Team vs Synergy

We all know what team work is.  Can you have team without synergy?  Sure you can.

According to Wikipedia 

Synergy is two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable. The term synergy comes from theGreek word synergia συνεργία from synergos, συνεργός, meaning "working together".^{[1]
I work on a team with my job; there is no synergy.  I have worked on a team at my church; there was no synergy.
Why? you may ask. 
I'll tell you......
Team work is one thing; all have the same goal but getting there is indivudialzed.
Synergy is team work towards the same goal but the goal is accomplished with communication.
Take a Football team.  You have talented players, all with specific skills.  Those teams that focus on those specific skills individually do not win often. Those teams that individually communicate with each other often excel (synergy).
In our churches we have individual persons trying to accomplish one goal.  Often though, those team members at the top are ok with synergy as long as it is done their way.  Competition gets in the way of true synergy.
I have seen this up close and personal.
What could we have accomplished if we allowed each skill set to do what it does best and worked together (synergy) to meet the one goal?
There is too much competition for recognition.
Allen}

The Name of God

I'm in church on Sunday and while we are singing our praise song I notice that we are 
Singing and referring to God.  While that is not odd for me,  if someone from India,  China, Kenya, or Egypt were here, they might think that this same  God is their god.  We have a name for our God and should use it to be specific whom we are speaking of.  What about using Jehovah when we refer to God.  It surely would make clear we are not talking about Buda, or Allah, or any other god of differing religions.

Allen

Really! Do Pastors think we the members are that bad?

I'm listening to the pastors conference online From the Southern Baptist Convention today. I heard one Dr. ..... say that "those Christian church members are just full of the Devil". Really? How is that possible? Do Pastors think that their members are really nothing more than demons in a Christian body? Do they think that low of us or do they think that high of themselves? You pastors have it so hard. Come walk a month in my shoes. 10 hour days, lawn and Auto repairs, ball practice, budgets..... After the 10 hour work, and then say we "are just full of the Devil". Maybe you should cancel the rest of your club "SBC convention", go home and humbly serve your Devil filled church members. Allen

T4G vs Traditional

Together 4 the Gospel (T4G) and Traditional

It looks like this discussion started out lopsided.  We have a group putting out a document to affirm their beliefs, just putting it out there, after a coming together "conference about various topics".  It is a formal statement about salvation.  There were no other documents about other topics at this conference with signatures.  This leads me to believe that this T4G document was the main thrust of this conference.  I also notice that only 4 signed this document. There were 27 invited speakers so I will assume that there really should be at least 27 signatures attached to it.  Maybe they (the 27) did not expect much to be made of their conference in regard to this document; They could fly under radar.  This document states a fairly firm stand on T-U-L-I-P.
T4G Here ----Calvinist Document
The BP news reports a counter to that T4G document  called "Traditional"
Traditional  Here -----Traditional Document
These have taken the T4G document head on.  Signatures and comments open.
Lest you think "what is all the rub about?" consider what is being taught in Christian schools, SS classes, small groups that the members at large do not know anything about.  I am seeing this first hand.  Our church is "Traditional", our school adheres to T4G document; our SS has as it's foundation T4G.  The rank and file and some on staff have no clue of this basis.

I am glad that the discussion is now brought to the surface.  I despise the sneaking in like this.  I have seen it with "Transitioning your Church" back around 2004.  This was snuck in before the membership even knew it happened.  Now, the Hyper-Calvinist are doing the same.  Wake up Church!!

This new Calvinism will be the Religious law of Christianity and the SBC.






So, Where do we go from here?

Allen

Marriage Seminar

  I attended a marriage seminar on Sunday.  It was typical. There is a great deal of psychology in marriage but very little scripture for its basis.  I understand that, well, not really.  That is the way these are in Churches today.  They are a product to sell.  Why do I say this?
  A little back ground. I am divorced after 5 years of marriage, bad enough, re-married for 20 years.  Good you say.  I am now like this Jaguar.  Man what a ride.  Beautiful machine.  A wonderful thing to show off.  Imagine that if you looked on the other side there is a long scratch down the side.  I'm OK as long as you don't look to closely.  But you see, the leadership can not take a chance on someone possibly looking at the other side.  I am damaged goods. I can not be used.
  What does this have to do with the seminar?  These are geared to those without a divorce in their background.. I have yet to hear of someone that has been through a divorce, re-married, and is praised for there long, Godly marriage this second time around.  Never mind if there were legitimate reasons for the demise of the first marriage,  I am NEVER going to be without that long scratch on the other side.
  If the data is correct in the church, then 50% of the marriages are in divorces.  Is there no grace among the leaders of churches and seminar producers for those people? 

 You see,  I will never not have the scratch on the other side but I am still that beautiful machine through out.
Please consider this when you talk on longevity of marriage and say you almost went through a divorce but you worked it out.  You put yourself a notch above those like me.  I turn you off if you can not offer those that are like me that went through the divorce, re-married and have attained longevity.

Where have all the Pastors gone?

In a day and age in the church where the goal is to attract the un-churched ( un-saved), I wonder how a pastor can be a pastor and not and evangelist.  You see, the more un-saved you attract to your church the more preaching must be on salvation.  The result is that those that are saved and make up the true body of Christ are left with very little teaching or pastoring at a level to "feed the flock amongst you".  If your Pastor is teaching Holiness then the Un-saved get the idea that salvation is by works; not understanding that good works are the expectation of the regenerated.  If your pastor must always preach to the un-saved because that is his mission, to get lost people there to expose them to the gospel, then the flock is starving for something more than milk.
The best evangelistic tool is for saved people to live out the doctrine taught in the church out in the world.
We Are Starving
Allen

Leadership with a following

I hear a great deal today the word leadership.  What do they mean by this term?  If you look in Scripture, you will not see many uses of the term.  Yet, this is the most common word used in Christian Ministrial circles.  You see, for one to be a leader, he/she must have a following.  So is the main goal of these "leaders" to garner a following or do they really hope to lead.  In scripture, those that will lead should be servant first.  If you aspire to lead, you better know where you are going and it better line up with scripture.  Otherwise you are creating a cult.
One of the greatest dangers for leaders are their following which leads to pride.  (we count noses)
WE have worship leaders, youth leaders, choir leaders, small group leaders,etc....
Be careful that you do not let that title birth pride.