Bob Young Resources

I have been thinking about the fact that most of the time most people express their displeasure when something goes wrong. In the academic world, college students complain because graduation tickets are limited and their family and friends won’t be able to attend and see them graduate. Students let the administration know how they feel about tuition hikes. Faculty make sure the administration knows when they see academic freedom at risk. In the business world, workers go on strike, firms are boycotted. You can think of many other ways and situations in which people express their dislike for what is going on. From time to time, we may even hear of a major disagreement or uprising in a church setting.

The one thing we are not willing to do in the face of problems, at least most of the time, is just walk away. We don’t walk away because we are involved, we are invested, we have something at stake. We’ve paid our tuition and have the right to graduate with pomp. We’ve completed three years of college and transferring now is out of the question, despite the steep tuition hike. We’re tenured and walking away from our jobs in the university is not an option. We have retirement pensions with this company and so we go on strike.

Contrast that with the experience in most churches. Although there are exceptions from time to time, down at the churchhouse, we don’t do uprisings. Why not? People just drop out, leave, quit. Why? Perhaps part of it has to do with the nature of a volunteer organization vs. one where folks are paying for something or earning a wage. Some of it has to do with our (mis)understandings.

Why don’t we do uprisings down at the churchhouse? I have come up with a partial list of answers–

• We don’t do uprisings because of how we understand (misunderstand?) the role and nature of church leadership.
• We don’t do uprisings because it may be inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus on meekness and Christian attitude.
• We don’t do uprisings because we know that most of the items of disagreement are in the realm of preference or option.
• We don’t do uprisings because we don’t think it would do any good.
• We don’t do uprisings because we are not heavily enough invested and committed to the local work.
• We don’t do uprisings because it is easier to withdraw.

Let me outline the process that leads people to walk away…..
Something happens that we disagree with, we stay.
Something else happens, we stay.
Eventually we reach “the straw that breaks the camel’s back” and we walk away.
We don’t find church meaningful in meeting our needs, and we walk away.
We don’t find friends and fellowship, and we walk away.
We don’t find meaningful involvement, and we walk away.

Some of the most faithful Christians among us have just walked away. Some have “walked” to other congregations of our faith; some have gone to denominational or community churches where they can find involvement and meaning and friendships.

What are your observations and experiences? In your experience, how often have you seen church members stand up and try to change things and stay. How do Christians in your church express displeasure? Why do people walk away? Why do people stay?

Today’s study and sermon is challenging, life-changing. We do not read the Bible expecting to change. We read and re-read and see the same things. We reinforce what we know, and fail to grow. Paul’s great text about reconciliation is 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. What do you see?
Newness is possible, but is not humanly generated or forced. Newness comes from God. We humans cannot forcibly eliminate the old, nor can we bring the newness of “all things”. Reconciliation demands newness. We want things to change without significant changes.
Reconciliation is related to grace. God is the reconciler, and that a free gift. Reconciliation is usually passive–we do not reconcile ourselves. We have limited our concept of reconciliation by the etymology of the English word–to make friends again. Reconciliation is much more. Reconciliation does bring the restoration of favor (consider the relationship between favor and grace), but cannot reestablish relationship by ignoring the breaking points.
Reconciliation involves transformation. Read the text again. God is changing things continually, moving toward his ultimate plan and purpose. Human beings can refuse to be changed. Humans, as creation of God with free-will, can limit God’s work. The question is not what makes us feel good, but what pleases God.
God is working to bring newness, grace, and transformation in my life. I can be changed if I will let him do his work in me–something most humans, and many Christians, refuse.

Several have asked me over recent weeks about the current status of Honduras mission trips. Should groups go? Should groups cancel? Am I going? There seems to be a lot of apprehension and misunderstanding concerning safety, how to resume mission work in this very needy country, and how to use unused airline tickets. People ask me if Jan and I are going this year. People ask me about the trips we made last year, even after the political unrest began. Let me try to answer some of the questions.

First, let me say that no place is ever totally safe and secure. There will always be people who are out to scam and take advantage of the “tourists”; thus anyone who travels to a foreign country, even good will ambassadors who are there in the name of Jesus, must be continually cautious. Many individuals and groups become comfortable after a few trips and let their guard down, forgetting the potential dangers. We who lead groups give the same advice every time–do not go out alone, always have 2-3 persons in a group, the larger the group the better, do not go to any places where the group is isolated, be accompanied by a Honduran if possible…. I am sure the list of rules and suggestions seems endless at times, and it is easy to ignore the rules and decide that going to Honduras a few times makes one a pro.
It is true that there are lawbreakers and homicides in Honduras. There are homicides in Tulsa. The fact that people get killed and robbed in Tulsa does not keep me from going there–the fact that people get killed and robbed in Honduras should not keep those from going who are really passionate about souls and spreading God’s kingdom.
We have 18 groups scheduled to be at Baxter this summer. We do our very best to provide a safe, secure environment with appropriate guidance and support. One of the groups scheduled to arrive this week for spring break is primarily college students. I mention this because the opinion I am sharing is not mine alone–the sponsors of these groups have also analyzed the situation and determined that it is possible to maintain safety.

Second, now is not the time to stop the work, now is the time to be involved more than ever. The need is great. The political uprising and subsequent isolation from the international community resulted in huge needs. People are receptive. I can tell you that an overwhelming majority of Hondurans are grateful for our presence, our love, our encouragement, and our support. Last summer, on the day of our arrival in Honduras, we sat down with a group of Hondurans to eat lunch, and they called us the brave ones, the courageous, the bold. They need to know they are not alone in meeting the challenges.

Third, let me tell you about our experience with unused tickets on Continental. (Each airline may be different, so readers should check with their own carrier.) Jan has an unused ticket from last year for a trip originally planned to Guatemala. She was not able to make the trip due to a death in the family. On Continental, we are told that it is not necessary to use the ticket within a year of the date it was written–it is necessary to reschedule the use of the ticket within a year. The date the ticket will be used could be over a year later than the original date of writing, and even from the original date of travel. Tickets written for summer 2009 can be used for travel this year, and perhaps even into the coming year. (Again, check with your carrier.)

Let me encourage you to continue mission trips to Honduras and your faithful support of the good works being done there. Jan and I will head for Honduras in a few weeks and stay about three weeks. We will be cautious, but we are not concerned with unmanageable safety and security concerns. In fact, while we were there last year during the political unrest, we made trips to various locations around Honduras with no problems.
Perhaps what we have here is a “heart check”. Why were you involved in Honduras in the first place? Short-term missions is not about vacationing, taking a break, having fun, or a host of other things that may or may not accompany a short-term trip. I am not opposed to people having a good time in conjunction with mission trips (although many people are amazed that Jan and I have never been to Roatan after 15 years and dozens of trips to Honduras). (You may want to read some articles about short-term missions.)

May God bless you as you strive to fulfill his will in your life! Perhaps we’ll run across one another in Honduras.

Over the last few weeks since Jan and I announced our “retirement” from local ministry, I have told several people that our focus is not on “retiring” but on “reinvesting.” We are “re-focusing.” Both we and the local church are preparing to go through a ministry transition. Ministry transitions in local churches are often handled poorly with a negative impact on the church, at least in the short-term. Over the last several months, we have put plans in place to manage this transition proactively so that a smooth, seamless transition can occur and the work of the church will not “miss a beat.”

Jan and I are looking forward to the challenges and freshness of a ministry that extends beyond the local congregation to multiplied congregations and locations across the nation and around the world. Rather than retiring, we are planning to expand our ministry. We already have a fairly full schedule for the remainder of 2010 and are scheduling 2011 activities.

The question we most often hear is, “Why?” Why does a person make this kind of change? When we were young, we set out to change the world, confident that such was within our grasp. We were going to make a difference in a grand way. We set about the ordinary tasks of life (and ministry) with energy and enthusiasm, seizing opportunities, seeking God’s will. Looking back over 40+ years of ministry, we believe God blessed our efforts and that what we did was significant to God. But as we became older, we also saw that we would not be able to accomplish all that we had hoped, so we have to focus on the things that we believe really have the possibility of making a difference in the long-term. We dream of doing only the work we love, of doing the work for which God has uniquely equipped us as he has opened multiplied doors through our lives, and of doing those things that really matter.

For us, encouraging and supporting mission work in receptive areas of the world is one such activity. Baxter Institute and training those who will take the message to others who will also share the message is a “difference making” work. Helping local churches with special series focused on evangelism, missions, leadership, and other church dynamics makes it possible for local churches to take giant strides forward. We look forward to using our lives and our energy thoughtfully. We also look forward to the increased flexibility in our lives along with the independence to go where we are needed when we are needed. God still opens doors, and we will be in position to walk through them unhesitatingly.

The contrast between the old man and the new man is familiar to NT students. When a person becomes a follower of Jesus Christ, the previous life is ended–dead and buried. The power that energized that previous life is rendered powerless through the overwhelming power of the new life.

The Bible associates this “life-change” with baptism, which beautifully pictures what is occurring spiritually. The death and burial of the new man makes possible the “rising to new life”. Participation in the death of Jesus (baptism into his death) makes possible participation in his resurrection (perhaps referring to the ultimate resurrection as well as the ‘new life’ resurrection which occurs through baptism). Some desire to speculate whether this spiritual life-change can occur without the corresponding physical action. Some describe baptism as merely symbolic with no real life-changing capacity. Certainly God can do what he wants, but the Bible makes clear the connection between the physical action and the spiritual reality which occurs. No clear example exists after the establishment of the New Covenant and the establishment of the church on the day of Pentecost wherein any person became a Christ-follower without baptism.

This process of rebirth (death, burial, and resurrection to new life) also mirrors the experience of Jesus (death, burial and resurrection). Paul describes this as the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15. One becomes like Jesus in one’s participation in baptism–a Christian, one who is like Jesus.

In addition, Acts 2:38 connects baptism with the reception of the Holy Spirit. Much has been made of this passage, questioning the meaning of the Greek preposition eis. For a complete study of this question, see my article, Baptism….Again.

Let us be careful, diligent students of Scripture. Read the Bible again. Use a concordance and check out every NT passage about baptism. Check the NT passages about salvation, and those verses which connect baptism and salvation. The overwhelming evidence is in favor the connection, as is the experience of the early church as reflected in the Church Fathers. I am amazed that so many are willing to “take their chances” with a humanly-invented “possibility” in face of the clear teaching of Scripture.

I have been writing about Baby Boomers for over 20 years. My wife and I are Baby Boomers. My master’s thesis focused on the importance of Baby Boomers in the work of the church. In the late 1980s, Baby Boomers were on the cusp of assuming primary leadership roles in the church. Today we are on the verge of a wave of retirement, with the first Baby Boomers already drawing Social Security. Nonetheless, we are still in position to have a positive impact on the future of the church–perhaps even more in retirement (what many Baby Boomers prefer to call “reinvestment”) than during our family-rearing and working years.

The oldest generations in the church have typically been underserved. Only in recent years have we seen an increased interest in ministry to seniors. Other religious groups have been far ahead of us in the churches of Christ in this regard. Our Baptist neighbors have seen this need for at least 40 years. We are trying to catch up. We are writing books, studying gerontology, thinking about keeping seniors active and involved in the church. This generally includes ministry with those who are 55 or older. One of the “experts” in this area lives near us. Our brother in Christ, Dr. James Knapp of Southeastern Oklahoma State University has studied and written about the aging membership of the churches of Christ. We are “graying”. He says that in a typical congregation 20-40% of the members are in that age range. Dr. Knapp has examined the statistics for 754 congregations and found the average percentage of seniors to be 23% of the local members. The percentages of older members are generally higher in rural areas and lower in urban areas. The highest percentage he has found was a church of 100 that had 90% seniors and only 10% 54 and younger. For many years this age group has been underserved. Churches hire youth ministers that in many churches serve no more than 5-10% of the church, and a major age group that is 30-40% of the church and a significant contributor to the work of the church is ignored. I am not suggesting an “either-or” option but a “both-and”. Even in churches with limited resources, the church cannot afford to ignore the need for ministry focused on the seniors in the church.

What will we do in ministry with those who are 55 and older? The local church where I serve has a 55+ group. Most of them are signficantly older than that. The Baby Boomers represent another generation coming on who are today’s real 55+ers. We must give better attention and care to our “seniors.” In today’s world, ministry is not “to” seniors, it is “with” seniors.

Don Vinzant, minister at the Edmond church, told me yesterday that seniors fall into three groups: no gos, slow gos, and go gos. The church cannot afford to ignore this group that is at least one-fourth to one-third of its membership. In many congregations, this is the group that gives most of the contribution.

We must consider afresh the kind of honor, respect and service opportunities that our senior Christians deserve. We want to include and involve all of the members of God’s family–from our infants, children and youth to our seniors. Vinzant describes these as those “who have passed through many winters and still want to help in God’s work of reconciliation.” Indeed! My wife and I are “reinvesting” this year, not because we plan to quit, but because we want to do more than ever before, and freeing ourselves from the requirements of daily work routines will allow us the freedom and flexibility to do that. This story is not unique to us–it is the story of 1000s of Christians who will reinvest their lives in things they find meaningful, worthwhile and rewarding. The church will miss a great opportunity if it does not find ways to help these find service and ministry in those things that advance God’s kingdom.

Courtesy note for those who want to know.
I have posted quite a few new articles over the weekend. Articles are posted in reverse chronological order and are also dated. New articles are listed in a single category. You can access these by clicking on this link to my Articles Page.