Jun 07

Generosity of TOUCH

Generosity 2011, Northshore Baptist Church, Stories No Comments »

The Junior and Senior High Ministry just wrapped up a great year of small groups by having an appreciation dinner.  About 50 of our leaders came out for some Ooba’s Mexican food, a little piñata action, and some sharing of stories from the last year.  Our church has been blessed with some amazing volunteers.  Here were some of the stories and reflections:

  • A funny moment of reflection: When talking about relationships, a lesson discussed how “Below the Chin Touching” was a big No-No.  Well, one 6th grade girl proceeded to ask why touching below the chin is such a bad thing.  She scratched below her chin and couldn’t figure out what was so bad about chins.  Her leader chuckled at where this particular week’s discussion was going.
  • One leader pointed out how over a dozen of our current small group leaders actually grew up in Northshore’s Student Ministry…and now they are leading as adults.  One particular leader has grown up from eating all the coffee sugars and creamers to now discipling other boys.
  • A couple leaders shared how their young boys could not pray at all when the year started. But by the end of the year, they had moved on from just saying “Thanks God for this day,” to more personalized prayers.
  • One leader reflected on the relationship change with his guys, where now the guys call him for advice and help on some pretty deep issues.  It is no longer just a Tuesday night relationship.
  • One mom who is now a high school leader realized the importance of the other voices in the lives of a teenager besides just the parent.  The more positive voices, the better!
  • Another mom shared how this role as a youth leader is so outside of her personality…but her girls are pleading with her to come back next year and be their leader.

To all of our Student Ministry leaders – THANK YOU!

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May 31

Ministry Action Planning, Part 3

Leadership Development, Northshore Baptist Church No Comments »

This is the 3rd and final part of the “Ministry Action Planning” (MAP) series.

Part 1 focused on our “macro” process from vision to strategy to execution with our planning flow throughout the year

Part 2 presented the actual Ministry Action Plan template we use

This final installment will focus on the process of how each team member presents their MAP and the year long follow up process and evaluation.

MAP Presentations. Each member of our Pastor/Director team presents their Ministry Action Plan to the Ministry Management Team (MMT), our senior staff team. They use the Ministry Action Plan Template, having built their plan with input from their leadership teams. We talk through the plan and each member of the MMT, regardless of what team they lead, has opportunity for input. As a team, it gives us the big picture as well as a detailed look at what the upcoming ministry year holds. At the end of the 45-50 minute presentation, we pray for the pastor/director. We pray for Jesus to use them and their ministry powerfully in the coming year.

Follow-up. After the individual presentations, the pastor/director and their MMT lead go through the MAP and make any changes and updates. Once the MAP is finalized, it becomes a working contract for the year. It’s a dynamic document with agreed upon changes made throughout the year. The MAP is reviewed by the MMT lead and pastor/director every 4-8 weeks. In January, we have a mid-year status update. Sometimes it’s done with the entire MMT, and sometimes it’s decentralized with the MMT lead and each individual pastor/director.

Yearly Evaluation. At the end of the ministry year, the MAP becomes part of the Yearly Evaluation. Were the outcomes and goals achieved? Why or why not? Are there things that should be changed or adjusted for the next ministry year? A key personal philosophy during yearly evaluations is “no surprises.” If there is anything that is said during the yearly evaluation that hasn’t been discussed previously in a regular one-on-one meeting, there has been some communication failure along the way.

What does your process of planning look like? Is there anything you’d add to this process?

 

 

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May 26

Ministy Action Planning, Part 2

Leadership Development, Northshore Baptist Church 5 Comments »

Yesterday I posted Ministry Action Planning, Part 1. I focused on our process from vision to strategy to execution, paying specific attention to the cycle of our year and how different teams collaborate to execute vision and strategy.

This post will focus on the actual Ministry Action Plan template that each of our pastors and directors use with their teams to develop their specific ministry plan for the year.

Part 3 will focus on the actual process of presenting, regular follow-up, and yearly evaluation.

Here’s a snapshot of the Ministry Action Plan (you can download a PDF copy HERE):

Here are some of the key components of our Ministry Action Plan template:

1) Ministry Objectives. These are 5-8 things we’re going to focus on as a church and therefore in each of our ministries. Each ministry leader develops their plans and share how their ministry will accomplish these objectives and goals. And notice that some of them are focused “internally” for the staff (personal spiritual development, communication/social media development).

2) Desired Outcome & Metrics. What do you want to see happen as you accomplish this objective? How will you measure it? How will you know that you’ve succeeded?

3) Action Steps. What’s the game plan to accomplish this objective? What are the key steps you need to develop?

4) Point Person. Who’s in charge of getting this done. If the ministry leader’s name is on too many of these, it’s an potential indicator that they’re not developing and equipping leaders.

5) Completed By. This should have two sets of dates. Dates for each action step and the date for the objective to be completed. And then the supervisor should help the ministry leader do the necessary “backwards planning” to accomplish the objective.

6) Budget. What financial resources will this require, and is it allocated in your annual budget? This is always a good check to make sure we’re being the best stewards possible with the resources God has entrusted to us.

7) Notes. Important notes and additional thoughts/comments/reminders.

This template and format is working for us right now. But everything has a shelf-life. We continue to make necessary changes and tweaks along the way.

What changes, tweaks, additions or subtractions would you add? Do you have a Ministry Planning template you use?

 

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May 25

Ministry Action Planning, Part 1

Leadership Development, Northshore Baptist Church 2 Comments »

Strategic planning and leading all of our people and teams in the right and same direction is critical for momentum and success. Over the past couple of years, we’ve been using a process we call “Ministry Action Planning” to hone and clarify what God is calling us to do over the next 12-18 months and how we’re going to do it. This is the 1st of a 3-part series on our ministry action planning model. Here’s what I’ll address in this 3-part series:

Part 1 – Our “macro” process from vision to strategy to execution

Part 2 – The actual Ministry Action Plan template

Part 3 – The process of how each team member presents their Ministry Action Plan and the year long follow up process

Our Process from Vision to Strategy to Execution

Here’s a snapshot and timeline of how we do team and vision/strategy planning with a calendar of our planning cycle during the year (our ministry year runs September to August):

  • November – Elder retreat to determine vision points for the following ministry year. For example, in November 2011, we’re thinking at the 30,000 ft. for 2012-13 ministry year and beyond).  We’re continually re-evaluating and re-calibrating our vision. We’re determining the big things that we see, hear, and discern God calling us to do. Before this retreat, we’re hearing from Jesus, from our leaders, from our people, and from our community on where Jesus is calling us to go, truly for His glory, for our good, and for the good of our world.
  • January – The Ministry Management Team (our senior staff team) goes on a retreat and takes the elder team’s vision points and begins to put some flesh on the bones. The team begins to hone in what this looks like in terms of strategy and goals for the following year’s ministry action planning process. The goal is to take the 30,000 ft. vision and descend to 20,000 ft. We typically come out of this retreat with 5-8 major “headline/thematic” goals for the year that we’ll take to our staff team.
  • March – The Pastor/Director team goes on a retreat, taking the 30,000 ft. vision points for the following year and the 20,000 ft. strategy and begins to talk about how it specifically impacts their ministry areas and how we’ll all share in the big goals together. We call it the 10,000 ft. level. Each ministry leader begins to see how their ministry can and will execute on the big 5-8 goals. Necessary adjustments and tweaks to the strategy are happening here. And feedback is going “up and down” the leadership channels.
  • May – After the Pastor/Director team retreat, the pastors and directors take everything that we’ve collaboratively done together to their ministry teams (which includes their lay leaders) and begin to develop specific, concrete ministry plans (with metrics, timelines, teams, people, budget, etc) for the next ministry year. In Part 2, I’ll show you our Ministry Action Plan Template. In the middle of May, each pastor and director on our staff brings that “collaborative” ministry action plan and presents it to the Ministry Management Team for the final “thumbs up.” More on this in Part 3.  It’s a collaborative process where we speak into each others plans, making sure that we’re all moving in the right direction together.

We’ve discovered that this process helps all of our teams and plans point in the same direction. Instead of building silos and fiefdoms, we’re concentrating on moving towards the same goals. It also helps us defeat a “silo” mentality. These goals become our “thematic goals” for the year (to use Patrick Lencioni’s term in Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars).

How does your team do “master, strategic” planning? What would you add to improve this model?


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May 09

Urban Legend #2: A Godly Home Guarantees Godly Kids

Bible, Christian Life, Northshore Baptist Church, Urban Legends 3 Comments »

(This is the manuscript from “A Godly Home Guarantees Godly Kids” preached on May 8, 2011. Here’s the audio for the message. See additional resources at the end of the manuscript)

We’ve all seen and experienced it. We’re at the mall and there’s a little kid going berserk, screaming at the top of his lungs and flopping on the floor. And what do we typically think? “That kid’s parents need a parenting class!” Or we hear about a teenager in rebellion, partying, sleeping around, maybe even doing drugs. And what do we typically think? “I wonder where the parents messed up?” Or someone tells us about an adult child who’s going through a divorce, struggling with addiction or same sex-attraction. We speculate on where one of the parents failed. And all of these speculations of parenting failures are based on a spiritual urban legend that we’re going to look at today. And here it is…

A godly home guarantees godly kids.

Last week, we began a 7-week series called Urban Legends. We’re talking about some of the spiritual urban legends and myths we believe in our Christian faith. And they’re not harmless misunderstandings. They’re spiritually dangerous beliefs. When we believe these urban legends and life doesn’t work out the way we thought it would, we become disappointed with God and disillusioned in our spiritual life. And today’s urban legend is especially painful.

I’ve been nervous about preaching this message, especially on Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is a day filled with all kinds of emotion. Some of you are single, and you desperately want to be married and be a mom.  Some of you are struggling with the pain of infertility, and Mother’s Day is a reminder of the pain. Some of you didn’t or don’t have a good mom. And some of you have lost your mother, and Mother’s Day seems to make her death that much more painful. My grandmother died on this very day 33 years ago, and it’s going to be a hard day for my mom. And lastly, some of you have children who’ve rejected Jesus and have walked away from a relationship with Him. And you feel all kinds of emotions on this Mother’s Day.

So today as we talk about the spiritual urban legend that “a godly home guarantees godly kids,” I want to talk about it with grace and compassion, but I also want to talk about the truth and what the Bible really says. Today, we’ll discuss four things: (1) the Myth, (2) the Reality, (3) the Problem, and (4) the Responsibility.

#1 The Myth

Here’s where we get the myth that a godly home guarantees godly kids – Proverb 22:6. “Train up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Here’s what we think it says. If I “train” and raise my child or children in a godly home, a home that loves Jesus and lives out what Jesus says to live out, then my kids will be godly. And even if they go through a season of rebellion or play the prodigal for a while, eventually they’ll come back to Jesus because they’ve been raised correctly.

There are books, blogs, and seminars that all teach this urban legend. If you will simply apply the “biblical principles” then you’re kids will turn out to be godly. Many of us have read these books and blogs and have heard some of the seminar speakers… a godly home is guaranteed to produce godly kids.

Here’s what one writer says, “If our parents’ approach seemed closed to biblical parenting, yet bore bad fruit, we can be certain it was not biblical. Parents who accurately implement biblical principles will not be disappointed.” Another parenting “expert” advises use of their online Bible study to “observe and learn from winning parents… whose children are obedient and respectful and who know God’s will and live faithful Christian lives. We should be imitating those parents who are successful, not those who fail.”

Sounds good, huh? Almost too good to be true, huh? Well that’s because it is too good to be true. So let’s look at the reality.

#2 The Reality

What does the Bible really say about godly parenting and godly kids? Let’s go back to Proverbs 22:6. Let’s look at the first part of the verse.

“Train up a child” – Biblical scholars don’t agree on what this means exactly.  It could mean teaching and instructing a child. It could mean formally dedicating a child to the Lord. It could even mean tailoring training and parenting specifically for each child (“train up a child according to his way”). Regardless of the specific interpretation, the implication is that Christian parents should teach their kids the path of righteousness and do it in a way that fits their child’s unique personality. But it’s the second half of the proverb that creates the spiritual urban legend.

“Even when he is old, he will not depart from it” – the first obvious question is “when did depart become return?” What we want it to say is that a kid raised in a Christian home who rebels and becomes a prodigal will eventually return. But that’s not what it says. If it says anything, it says they won’t depart or turn away in the first place.

Now there’s something very important that we must understand: Proverbs aren’t promises. Proverbs tell us how life generally works out, but they don’t guarantee how life will work out. The Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman III wrote this in his commentary on Proverbs:

A proverb does not give a promise. The book of Proverbs advises its hearers in ways that are most likely to lead them to desired consequences if all things are equal. The point is that this proverb encourages parents to train their children, but does not guarantee that if they do so their children will never stray.

Here’s another way of looking at the reality. If we believe that a godly home with godly parents guarantees godly kids, then we should be able to apply the test to God Himself. God the Father is the ultimate, godly parent. So how did the perfect “home” in the garden work out for his kids Adam and Eve? Not too well. And then in the OT, God calls Israel “my firstborn son.” How’d that ultimately work out? Not too well. If God’s success as a parent is to be judged by the fruit of His children, then God doesn’t pass our parenting test.

As parents we have a strong influence over our children but no ultimate control. As our children grow into and towards adulthood, they’re ultimately responsible for their own actions, conduct, and ownership of their faith and spiritual journey. Just because they rebel from what you have wholeheartedly and authentically taught them doesn’t mean that you have failed them or you are an ungodly parent and an inadequate role model.

#3 The Problem

Here’s the problem when we believe the spiritual urban legend and myth that a godly home guarantees godly kids. It produces three “false,” spiritually damaging things:

False Guilt. When we’ve raised our kids in a godly home and they don’t turn out the way we hoped and prayed for, we bludgeon ourselves with the sledgehammer of false guilt. We begin to believe that we’re either ungodly people or lousy parents. But perhaps it’s because human beings, including our children, have a sin nature and are inherently self-centered. And there are other factors at play as well. Perhaps we have children that are hyper-active, have learning difficulties, are emotionally handicapped, and even strong-willed or just plain incorrigible. There’s another group of parents that can get hammered under the false guilt of this myth… adoptive parents. They make an incredible sacrifice filled with incredible love, and they take in an unwanted or abandoned child. They long to provide a great home with a great spiritual foundation. And then that adopted child begins to exhibit some of the same struggles as their biological mother or father. The culprit is just as likely to be genetics as home life… there are other things at play. And so when our kids don’t turn out to be godly, this myth that a godly home guarantees godly kids plagues us with false guilt.

False Pride. The next thing the myth produces is false pride. If our kids do turn out to be Christ-honoring and Christ-following kids and adults, it’s all too easy to take too much of credit… and it’s only natural. When something we have a hand in turns out well, we’d prefer to think that we had a large role in it. We think it must be a result of our stellar, godly parenting. Larry Osborne shares in his book 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe this about false pride:

Before Nancy and I had children of our own, I would have titled a sermon on raising children something like “Ten Rules for Raising Godly Kids.” But birth by birth, the titles changed. The progression went something like this:

“Ten Rules for Raising Godly Kids”

“Ten Guidelines for Raising Good Kids”

“Five Principles for Raising Kids”

“Three Suggestions for Surviving Parenthood”

False Hope. The last thing that this spiritually dangerous myth can produce is a false hope. Once again, a proverb is not a promise. It’s not a guarantee that just because you’ve raised your kids in a godly home that they will remain or won’t turn away. And if our kids don’t return and we’ve believed this myth, we invariably get disappointed with God and disillusioned in the Christian life.

#4 The Responsibility

What is the responsibility that we do have in creating a godly home, even though it’s not a slam-dunk guarantee that our kids will turn out to love Jesus and follow Him? What are some of the ways that we can increase our odds of success? What can we do to make it easier for our kids to know Jesus?

Parents. I want to speak to two different sets of parents:

Parents with kids at home. If you’re married, work at having a great marriage. I know some of you are going through or have gone through divorce. And I don’t say this to do a “drive-by guilting.” But the reality and truth is that a great marriage provides great stability for our kids. Put your marriage and not your kids first. I’m not saying that you lock them in a closet or don’t pay attention to them or do special things for them, but your first priority is your marriage and then your children. Don’t get that reversed.

Second, teach the gospel to your children and not behavior modification and sin management. I could do a whole sermon series just on this. When you’re training your kids, always take them back to Jesus and the gospel. Teach them about God’s great love for them. Teach them about God’s forgiveness and grace for them. Teach them about God’s empowering presence for their lives as they face and even succumb to life’s many temptations. Teach them the gospel… that’s the only thing that will change and shape their hearts to be godly kids and godly adults.

Parents with prodigal kids. Pray for your kids. I know this should go without saying… because I know that if you’ve got a prodigal son or daughter, you’re praying for them with every ounce of strength you have. And as hard as this sounds, pray for their brokenness because often that’s the only thing that will get them to re-evaluate the life they’re living. Pray for faith. As we talked about last week, faith doesn’t fix everything. But faith trusts God enough to do what He says even when we have doubts. Faith believes that God is good, that God is present with you through ups and down, thick and thin, and that God loves you more than you can ever imagine. If you’re in a place of struggling with having a prodigal child, I want to encourage you to go talk with someone in our recovery and counseling ministry. We have some amazing people who would love to walk with you through this pain in your life.

Kids. Take ownership of your faith… it’s your responsibility… not your parents’. “Choose this day who you are going to serve” and who you’re going to live for. And stop blaming your parents. Every person, every parent, and every family is dysfunctional at some level. And I’m not saying that some of the choices our parents made aren’t damaging and painful for us… but I’m saying, take ownership and responsibility for your life. If you’re playing the prodigal, repent, come back, and get some help and accountability in your life. You will not find what you’re looking for outside of a relationship with Jesus. And here’s the beauty of the gospel of Jesus… His grace and love is more than sufficient for you, regardless of what road you’ve been walking. There’s nothing you can do or not do that would cause Jesus to love you any more or any less. Come back to Him… choose faith… and live your life for Him. He’s the only way that you’ll find and experience what you’re really looking for.

A godly home doesn’t guarantee godly kids. And there are even godly kids who come from ungodly homes. So we know that God’s grace is present in all kinds of situations. But as parents, even though we don’t have ultimate power or control over our children, we do have influence. So use that influence well. But let’s not beat ourselves up nor puff ourselves up over the results. And to those that are hurting because of prodigal children, who’ve turned from God, let’s love and encourage them. Because Jesus is present with us and His grace is sufficient for all of it.

Here are some additional resources to explore:

“The Myth of the Perfect Parent” – Leslie Leyland Fields (Christianity Today Article)

Parenting is Your Highest Calling & 8 Other Myths That Trap Us in Worry and Guilt - Leslie Leyland Fields

“Some Hard Facts About Child Rearing” – Dr. John Rosemond (Washington Times Article)

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Apr 17

THE Greatest Event in History

Missional Living, Northshore Baptist Church, Passion Week & Good Friday No Comments »

Sunday, April 24, we will celebrate THE greatest event in history: the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“…if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:13-14

If Jesus really is risen, then He really is the Lord. And if He really is the Lord, then everything changes. Grace, mercy, hope, love, peace… everything changes.

You have people in your world who need to know that Jesus is the Risen Lord. And you have the opportunity to invite them to experience reality of THE greatest event in history.

Invite a friend, family member, co-worker or neighbor to this year’s Easter celebration at Northshore. We will have four services on Easter Sunday: 8:00, 9:30, 11:00 am & 5:45 pm

To send your friend an evite, go HERE.

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Apr 04

Urban Legends

Bible, Christian Life, Northshore Baptist Church, Sermons, Urban Legends 1 Comment »

We have a lot of “spiritual urban legends” and misnomers in the Christian life. There are things we believe about the character of God, the Bible, and the spiritual life that are neither biblically grounded nor theologically sound. And sometimes, our hang-ups, hurts, and seasons of being stuck are intensified by these spiritual urban legends.

Larry Osborne writes in his 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe, “Spiritual urban legends aren’t just harmless misunderstandings. They’re spiritually dangerous errors that will eventually bring heartache and disillusionment to all who trust in them.” This practical series, based on Larry’s book, is about busting some of the myths of the Christian faith that distort our view of God and disappoint us on our Christian journey.

May 1 (the Sunday after Easter) through June 12, we’ll explore seven spiritual urban legends. This series will be a great opportunity to invite friends and family who are exploring the Christian faith. We’ll deal practically with who Jesus really is and what the Bible actually says about real life topics. Here are the urban legends we’ll explore:

  • May 1 – Faith Can Fix Anything
  • May 8 – A Godly Home Guarantees Godly Kids
  • May 15 – God Has a Blueprint for My Life
  • May 22 – Forgiving Means Forgetting
  • May 29 – Christians Are Always Happy
  • June 5 – A Valley Means a Wrong Turn
  • June 12 – Christians Shouldn’t Judge

Join us at Northshore for “Urban Legends: Debunking Christian Myths”… sort of a snopes.com for following Jesus.

Invite a friend and send an email invitation HERE.

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Mar 19

Generosity of TALENT

Generosity 2011, Northshore Baptist Church No Comments »

Here’s a great Generosity of TALENT story I received this week:

A friend recently asked if they could purchase a painting I did. Or if I was unwilling to part with it, could they commission me to do another piece for their home? I had mixed emotions. I am not a fast painter, and I’ve never been the kind of person that easily creates something and gives it away. I invest a lot of emotional energy in the things I create, especially my paintings.

I was blessed that someone had connected to my art. It caused me to think about my love for painting. It’s an expression that deeply uses my gift to turn Scripture or visions into imagery. It’s one of the places I feel closest to God. But I already invest a lot of my artistic talents in the church, and it is easy to think that I am already being generous with my talents.

I’ve always viewed painting as something that benefits me, but I’ve begun feeling that God wants to use it to bless others. I’ve been scared to venture into this area of sharing my talent. It requires more of me than any other area of using my talents. But I believe that if I don’t venture out into this area, I’ll miss out on a powerful way that God wants to use me. It seems like the scariest areas to step out are the very areas that God can use us most powerfully.

What are some talents that God is calling you to grow in and give away?  Send me your stories to generosity@nsb.org.

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Mar 12

Generosity of TIME Stories

Generosity 2011, Northshore Baptist Church No Comments »

Here are some of the generosity of TIME stories people sent this week as we learn and practice Generosity: Choosing a Life of Overflow.

Story #1. The Junior High 30-hour Famine. Check out this video.

The junior highers not only went 30 hours without eating (praying and learning what it’s like to be hungry ), they also raised over $10,000! They gathered over 1,500 non-perishables to take to a shelter and did community service projects around the area! They did an awesome job and exceeded their goal of $8,000. They initially pick the $8000 goal because 8000 children under age 5 die every day from hunger related causes. For $1 you can feed a child for a day. We raised enough to feed 27 children for a year!

Story #2. From Pastor Andy Wright (our Junior High Pastor):

A BIG SHOUT OUT for Dawnelle Patterson and Andrea Langkow, two women in our church who are taking 10 girls from their Jr. High Small Group to a cabin this weekend to love and connect with them.  They both have very busy lives but have generously given so much to these girls!  These weekends are often the spark that starts a major fire in young peoples’ lives!

Story #3. From a busy mom:

During my small group this week, one of the questions was along the lines of “what holds you back,” and I felt that not being an extrovert sometimes hinders me. I was stuck in the frame of mind that generosity of time means volunteering for everything that comes up. Right away one of the group members reminded me that just last week I left my family to stay overnight with friends’ kids so they could have a night away. There had/has been a lot going on with my friends, so I felt they needed that time and asked if I could do this a few weeks prior. I really didn’t consider that generosity of time. It just felt like a need that I could fill.

Story #4. From Sheila Jarvis (whose generosity of time story we celebrated in the study guide and during the weekend services):

Thank you so much for the way you presented my Celebration Story on Sunday. It was a real blessing.
 Since talking to you, the Lord reminded me that I missed out on one very important part of my story… one which highlights the fact that people can be generous servers of God without even realizing it. Because I don’t drive any more, my husband Maurice happily drives me to Moorlands (where I volunteer every day) and then comes back later to take me home. If it wasn’t for his willingness to do this I would not be able to volunteer. In thinking about it I realized that there are many people I know who are faithfully, and often sacrificially, giving their time to minister to others.

Thanks for the stories and keep ‘em coming! Send them to generosity@nsb.org

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Mar 03

Generosity: Choosing a Life of Overflow

Generosity 2011, Northshore Baptist Church, Spiritual Disciplines 5 Comments »

Generosity begins with a generous God. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” God is the most generous of givers and as followers of Jesus, we are to become like the God we serve.  And in the joy and act of giving, we are most like God when we give and serve like God. People who have experienced the transformation of Jesus through the Holy Spirit choose to live a life of overflow, freely giving their time, talent, touch, and treasure. But it’s something we have to learn…something we have to live…something we have to commit to.

In our Generosity series during the month of March, we are going to see what the Bible has to say about generosity. We’ll discover biblical pictures of what it looks like to be people who choose a life of overflow with our time, our talents, our treasure, and our touch.  It’s about transformation, not transaction.  And through this series, we’ll learn the heart of sacrifice…giving up something we love for something we love even more.

Generosity is such an important topic and principle for our lives, our church, and our mission to the world that we’ve developed a Generosity Study Guide for this series. We have also developed Children’s Ministry and Student Ministry curriculum, which will mirror the weekly messages in the worship services.

In the study guide, you’ll find an overview and review of Sunday’s message. You’ll also be given questions to discuss in your small group community. During our Sunday services we’ll celebrate stories of generosity, discovering what it looks like in the real world to live out each week’s generosity value. You’ll also find prayer points to pray through so that you might begin and continue to live generously. Lastly, there are also some ideas for families to discuss with children so that we can teach and model generosity for a lifetime.

As you live and experience generosity and choose to live a life of overflow, I’d love to hear your stories. You can send them to generosity@nsb.org.

If you’d like to listen to the four messages on Generosity, here’s the link.

I pray that God would teach and train us to be people who live generously like our Savior does. I pray that God’s generosity would shine through our lives, our families, and our church. And I pray that we’d be changed in the process to become a people and a life-transforming community that lives, looks, and loves more like Jesus.

Welcome to the journey of generosity!

Pastor Jonathan

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