I ran and blended generally as other body parts got sore and in fact I hit 10 miles in quite a good time (1:31).

At about 15 miles I made the mistake of taking my coat off and giving it to Zoe which positively meant people could see my name written on my chest and cheer me on, which was great (Manchester people were wonderful, standing out in freezing and at times torrential rain to encourage us). The least encouraging thing I got was someone saying, ‘Hurry up – there’s a girl beating you’. Negatively, I was more exposed to the horrible cold and wet, Dunham Massey and various roads around it were a quagmire – more like cross country!

The weather was bad enough to have stopped thousands of people who’d paid £50 or so to enter from even turning up so there were far fewer than the 8000 expected. Hundreds of people didn’t finish because of hypothermia and I didn’t stop shivering for about an hour after I finished.

At various points along the way I’d be greeted by lots of various cheering Ivy people too who were amazing – thank you! Quite a few Ivyers were also running the marathon well done to them all.  I crossed 23 miles just before 4 hours, but then the last three miles were torture as I kept getting cramp trying to kick in so had to wait it out and stretch, then plod on again.

Various things were happening spiritually…

A lot of prayer to just keep going!

A sense that every step was progressing us forward in God’s purposes

Gratitude and love for the city, its people and of course our church just kept welling up. Quite emotional at times!

Whenever I thought I’d have to give up I thought about the kids in Haiti, all they’ve been through, and told myself to man up.

Realising the importance of self-talk. If I flagged, I would start to tell myself, ‘You can do this! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’

So while the eventual time of 4:40:30 isn’t one to remember, the day itself really was unforgetable.

Oh, one more thing. While the marshalls and stewards were fantastic, the ‘organisers’ Xtra mile have been slated (justifiably) for not organising. The worst example perhaps was the bags with personal belongings which they were supposed to look after just pitched out in the mud outside a tiny tent at the end, without even a system or helpers to retrieve your bag. Thousands of freezing exhausted people getting soaked looking at piles of white plastic bags that all looked the same – having to bend over and look for tiny numbers with frozen fingers. Not good.

My phone was in my bag somewhere and I needed to get to Zoe quick as I was shaking and soaked. At that point I couldn’t even remember my number because of brain freeze then I recalled it was on my chest. 5470. I closed my eyes and prayed, ‘Lord PLEASE help me find my bag.’ Opened them and saw at the bottom of one pile the number 470 sticking out. Walked over to it and straightened the tag – 5470!!! Come on!!

Now at the latest count (unless you know different and want to sponsor me now at … http://www.justgiving.com/ADelaney )

…adding in the money collected yesterday morning at the Vue cinema while I was running

…the total amount raised to help Ivy move back to Didsbury and to help the children at the Wesleyan mission church at Leogane, Haiti through Compassion, with the ridiculous target of £35,000 is…

Drum roll please…

£31,551.57 and with Gift Aid included that is…

£37,349.94

If you can forward or even backward roll for me, please do.

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Apr 25 2012
Bible, Christianity, Men, Prayer, Religion, Work, Worship

Work – your GIFT to God

Have you ever thought that this life here and now, however long you get, is your GIFT from God. What you do with it (a lot of which will involve work) is your GIFT back to Him.

The way the Bible describes it, the original human beings were commissioned, authorised and commanded to go into and subdue the garden outside of Eden, to extend it – to go and do good there, where there was chaos  - through their labour they’d bring order, hope, life, beauty and meaning. To build cities. They were to do this through various different kinds of work, not just gardening.

Maybe even making cars. Why do I say that? Because Genesis 1:24 – says,‘God drove the man out of the garden…’ 

Bit of a Dad joke there.

This idea that your work is your gift back to God comes sharply into focus when we look at what happened to the next generation – their two sons, Cain and Abel.

You might know Cain eventually killed Abel -that’s what’s famous about their story.

But what happened before the murder gives us some important clues about work. About your work and mine, whatever we do, whether you’re paid or you volunteer, or if you’re retired (actually Christians never retire, they just get redeployed). It’s true whether you’re raising millions or raising something much more valuable – kids.

Genesis 4:1-5

….Eve became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain… later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. Abel also brought a gift—the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

They were both in agriculture. Abel’s work was looking sheep. Cain carried on the old family business, working the land. Which was good work? BOTH. Pretty much anything within reason can be work done for God. It’s who you’re really working for not what you’re doing that matters to Him.

Then the time came when they offered their work to God. It doesn’t say they had to do this. Nothing was prescribed or demanded. It was up to them, but their attitude and actions really would show who they were working for. Their choice. God didn’t say, ‘I want this kind of offering.’ He just put them to work, and left it up to them. God gives us a great deal of choice you know. He didn’t make Pinocchio puppets, he wants real children who really love Him.

So what have you been bringing to him? Especially in this area of work. Because the Bible tells us only one kind of offering was acceptable to God.

What did Cain bring?

Cain brought SOME. Some of the fruit of his labour. Some lettuce, leek or lentils.

Do you bring God SOME?  Maybe Some of YOU. Just your MIND – you mentally assent that he’s there, you know where he is if you need Him to answer a prayer. Or just your BODY – maybe you sometimes even bring it to church. What more does God want?!

Here’s a test of that. When you go to work, how engaged are you? With what you’re doing now? Are you waiting for the dream job  – then you’ll not just bring SOME of you? Keep on dreaming! It’ll never happen. Nobody gives a dream job to a half-hearted person. Nobody promotes someone who just turns up.

You might think ‘I’m doing just enough,’ but that way your work won’t get the blessing of God. It says ‘God didn’t FAVOUR that.’ Cain ended up resenting his boss. Then he started hating the person standing alongside him. Became sullen, critical and disengaged. How many people do you know at work like that? Maybe you’re like that?

You say, ‘Well you don’t work where I work!’ No I don’t. But I know this…

You want the favour of God on your life? His smile on your work? Don’t just bring SOME of it – or some of you. He can’t bless that!

ABEL got the blessing.Why? The old versions of the Bible say he brought ‘the fat portions.’ Larry the lardy little lamb. His favourite. The best! The Firstborn. The BEST of the BEST. That’s what Abel brought from his work – as his GIFT to God.

This tells me, whatever we do, God, who gave His best for us, wants the BEST from us! He expects his people will bring their best. He blesses it and best pleased when we give our best! Don’t just turn up with a limp lettuce, bring a leg of lamb. Be the best and give God your best, and you’ll be blessed!

I don’t know what this looks like in your world, you’ll have to work it out Monday to Friday, This week, whatever you do, ‘Work at it with all your heart – as though working for the Lord and not men’ and He will bless you!

(This article comes from my recent teaching ‘Work – the Four Letter Word’ in our Work series, brought on the evening of the 22nd April. The full talk  will be free to download from the Ivy website or on iTunes).

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Apr 22 2012
Uncategorized

KP Yohannan at Ivy Manchester

1 John 2:6…

He who says he abides in him out also to walk as he walked

Anyone who says he’s a Christian should live as Christ lived

So
How do we do that practically

How did Jesus walk his life on earth?

Jn 4 – Samaritan Woman
The disciples saw something very strange
Jesus is talking to a woman
Culturally wrong!

It was a special assignment for him to go there for one woman. They are confused
He says ‘I’m already full.’
He says ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me’
I ate God’s will.

The Lord says ‘lift up your eyes – look away from your little world of yours – and see.’

This one woman’s destiny change and the promise of it filled up his heart.

Do you let your heart be broken by the lostness of people?

35 million of them in one weekend go into the dirty waters of the Ganges to have their sins cleansed. They perish without having chance to come to know the gospel.

We blame the devil for everything.
Our problem is we are self centred
Jesus was the opposite.

Kp talked about how he found himself relatively wealthy – and for 3 years not able to cry anymore: until the Lord reappeared to him and turned him back around.

How old are you
100 years from now, what will matter
The only worthwhile life now is to be lived passionately for Jesus.

When did you last Fast & pray for your friends or a people group?

Get hold of operation world
Set one day a week aside for prayer & fasting – you will not die Live simply, so your resources can be used to spread the gospel If he is calling you to go, go – to the nations!

Apr 21 2012
Bible, Christianity, Discipleship, Faith, Jesus, leadership, Manchester, Men, Religion, Worship

The 5 Questions People Ask Before They’ll Invite A Friend To Your Church

CAN I INVITE MY FRIEND?

Thanks again to Richard Reisling!

Here’s what people ask before hand, before they will ever ask a friend to come along. In other words, if nobody is bringing anyone, here’s why…

Will they feel welcomed? = Hospitality. Whatever your ‘churchmanship/ style’ – the key word would be non -intimidating.

Will they fit in? = Compatibility. People innately pick up on large cultural and social gaps.

Can I feel confident in how the church service will turn out? = Unpredictability. If  those leading the services don’t give some form of consistency (in preaching and worship), I’m not going to invite my friend.

Will my friend get something out of it? = Relevance. How often do your people think, “I wish I’d brought Bill to hear that one…” The more often that happens, the more likely they’ll bring Bill along one week.

Will she understand it? = Comprehension (If an 8 year old can’t understand the sermon, a lot of adults are missing it). That sound too simplistic? Look at the parables – Jesus taught in practical illustrations!

Will anything that can seem strange to the unchurched be explained from scripture? = Interpretation. Are we spiritually sensitive enough that if something happens that would freak people out, some leader the up there will help everyone get a handle on what and why, like Peter did to the Pentecost crowds – ‘This… is that…’

Okay – if you’re involved in leading/ planning church services, give yourself a number on these; 0 —–to ———10. 

Then discuss with others how to improve at least one by a practical change in the next couple of weeks. 

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Apr 20 2012
1 Comment
Bible, Church, Jesus, leadership

What New People Visiting Your Church Need This Sunday

I got a nice hand written (remember that?) letter from Richard Reisling today thanking me for putting his great stuff on my blog based on my thoughts about the notes I took from his visit. Well it’s my pleasure – and I’m not done yet! Here goes…

What new people need:

I NEED DIRECTION. They need someone to have thought about where they go, explain what’s happening with their kids etc. I was walking through Terminal 4 of Heathrow Airport recently and thought, ‘None of this just happened!’ It took SOMEBODY to think how all these people with all these needs, routes, cases, schedules… get around the place. We’re talking about things like signs here.

(I just made up a Christian joke about not having signs that make people wonder, but you have to be a charismatic to get that one).

TREAT ME AS NORMAL.

Like when someone comes to your house. You know how to be hospitable already. Remove the following phrase, ‘Are you new?’ There’s no way to say it without offending someone. Ask instead, ‘How long have you been going to this church?’ Totally different!

BE EXCITED ABOUT ME.

How do you know if someone coming toward you needs encouragement? They’re breathing! So make people feel special. And let them know that they can have more information IF THEY NEED IT. That leaves THEM in control of their situation.

Have you noticed how it doesn’t work to say, ‘I love you and want to marry you’ on the first date? Well over the top gushiness is perhaps only slightly more off putting than grumpiness in welcoming.

Don’t ask them to raise their hand and admit to being a visitor. Don’t make them feel obligated to give their personal data.  Don’t call visitors out or make them do embarrassing things (by the way what I sometimes do is say, ‘If you’re an EXTROVERT here visiting with us, please let us know by raising your hand’. That works!). Don’t give them a hug. Don’t give them a mug. That doesn’t bring them back. If you think it will, you’re the mug. Instead…

Create something worth coming back to, and I’ll come back!

Give me…

MINISTRY I CAN UNDERSTAND.

In your message help them know, ‘ Here’s where you are right now… and here’s a next step challenge.’

RELATIONSHIPS I can connect to;

if I want to. And tell me how.

A VISION of where the church is headed.

Give me a glimpse of that exciting future you believe in (and if you don’t, do your community a favour, don’t open the doors again until you do).

Anything else? What do you think? 

The next blog will look at the questions your people are asking about whether or not they will bring a friend with them next week. Or ever.  You’ll like that one.

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Apr 08 2012
Bible, Christianity, Discipleship, Jesus, leadership

Being Good Stewards – Of People

PROMOTION without successful Connectivity is DESTRUCTIVE.

Richard Reisling, author of Church Marketing 101 told us that most churches should not promote themselves. Why? Because you’ll just get more people to come along and see how unhealthy you are and tell everyone else. Jesus will either be a stumbling block or a stepping stone, but it’s tragic when we become what trips people up.

The PASTOR cannot ‘do’ church alone. Everyone can play a part in welcoming people because everything matters – for example, if the children’s work is rubbish, people are very unlikely to come back. If you’re committed to the church, than you’re also privileged and responsible ‘ – we’re ALL there to deliver on the promise of welcome Jesus extends. If just a few leaders have ‘it’ – that’s a failure of leadership (and Pastor you’re very vulnerable, too because it all depends on you).

In Numbers 13 we read about some more ‘marketing’ in scripture:

God says to Moses, ‘I want you to get some guys to scout out the land, go and see it and find whether the people are strong or weak, many of few, is the land good or bad? Are they spread out in tents or in strong cities? Bring some produce back.’

GOD says, ‘Go and do a reconnaissance run.’ This is the birth of marketing! That’s a demographic study, a market sampling! Go and study the land, the people, the place. And come back with a good report – to encourage everyone about the possibilities. Why? He wanted them all to be intimately involved in the pursuit, of the promised land.

CHALLENGE:  Is your church actively adapting to your community?

That doesn’t mean we become a cannibal to reach one. But we have to think like a cannibal to reach one! Are we relating to not-yet- believers too? What do people need? People need to be loved, and not judged.

Is there a culture of outreach in your church community or is the pressure on just a few? Going back to the stadium analogy from the previous blog – are we connecting on every level or just a few?

All these things are ‘the people test.’ If you have a healthy culture in the church and you deliver on what you say, word of that will get out. If not, it’s a media fraud!

PASSING THE PEOPLE TEST:  Remember it’s all about people. It’s about Stewardship of what is most precious to God – people. If they are willing to try you out, that’s a big deal. It’s certainly a big deal for them! If you have visitors to your church this Easter, you are responsible  for how well you steward them. Are you hospitable?

Principle – If we steward anything well, God will give us more. If you’re faithful with people who are looking for Him, he’ll send you more. It works like this in any area. We give more responsibility to one who has shown themselves responsible. God’s a lot smarter than us! Could this be part of the reason why some churches grow and some don’t?

Do you recognise the VALUE of a visitor? Read Matt 18:12. Who are the 99? They’re the church people. If that’s you – it’s SO not about you that Jesus would leave you to ‘seek and save the lost.’ He said that’s the purpose of His coming. It’s NOT about us.

We can be like a group of people who decide to climb a mountain. After some effort we stop half way at a ski lodge. And it’s nice there to sleep overnight.And then we realise outside it’s going to be colder, and the views pretty good from here, so we stick – half way, where it’s comfortable for us. This is not just about the traditional church. This happens with so many ‘emerging’ churches that never… quite… emerge.

To be the church that reaches people far from God is COSTLY. Don’t settle halfway from being the church you’re being called to be.

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Apr 07 2012
Uncategorized Video

Great Easter Video from Joshua House

http://vimeo.com/39780446

Here’s what it’s all about

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Apr 07 2012
2 Comments
Bible, Christianity, Cross, Easter, Heaven, Jesus, Prayer, Religion, Theology Image

The Cross That Sets Us Free

Colossians 2:13,14 “…you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

I took this photo on my iPhone the other day, just passing the Albert Pub in Didsbury and noticed how they’d put up a warning sign to deter parkers, on a cross.

Ever been clamped? I got my car clamped once – and I could tell the guys who did it just loved their job! Grrr… it was so frustrating to be stuck like that, subject to punishment. Not able to go where I wanted. Captive! I didn’t have the money to pay them and contested it vigorously because (unlike this one) the sign wasn’t clear or even visible from where I parked.

Finally, a friend agreed to pay half and then I paid the vultures who held my car, and was free!

I was so struck by how this pub has put their notice on a cross like this.

Jesus’ final shout of triumph from the cross on Good Friday was ‘It is finished!’ which we could translate as ‘paid in full!’ That’s what this friend did so we could be free – not stuck. He paid the penalty though he’d done nothing wrong – and it’s not paid with money but the most precious substance in the universe, his own blood.

The good news of Easter is you don’t have to be stuck anymore. He who the Son sets free, is free indeed!

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Apr 07 2012
1 Comment
Christianity, Church, Jesus, leadership, Men, Religion Quote

Most people are not ashamed of Christ, but they are ashamed of their church. If you’re begging people to invite their friends, you have to stop and think. If they’re not naturally doing it, why not? We’d better self diagnose.

CONNECTIVITY is the key to church growth.

I’m still detailing some of the learnings from Richard Reisling’s visit here.

He said connectivity is ‘your abililty to connect with me and show me you have something to offer of solutions to what I’m looking for in life.’

Related to the previous post, people will come in and think, ‘What can I learn from them about organising my life and priorities, if they can’t even organise parking?’

The apostle Paul wrote, ‘I became LIKE them, to WIN them.’ What does that mean?

It means, he was thinking, “How do I get into their mindset to connect with them? People who are feeling weak or strong, those who are rich or poor, Jew, Greek.” He owned the connection issue that it’s my responsibility to get into their HEADS – so the gospel can get into their HEARTS. I have to show I understand people in various life settings. (By the way Frank Green did a great job of this yesterday in his Good Friday 20 talks back to back! I’ll be putting some of the content from my notes on that on the blog soon and the talks themselves will be available from the Ivy iTunes podcast feed).

Interestingly, Paul also categorised people – knowing  that people think in similar ways to the groups they’re in. There are common perspectives we hold. And he adapted to meet them, right where they live.

For example – imagine you get invited to watch a football match. (Reisling talked baseball but who knows anything about that?)

You’re not into football. You don’t what to go, but someone asks and eventually you go – initially right up at the back and high up in the cheap seats at the top – to check it out. You’re not going to commit too much (at those prices!). But then by the end of the match you have to admit you kind of liked it enough to go some other time. and you do. Once or twice.

After a while you start to really into it – buy a scarf, and to get a better view and atmosphere you go down a few levels of seats, maybe buy a season ticket. (This is exactly what happened to a friend of mine who ended up joining a cult called Chelsea).

After more time someone notices you’re ‘into football’ and maybe you get invited to play in an amateur football team – because now we like football. We’re committed. We even get on the field!

Church leaders need to ask ourselves, ‘What am I doing today – perhaps especially in the services we put on, to connect to the people out there in the far back seats, just checking this out? What’s going to talk to them? What’s their next step closer to the field of play.’ Don’t talk to everyone like they’re already committed. I was in a device recently where the preacher kept referring to ‘We Christians,’ and I wondered how that would feel to a visitor not yet ready to class themselves as a Christ follower. We don’t connect by having the same message to everyone.

Jesus didn’t preach the ‘eat my flesh and blood’ message to the 5000. He fed THEM bread and fish. Then he  sharpened down the challenge, to those who were ready for it. There were messages for the crowd, the core, the committed.

In churches we have to challenge people appropriately to the level they are at. We have to reach and connect to people at their particular level. We have to have a heart for every level. We need to have a shallow end – graded and going to a deep end. Why? So people know, ‘I can bring someone,’ then trust grows. Connectivity creates the easy invite.

We have to be simple enough to understand – and powerful enough to change lives. Then people will want to tell their friends and we won’t have to ‘market.’ The truth is, if you’ve had a life changing experience with Christ you want everyone to know about it.

Most people are not ashamed of Christ, but they are ashamed of their church. If you’re begging people to invite their friends, you have to stop and think. If they’re not naturally doing it, why not? We’d better self diagnose.

Maybe they’re embarrassed of the pink and lavender decor. The yelling mad lady with the flags? The 2 hour sermons. There are reasons!

So ask, ‘What’s the purpose of this service?’

Ask, ‘Who’s going to be there?’ Shape to fit. Be intentional about what we’re doing. Plan for who God’s going to bring! God will order your steps – IF you have a plan.

So – back to the stadium analogy – how do you minister on the different levels?

Upper stands – you INSPIRE them. CHALLENGE them. When you’ve earned the right. They need… a glimpse of hope. (Yeah, I’ll give that church a try, what’s the worst that could happen?).

Lower stands – TEACHING & TRAINING. How to understand. ‘Here’s how we do this.’  It’s about coaching them into being able to PLAY (not just in church settings, the ‘game’ is the world they inhabit).

Playing the game. DEVELOP. Teaching and coaching so players learn to specialise and play to their strengths.

If we do this, people can then have confidence about what they bring their friends to. We can say, ‘If you want this – come to this. if you want this – this is for you to bring a friend…’ And people will bring their friends along.

You CAN do this in one service. Jesus did it to 5000. You just have to be aware that there are people at different levels and you have to engage at all those levels.

Finally – we get the congregation we preach to.

if you preach to only the ‘DEEP’ people, that’s all you’ll get.

if you connect only to the people on the edge – that’s who you’ll get.

Connect!

CONNECT to GROW

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