GLUE

Save $50 and Receive a Free Book!

Please accept this invitation to be a part of a national, historic gathering of multi-ethnic church pioneers, pastors and planters, ministry leaders, theologians and educators, encouraging the development of multi-ethnic/economically diverse churches in the 21st century for the sake of the gospel. 

Our unique conference format will provide opportunity for personal interaction to help you grow in your understanding of the theology, principles, challenges and best practices of multi-ethnic local church development!

REGISTER ONLINE FOR ONLY $99 BY APRIL 30 AND RECEIVE A FREE BOOK!

That's right! Those registering by April 30 will receive a free copy of Mark DeYmaz and Harry Li's new book, Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity Into Your Local Church as our way of saying thanks!

Speakers include: Erwin McManus (via video), Mark DeYmaz, Dave Gibbons, David Anderson, Michael Emerson, Brenda Salter McNeil, Soong-Chan Rah, Eric Geiger, Miles McPherson, Alejandro Mandes, Efrem Smith, Eric Bryant, Harry Li, David Olson, Rodney Cooper, Robyn Afrik, Marcus Goodloe, Paul Louis Metzger, Cesar Ortega, Dana Baker, DJ Chuang, and more!

For more information, go to the website www.mosaix.info. And do it now! The Super Early Bird rate of $99 is good only through April 30, 2010.

Hosted by the National Outreach Convention (NOC)/Outreach Magazine and the Mosaix Global Network! 

A Big Discount from Zondervan!

On Thursday this week, Zondervan and Leadership Network will nationally release my new book, Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity Into Your Local Church. Together with my colleague and co-author, Harry Li, I did a recent interview with LN about the new book. For your convenience, I've posted a part of that interview below. But befoore you read it, check this out ...

For one day only, Thursday, April 1, Zondervan will be offering Ethnic Blends at 75% off the cover price! This will lower the price that day only to $4.75 plus tax and shipping. There will be no limit to the quantity of purchase, making this a perfect day to buy for the friends you know, the small groups or churches you lead, or entire staff teams to study together!

To place your orders (again, that day only), click here. After you have added as many copies as you would like to your cart, click on the "Add To Cart" button and enter the code 980679. Then click "Apply Charges" and the discount will take effect. 

Now here's part one of that LN interview:

Why did you write Ethnic Blends?

We wrote the book in order to address the day-to-day challenges of multi-ethnic ministry. The book is for the growing numbers of pastors, church planters, and ministry leaders, indeed, entire staff teams who are seeking to promote greater ethnic/economic diversity within the local church or ministry they lead.

Where did your ideas come from?

We wrote from our own personal experiences, having served for nearly nine years together in the multi-ethnic community of faith we call Mosaic (Little Rock). In addition, we invited 14 multi-ethnic church pastors from around the country (and even Australia) to weigh-in with us through 500 word sidebars scattered throughout the book. Mark also has extensive understanding of the subject from his travel and interaction with others via the Mosaix Global Network (www.mosaix.info), a relational network catalyzing the movement toward multi-ethnic churches throughout North America and beyond.

What is new about what you have to say in Ethnic Blends?

In Mark's first book, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church, he establishes the Biblical mandate and seven core commitments of an effective multi-ethnic church. In Ethnic Blends, we address seven common challenges of the multi-ethnic church. In addition, we provide relevant questions for personal reflection and/or group discussion, making the book a must for entire teams desiring to grow in their understanding, and consequently dream, of a church that reflects the love of God for all people on earth as it is in heaven.

The book also provides great insight on just where the multi-ethnic church movement is and where it is likely headed in the years ahead, with validation from the latest research of Dr. Michael Emerson, perhaps the most prominent sociologists on the subject today. Charts and graphs make complex truths more readily understandable and have been designed for use by those who would teach others also.

Even the Washington Post is Taking Notice!

In yesterday's edition of The Washington Post (Metro section), the journey of one church moving away from homogeneity in pursuit of the multi-ethnic vision was featured in an article entitled Churches Struggle to Meld Cultures in an Era of Diversity. With quotes from myself, as well as sociologists Korie Edwards and Michael Emerson, the article is yet another confirming current and future trends in this direction.

Interestingly my new book, Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity Into Your Local Church (referred to in the article and co-written with my colleague, Harry Li) wil be released this week on Thursday, April 1. In fact, check back here on that day to see how you can purchase the book (that day only) for 75% of the cover price!

For those of you without access to the WP online, I am providing the full article below. Let me know what you think.

CHURCHES STRUGGLE TO MELD CULTURES IN AN ERA OF DIVERSITY

By Annie Gowen, Washington Post Staff Writer / Sunday, March 28, 2010

When Calvary Baptist Church first tried to integrate its Sunday morning services for English and Spanish speakers, the result was misery for all. The congregants grew restless as they sat through endless translations from one language to the other. The service dragged on for 90 minutes. Nobody knew the hymns.

Complaints raged.

"I don't understand what they're saying on the pulpit." "I don't know the words of the hymns." "Why are we singing in Spanish?" longtime parishioners of the historic church in downtown Washington told pastor Amy Butler.

Nonetheless, Butler was determined to persevere, gambling her seven years of progress rebuilding the fading congregation into a 200-member mix of urban hipsters, Latino families and tradition-loving seniors. Would the move to full-time bilingual services further fuel Calvary's growth, or prompt an exodus of disgruntled worshipers?

"Every time we face a challenge such as this, I stay up at night worrying about it," said Butler, 40, who made the switch permanent in January. "We felt this multiracial, multiethnic expression of our faith was true to what God has called us to do in this place. It's very important that what's being reflected inside our sanctuary is similar to what's going on on the outside."

In choosing to integrate its Spanish speakers into the main congregation rather than holding separate services, Calvary is at the vanguard of a nascent but growing movement toward multiculturalism in American worship that some believe is the wave of the future.

But other theologians and experts say there are profound cultural reasons why -- as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. famously observed -- 11 a.m. on Sunday remains "the most segregated hour" in the nation. Even as waves of immigrants from Latin America, Asia and Africa have made the country vastly more diverse, fewer than 10 percent of churches reflect those demographic changes, experts believe.

"Churches are still overwhelmingly segregated," said Korie Edwards, a professor of sociology at Ohio State University and the author of "The Elusive Dream: The Power of Race in Interracial Churches." "They may say that they're committed to racial and ethnic diversity, but making that a reality is a different story."

Michael Emerson, a sociology professor at Rice University, conducted a national survey in 2007 and found that just 7 percent of congregations consider themselves multiracial, and that churches are likely to have a mere fraction of the diversity of the neighborhoods surrounding them. Over the years, he has seen congregations torn apart by efforts to integrate, especially when it involves language.

"People have to worship via the vehicle of culture. When you start mixing culture, language and worship style, people feel their culture is not being represented, and they're less comfortable with it, even when you're trying to balance it," he said. "It's hard to sustain."

Proponents of multicultural services say that churches -- especially those in urban neighborhoods like Calvary's -- must diversify to survive as the country grows less homogeneous. But what form that integration will take is a matter of hot debate.

Traditionally, churches wanting to reach out to minority groups have held separate foreign language services. The Archdiocese of Washington, for example, has Mass in 20 languages, but bilingual services are rare.

"Generally, everybody wants to go to Mass in their own language if they can do it," said Monsignor Mark Brennan, pastor of St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Gaithersburg. About four times a year, the church has a special multilingual service in English, Spanish and French, which is "wonderful," Brennan said, but a logistical nightmare.

He has sometimes found himself standing at the altar not sure what language the choir would sing in next.

Blending cultures and languages in worship is "still ahead of the mainstream, but there's growing interest and growing intent," said Mark DeYmaz, author of the book "Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity into Your Local Church."

His church, housed in a former Kmart in Little Rock, displays the flags of more than 30 countries at its services, which feature readings translated into Spanish and sign language, a Chinese teaching pastor and a gospel choir.

DeYmaz said he's aware some might find this melting pot worship style distracting or off-putting. "While it's certainly easier to go to church with people who are just like you," he said, "pursuing what's right from a Christian perspective has never been about what's easy."

On a recent spring Sunday morning at Calvary Baptist, Latino and Burmese families bowed their heads next to single professionals from the bustling gentrified neighborhood around Verizon Center, where the red-spired church sits on the corner of Eighth and H streets. Sprinkled among them were older, mostly white members in dresses and suits who had been coming there for decades.

They gamely recited Spanish prayer responses printed in the program and sang, "Make us one, Lord, make us one."

So far, Butler said, she doesn't know of anyone who has left Calvary because of the bilingual blending, despite the complaints. But the church has trimmed its service back to an hour and added a simultaneous translation in Spanish on little headphones to make it more palatable.

Even so, the English speakers dive for their Bibles when readings are in Spanish to find the translation. And they sit there lost at times when associate pastor Edgar Palacios, from El Salvador, does the sermon in his native tongue.

Claudia Moore, 59, a retired high school librarian from Springfield and a Calvary member for 48 years, said that the new service "took some getting used to," though she didn't consider leaving.

"I'd have to be honest and say I was less enthusiastic about going to church," she said. "But I'm trying not to be a stick in the mud."

Some members of the congregation said that the blended service has brought them closer, and they now socialize outside of church.

But few Latinos come to the church's small weekly prayer groups, scattered in homes around the city, or serve on its boards. Even something simple such as the Easter potluck menu, for which eggs and ham are traditional, can spark debate.

"The Spanish families wanted to know, 'What does 'brunch food' mean? Can we bring refried beans?' " Butler said. "At the end of the day we decided everyone should bring what they like to eat on Easter."

After a bilingual blessing that Butler said they are still trying to perfect, the congregation moved into the meeting hall next door for coffee and doughnuts.

Virginia Teller, 79, a District resident and retired teacher, said she had become closer with one of the Latino families in the congregation; they now go thrift-shopping together. But she hoped that the church would not add any more Spanish to the service.

"I will take what they have now but no more," she said. "Enough is enough! It is America. I feel everyone should try and speak English."

Jose Nunez, 39, a construction worker from Hyattsville, said in Spanish he was coming to the church's bilingual service to do just that.

"We don't want to be separate," he said. "We want to integrate with the greater community." Calvary, he said, has an "open heart."

Tim Keller on the Diversity of the Church

In a blog post at First Things dated Tuesday, March 16, Michael Liccione writes of his recent visit to Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan on Sunday, March 14 and reviews the sermon preached that day by Tim Keller.

With so many in the evangelical community today embracing Tim as a brilliant theolgian and practitioner (and rightly so, I believe), I wonder if this same evangelical community is willing to receive his teaching on the following point re. multi-ethnic/economically diverse church development, as well (bolded below for your convenience)?

In part, then, Liccione writes ...

"The Rev. Keller explicitly brought contemporary churches in America to task for failing to embody that ideal. We tend, he said, to think of our resources as what we deserve for our hard work and not as divine gifts to be shared with the community that makes their development possible. He also faulted churches for coalescing around distinctions of class, race, education, and economic status rather than welcoming outcasts—represented in the biblical passage by 'foreigners' and 'eunuchs'—on equal terms with ourselves as children of God. Deftly citing Luke 4, in which Jesus’ townsfolk in Nazareth are said to want to kill him for suggesting that Gentiles are to be graced by God as much as Jews."

So what do you think? Is the evangelical world ready and willing to embrace Tim on this point, as well so many others much easier to embrace?

Justice and Jesus

Perhaps you heard, or heard about, Glen Beck's recent comments re. the church and social justice. Among other things, Beck opined ... 

"I beg you, look for the words ’social justice’ or ‘economic justice’ on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!" Much more on this is available on Beck's comments and the response of others, such as Jim Wallis, at Sojourners. 

Interestingly, I have a short section in my new book, Ethnic Blends, dealing, in part, with this very subject, social justice and the church. And since the book is not scheduled for release until April 2010, here's a sneak peek at the text as found on pages 93-96: 

JUSTICE AND JESUS

Before concluding this chapter, let me add a brief word about the very good and growing concern for social justice and community transformation among evangelical Christians and churches. For some, this is nothing new, as they’ve been proactive in addressing such concerns for quite some time. Indeed many of these people and churches, long ago, established 501(c)(3) Community Development Corporations (CCDs) through which they could address a host of needs within their communities, like the need for early childhood and character development, the need for educational tutoring, the need for health care and housing among low-income families and the homeless. More recently, some churches concerned with social justice and community transformation have been described as "externally focused" in their efforts to address the physical and material needs of local schools, to honor public servants, or to develop community spaces. In fact, Leadership Network has a leadership community devoted to the growth of this movement. Still, other churches seeking to impact the community just outside their doors will identify themselves as "missional."

No matter the label, I want to make two points drawn from a proper theological perspective.

First, we have found that in a healthy multi-ethnic church, social justice is not so much a program to pursue; rather, it is who we are. In other words, a missional mindset quite naturally flows from the diversity of the body itself. In this sense, then, Mosaic is not so much focused on becoming missional; rather we are the mission! We are not so much focused on building bridges to the community; we are the community! Indeed, we recognize that community transformation stems first and foremost from a community in transformation, and that is what we are: a multi-ethnic and economically diverse community of people being transformed through the blood of Christ, learning to walk, work, and worship God together as one in and through the local church (see Eph. 2:11–22).

In addition, we must recognize that social justice and community transformation cannot be realized, or sustained, if we who champion justice do not also champion Jesus. For no amount of advocation, education, or legislation can ultimately satisfy people’s need for salvation in Christ. My point is this: in our zeal for justice we must also be zealous for Jesus. Recently, I was discussing such things with Chris Rice, co-director of the Center for Reconciliation at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina, and he agrees. Chris is a forerunner in the multi-ethnic church movement and is widely respected as an authority on the subject of reconciliation. In fact, in a recent blog post, Chris wrote, 

"At the annual Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) conference in 2009, three thousand people packed the room. Unlikely co-founder John Perkins, now nearly eighty years old and the son of a Mississippi share-cropper nearly eighty years old and the son of a Mississippi share-cropper, was teaching passionately from 1 John about God’s love. I was struck by the fact that maybe one-third of those in attendance were under thirty years old. Most are Christians living and ministering in the abandoned places of North America, and beyond. Suddenly I ran into an old friend from Chattanooga, Carl Ellis. Carl is an African-American veteran of the days when such ministry was deeply resisted in white American evangelicalism. We marveled at the scene before us. 'You know,' he said, 'CCDA has given evangelicals credibility in America.'

Yes, the Christians in the room were zealous for social justice: from those involved in a multi-million dollar church- based community development ministry like Lawndale Christian Church in Chicago, to those involved in communities of the 'new monasticism,' to fledgling storefront churches, to wealthy lay people and suburban congregations partnering across city divides, to a ministry whose co-director is a former drug dealer who spent time in prison."

Later I discussed this blog post with Chris by phone. “Do you think that some people,” I asked him, “are more passionate for justice than they are for Jesus?” Here’s what he had to say: “Yes, there is a danger, in the midst of all the urgent needs and current rush to Christian activism, of losing sight of the source, story, power, and theological commitments which give our ministry its distinctive shape and goal: being centered in Christ and in Christ’s gift, the church. Jesus without justice is insufficient, yet justice without Jesus is also insufficient.”

This excerpt from the book, Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity Into Your Local Church by Mark DeYmaz and Harry Li. Zondervan/Leadership Network, April 2010. Order your copy today!

Psalm 138 / Lenten Devo #1

A Psalm of David

I. Four I wills: (1-3) I will …

1.     Give You thanks, O Lord (appreciation)

2.     Sing Your praises before the (above all other) gods (witness)

3.     Bow before Your holy temple (submission)

4.     Praise Your name (worship for who He is, what He’s done)

a.      for Your unfailing love

b.     for Your faithfulness

c.      because Your promises are backed by the honor of Your name

d.     because as soon as I pray, you encourage me by giving me strength

II. David declares his cause: (4-6)

Every king on earth will thank You, for all of them will hear Your words via my witness

1.     They will sing of Your ways (after I tell them).

2.     For the glory of the Lord (the way He shows up and out) is very great!

              David expects God to move in/through His witness to the kings

a.      Though the Lord is great, He cares for the humble (so be humble)

b.     But He keeps His distance (is opposed) to the proud (so don’t be proud)

III. Though I (a king) am surrounded by troubles: (7-8)

1.    You will protect me

                  From the anger of my enemies

2.    You will save me

                  Through the power of Your right hand

3.    You will work out Your plans for me

                  For my life

4.    You will be faithful to me

                  For your love endures forever

5.    You will not abandon me

                  For You made me, You are my Creator

IV. Take Aways for Kings and People?

He will do the same for us if we live humbly before Him in:

1.     Appreciation

2.     Witness

3.     Submission, and

4.     Worship

See also Micah 6:8

Video Trailer for Ethnic Blends

Here's a one-miniute video trailer produced by Zondervan for my new book, Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity Into Your Local Church. Check it out and if you like, please invite others you know to check it out, post it to their own blog or websites, facebook, spread the word, etc. The book is available now for purchase from Amazon and will be more publically released at the Exponential Conference in April 2010. 

And don't miss the  Multi-ethnic Church Conference coming to San Diego, November 2-3! Early bird pricing is available through April 30, 2010.

Missional Is the Multi-ethnic Church!

In advance of the Verge Conference later this week and a new blog (re) post from Ed Stetzer discussing the "missional conversation," here's an excerpt from my new book, Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity Into Your Local Church.  The book is being published by Zondervan as part of Leadership Network's Innovation Series, and will be released in April 2010.

Here's the excerpt:

Have you ever wondered why it was the church at Antioch and not the church at Jerusalem that sent the first missionaries into the world? God said go (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8), but the saints in Jerusalem said NO! In fact, it wasn’t until the church was persecuted that individuals were forced to carry the message of Christ to other lands and people (Acts 11:18, 19).

In contrast, the church at Antioch was proactive and eager to send Paul and Barnabus forth to distant lands. But why?

For all the talk about being “missional” today, much of the conversation has grown out of a white, homogenous context. To be clear, I am very thankful for church leaders who are challenging people to look beyond themselves to meet the needs of hurting people, challenging believers to go and be the church in homes and neighborhoods, café’s, bars, and clubs, in the workplace, the workout center, and on the college campus.  But if the “missional” mindset is not a natural outgrowth of the prevailing model of church ministry, perhaps it demonstrates a weakness in our understanding of the church itself. 

At Mosaic, we have found, much as was probably true in Antioch, that a missional mindset is inherent to the very culture and DNA of a healthy multi-ethnic church. In these congregations missions is not a program: it is a reflection of the church itself. Since cross-cultural ministry is an everyday reality in such an environment, missional engagement is central to the life of the multi-ethnic church and the practice of its ministry.

This is why we began to distribute food, clothing and other material goods to members on a very small scale in 2004. The fact is, our own members were hungry, in need of clothing, beds, refrigerators, and many other things we had no systematic way of providing. In those days, we began our work by simply asking the body to donate as needs arose, and most of the time our people came through. In time and through the leadership of Cesar Ortega, Mosaic’s pastor of Community Engagement, we began to store items that were donated in order to be more adequately prepared. As word of mouth spread within the community, the demand on our time and our resources grew with each passing year, requiring greater organization, planning, and the involvement of people beyond our own staff and membership. After assisting some 250 people in the first twelve months of ministry, five years later, this ministry - The Orchard - now serves close to 10,000 people a year!

c. Mark DeYmaz. Ethnic Blends, pp. 116, 118-119

In the end, then, the missional conversation in a multi-ethnic church is not programatic in natuire; rather, it is who we are.

No Spirituality Apart From Religion

The following was taken from a message I shared at Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas in Little Rock on October 18, 2009. To hear this important message in its entirety, click here for the mp3 version.

This morning, I want to share a deep concern for the future health and well-being of Mosaic. More than that, it is a concern for you and the future of children growing up in an increasingly post-Christian North America. In addition, it is a concern for the future of the local church,the expression (as defined in the Bible) of the body and bride of Christ. It is a concern that needs to be addressed with sustained, intentional effort - by a decision to align ourselves and our families, immediately, with the ancient faith in Christ and Biblical practice of Christianity.

The bottom line.

A recent poll on spirituality conducted by Parade Magazine (October 4, 2009) confirms what many have already observed. In short, Americans today are separating spirituality from religion.  Among other things, the poll found that

1.  Although 45% of respondents considered themselves religious, 70% said they participated in organized religion sporadically or not at all.

2.  50% said they rarely or never attend worship services.

3.  Is it any wonder, then, that only 12% of respondents said that their own religion was the only true faith.

4.  And another 24% of respondents put themselves in a whole new category: “spiritual but not religious.”

Excuse me?

Many people – and yes, many Christians – today are renouncing the organized practice of faith while claiming that their own more individualized, personalized, customized, forms of worship are reasonable and acceptable in the eyes of God.

Let me be clear: Somehow separating yourself from the organized practice of faith is not spiritual; it’s syncretistic. What is syncretism? Webster’s defines syncretism simply as the combination of different forms of belief or practice. According to Wikipedia, syncretism is the attempt to reconcile contrary beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term may refer to attempts to merge … several originally discrete traditions and thus assert an underlying unity allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths.

What’s the problem?

Attempting to create and individualized spirituality apart from the ancient (proven) practice of Christ-centered, Biblical faith (Christianity) leads ultimately to a “melding practices of various schools of thought,” and in time, may lead the supposedly spiritual person to “assert an underlying unity allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths.”

Before I continue, let me further define the terms.  

According to Webster’s, 

Spirituality is “Sensitivity or attachment to religious values.” In other words, to say that we are spiritual is to say that we believe certain things about God, life, death, and beyond, etc.

Religion is “A commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance.” In other words, to say that we are religious is to say that we consistently act upon or live out certain things we believe about God, life, death and beyond, i.e., we practice our spirituality in real and tangible ways through what we do, both individually and together with others of like-mind via a community of faith.  For Christians, we are speaking of the local church.

On this point, let me be clear:

1.  Christ taught not against religion, but rather taught a devout, disciplined faith (Matthew 5:17-21)

2.  James (1:27) taught not against religion, but against those who called themselves religious, yet who were not effectual doers of the word, those who did not bridle their tongues, who did not visit orphans and widows in their distress, who did not keep themselves unstained by the world.

How do you keep yourself unstained by the world? One significant way is by both privately and corporately walking, working and worshipping God together as one, as part of the local church.

So let me ask you, When was the last time you ministered to a widow, helped an orphan?

1.  This morning you did so via MOKids and last Tuesday you did so via The Orchard. In other words, when this church did so, you did so even if that day you could not otherwise be present or involved.

What’s the point?

The corporate, organized practice of ancient faith in Christ as expressed through proven forms and practices (Christianity, our religion) is something we cannot or should not dismiss or denounce in our rush to define ourselves as spiritual in a post-Christian society.

To do so is ignorant at best; it is idolatry, at worst.

In other words, our faith in Christ and practice of Christianity is not something that we can simply define for ourselves, practice alone or as we otherwise see fit. This is not what it means to be spiritual!

Rather, our spirituality and our religion (practice of faith) is to be first and foremost informed by the Bible.

Biblically Speaking

With this in mind, consider the Apostle John’s blunt comments about the difference between what one says and what one does in regards to the authentic nature of fellowship with Christ (and with other believers), or as we might say, true spirituality:

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk (an action) in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all our sins.”

Here, then, John is saying that actions speak louder than words. More than that, he is saying that actions prove that what is said is really true or can be trusted as real, authentic and genuine.

7 Ancient Ways

Brian McLaren, a church planter, pastor, writer and speaker, was once challenged to examine the most common, ancient spiritual practices found in monotheistic religions. In particular, he was challenged to look at seven practices that originated in ancient Judaism and then were retained by Christians in the first century and Muslims in the seventh century.” Here’s what he discovered:

1) Sabbath—Just as the day can be enriched by set-apart moments, so the week can be enriched by a set-apart day for rest, worship, and reflection. And in connection to our practice of corporate worship on the Sabbath, we also practice …

2) The Liturgical Year—As the day and week are enriched through special periods of prayer, the year can be also through special seasons of emphasis such as Lent, Advent, and Pentecost.

3) A Sacred Meal—For Christians, our sacred meal is called the Eucharist. It is a ritual sharing of food through which participants bond to God, to one another, and to a common faith.

4) Pilgrimage—Spiritually oriented travel (or service) can become a metaphor for the spiritual journey, and depending on the destination, it can lead to profound deepening of understanding and devotion. 

5) Tithing—Regular proportional giving to assist the poor is an essential spiritual practice that shows love for both God and neighbor. On this point, consider that Crown Ministries Reports …

Non-Christian giving to charity = $1,021 / Christian giving to charity? $1,108. And the average gift is only 2.3% of income. Beyond that, they report that only 5% of Christians tithe! This In spite of fact that tithing is in principle and practice, this is the standard of giving proclaimed throughout the Bible and an expected spiritual discipline of mature believers. Surely, there is something wrong with this picture.

6) Fixed-Hour Prayer—Many Jews, Christians, and Muslims share the practice of setting aside three, five, or seven special times of prayer each day,often employing patterns or forms of prayer that have been developed over many centuries and that are shared by whole communities.

 7) Fasting—People of faith have discovered that the intentional and purposeful abstention from food for periods of time can both intensify and satisfy spiritual hunger and thirst.

So if Mosaic is not only to survive, but also to thrive (more than ever before) members like you must begin to take ownership for the future growth and development of the church you say is your own, to which you have chosen to belong.

Closing Thoughts

If we do not become religious in our spirituality ...

What will happen to our church? We will become just another rescue station, though no one is being rescued anymore. We will become hearers, not doers of the Word, people who say we have fellowship with God, but do not practice the truth (I John 1:3ff.). And this will lead us to complacency, compromise and ultimately conflict with God.

What will happen to our message and our mission? Will they say "See, I told you it wouldn’t/couldn’t work; the segregation of the local church is justified."

What will happen to this community, to the 12,000 people a year we serve via The Orchard?

What will happen to our children in a society where spirituality is professed, but pure religion not practiced?

What will happen to us?

Of course, Satan does not want us to practice a disciplined faith or spirituality; indeed, he’s aligned against us. So in these days, we must align with Christ and with one another to practice ancient faith!

Yes, let's fight apathy. Let's fight weariness. Let's fight the humanity within us and being full of faith and prayer and the power of the resurrection press on in humility, obedience and faith ... just as Joshua did in chapter three of his book concerning the conquest of Jericho.

Likewise, if you want to see miracles in your own life, in this church, then consecrate yourselves! Then waters will part. Then walls will come down. Then memorial stones will be set up and victories remembered.

 

 

Prominent Leaders Endorse Ethnic Blends

Today, I am pleased to announce the outstanding line-up of contributors and endorsers who have now weighed-in on my forthcoming (April 2010) book titled, Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity into Your Local Church (Zondervan/Leadership Network). Thanks to all of them for doing so and for helping to create what many believe will be a very useful read and minisrty tool for the increasing numbers of ministry leaders, churches and organziations pursuing the multi-ethnic vision. 

In the weeks ahead, leading up to the book's release, I'll be sharing some of their words with you in order to wet your appetite for the project. In the meantime, take a look at who all is involved ...

Co-author: Harry Li (Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas)

Forewords: Erwin Raphael McManus (Mosaic LA) and Dr. Michael Emerson (Rice University)

Contributors: David Anderson (Bridgeway Community Church), Daniel Backens (New Life Providence Church), Dana Baker (Grace Chapel), David Boyd (Jesus Family Centre, Australia), Ed Lee (Mosaic Community Covenant Church), Mike Leonzo (Living Water Community Church), David Nelms (Grace Felowship), Alejandro Mandes (EFCA), Mont Mitchell (Westbrook Community Church), Chris Rice (Duke Divinity School), Pete Scazzero (New Life Fellowship Church), Wayne Schmidt (Kentwood Community Church), Jonathan Seda (Grace Church), Efrem Smith (Sanctuary Covenant Church), Chris Williamson (Strong Tower Bible Church)

Endorsers: David Anderson (Bridgeway Community Church), Brian Bloye (West Ridge Church), Chad Brennan (Renew Partners), Matt Carter (Austin Stone Community Church), Tom Cheyney (NAMB), DJ Chuang (L2 Foundation), Rodney Cooper (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary), Daryl DelHousaye (Phoenix Seminary), Jonathan Falwell (Thomas Road Baptist Churc), Eric Geiger (Christ Fellowship), Ed Gilbreath (Urban Ministries, Inc.), Major Mary Hammerly (Salvation Army), Alan Hirsch (Author/Activist), George Klippines (EFCA), Gerardo Marti (Davidson College), Miles McPherson (The Rock Church), Bruce Menning (RCA), Paul Louis Metzger (Multnomah Biblical Seminary), Larry Osborne (North Coast Church), Soong Chan Rah (North Park Theological Seminary), Ed Stetzer (LifeWay) and George Yancey (University of North Texas)