A Few Thoughts on the GRC: Where is our Judea?

Like many bi-vocational pastors I have been busy in my ministry and employment with little time to focus on other issues. Being in that position is like an exhausted man sitting on a railroad track. He doesn’t move until he has to do so. Since the annual convention in Louisville, the Great Commission Resurgence train has gathered enough steam that I am forced to decide either to jump on board or move off the tracks.  So, in the last month I finally started gathering information to assist in my decision. The Great Commission Resurgence was formally introduced at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in a chapel message by the seminary president, Danny Akin. His April 16, 2009, message entitled “Axioms for a Great Commission Resurgence” presented twelve “axioms” for renewing the Southern Baptist Convention’s evangelistic effectiveness and missions efforts. After reading the text, I must ask, “Where is North America in the Great Commission Resurgence?”

I was a laymen or pastor in a number of churches during my twenty years in Alaska and served on numerous associational and state convention boards.  At the time of my departure from the state, I was serving as First Vice-President of the Alaska Baptist Convention. I taught North American church planting and evangelism for nine years in one of the SBC seminaries. Therefore, when I read the GCR, I look at the issue from the perspective of a New Work convention and the lostness of North America. Unfortunately, the tone and content of the document are disquieting.

The majority of Akin’s message consists of points that every Bible believing Baptist must affirm with a hearty amen. However, two axioms and their supporting points reveal the flaws of the GCR:

Axiom VIII “We must recognize the need to rethink our Convention structure and identity so that we maximize our energy and resources for the fulfilling of the Great Commission.”

Axiom X. “We must encourage pastors to see themselves as the head of a gospel missions agency who will lead the way in calling out the called for international assignments but also equip and train all their people to see themselves as missionaries for Jesus regardless of where they live.”

I have grave concerns about the implications of Axiom VIII. The statement reveals a lack of understanding the North American mission context and, in particular, the challenges of the New Work conventions. However, due to limited space, I wish to address most of my concerns with Axiom X. Axiom X also reveals the underlying perspective that colors all of the GCR as stated.

The GCR rightly states the importance of international missions. However, North American missions is largely absent. Notice in Axiom X, pastors are to lead the way in “calling out the called for international assignments.” In the GCR there is one calling worthy of attention, international missions. There are international missionaries, and then there is everyone else. Only the international missionaries are called. Notice the pastors are to equip “all their people to see themselves as missionaries for Jesus regardless of where they live.” That includes the laymen in the pew, the person called to pastoral ministry, the North American church planter, and the person called to work in the vast fields of North America’s lost population. I know North American church planters who have faithfully faced financial, spiritual, and physical challenges, yet feel they are second class missionaries because they are in North America. This impression was instilled during their seminary training. The GCR fails to present North America as the third largest unchurched population in the world.

How lost is North America? According to NAMB and the 2000 Census:

• The United States has 195 million unchurched people. (Unchurch means they are not attending any religious group, i.e., mosque, synagogue, church, Wicca coven, etc.)
• Canada has over 20 million unchurched with an approximate 4% Evangelical population.
• There are more Buddhists than Episcopalians in the U.S.
• There are more Muslims than Presbyterians.
• 11.2% of the U.S. population was born in another country.
• 49% of people under 18 years of age are non-Anglo.
• 25% of Washington State’s population has NO RELIGIOUS preference.
• Eight other western states and Vermont have at least 19% of their population with NO RELIGIOUS preference.
• Los Angeles has the second largest Iranian and Mexican populations in the world.
• 40% of Communist China’s leaders study in the U.S.
• 30% of international students are Muslims.
• Many of these international students are studying in small town colleges or universities.
• Canada has 31 cities of 10,000 or more people without an Evangelical witness.
• The “Triangle,” (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill), has over 13,000 Chinese.
• 86.6% of the population of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, is unchurched.
• Montana Baptists, using IMB criteria, have identified 200 unreached people groups.
• North America is the only continent where Christianity is not growing in percentage to the population.

I could go on. The world has come to America. I am currently hosting three Indian college students who are attending a local university and have hosted a visiting professor from Pakistan in the past. As a host, I have more opportunities in a year to talk in-depth about spiritual matters than many international missionaries will have during their first tour.  The professor, a devout Muslim, asked me many questions that could have resulted in his death in his own country.  I can take you to many places in middle class America where you will meet people who have never attended church, read a Bible, or heard the Gospel. Most of New England is three generations removed from participation in Christianity.

As I read the GCR Axioms, I do not see a grasp of North America’s lostness. There are the sentences dealing with church planting “that assaults the major population centers of North America” and  “urban centers such as New York, Washington, DC, Boston, Los Angeles, and Seattle” which are “almost completely bereft of evangelical influence.” But a few comments out of a fourteen page text reveals North America’s need as an afterthought.

The North American church, including Southern Baptists, has been given a great opportunity. Do the cities need to be reached? Yes, but God may choose a church plant in Bozeman, Montana to reach New York City. We never know how God will work. In the last few years, 50% of the new residents of Bozeman, Montana are “trust fund babies.” These are individuals who have never worked and have decided to move to Montana to get away from New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. Is it possible they may be brought to Christ away from the “major population centers” and then used by God to reach their home cities?  They have the resources, know the culture, and have the relationships essential to an urban strategy. I have seen the same occur with Latino converts.

I do not see an appreciation of convention entities in Axiom X. As a person with a New Work convention perspective, I do not recognize the world of “bloated bureaucracies” and “If folks in the pew knew how much of their giving stayed in there (sic) state they would revolt and call for a revolution!” One would believe by reading the GCR that our associations and state conventions hoard the money and need to release it for international missions. Is there some redundancy and occasional waste? Yes, but it is less common than conventions who are committed to reach the lost in their state. The GCR assumes the worst and paints with a large brush. I have visited almost every state in the U.S. and three of Canada’s provinces. Most of the Baptists I have encountered are struggling against daunting odds. Our state conventions have some of the finest missiologists that can be found.

I fear that instead of seeking a revival in our land, and the subsequent awakening, the GCR will divert our focus by shuffling organizations and labels instead of prioritizing the spiritual. There are many elements I can affirm, although I reject the underlying tone. I wish there were some people from the mission fields of North America as members of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force, instead of so many institutional leaders and mega-church pastors. North America should be a pivotal piece of our world evangelism strategy. I pray that the GCR would have as great a burden and urgency for North America as it does for the rest of the world. Jesus began with Jerusalem, Samaria, and Judea when he commissioned his disciples.  At this point, I will be stepping off the tracks as the GCR rumbles by and will continue working in the fields that are white unto harvest with people from all over the world.

Black Labs and Passion

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”  Col 1:9-13 (NKJV)

I do not know if all dogs will go to heaven, but I am pretty sure that Labrador Retrievers will. My wife and I have always had a soft spot for Labs. We had only been married a few years when we succumbed the first time to Lab fever. Although we were on a limited budget and living in a no pet apartment complex, we bought a Lab pup. We found an apartment that allowed pets and experienced our first struggles of parenthood. When Pepper’s puppy teeth fell out we panicked and called the vet. (Years later when our oldest son’s baby teeth did the same it was no big deal.) We sat up with Pepper as she whined over her separation from the litter. We experienced the canine equivalent of potty training and found that consistency of discipline is as important for puppies as children. The one advantage of an ill disciplined dog over an ill disciplined child is the dog has a shorter life. Actually, you can also put a dog to sleep. In turn, watching your pup on her first retrieve doesn’t compare to seeing your sons become godly men.

The first weekend Pepper joined the family we took her to my parent’s place at the lake. We laughed when she jumped out of the bass boat to grab the plug and put her head underwater to bite a stick in the shallows. She rode across the U.S. to Alaska in the jeep with us when Kathy and I moved back after graduate school. She retrieved her first duck at six months. It was a cold day on the Juneau tidal flats with a thin layer of ice on the water. Pepper didn’t hesitate an instant on the retrieve. She swam about thirty yards to the teal and began swimming back. In the mean time I decided to enter the water myself and had reached a point midway up my chest when Pepper decided I was closer than the shoreline. Before I knew it Pepper had swum up to me placing her front paws on my shoulders and her back paws on the top of my waders. Quicker than I could scream in agony my chest waders filled with ice water. Needless to say I waded to shore looking like the shepherd carrying the lamb around his neck in the Sunday School poster. Pepper and I had a short discussion in which we both agreed that we were ready to go home, and we did with all due haste.

We lived in a small cabin on the beach in Juneau and would leave Pepper inside during the day. One day we came home from teaching to find that the winter winds had uprooted a Sitka spruce. Spruce trees have shallow root structures, perhaps only three feet deep, but they will spread out over forty or fifty feet. We had 147 steps between the road and our cabin. That day we walked down the first one hundred. The remaining steps had been thrust into the air and were now a horizontal gangway to the roof. In rearranging the staircase, the tree’s root system also lifted the porch as though it was hinged at the front door. If we thought that the outside of the cabin had been rearranged by the tree, we had a bigger shock when we were finally able to get inside and see what a frightened 55 pound female Lab can do. We had (emphasis on had) a new hide-a- bed couch. Pepper relieved her stress by dragging the couch all over the cabin. It had taken her multiple attempts, each evidenced by chunks torn from the frame where she had gained a hold for her moving efforts. All the plants had been ripped out of their pots, and the dirt was flung all over the cabin in Pepper’s efforts to expose their roots.  The house was a shambles to say the least. Again, Labs are like children. You love them even though they drive you to the poor house.

Our second Lab was Onyx, again black and female. We had returned to Alaska from seminary and could not imagine our sons growing up without a dog, so we began looking for a Lab. I was a charter boat skipper for one of the local lodges and became good friends with another guide, George. George spent his summers in Southeast Alaska running charters and fishing the commercial openings. He spent his winters in Oregon managing a goose hunting operation. Over the years he worked for a nationally recognized kennel and was able to pick a pup for payment. George did not need another dog so he offered to sell me the pup for $250.00. Considering that the pup’s dame and sire were national field trial champs and the kennel advertised in magazines that also had ads for $10,000 double rifles, $250 was a steal.

Onyx arrived on a flight from Portland during Thanksgiving week. For three young boys it was as exciting as Christmas. We took the ferry to the Ketchikan airport and signed for the pup at airfreight. Onyx came out of the kennel ready to take on the world and all the little boys in it. At home we filmed her running around the house and skidding across the kitchen linoleum. Kids need a dog. Caring for a pet teaches a child responsibility. Training a dog helps a child understand the value of discipline.

Onyx displayed her breeding. She lived for retrieving and running full out until she was exhausted. With her blood lines I knew I wanted to breed her. I only needed to find the right male. Max was a proven hunter. He was laid back until you brought out the training dummy or shotgun. I figured that Onyx and Max would produce some first rate pups, and I wanted one for myself.  Until you have a litter of eight black Labs, you don’t think about telling them apart. One method is by painting different color spots on their hips. Each time a prospective buyer would check out the pups I would try to match him with the right one. As the weeks wound down to the scheduled adoption day, I had one left, the male with the red spot on his hip. Lab males usually have more classically shaped heads and muzzles. Red also had the most expressive reddish brown eyes. If Red could talk he would have had the voice of a real Bubba. Onyx loved to run; Red loved to put his head on your feet. Red was about a year old when Onyx and Max had a second litter. One day I heard Red howling with a plaintive tone. I walked out to check on him and found him standing at the water bucket looking like he was dunking for apples. He would stop, howl, and dunk again. Onyx sat in the corner with a detached expression. Still trying to figure out what was going on I walked out to the kennel. When I looked into the bucket I found one of the pups struggling to stay above the water. Red tried to save his little brother but only managed to push him under each time. Onyx had arrived at the point of exasperation in her continuing role of being a chew toy for the growing pups. I think she figured one less pup the better. I remember the time I was home alone and I opened the kennel door. All eight pups made a wild dash for freedom. It is almost impossible for one man to catch eight puppies and put them into a kennel with a three foot wide door. I would put three in and have four escape. Nearing exhaustion I finally closed the door and looked at Onyx in the far corner. A mixture of amusement, and satisfaction, could not have been better expressed by any human. I am sure she said, “See what you make me put up with every day. How long will it be until we get rid of these things?”

Onyx and Red epitomize why I love Labs. Onyx lived to retrieve. One Saturday the boys were in the front yard playing with Onyx. We lived on a gravel street that had little traffic so the boys would often throw the tennis ball across the street into an overgrown lot to give Onyx a more difficult retrieve. No sooner than the boys threw the ball, a teen age driver slid around the corner and stepped on the gas. Fortunately, according to the family vet, the girl’s car hit Onyx in the head. I will never forget Onyx trying to pick up the tennis ball to return it to the boys. Even with a broken jaw she still wanted to carry the ball.

When we moved south we realized that the dogs would have a hard time adjusting to the heat, and a townhouse was not the place for two outdoor Labs. I placed them with a friend in Port Alsworth, a small community on Lake Clark. The last time I checked on the pups Joel told me that Red’s favorite place in the house was at the top of the stairs laying under the window that looked out on the Lake. While we were talking Joel said that his three year old daughter was using Red as a stool to look out the window. Red was in Lab heaven, living on a lake with a little girl who thought he was her best friend and play toy.

God designed man to be in relationship with Him, and only God can fill the spiritual void in a person’s life. You cannot beat Labs for being a family dog because they love to please their master. Have you ever watched a dog show? Whenever the dog does as commanded the trainer will slip it a treat. You don’t have to bribe a Lab with tidbits. A Lab just needs to be praised. He lives to hear his master’s voice praising him. A cat will rub your leg if he wants something from you. A Lab just wants you. But that is not all. I imagine a Chihuahua likes people. A Lab doesn’t just love people, it is a retriever. Just look at the face of a Lab as he is standing at your feet waiting for you to throw the dummy, ball, stick, or anything he can retrieve. His eyes sparkle. HE IS LIVING! Men often seek fulfillment through their careers or hobbies. Those things may bring temporary pleasure but it will not last. God has gifted each of us with natural talents, spiritual gifts, and personality traits that are to be used to His glory and in doing so we experience a greater sense of fulfillment than the world can ever give. One day I hope to hear my master say, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.” In your spiritual life are you a cat or a Lab?

Hope for Youngsville

This summer we (North Star Baptist Church) decided to do a church version of a staycation. “Hope for Youngsville” is our ministry to our town. The chief of police and the town manager accepted our offer to paint their buildings. When Tracy and I first asked them if there were any projects that we could do for them they said, “No.” Then we pointed out to the chief that his building needed a paint job. The Chief agreed but with the present economy was not able to do so. You should have seen his face when I explained that we were wanting to do the work and supply the materials. Needless to say we agreed to paint town hall, the police department, and the maintenance building.

The mission project was scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week. Thursday and Friday were scheduled as back up days for weather or other unforeseen events. We had several objectives for our home town mission trip: we wanted maximum participation of our membership, to build community awareness of our ministry, to cultivate a servant’s heart in our church’s DNA, to meet a community need, and to build church community.

Most of our membership could not get off work for all three days.   The church membership signed up for the two different shifts each day, 8-12 and 4-8. Only two of the church families were not able to participate. One had work and health conflicts, the other had work and school conflicts. Needless to say I was pleased with our people. We had guys who had worked all day in the heat show up at four and put another half day in on our project.

Not only did our people work, we grew closer. There is something about spending hours painting a wall with someone that promotes great conversations. They ranged across sports, theology, “Name that Country Tune,” fishing, and almost every other topic known to man (and woman).  This summer we have been using our Sunday nights to build the sense of church family. We alternate weeks between small group activities and church wide activities. Each week we have a devotional then engage in various games. It is funny to see grown ups playing dodge ball with the kids. This coming Sunday night we will be playing softball. Too often our congregations rush in and out of our services and never spend time together. Becoming a family requires shared  experiences. This week gave our people time to accomplish a project that benefited their community.

On Monday night we grilled hamburgers and had a cookout for the policemen. We scheduled the meal as the shifts changed so we had two shifts attending. As usual, we had some great food. At the end of the job the Chief asked if several of us could attend next week’s Town Board of Commissioners meeting. The board would like to officially thank us for the work we accomplished.  The Franklin Times carried a story last week and then another one this week on our church. There are presently five church plants in the Youngsville/ Wake Forest area. There are also several good churches. At the same time there are thousands of unchurched people. Hopefully, our ministry to the town of Youngsville has helped identify North Star as a church that is here to serve.

Jonathan is our minister of Worship, Media, and Missions. He was responsible for the project.

Town Hall is on the left and the Police Department on the right.

Packing it Out.

Packing It Out: Loads, Life, and Love

^“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.” Gal 6:1-5 (NKJV)

The Alaskan native name for Admiralty Island is “Fortress of the Bears.” Besides a healthy brown bear population it also contains a large Sitka Blacktail deer herd. The northern end of Admiralty is a short boat ride from Juneau and a popular hunting area. In good weather we would run over by skiff for a day hunts. The area has tide ranges from minus four feet lows to over twenty-two feet highs. Frequently the blacktails will walk the exposed beaches and make it easy to pack out after a kill, but usually they like the ridges well off the beach. Hunting the old growth forest of Southeastern makes you feel like Daniel Boone. The understory is wide open except for occasional patches of blueberries or devil’s club. A six inch carpet of moss covers the ground making even the heavy footed hunter able to move like a ghost. The standard technique for blacktail is to follow game trails toward the ridge lines and hopefully make a shot. A good snow cover allows the hunter to find fresh sign and track the animal until close enough for a shot. Most shots are less than 100 yards unless you find the deer on the muskeg meadows common to the area. I have never hunted a more rewarding method.

Each Veteran’s Day weekend a group of friends would schedule a hunt on Glass Peninsula and reserve the Forest Service cabin located on the other side of the peninsula. One of the best kept secrets of Alaska, the United States Forest Service has log cabins scattered throughout the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska. Most of the cabins can only be reached by boat or floatplane and have bunks for six to eight people. The cabins make Alaskan hunting enjoyable in the rainy Southeast Alaska winter.

Friday afternoon we made the run around Douglas Island and across the channel into Oliver Inlet. After anchoring the boat we spent the rest of the afternoon packing our gear across the mile wide neck to the cabin. In November sunset comes around four o’clock so we finished the job in the dark. Fortunately sunrise comes late. Saturday morning we divided up with most of us hunting the lower ridges near the cabin and around the inlet.

That night we had a great meal from the camp stove while drying our gear from the warmth of the woodstove. All but one of us had drawn blanks. Tracy had hunted a ridge line about three miles from the cabin and had shot two bucks. He had packed out the hind quarters from one and hung the remaining meat and carcass in a tree. Since it was more than halfway through the hunting season and I had no meat in the freezer I accepted Tracy’s offer to pack out the whole deer. I wanted more of the backstrap steaks we enjoyed for dinner. During the night we had the first snow of the season.

I will never forget that second day of hunting on Glass Peninsula. Dave decided to stay at the cabin due to a severe headache. So the rest of us started out the door into the early morning darkest. As I crossed the threshold two shots rang out from the bottom of the steps. Tracy had kept his rifle on the front porch so his scope would not fog. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he saw a nice buck running out onto the moonlit snow covered grass flats at the top of the cove. The fresh snow contrasted with the deer well enough that it was like shooting by street lamplight. Most of us had not stepped off the front porch and a deer was already down. Backtracking we discovered he had been standing at the bottom of the steps when we startled him. Dave volunteered to skin the deer so the rest of us could continue hunting.

About a half mile up the trail Tracy led me off toward the ridgeline where yesterday’s kill hung. Over the next two miles we found deer in every meadow. I had four tags to fill but already had one three mile hike to get out yesterday’s buck. Before I shot my first deer of the day Tracy and I stopped on the tree line and discussed the buck’s merit and the packing involved. He was a healthy animal with a good rack so I decided to drop him. We repeated the debate twice more before getting to Tracy’s buck. By ten in the morning I faced packing four deer to the cabin. Tracy left me with my problem while he went looking for a bigger buck.

Sitka Blacktails are smaller than most whitetails. My four bucks each weighed around one hundred and fifteen pounds. Over the years of deer hunting I had assembled gear that was designed for packing meat. I had a pack frame with a shelf and a collection of heavy duck sacks that were about the diameter of a pie plate and three feet long. I hung each deer and skinned and boned the carcass. By trimming all the bone and fat I ended up with around two hundred pounds of meat. I did some quick math. I could make several trips with lighter loads but end up walking ten miles or one trip heavily loaded. I decided to compress the anguish into one trip. Strapping the sacks onto the frame I started down hill.

I thought the next two hours would never end, but I did gain a new understanding of Galatians 6:1-5. The toughest part of packing a heavy load is the transition from the ground to the shoulders. Getting the load to the shoulders takes so much energy it is better not dropping the load. So how does one rest if they can’t put down their load? As I came down the ridge I looked for every blowdown and stump I could find. When I found one the right height I would turn around and back up to the trunk. Propping up the frame I could give my shoulders, back, and thighs a rest. Back at the cabin I discovered my heavy duty frame was warped.

Paul writes, “Bear one another’s burdens” but three verses later writes, “For each [person] will bear his own load.” Is this one of those “contradictions” biblical nay sayers are always talking about, or does Galatians give us practical advice for living out our faith in community with other Christians? The Greek word used by Paul for “burden” means a heavy load, a pack frame warping load, an exhausting load. In verse five the Greek word translated “load” means a “day pack,” a load that everyone normally carries.

If you want guidelines for small group accountability this passage is for you. Most young men I speak with today express a desire to be mentored by an older Christian and want to be in a small accountability group. Perhaps this is a generational expression of the importance of community, or their awareness of the failure of the Boomer generation’s individualism. Paul prescribes the first condition of accountability, spiritual health. When Paul states that one must be “spiritual” to confront a sinning brother he does mean that only spiritually mature super saints are qualified. But, one is required to be spirit filled, confessed up to date, and in right standing with God to be involved in confrontation. The second requirement to assist a fallen brother is humility. Paul’s words carry a tone of warning. If we do not remain painfully aware of our own past sins and ongoing potential for sinning and therefore reject self-righteousness we will not have the brokenness prerequisite for being used by God. We might not fall into the sin of the brother we are seeking to restore but we will become the legalistic individuals Jesus’ often condemned.

Living in a fallen world means we all have burdens. Paul reminds us to examine our own lives and understand our own personalities. Each of us has our own areas of sin. I don’t struggle with gluttony, or anger, but I do constantly battle pride. That is the day pack God expects me to carry. As I continue to mature in that area of my Christian walk I can rejoice in what the Holy Spirit has accomplished in my life.

Sometimes the burdens become too much to carry and there are no stumps and deadfalls to provide a rest to the weary. Pornography and sexual immorality defeats Christian men in epidemic proportions today. I know men that have destroyed their marriages, lost their families, and left the ministry as a result of sexual impurity. A Christian brother in that situation needs someone to “come along beside” (the Greek word Jesus used to refer to the Holy Spirit) him and take the load off. I can not remove the total burden but I let him know he is not alone. Otherwise, how can a fallen man believe that God loves him when God’s people don’t demonstrate that love?

I have had several hunting partners over the years, men with whom I enjoyed spending time in the woods. Over time I noticed that we all carried our hunting packs without complaint but were quick to split out a heavy load among us so no one carried a crushing load. They made each trip memorable.

Rodeo Week – Opening Night

Team ropers watching a bronc rider on opening day.

The Livingston Roundup officially began on July 2. “Slack day” contestants had competed in their events on the overflow day and had packed up and left for other rodeos.  The first event for the day was the Livingston Parade. You have never experienced a 4th of July parade until you go to a small town in the west for a parade. In Juneau you could see people walking the route in halibut suits. Nothing like seeing a six foot fish walking the streets. There weren’t any fish in the Livingston parade, but there were firetrucks, antique cars (including the first car in Livingston), and horses. One of the guys working the stock pens with me on Slack day, Phil, had his string of pack mules from his family outfitter/guide business. The parade reveals the centrality of the horse to Montanan culture. In the east a child may grow up playing with the family dog. In the west children grow up on horseback.

Tiffany & Sauner Wood watching the parade from the front window of Cornerstone's new location.

Starting young

Phil leading his pack train.

Thursday morning the workcrew from Spotswood Baptist Church started off their day with the Rodeo grounds clean up.  Then they cleaned out the debris from the renovations. The new facility will open in September after a workcrew/mission team does the interior work needed to turn the building into a church building. However, since the building is on the parade route Paul and Cody wanted the building’s restrooms available. Quite a few people took advantage of the offer including a number of locals who were interested in Cornerstone’s new location.

The rodeo began at 8:00 p.m. The work crew manned the hospitality tent cooking hot dogs and hamburgers for the constestants and their families. Paul did a great job leading a short chapel service for the cowboys. He contrasted the dependability and faithfulness of Christ to the way that others sooner or later fail us, whether it is your horse, roping partner, family, or friends. Later that evening his words were displayed in the team roping event. The announcer introduced a father and son roping team. The father held multiple world champion roper titles and had just begun roping with his son. After the introduction the steer broke from the gate.  Both ropers must rope the steer. The header ropes the horns to turn the steer and then the heeler must rope both legs to get the maximum score and time. It takes the teamwork of the ropers and the horses.The father missed and they were disqualified.  Even world chapions can let you down. By the time the rodeo ended, the hospitality tent cleaned up, and we got back to the house, it was 11:15. The 7:30 a.m. rodeo trash pickup came early the next morning.

Barrel racers watching the competition.

The International Mission Board uses the term “Unreached people group” to describe a group who share a common language dialect, customs, etc, that  has not been evangelized. Montana Baptist  have identified 200 unreached people groups in the state. They range from cowboys to the various Indian tribes. Ninety-five percent of the population is  unchurched. Some people may think that since cowboys are Americans and look like us they are evangelized. If you think that the cowboy culture is just like yours, spend time at a rodeo. The rodeo competitors and the people of Livingston need the Gospel. The work that the people of Cornerstone are doing is gaining the attention of  the unchurched, but it will take time.

I coined a term, “harsh climate mentality,” a few years ago to describe people who live in places like Montana. People who have settled in harsh climates, whether it is the desert Southwest, Alaska,  New England, or where ever, develop an individuality and self-reliant spirit. When someone moves into the area they wonder how long the person will last. I remember how people would come to Alaska in the summer and talk about how they loved it and their plans to stay. However, once October came with its 40 inches of rain and constant lack of sunshine, they would line up to catch the next ferry south. First Baptist Church, Ketchikan, Alaska, had two pastors serve a total of seventeen months out of a five year period. The church had longer interims than pastors. I have heard people in New Hampshire say to a church planter, “How long are you going to last?”  Because of this mind set, and the fact that it takes time to become known in a community, it takes several years before church planters begin to see their efforts bearing fruit. Cody  and Paul had several “spiritual” conversations this rodeo with people they have known for two years. Hopefully, we will see even greater things happen in the coming years. I for one plan on being in Livingston for next year’s rodeo. After all I have the hat.

Some of my new friends.

Rodeo Week- Thursday

I am going to put all the opening day rodeo information on my final rodeo page. Because, I want to focus on the day’s events before the opening night’s activities. Paul, Christine, Cody, and Tiffany have done so many things right when I look at the first two full years of their lives in Livingston. They came with a sense of calling and servant hearts. It is easy to see they love Montana and the people. The lead  in (pre-deployment) phase paid off. The time spent in prayer, visiting the area, and building partnerships allowed them to accomplish most of what they have done. This week is a great example.

Work crew removing the renovation debris.

Spotswood Baptist Church from Fredericksburg, Virgina, sent a mission team to help with rodeo week. Spotswood is Paul and Christine’s home church prior to their enrolling at SEBTS. This has become an annual mission trip for the church. They arrived on Tuesday and helped reset the tent after Monday’s storm. Since that time they have picked up trash each morning at the rodeo grounds, hauled out the debris from my going berserk on the new location’s interior, and anything else that needed to be done.

Cody and Paul will be the first to tell you that they would not have the respect and acceptance they enjoy if it were not for mission teams. In Acts the apostles were faced with a ministry decision, would they do a good thing and take care of the widows and orphans, or would they stick to their main responsibility. Church planters have only so much time and energy, especially when they have to work another job as Paul and Cody are now doing. Church planting is labor intensive; survey work, block parties, sports camps, construction projects, and other projects are beyond the resources of most plants. Projects that would take  the planter and his wife weeks to do are done in days. The planters can burn out doing good things, and fail to do the job they came to do. The Spotswood team pick up the trash around the rodeo grounds in about an hour. It would take a whole day otherwise.

Spotswood work team manned the hospitality tent serving the rodeo cowboys.

I have always recommended to my planters that they develop partnerships with multiple churches. The partnerships should be beneficial to both parties, have a known life span, and prioritize prayer and participation over finances. I would rather have a church’s prayers and people than its money. A  check will help for the short term, but a mission team and prayer will help the planter find people who will become part of the plant. Of course, if the partners are praying and participating they will usually also help financially.

Partnerships help the church planters in another way. I had several families in my church in Soldotna, Alaska, who joined from an independent church background. They often asked why we were Southern Baptists. I tried to explain but it never clicked. Then we had a mission team come to help us build our new facility. Those guys came from Mississippi and worked twelve hour days to raise our roof and side walls. They stayed with our church families and many became our good friends. After the first team left both families separately came to me and said almost the same thing, “Now we know why we are Southern Baptists. We have never had another church ever help us do anything.” Churches working together to accomplish what one can not do alone is at the heart of the Cooperative Program.

I love the Cooperative Program and I am afraid that a new generation of SBC ministers do not appreciate the gift that it is. Our men and women recieve a quality seminary education at 1/3 the cost of other schools and then some go out and start churches that have little involvement with the SBC and the Cooperative Program. My church in Alaska was blessed by financial and prayer support from the HMB through the Church Growth Assistance program. It was a blessing to recieve the frequent cards from fellow Christians who were praying for our work. My brother, Don, and his family served for ten years in the Philippines with the Foreign Mission Board (IMB’s old name). His daughter, Shannon, and her family served in South Asia with the International Mission Board. They did not have to spend the majority of their time fund raising as other denominations’ missionaries must do. And, I appreciated the manner in which IMB took care of the family after the death of my grandnephew, J.D. There are some good organizations involved in missions and church planting, and some mega-churches are accomplishing great things. But, as good as Acts 29 and other groups are, they will never be able to match the work of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program. SBC churches fund over 5,000 international missionaries and 5,000 ministry positions in North America.  The Cooperative Program will wither on the vine in the next several decades unless the younger generations understand its uniqueness. Today’s younger generation of Southern Baptist are looking for “value added” organizations. Don’t expect them to support a program just because it is the denomination’s.  They want to know that they are going to benefit from the participation. They do not support  impersonal programs. The mission education ministries of the SBC: Mission Friends, R.A.s, and G.A.s have been replaced by AWANA and other approaches that do not focus on missions. Partnerships can revitalize mission giving through the Cooperative Program. When a mission team works with men like Cody and Paul and sees the lostness of North America putting names and faces on the 210 million plus unchurched of North America, they increase their giving to missions. When that is connected with the realization that because of the Cooperative Program they are not only helping the work in Montana, but the U.S., and the world; missions becomes personal. I believe that participation in our mission organizations needs to benefit the contributing churches, but our churches also need to remember that they are needed by ministries in Montana and other tough places. Sometimes you need to give without demanding a “return.”

Rodeo- Wednesday “Slack Day”

Slack Day is anything but slack. It is the overflow day for the rodeo. Today the barrel racers, calf ropers, roping teams, and bull doggers competed. Paul and I worked the stock pens. Ray, who looks like a bearded old cowpoke, but has a Ph.D and has taught at Montana State for 30 years, and Rob were in charge of the pens. The cattle would be separated into six pens and I ran two of them. You had to go in and write down the numbers branded in their flanks, or on their ear tag. When the steer was scheduled to run you had to separate them from the rest of the cattle. Some of them would go out the gate and down the chute on their own. Some weren’t about to go. They would pile in a corner, kick, or do anything to stay in the pen. I was one of the few who didn’t get kicked at least once.Walking into a herd of eight or nine steers and shoving them around or “influencing” their direction was definitely not boring.

Paul and I almost look like we know what we are doing, almost.

Rob grew up in Livingston and is the epitome of a Montanan. Within the first twenty minutes Rob took a direct kick to his thigh. The kick staggered him, but he did not quit. The rest of the afternoon he had trouble walking. When his pants leg tightened on his thigh you could see the bulging knot. In the next three hours Rob was kicked four more times, that I saw. The last time I grabbed his shoulder to keep him up because he almost fell. One of the steers decided to rotate ninety degrees and kick  Rob instead of kicking me. Rob never complained, refused to ease up and just handle the gates, or act like anything was wrong. However, when he thought no one was looking he would grimace and reveal intense pain. What Rob did was “Cowboy Up.” There was no way that Rob was going to show weakness in front of all the other men. When life is tough, you cowboy up. When you get kicked, you cowboy up.

Cody & Ella at the barrel racing starting gate.

Paul and Cody are ministering in a culture that values self-reliance and toughness. They are making inroads with the community because they are earning the right to be heard. The mental toughness of western culture is a result of the settlers who tamed this land. It is a wonderful quality that gives the people here a character that I love. However, it is a tremendous spiritual barrier. It is hard for a person who has been self-reliant to come to a Savior that requires brokenness. Going through life without asking for help makes it tough to accept the gift of the cross. Livingston will be won to Christ through prayer and a witness that has earned the respect of the people. Cody and Paul are showing their neighbors that a man can be a Christian and still a man.

Sorting steers

How cowboys watch the rodeo.

The work team from Virginia preparing to feed the cowboys and cowgirls.

Rodeo Week- Tuesday

Today was spent ripping out more of the interior walls for the new facility. Tomorrow the rodeo cranks up and there will be more postings.  We had a Montana thunderstorm come through a take down the tent so we will have a busy Wednesday. I will be adding to this entry a little later in the day.

The morning after the storm. Six steel rods were bent double and both cables holding the main poles were snapped.

The cowboys started showing up and settling in for the rodeo. Some travel first class.

Rodeo Week- Monday

Since arriving I have had the a chance to run a Bobcat (small frontend loader), weed wack corrals, help put up a “circus” tent, and rip out walls. Ministry is a hoot.  I am getting up early so I can put several hours in on my Liberty classes (the two summer seasons overlap two weeks so I have five classes right now.) Since it is Monday Paul and Cody had to go to work. If there is one principle of church planting that Cody and Paul demonstrate it is the willingness to work. Their two year Nehemiah funding is finishing up this month. So, it is either call it quits or “cowboy up.” They were asked to join the Rodeo Association because of their work ethic. If there is one thing that westerners value it is a person who is a hard worker. So these two guys have gotten jobs because they were called by God to Livingston and that has not changed just because funding issues.

Paul and Cody are examples of a bi-vocational strategy. Paul had a successful banking career before entering seminary and moving to Montana. He now works at the hot dog and burger shack. Since it is not a heated building it closes in the fall. But during the summer it is the place to see people. Paul could probably make more money working as a night watchman somewhere. But, he would not see all the people.

The one place everybody visits in Livingston.

Cody started his new job last week and today was his third day at work. He is a case manager at a counseling service which deal with juveniles from dysfunctional families. Almost all the cases are families from Park County. Cody’s undergraduate degree was in sociology so it is a good fit. Again, the strategy was to find employment that promoted networking in the community. Cody’s job is more long term than Paul’s, but both men see their work as another opportunity to become known by their neighbors. After work both men were back to ministry. It makes for long days but God will bless their commitment.

The main question someone considering church planting has to answer is what are you willing to do to obey God’s calling. If you only obey because some organization or institution will pay your way, then save yourself some grief and don’t go.

Cody's new job,Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch.

The other day a church planter arrived in Montana. He came from a Southern Baptist Church, but was affiliated with an independent church planting organization. He stopped in Livingston and spoke with Cody. He was from Florida and had never been west of the Mississippi.  He had never been to Montana and was headed to a small town near Livingston. I am afraid he is in for quite a culture shock. Just to show the how Montana is a different culture, look at the pictures below. Notice the bottom sign. The other picture is a church announcement from Sunday’s service. Paul and Cody benefited from the pre-deployment preparations that Dave Howeth, ADOM, developed for the association’s church planting strategy. That preparation is essential.

Hotel sign in Livingston.

Upcoming event at Cornerstone.

Rodeo Week-Sunday

It seems every church planter has the same experience, to one extent or the other, Sunday morning set up. Being away from North Star I was looking forward to a Sunday without “set up”. But, alas, Cornerstone has “set up.” The service started at 9:00 a.m. at one of the local hotels. Cody preached from Mark 11. Paul led the singing and handled the announcements.

After the service Cody, Paul, Keith, and Aaron went over the the new building to talk about needed renovations. Keith and Aaron are the other half of the four man pig wrestling team. Aaron is 39 and never married. He is a contractor and works from the end of elk season until the beginning of elk season. During the season he hunts almost everyday walking back six or seven miles into the mountains looking for trophy elk. You could say he is married to hunting. Aaron was also the first person baptized by Cornerstone.

The new location is in the business area of town. It was a doctor’s office with 2500 square feet. The bank parking lot is across the street and provides free parking on Sundays. As we stood around looking at the drop ceiling and interior walls Aaron and Keith were upbeat and involved. However, things changed when we went downstairs into the basement. It runs the length of the building and has a 7 1/2 foot ceiling. It would take a fair amount of work and money to use it for “church” space. But, a comment was made about the area being a great spot for an indoor archery range. The closest one is in Bozeman and charges $30 an hour. Aaron got excited. By the end of our time downstairs he had figured out that he could make a forty yard lane and several twenty yard lanes with an afternoon of work and no construction costs.The back alley would also be a suitable place for a grill providing the means of having gatherings.

This fall expect Cornerstone to be the location of a community archery league. (I can discuss renovations and tearing out walls, my specialty, but this is where I actually made a contribution.) The advantage of a league format is that it forces guys to spend more time at the range. Instead of coming in and shooting several rounds of arrows and then leaving a team has to rotate through. While several guys are shooting the others have to wait. Like a bowling league the social aspects become a large part of the evening. Since archery shooting outside is not practical during the winter a league night would be one of the few activities available in Livingston.If you make a league rule that your members have to find nonchurch members to fill out their team roster you have a great outreach tool. (Never sign up for a church softball league. Play with the lost guys. Besides, there will probably be less arguing that the church league.)

Aaron was pumped, as was Paul and Cody. Aaron got excited because he knows how many men who would never step into a church building would come to shoot. Paul and Cody got excited because they saw one of their men develop a vision of ministry that fits him like a glove.

There is a principle in all of this: The freedom to minister “outside the box” is in geometric proportions to the number and influence of core group people who come from a church background. Even  if they want to try new ministries their nature is to resist. After Aaron and Keith left, Paul and Cody immediately commented that one family would be upset that archery would take place in “the church.” This family’s standard is “doing like back home.” I use to encounter people in Alaska who would visit church and then tell me that they could not find a church like “back home.” My response was, “Then go back home. We are a church that is trying to reach Alaskans, not transplanted Southerners.” Throughout the West, Northwest, Alaska, and north of the Mason-Dixon line you will find aging Southern Baptist Churches that were founded after WWII by transplanted Southerners. These churches grew by attracting transplants and did church like back home. They were cultural enclaves. Sadly they never became indigenous and now do not reach their own children and grandchildren who are not Southerners.

The rest of the day was filled with erecting the hospitality tent and going over to Bozeman. I dropped Cody off for his EMT class ( fireman  training) and then visited William and Teresa Johnson in Manhattan. William has done a great job reaching his community through outdoor ministries. He will cover all of that in his contribution to the coming book on church planting.

The Harlot’s Child

Written in 2007

Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ ” ²⁴ The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. ²⁵ The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” ²⁶ Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!” ²⁷ Then the king said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.” ²⁸

1 Kings 3:23-28 (NASB)

Early in Solomon’s reign a situation arose that proved God had granted Solomon’s request for wisdom. Imagine, make the wrong choice and a woman loses her child and the child itself is placed in the care of a neglectful mother. Solomon’s ruling demonstrated his favor with God. We need that wisdom today in the issue of “relevancy” or “contextualization.” On one hand to err is to hurt fellow Christians and the expansion of the Kingdom, to err on the other is to allow a false gospel and cause many “converts” to suffer eternally. Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:21-23 necessitates discernment instead of naiveté.

Recently several of my church planting students attended a conference. They returned with more concerns than answers. The conference objective was to facilitate launching potential mega-churches which would in turn promote evangelization. Unfortunately, the message seemingly focused more on business models, marketing strategies, and financial plans than evangelism. In fact, the students were concerned because evangelism was not mentioned, and the lost were referred to as “the disconnected.” Instead of presenting the gospel they learned their task is to help people become “connected,” and, except for one speaker, prayer and the Bible were not discussed. The students’ concerns are not new; in fact, it is hard not to read an issue of our denominational publications without encountering comments or articles on the topic of contextualization and relevancy. The debate takes many forms, the most common of which deals with methodologies of evangelism relating to corporate service formats and “emergent leaders.”

Both sides of the debate insist on the legitimacy of their concerns. Many established leaders including the former head of the denominational publishing company have expressed concern that younger leaders are being ostracized over trivial issues such as preaching in a Hawaiian shirt or not singing hymns. On the other hand many express concern that we communicate the gospel faithfully, clearly, and compellingly. How do we preach a contextualized gospel without compromise? Are “younger” leaders faithfully preaching the gospel in a contextualized way, or are many of those preachers compromising the gospel message? Based on my experiences as a pastor and professor; “Yes” answers both questions. There are many younger ministers who are doing a great job of reaching our culture with the gospel. Their choices of clothing, music, or other methods may not be my cup of tea, but they are preaching the word. Unfortunately, there are also many who equate drawing a crowd with making disciples. So, how do we determine the validity of a ministry? How do we determine the substance of the book instead of judging the cover?

Over the years I have developed a series of “filters” to evaluate situations, methods, or teachings in an attempt to remain an acceptable servant to the Lord. Much like a swimming pool water filter which uses various layers of diverse materials my ministry filters employ series of questions. One of those filters fits the ongoing debate of relevancy. This series of questions do not have to be asked in any particular order. The first two questions are more subjective and therefore debatable, but final two questions are non-negotiable.

Has the minister developed his ministry approach from much time in God’s word and prayer? I can not count the number of people I have encountered that base their ministries on conferences. There is nothing wrong with cross pollination of ideas and you do not get bonus points for reinventing the wheel. I have been blessed by conference speakers and workshops. But, in our “shake and bake,” fast food culture many ministers would rather copy than create. Copying is an anathema to contextualization. Why spends months struggling with a ministry strategy when you can down load one from a successful ministry (substitute mega-church pastor). I must respect someone who has spent time with God and reflects it in his ministry and life. He has a stability that does not vacillate or change with every new trend. Cutting edge is fine; just remember 8 track tapes were cutting edge.

Is the ministry approach biblical? This is a trick question because I have never met a minister who will ever admit otherwise. There are some in the Church Growth Movement who hold to the standard “If it works and the Bible doesn’t prohibit it; then do it.” This provides tremendous latitude in ministry. The Bible doesn’t specifically prohibit being a nudist, but I would not consider the annual North Carolina Christian Nudist Conference (no joke) as a biblical ministry. Instead ask, “Can I find specific support for the activity in Scriptures?” Again, the Bible does not deal with many aspects of modern culture and ministry, but this filter can be passed with integrity. When I know God’s plan for His church in completing the Great Commission then many activities come into question. The church’s task is to make disciples. Evangelization, glorifying God, worship, and other activities all flow from discipleship. So, the question becomes “How does this activity promote discipleship?” Related to this is the question, “Does this ministry enable the membership to minister outside the walls?” The vast majority of Christian churches have reduced the evangelism and ministry time of the church to Sunday morning. When we spend the majority of our energy, budget, and abilities on the Sunday morning production we have left the biblical model.

Does the ministry glory God? Much in church planting today runs afoul of this filter question. We have become so market savvy, business model attuned that God is not needed. We can talk about how God gave us a great interest rate for our loan, but how does that glorify God? The Mormons can say the same thing. That is actually another question I often ask, “How is this different from the Mormons?” The first century church did not have buildings, social standing, multimedia presentations, or extensive financial resources, but they had the power of God. Go back and read how many times the church would pray, the Holy Spirit would work, the lost would be converted, and God would be glorified. There are two starting points for all we do, God or man. Either we design our services, craft our sermons, and develop our ministries focusing on God or on man. You can not straddle the fence. If you focus on God then the Holy Spirit will connect to the people, if you focus on man God will leave you to your own designs. American Christians envy the rapid growth of the Chinese church and try to replicate that explosive growth by better marketing, cultural exegesis, and everything but focusing on God and glorifying Him.

Does the ministry clearly communicate the sinfulness of man and his need for salvation? The largest church in America, according to some sources, is pastored by Joel Osteen. Osteen will come to your local arena and pack the house while charging admission. He makes no apology for his message of self-fulfillment. He does not believe we should make people feel bad; they already have low enough self-esteem. Osteen is successful. He has a mega-church. He draws thousands to “Christ.” Unfortunately, it is a Christ of Osteen, Schuller, and others’ creation, a Christ who died on the cross to make life better, not the redeemer of sinful man. It seems that every generation thinks that it needs to repackage the gospel to make it more relevant. The Judaizers probably thought that they were just contextualizing the Gospel while Paul was perverting it. The cross has always been offensive because it declares mankind’s rebellion and depravity. Any ministry that does not clearly proclaim the necessity and sufficiency of the cross can not be supported. If we do not present our faith up front then how long do we wait to reveal our beliefs? Are we guilty of a spiritual bait and switch? Do we believe God the Holy Spirit can draw people or must we ease them into the Kingdom?

North America is the only continent in which Christianity is failing to grow in proportion to the population. Simultaneously the number of mega-churches is growing. I will not, and can not, judge the motives of my fellow Christians. The individuals I know who practice the methods I can not accept sincerely love the lost. So, what do we do in the current debate? Do we accept every ministry labeled “Christian” without critique or question? Or, do we condemn all but our cookie cutter ministries?  What would Solomon do? The beauty of the Church’s diversity and unity must be cherished while contending for the faith (1 Jn 4:1, 1 Cor. 5:12, 2 Cor. 11:13-15, 2 Peter 2:1). With that in mind I must evaluate each ministry and if they pass the above standard then I need to allow them flexibility in methodology for contextualizing the gospel. I need to pray for them and rejoice with them as God blesses. If the ministry fails the test then I need to pray that God will correct them. I will love them, but not support them. Solomon displayed his God given wisdom in the case of the harlot’s child. To paraphrase another teaching involving babies, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, but the water has to go.”

Lessons from the House Church

Written in February 2007

“So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:45-47

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”  Acts 4:13 (NKJV)

House churches are here to stay. Whether that is reason to rejoice or weep depends upon to whom one speaks. Supporters see the house church as the return to the first century biblical model. As such it is their great hope for world evangelism. To detractors it lacks sound theology and threatens the church. The vast majority of American Christians aren’t sure what it is or why there is any discussion. Many confuse location with philosophy and methodology. If it meets in a house it must be a house church and one day it will be able to afford a church building like normal.

I see little point in adding to the house church debate, but I do believe that all parties can benefit from an examination of the model. What are the attractions of the house church and how do they relate to more traditional models? Can other churches improve their effectiveness by integrating house church strengths?

Relationships are foundational: That’s a no-brainer. Who would argue with the importance of relationships? Rad Zdero, a well known Canadian house church leader, writes, “Small groups are vital for the growth of Christians and an effective tool for reaching non-Christians.”  He continues in Appendix 3, “They [house churches] focus on relationships and the development of people spiritually, not on executing programs or projects.” [1]

Thought all the various styles, or structures, of churches say that relationships are important one must question why their actions do not agree. Imagine pulling up to one of our smaller churches and reading the church sign which says, “Unless you are one of us, we don’t want you here!” In all my travels I have never seen that level of honesty, but I have been to some churches that practice it. Several years ago my wife, Kathy, went with me to a church where I was invited to speak. Arriving a little early Kathy sat down in the auditorium while I prayed with the staff. It was not long before an individual walked up and told her to move. She was sitting in that person’s place. Kathy moved several rows back and during the welcome time she shook hands with a mother and teenage son in the pew in front of her. No one else acknowledged them; they were obviously visitors.

Programs, ministries, and facilities are neutral. They are neither good nor bad. However, the lost world, and especially cults such as the Mormons, can provide a bigger dog and pony show than the vast majority of our churches today. Our local YMCA offers more “ministries” to families than anyone around. Christianity is the faith of relationships; relationship with God, others, and even ourselves. Bells and whistles can not take the place of relationships. Our society consists of fractured, dysfunctional relationships. Programs will not hold the lost visitor. They will come until the novelty wears off and then disappear, or continue showing up on convenient Sundays. Facilities, ministries, and programs are not the end, but a tool to facilitate the church’s ministry of restoring relationships. The lost hunger for relationships.

Does your church demonstrate a commitment to building relationships? Is assimilation a priority of, and modeled by, the leadership? Is a plan in place to insure that your church is not just “friendly,” but a place someone, anyone, can come and find friends? Assimilation of guests does not just happen, it requires intentionality. House churches charge that institutional churches are too large for meaningful relationships, which has proven true, more times than not. However I must say that the coldest place on earth is a “closed” small church. When you walk into a group of 20 to 40 people and receive token greetings, you know they know that you are a visitor. The difference between a clique and a church is the church must remain open to new people and draw them in. The biggest clique I ever encountered was a church plant of twenty. They were “friendly” until they died, but in ten months I never felt accepted into the group.

Discipleship is everything: Jesus’ plan for restoring the relationship between His Father and fallen man centers on discipleship. There is no plan “B.” The Great Commission charged us with making disciples. It amazes, and frightens, me the inability of the average Christian to give his testimony or present the plan of salvation in a concise, cogent manner. One of the House Church “charges” against the more “traditional” church is the apparent emphasis on numerical growth at the expense of discipleship. Jesus understood that the multitudes that followed Him were not proof of His success.

Discipleship requires accountability between individuals, a shared life, and time. Many sociologists lament the role TV has played in fragmenting families. The time children interact with their parents amounts to minutes in the day while time watching TV or on the computer amounts to hours. Can’t the same be said of much of our activity driven church calendar? We get so busy at church that we have at most a shallow intimacy with our brothers and sisters in Christ. The business world promotes mentoring as an important key to success. This is one time were the church should follow the corporate world’s example. Statistics reveal few Christians in America ever share their faith. We have more evangelism training programs than ever before, but fewer baptisms. We have a problem related to Christian maturity and our response is to start another program. Jesus modeled and the disciples followed. The Sanhedrin’s comments concerning Peter and John demonstrate the power of discipleship. Programs do not impart passion; passion is passed from one to another. Passion results from discipleship.

The common response to this issue is, “Well, we do that in Sunday School.” In reality the typical Sunday School class, at best, imparts information, and at worst instills boredom. You can always tell who the great Sunday School teachers are. Their classes are packed while the guy down the hall has just a hand full of people year after year. I have been a member of classes larger than forty people. You gain information, but not transformation. The Apostles’ transformed lives resulted from discipleship.

Does your church have a strategy for connecting mature Christians with newer believers? Is there a mechanism in place for groups of two or three people to spend time weekly digesting and dialoguing about the information transmitted in the large gatherings?

Christianity is a Shared Life. The two previous foundational principles of the House Church require time. The term I used most frequently as a pastor concerning my church was “church family.” The difference between a dysfunctional family and one that is healthy is often a matter of time. It takes time to talk, to build common values, goals, and to truly love each other. I submit that if church is nothing more than a place that I go on a Sunday, serve on a committee, or even watch my kid play basketball then I will not see the other members as brothers and sisters, as family. Several activities helped my former church become a family that always wanted to add new siblings. First, we played together. In the summer we would pack the grills and spend Sunday afternoons playing softball. Everyone would play. When the T-ballers were at bat the little kids played the infield. When the next batter could put the ball over the fence we switched the defense. The main point was to share an activity with our families and the church family. Trust me; it built koinonia when two batters in a row took out my shins with line drives. In the winter we would go tubing and sledding together. Another important activity we did, and I don’t wish this on any pastor, is that we built a building on a cash basis. The hours spent working together for a common goal drew us together. There is something powerful about a church that enjoys being together.

You don’t have to build a building or play softball, but you need time to talk. It is amazing how much you can learn about someone as you spend hours together involved in accomplishing a common goal. I have had some of my deepest conversations while sitting in a dugout or framing walls.

How does your church promote a shared life? Do you have a plan that enables people to spend time together beyond conducting church business? Does it include a mix of activities for the smallest groups and the larger, including the whole church family? Does your church enjoy being together?

Remember, models don’t solve problems. There are house churches that are as dysfunctional as the larger institutional churches they reject. And there are some mega-churches that implement the above principles as well as any church can. The question remains, “Can a lost world see that your members have been with Jesus?”

---

[1] Rad Zdero, The Global House Church Movement, Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2004, 9, 130.

The Seeker

Published in SBCLife, January 2006

(Some names have been changed to protect the guilty.)

“Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.” (John 2:23-25)

“Jesus answered and said to them [the Jews], ‘Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him’ . . . .Then He said again to them [the Pharisees], ‘I will go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going you can not come.’” (John 6:43, 44a, John 8:21)

Tom and I had been waiting for Jim at the rendezvous point thirty minutes longer than expected. After a morning of moose hunting on a rainy chilly September day we had decided to head back to camp. We split up to cover more ground on the return to the canoe and last saw Jim as we all entered a large thicket.  Tom and I emerged almost simultaneously about forty minutes later within fifty yards of each other. We expected Jim to be right there with us, but he did not show. Tom and I were long time Alaskans who had agreed to take Jim hunting after his week of preaching in a friend’s church. When Jim did not appear I began to rehearse the worst case scenarios. Jim was older and had dressed in cotton instead of wool or synthetics and therefore was susceptible to hypothermia. A misstep and a hunter can find himself with a broken leg. Or, each year at least one Alaskan hunter gets chewed up by a brown bear. The longer we waited the more rapidly these thoughts ran through my mind. Since Jim was a well known Southern Baptist pastor the thought occurred to me that I might be known as the man who got Jim killed. Talk about hurting one’s preaching “career.” Tom and I decided that we would swing wide of Jim’s anticipated route cutting him off in case he had headed in the wrong direction. Soon after beginning our search a single shot sounded out in the distance. Much to our relief we located Jim a short time later. As we walked up to him Jim said, “I don’t know where I am but there is a lake right over there.” Jim related how he had walked for quite a while and finally had found the lake hoping that it was the one with the canoe. He was a little embarrassed as I explained to him how after walking in large circle he was only a few yards from our lunch spot.

For almost thirty years church growth experts, pastors, and evangelists have used the term “Seeker.” Rare is the article, book, or conference that does not use “Seeker-sensitive,” “Seeker- driven,” or “Seeker services.” But is the term biblical? And what are the ramifications of the usage?

The Bible establishes from its opening verses that God is the initiator of  His relationship with mankind. He is the Seeker. As Creator, He spoke the world into existence to have a relationship with His highest creation, man. When Adam and Eve sinned they hid instead of seeking God. The Old Testament repeatedly portrays man as incapable of instigating his own salvation. Like Hosea purchasing Gomer off the auction block God redeems us in the midst of our unfaithfulness. The doctrine of man’s total depravity does not mean mankind lacks the ability to do “good,” just that man can not initiate or advance his salvation. He can not seek.

One may ask, “How about Matthew 6:33, ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God . . .?’ or, Hebrews 11:6 where God reassures us that He rewards those who diligently seek Him?” Whenever the Scriptures speak of man seeking God it is in the context of a relationship in progress not man deciding on his own to restore his relationship to God.

Charles Finney, the “Father of Modern Revivalism,” laid much of the groundwork for modern seeker theology. His semi-Pelagian position, that a non-Christian could accept Christ whenever he so chooses, motivated Finney’s use of “New Measures.”  Unfortunately, success promotes imitation and Finney experienced great revival successes. Following the Civil War numerous revivalists patterned their organizations after Finney’s. As with many things Finney’s efforts presents a “good news/ bad news” reality. The good news was a century of mass crusades with untold numbers of people hearing the gospel from men like Billy Sunday, Dwight L. Moody, Gypsy Smith, Sam Jones, Mordecai Ham, Billy Graham, and other itinerant evangelists. The “bad news” includes our present “Seeker,” man centered, theology.

Finney designed his New Measures methodology to encourage his audience to receive Christ. In doing so he walked a fine line. Jesus presents the image of compelling guests to come to the feast (Luke 14:23).  Yet, He challenged the “Rich Young Ruler” to sell all in order to become a disciple. We are told that Jesus loved the young man but would not lower the standards of discipleship (Mark 10: 17-23). We are to be passionate for the lost like the woman looking for the lost coin, the shepherd for his lost sheep, or the prodigal’s father, but we can not circumvent Jesus’ demands. There is always tension between presenting Christ in a compelling, clear, effective manner and manipulating someone to ensure a response. When modern evangelists or pastors emphasize the importance of praying the sinner’s prayer without presenting the cost of discipleship one must think that we have become consumed with seeing results. As Jesus revealed, it is easier to have “seekers” than followers (John 2:23-5). When we assume responsibility for the individual’s response to the gospel it is just a short step to the Seeker model. After all, if I can convince individuals to “accept Christ” after they have come to the service then should I not also do whatever I can to get them to the service in the first place? If a person possesses the ability to decide to be saved, then isn’t it natural to assume that he can also decide to look for God? Therefore, it becomes the church’s responsibility to design its services to entice the seeker. Unfortunately sinful man seeks the wrong ends. I just read an article extolling a church’s “spring time initiative to encourage members to minister to their friends.” Everyone who brought a friend to church was able to place an entry in a drawing for a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The guest was qualified to enter twice for his visit. Some would point to the large numbers of entrants and say, “Praise the Lord.” I must ask what are we teaching of God, evangelism, and discipleship?  How was that “minister[ing] to their friends?”

Remember Jim? One of the first rules of wilderness survival is stay in one spot. The more one tries to not be lost the worst his situation becomes. Lost seekers can not find salvation, only another spiritual fix. Seeker theology has damaged the lost and the church. Many seekers have become “Christians” without experiencing conversion and becoming followers of Christ. Vaccinations work by exposing the patient to a dead or weakened form of the disease thereby promoting the body’s immune system to reject the real disease. Have we inoculated a generation of Americans against biblical Christianity’s call to discipleship? I am afraid so. Among other errors Seeker theology reinforces trying to attract the lost. The Good Shepherd went in search of the lost sheep. The Great Commission commands us to go. The church needs to remain fixed to its biblical identity. For years we shaped our ministries to appeal to seekers, now there is increasing calls for changes to reach this generation through “emergent” methodologies. Methodologies constantly change with generations, cultures, trends, and fads. Biblical principles transcend time. The lost must be sought not attracted. Evangelism is 24/7 not just inviting my friend to a “cool” service on Sunday so we can have a chance to win a Harley.

Jim realized he was lost and decided to remain in one spot until we found him. He signaled for help and waited. Jim was found not by his seeking, but by his being sought! A more theologically correct term instead of “Seeker” would be “Responder.” Only when man responds in faith to God does salvation come. Any methodology that denies that truth results in churches focused on man instead of God. And, Christianity becomes a religion to improve my finances, family, health, or whatever I need to have a better life instead of the truth that Almighty God has reconciled Himself to me through the Cross and I have the opportunity of giving my life to His service.

Called to be an Outfitter

A few years ago I realized two formative truths: The Army did a better job of teaching me what it meant to be a “real helicopter pilot” than the church did teaching me what it means to be a Christian; and, The Great Commission is about making disciples, not “praying a prayer.” An outfitter supplies the needed equipment and experience to help the outdoorsman complete his hunt. He knows the terrain and the challenges. A good outfitter is in the business because he loves the outdoors. He enjoys sharing the journey with clients new to the region. Having been an outfitter in Alaska and a pastor, it is only natural to focus on OutfittingDisciples.

“The Journey”

(This is the introductory chapter to my manuscript for outdoorsmen, Real Men Don’t Get Lost.)

My earliest memories of the outdoors occurred at my Grandmom Brown’s in Chesterfield, South Carolina. Grandmom scratched a living out of the ground. She used mules instead of a tractor. Grandmom and Dad had hand sawed all the planks for the barn from lumber Dad had dragged out of the swamp by oxen. Dad had grown up dirt poor with a breakdown single shot shotgun. He believed that if you shot more than once you were wasting money. One day Dad decided to take us, my three brothers and me, rabbit hunting. As we walked through the woods Dad would occasionally tell us to stop. He would then point out the cottontail before it would flush. I must admit we had trouble seeing the rabbit even with Dad’s directions. Another time we were in the woods when Dad told us all to freeze because of a large rattler. He eased off a few yards and cut a stick and killed the snake. We asked Dad how he could have seen the snake in the thick brush. He said he did not see it, he had smelled it. We were skeptical but he explained the odor rattlers had on the farm. I did not smell a thing.

A career army officer Dad, and Mom, moved every couple of years. He had a trophy red stag he had shot in Germany while serving in Criminal Investigation during the occupation following WWII. His unit investigated the black market and was assigned the task of searching for Hitler’s gold. Hunting and fishing was their recreation in Europe. I was born while he was the post game warden for Ft. Stewart, Georgia. I remember him coming home from his last turkey hunt in Maryland. Dad could not stand careless hunters with poor etiquette and refused to share the woods with them.

Raised by Christian parents I came to realize that I had a sin problem. Obviously, as a nine year old I didn’t have a life of crime and debauchery behind me, but I knew I did not measure up to a holy God. I trusted that Christ had done everything for my salvation in a church start outside Ft. Meade, Maryland. When my dad retired all us boys voted to move to Alaska. We ended up in South Carolina, where I spent my time squirrel and rabbit hunting, fishing, reading Field & Stream, and day dreaming of Labrador retrievers and the West. As an army family we watched the evening news and kept an eye on Viet Nam. I had no interest in going straight to college after high school and my brother, Mike, had already dropped out of college to fly in the army. Flying sounded more exciting than attending college, so I celebrated my eighteenth birthday by entering the Army’s Warrant Officer Rotary Wing Aviation Course.

At eighteen I knew more about being a “real helicopter pilot” than I did being a growing Christian. I did not know the importance of daily Bible study and prayer. Mike had extended his tour in Viet Nam and was in-country when I arrived. Don, a signal officer, arrived the following month.

Early in 1971 the Pentagon determined the ARVNs (South Vietnamese Army) capable of severing the Ho Chi Minh trail which supplied the communists in the south. Air assault companies were sent to I Corps in support of LAM SON 719, the ARVN invasion of Laos. The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) allowed the ARVNs to become extended over a number of landing zones (LZ) before they counter attacked with tanks, heavy artillery, and 25,000 troops. LAM SON 719 quickly became a shooting gallery with the ARVN troops serving as the bait and army helicopters becoming the sitting ducks. The NVA shot down or grounded from battle damage 444 of the 600 helicopters involved in the operation and 10,000 ARVN soldiers were wounded, killed, or missing. One of the aviation companies from III Corps lost their complete gun platoon on one LZ. The Charlie model gunships could not handle the mountainous terrain and the heavy machine gun and light antiaircraft weapon fire.

Photo of my helicopter in the newspaper for the U.S. troops in Viet Nam.

The units flying LAM SON 719 needed replacement aircraft and pilots. I volunteered and arrived at A Company, 158^th Aviation Battalion, the “Ghost Riders,” in early March. On March 19^th we were assigned to the extraction of ARVN troops from several of the LZs along Highway 9 toward Tchepone. It was a typical day for the operation. We started with eleven aircraft and by afternoon had two or three still flyable. On the first mission of the morning point blank fire riddled six of the aircraft. A .51 caliber round hit “Itty Bitty” while in the LZ. Blowing through the armor seat the round paralyzed him. The next attempt resulted in “Wop” taking an antiaircraft round through the bottom of his seat. By late afternoon I was in one of three flyable aircraft. The ARVN unit needed ammo and water so headquarters decided that one aircraft would resupply them. We were selected to fly over at 6,000 feet and throw out the supplies. (I always wondered how it would feel to have an ammo crate land on your head from 6,000 feet.) Headquarters hoped the altitude would minimize our risk. We would also be escorted by several Cobra gun teams.

Over the LZ at 6,000 feet it looked like the Fourth of July as tracer rounds the size of basketballs flashed through our blades. For every tracer round there were three or four regular rounds. Though out of small arms range, the .51 calibers and antiaircraft weapons had no trouble reaching us. A classmate had recently been vaporized at 6,000 feet with a first round hit by a radar controlled antiaircraft gun. With absolute certainty I knew I was going to die. You can not bargain with God, but I believe He puts you in situations to bring you around to His viewpoint. I remember praying, “God, I know I am yours, that I am going to heaven, but if you choose to let me live I  will do whatever you want.” His answer wasn’t audible but I had such a sense of His presence it was if I had heard Him say, “Nothing is going to happen to you.” I finished the rest of my tour as the only Ghost Rider aircraft commander (that I know of) that never took at hit to his aircraft. I had men killed immediately after getting off the aircraft, but I never took a hit. Almost one third of my flight school class died in Viet Nam. I should be among them, but God had other plans. I came home before my twentieth birthday and met a friend from high school who had been the class drunk. His life was radically changed. Through him I discovered you get out of Christianity in geometric proportions to what you put into the relationship.

I wish I could say that I consistently lived for Christ from March 1971, on, but I can’t. I can say that God has always been faithful. He has given me a wonderful family. Kathy and I moved to Alaska in 1974 where our boys were born and reared. Everyday in Alaska God’s creation declares His reality. Its spectacular mountains and endless vistas remind me how great He is and insignificant I am. As a public school teacher, minister, bush pilot, National Guard pilot, commercial fisherman, fishing guide, outfitter, charter operator, ski patrolman, and tourism business owner I was blessed by years of outdoor experiences. Many times God used an experience to teach me a spiritual truth. When I read of the disciples in the storm I visualize Clarence Strait with whitecapping seas higher than the boat’s cabin breaking on the bow and know the peace of being in the Creator’s care. After seminary we returned to Alaska and had the joy of spending two years hunting, fishing, shrimping, and woodworking with my dad in Ketchikan. Six months after our moving to Soldotna he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. My mother lived her faith. Rearing four boys, having three of them serve in combat for over two years straight, and losing her partner of fifty years my mom always had had a quiet peace about her. She loved fishing with Dad and would often laugh about their hunting adventures in Europe.

Most of the names in these stories have been changed to protect my friends from further embarrassment. I wrote with the standard that I changed the name if you laugh at anyone other than me. I especially want to acknowledge my friend Howard White. He lived and died for Christ and he is worthy of honor. I do want to thank my hunting partners, Dave Sterley, Dean Nichols, and my three sons, Ashley, Adam, and Andrew. Others have seen first hand my amazing woodsmanship, but these did not give up on me, which I deeply appreciate. I have tried to be as accurate as possible, but the exact locations and details might be wrong. Of course, that’s what make these hunting stories.

Several of the chapters involve, or are written by my oldest son, Ashley. Serving in a parachute infantry regiment on 9-11 he represents many young men and women who are seeing the power of God in a different outdoor setting. It is our desire that God will use this book to help men come to know Him and decide to begin the greatest adventure of their lives, being a follower of Christ. I can promise it will never be boring.

“Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’ But Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.’ And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.’ So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.” Luke 5:3-11 (NKJV)

Rodeo Week-Livingston Montana Church Planting

Saturday -

I flew into Bozeman yesterday. Cody Wood and Paul Seddon picked me up at the airport. This is their third summer in Montana. Their families moved to Livingston in 2007. They were two of my North American Church Planting students during my time at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. I don’t want to steal their thunder, because they are contributing a chapter to a book I am editing on church planting in North America. But, they are doing some great things and I want to pass on some of their activities/strategies through this site.

The Context: Livingston is a small town, approximately 7,500 on the Yellowstone River about 40 miles east of Bozeman. Trout fishing, tourism, and traffic on the way to Yellowstone National Park drive the economy in the summer. Ranching is the major industry. There are several subcultures in Livingston. There are the born and bred Montanans, some of the ranches have been in the family since the original settlers. There is also a newer group who I refer to as Biocentrists.  They are here to enjoy nature.  You could subgroup the people by two other terms: bunny huggers and bunny blasters. Reaching the whole community is a challenge. That is where the Holy Spirit is essential. Ninety plus percent of the population in Montana are unchurched and there are over 200 identified people groups in the state. Livingston’s largest church is C.U.T., The Church Universal Triumphant, a cult.

The biggest event in Livingston is Rodeo Week. The Livingston Rodeo is one of the top ten rodeos in the U.S. All the top bull riders, barrel racers, and ropers will be here. The group that organize the rodeo is the Rodeo Association. It is the most prestigious organization in the valley. You are invited to join by the commission. When Cody and Paul arrived in town they immediately looked for ways to connect with the culture. Since that time they have managed to become involved in all the activities, including the Pig Wrestling fund raiser. For those of you who have never been to the more colorful locations in North America pig wrestling is when a team of four people (there are male, female, and coed categories) attempt to place a 250 pound pig in a barrel within 30 seconds. For some reason the pig usually doesn’t wnat to get into the barrel so it is not as easy as it sounds, and the odds of four to one are not fair. The pig has the advantage. They are the only pastors in the valley who have entered the pig fund raiser.

Keith, Cody, Aaron, and Paul after their defeat at the hands (feet) of the pig.

Cody and Paul had lined up several mission teams to come out the first summer, which was part of their pre-deployment strategy. So, they volunteered to pick up the trash around the rodeo grounds. At the end of the rodeo the association gave them a “donation” of $500 for the work. They turned around and donated it to the rodeo. The association was surprised when Cornerstone volunteered to do the trash clean up a second year. They commented that no one had ever done the clean up a second year.  Cornerstone also volunteered to host the hospitality tent. The tent is for the cowboys. C &P used the state block party equipment for the tent and provided snow cones and cotton candy. Yes, bull riders like snow cones and cotton candy. At the end of the rodeo the association members asked C&P to join. There are people who have lived their whole lives in the valley and never have been asked ot join the Rodeo Association. It is a God thing that two newcomers from Virginia and Florida would be association members. So if you come to Livingston during rodeo you will see Cody and Paul in their Justin boots, Wrangler jeans, western shirts, and white straw cowboy hats (the required rodeo uniform) working the stock, stripping the gear off the bulls after the ride, opening the bull chute, or whatever else needs to be done during rodeo.

Aaron's baptism the day after the pig wrestling.

This week I will be working at the grounds preparing for Wednesday’s opening events and tearing out walls in their new building. (More on what God is doing on the building needs later.)

P.S. Last night we had elk and antelope steaks, Tiffany is a great cook. You have to love Montana! I got my boots and Wranglers out of the closet before I came. I’m ready for Rodeo Week. And, I am wearing my big “Montana Centennial” buckle that was given to me by Dave Howeth, the former Director of Missions and CP Strategist for the Treasure State Baptist Association. He told me that if I found him five church planters he would give me a buckle. God found the planters and I got the buckle. Belt buckles are the trophies in cowboy culture. You wear them instead of putting them on the mantle. It has a bronze rainbow trout on it and is a limited edition. It is good to be visiting the west again.