The Best Christmas Gift Ever!

Well, the Christmas Season is in full swing.... Black Friday.... Cyber Monday.... Giving Tuesday.... Snow storms across the country.... It's even been cold the last few days here in Southern California. It's a time when we think about giving to others. Shopping for just the right gift. Hoping it won't cost an arm and a leg.

Christmas is a wondrous time of year. It's one of the few times in the year when we stop thinking about ourselves and we focus on others for a while. It's a time when we think about the homeless, the poor, the shut-ins, and the sick. We give special gifts to people... Take them a plate of Christmas cookies. Buy them a food box. Give a little extra to our missionaries, pastors and churches.

The Best Christmas Gift Ever!

But I've been thinking about that one great gift this year, the gift of salvation. How can I give the gift of salvation to some of my friends this year? There are probably more opportunities to share our faith with our friends, family and co-workers during this season than at any other time of the year. After all, Christmas is all about Jesus coming to save us. There will be special Christmas programs, concerts, parties, Live Nativities, cookie exchanges, Christmas teas, you name it!

So as we move through this Christmas Season, let's not forget about giving the greatest gift ever. Let's decide to be deliberate and invite someone go caroling, or attend a Christmas brunch with us. Then let's use that time to help them understand the real significance of Jesus' birth on earth. And the best part of this gift is that it is still free and it will last forever!!

Doug  

Does the Church Have OCD?

     We are talking about the people Jesus met on the street during our indoor soccer half-time devotions at church. Jesus never seemed to be too busy to stop and engage the people that he met along the road. Some of the people he met were wealthy tax collectors and rulers of the people. Others were poor beggars. Still others had broken homes, were prostitutes, outcast lepers or sick, lame, or blind. Jesus stopped to talk to all of them, and often did the unexpected. He ate with sinners. He healed the lepers. He forgave the prostitutes. He healed the sick. And he chastised the rich for thinking they could get into heaven because they were wealthy and successful.
     Jesus didn't seem to have a problem getting his hands dirtied by associating with people of the world. In contrast, the modern church seems to suffer from a bad case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Oh we are willing to get our hands dirty in the world, as long as we can get back to our safe little enclave where we can get cleaned up and wash off all the filth of the world. But we become very uneasy whenever someone with real problems wants to join our community. We don't know how to deal with that.
     It's really a sad commentary on the church that we have to go outside our four walls to find real people with real struggles in this life. We tell ourselves that we couldn't make it through life without Jesus, that He is the answer to all of life's struggles. But when someone from "the world" comes into the church with real problems, seeking help, we find ourselves washing the germs off the door knobs as they leave. After all, we don't want to be contaminated by the world...
     I am afraid we have not progressed much from the early church. In James Chapter 2, the half brother of Jesus chastised the church for making distinctions between people. Sadly, we still seem to be doing that. Hospitals are filled with sick people. And people who work in a hospital are there to help the sick get well. Everyone knows that. So why isn't the church of Jesus Christ known as a place filled with damaged, hurting, and lost people, who are seeking God? And why aren't church people known as loving healers who are doing everything they can to help the broken find Jesus. 

Doug

Looking Back to See the Way Forward

     I have always been fascinated by the way certain characters in the Biblical text stop at very important transitions in their lives and re-tell the history of the Jewish people. They often do this just as the people of God are embarking on some new adventure or plan for the future. That doesn't seem to be the way we do it these days. Modern leadership gurus tell us we need to focus on that end result, that thing that we want to achieve, that place where we want to end up. We hype up the crew with words of confidence about how we can get there. We tell them that we have the the unique experience, vision, skills, talent, etc to make it.
     The Bible likes to look backwards, re-telling the story of how we got to where we are today. But the stories don't focus on our great achievements. They don't recount how the 7 great wonders of the world were created. They don't talk about how humanity put together a "dream team" to solve the days pressing problem. The stories all focus on what God did. They talk about how when we were stopped in our tracks, God came through. They talk about when all was lost, God acted.
     How many times do we retrace what God has done in our lives? How many times do we do this as part of our plan for the future? One of the great things about being a missionary is that people are always asking us how we got to the mission field. We have told and retold the stories of how God brought me to the place where I would even consider missions. We tell the story of how God allowed us to go to new missionary orientation during the school year and how Ruth got paid time off to do that. We tell the story of how God protected me from a community that was intent of sending a message in no uncertain terms that they didn't want a new church in their community.
     As we move into this new phase of ministry and look to the future, I find myself wondering if it will become a reality. I wonder if I am up to the task. I wonder if we will have the resources to pull it off. And then I find myself retelling those stories in my head.... and I realize that I am only here today because God acted. And if I ever get to that goal in the future, it will also be because God acted. That is a comforting thought...

Doug

Leadership Essentials

     I was flying home from a leadership conference last week when I picked up the in-flight magazine and opened it to an article on leadership. Now I have read a lot of books and articles about leadership over the years. But there is something "new" in the leadership literature these days. Leadership trainers are talking about character as the basis for leadership and you can pay big money (up to $13,000 according to the article) to learn how to improve your character as a leader.

Playing a Leadership Game

     Most of the character traits these big time consultants talk about can be found in the Bible... but you probably already knew that. I have been in a lot of leadership workshops, and we usually talk about character as one ingredient for leadership. But last week we spent most of the week talking about character and wrestling with who we are, what we believe, and how that affects our leadership. That is how important it is. It isn't the things you say and do. It's what really motivates those actions and words, deep down in our hearts that makes a good leader. It's called authenticity. It means that we aren't just saying and doing the right things in order to be a leader. It means we're a leader because people want to follow someone with deep personal convictions and character.

     Young people will catch on to our authenticity or lack of it right away. I think that's why we are losing so many of our young people... why they are leaving the church in droves. Our lives just don't seem real to them. Too many of us in the church wear a mask and say "everything is fine here", yet up close you can still see the cracks, the flaws, the defects. Authentic people admit they don't have it together. They show the cracks and flaws. They admit that they struggle with life's issues. Authentic people take off the mask and trust that God will heal the defects.

     I certainly have my flaws and I am painfully aware of them. How about you? Let's all try to be just a little more authentic in our lives. Who knows, an unbeliever might even get an up-close look at us and decide that he or she doesn't have to be perfect to follow Jesus either... 'cause if that was the requirement, none of us would make it
....

Doug

Do You Want to Please God or Trust God?

Two Paths.... Which One Will You Choose?

     I have been reading The Cure, by John Lynch, Bruce McNicol and Bill Thrall.  They talk about two paths in the Christian life, the path of pleasing God and the path of trusting God. They suggest that most Christians choose the path of pleasing God in their life. It certainly sounds good. We all want to please our heavenly Father. But pleasing God rests on the premise that I must do the right things to make God happy with me, my life, my work, my family, etc.

     The other path, trusting God, is much more difficult to comprehend and, because of that, is the less chosen path. What am I supposed to do to trust God? What does trusting God even mean? How will I know when I am trusting Him? Trusting God means knowing that we can't please God, but that God has made us pleasing to Him. It is knowing that I can't do anything to change the circumstances in my life, but He can. It means getting to the point where we say, I know I can't do anything about this Lord, but I know that you can.

     I have come to this point many times in my life. I have hit a roadblock in life where I have tried and tried to resolve things and it just isn't getting better. Then I just have to sit back and say, OK God this one is for you... I tried. I can't make do it on my own. You take over. But wait.... Is that trusting God? Do I only trust God when my own efforts fail?

     I hope that one day I can trust God BEFORE I run out of my own options. I have some big ideas for future ministry. I have a great passion for telling others about who Jesus is. But my greatest desire right now is that I can trust God to take my ideas and desires, and mold and shape them into what He wants them to be. That's a tough thing, because if things are not going the way that I have them envisioned in my head, then I feel like a failure. Why? Because I am trying to please God?

     So.... Are you pleasing God or trusting God in your life?

Doug

It's Not About the Techonology

A World of Technology

     "It's not about the technology." That was one of my favorite mantras while I was the Media Director for HCJB Global in Latin America and I drilled it into our staff as often as I could. And it sounds pretty strange coming out of my mouth, being that I am an engineer and worked on state of the art radar technology in the defense industry before going to the mission field 20 some years ago. Even now, as I do research on how to use the new technologies of internet, cell phones, and mobile devices to communicate with people, I have to remind myself that its not about the technology.

     So what is it about? It's about having a message, a saving message, that we need to communicate to a world that hasn't yet heard the news. In days gone by, that communication had to happen face to face, or maybe by writing a letter. But the messages traveled slowly and two way, long distance conversations were laborious. Radio and television changed all of that. Suddenly, we were able to communicate around the world, into remote areas, behind political and geographic borders. Today we are seeing a new revolution in communication technology... rapid two-way communication using the internet, cell phones, and mobile devices.

      But it is still about the message.... We can sometimes get wrapped up in the latest and greatest technology, but what good is the technology if we have nothing to say? Knowing how to communicate the saving message of Jesus Christ effectively is still the most important thing. If you can't do that, the technology won't do it for you.

     So how are you doing? When was the last time you articulated the Gospel to a friend or neighbor? Can you respond with love when someone ridicules your faith or argues with you about the authority of the Bible? Remember... it's about not about the technology... it's about the message.

Doug

Heroes of the Faith... Do You Have One?

     Do you have one? A hero of the faith, I mean.... Do you have one? We often answer that question by going to Hebrews 11 where the Bible lists its faith "hall of fame". There are plenty of " big names"  on that list.... Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David... But what strikes me most about this list are all the "little people" who made the list. They aren't named. We've never heard of them. They didn't make it into the pages of scriptures. They are the unsung heroes of the faith.

Clemente, wife Cecilia, and son William

     When I was asked that question as a younger man, my answer would always gravitate toward one of those well heroes of the Bible. In recent years, those names have been replaced by others. One name is Clemente. Clemente is the Ecuadorian pastor/evangelist who helped us plant the church in El Tablon. He doesn't get paid to be a pastor, but he definitely has the gift. He made my list as I watched him resign from his steady employment from our radio station (HCJB) and walk by faith for his daily sustenance so that he could be available to serve the Lord, where ever the Lord would lead.

     Another name is fast becoming a part of that list. His name is Jose. Here is a man who, as he matured in his faith, decided he needed to begin telling the truth about some things in his life. It cost him his job. Yet he remains faithful to the Lord and although he is passing through difficult days, he has not questioned the wisdom of his decision. His confidence that God will provide for him astounds me.

     I have worked closely with and mentored both of these men. I have seen their lives up close. And I stand humbled by their faith. In John 14:12, Jesus says, "... the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, ..." I wish I had the faith of Clemente and Jose... but I rejoice in seeing them exercise their faith.

So who are your heroes of the faith?

Doug (& Ruth)

We Are All On a Journey...

At the Nikkel Media Works Studio

     We just arrived home from a 3-week trip from California to Indiana/Michigan and back. It was a great time of seeing people. We decided to drive so that we could see more people and stop more places. Ruth figured out that we slept in 9 different beds, did 6 presentations of our work with HCJB Global (in 8 days), had 3 family reunions, saw over 100 friends and family that we have not seen in a long time, attended a wedding, attended a desert night, attended a Ladies Luncheon (Ruth), traveled over 5,000 miles, did 2 college visits and met with the staff at HCJB Global's Nikkel Media Works where I (Doug) will eventually work when we return to Indiana.

     It was great to see many of our friends, family and supporters on this trip. We are constantly reminded of the great group of people that God has put together who stand behind us in prayer and finances. If you want to be a part of that team, we would love to hear from you.

     I think the really exciting news is that just last night we were talking to a family from the Spanish congregation from our church here in California. As we talked, Ruth and I realized that their daughter had not yet made a commitment to follow Jesus even though she is scheduled to be baptized on Sunday. Well we were privileged to be able to help her understand how to do that. We didn't expect that to happen when we talked about getting together, but it just reminds me that we need to always  be ready to share our faith. I would challenge you to think of someone near you... maybe a neighbor, a coworker, or a family member... and begin praying that you will have an opportunity to share your faith with them.

Doug & Ruth

Reality Check

     I met with a well respected Christian media professional last week. I have attended some of his talks from time to time and I like the way he thinks "out-of-the-box". I think I even share his perspective on conventional Christian media. I was a little nervous though. I wanted to run past him some of my ideas for using new media to reach the up-and-coming generations. I have had this dream for a couple of years now and as I began to share it with others through our presentations, etc, I have begun to wonder if this is just a crazy dream or if this is really something that could work. I was beginning to have my doubts... 

     L.A. is a great place to network with Christian media professionals. Many of them work in the secular media, and I am sure they have some great ideas of how Christians should or could use the media to more effectively tell others about Jesus. I was not sure if my ideas would fit into this environment though or if I would be shot down immediately because I really didn't understand the media world. So I had to get a reading. I needed a reality check...

     It was a short meeting...only about half an hour. I had driven longer than that one-way just to get to the meeting. But I got my answer. Total excitement and support! In fact, he kept asking me what he and his company could do to help us. "Whew! So I'm not crazy..." But then it hit me.... "If I'm not crazy, then there has be a way to make this work..."

     That has become my new motto.... I don't know how we are going to realize this dream. Just the thought of it is daunting as I think about the many obstacles that we will have to climb and overcome. But we must be headed in the right direction. So where do I begin? Networking.... Sharing my ideas with other like-minded media professionals and finding ways that we can work together. I left that meeting with a couple of introductions to other media people who might be interested in just this kind of ministry.

     Will you pray for us as I begin talking to people, gleaning ideas from experts in the field, and putting some shape and form to this "not so crazy" idea? We will certainly need all the wisdom and knowledge that we can get, and the best source of that is from our Lord Himself....

Doug

Waiting for the Shoots...

     When I was young I remember my parents had a garden. In the spring, we would all go out and cultivate the earth, make nice little rows in the ground and plant seeds in those rows. Then we would wait.... and we would wait.... and we would wait... It seemed like we waited forever to me as a child. Every day I would go out and look for the first signs of growth... those first shoots of green that would break through the top crust of earth and tell me that our labor was not in vain.

Half-Time Devotions

     The Apostle Paul uses the example of gardening in his first letter to the Corinthians when we talked about spiritual growth too. He said "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth". Well, Steve and I, and many others have been planting seeds and watering those seeds all year long during our indoor soccer games. Several of the players seem interested in spiritual things. We have shared the good news of salvation with them and we have invited them to church on several occasions. Now it is time to let God do the growing.

     We are taking a break from our games for a couple of months. We know that God is not taking a break though. He is growing those seeds even though the shoots are still below the surface and unseen. We watch for those first signs of sprouts every Sunday morning... maybe someone will come to church today.... maybe we need to wait another week.

     Please be praying for the men and women who played with us. We are confident that God is causing those seeds to grow. ... not that we want any glory from it. Paul goes on to say in First Corinthians "... So then neither the one who plants, nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth." Here are some names to help you pray... Luis, Ramon, Sandra, Victor, Irineo, Jose, Eric...

Thanks,

Doug

Just When You Think You're Done....

     Ruth and I both play the guitar and have lead music & worship in the Spanish churches that we planted in Ecuador over the last 20 some years. But, when we decided last year that we needed to leave Ecuador and return to the USA, we were pretty sure that the music ministry chapter of our lives was over. We were comfortable leading music in a small church of 20 or 30 people, but there are so many really talented music people in our churches in the US that it just didn't seem like we would be needed. So when we packed the van and headed west last summer, we didn't even take our guitars with us. We did know, however, that our church in L.A. had a Spanish ministry and we were anxious to be involved with that group in any way we could. Little did we know that we would be heavily involved in the music ministry.  
     Within weeks of our arrival in L.A., a change was made in the music ministry team of our newly adopted Spanish congregation. We were soon asked to be part of a rotation of worship leaders, each of us taking every third week to lead music. Fortunately I was flying back to Indiana at just about that time so I was able to pick up my guitar and bring it back to L.A. with me. Ruth was able to borrow a guitar from one of her long-time friends here. So before we knew it, we were heavily involved in a church music ministry again. In fact, we are probably more involved in the music ministry here than we were for most of our time in Ecuador.
     It is funny how we sometimes think that when we make a big, life changing move in our lives, that all things good must come to an end. Oh sure, things are different. But God wasn't going to let us off the "music ministry" hook quite that easily. He had been training us for ministry for many years. Sure, we were experiencing a change of location, but God knew that we would be needed at Church of the Open Door at just this time of change in their history. And we are becoming more involved in the music as time goes on.
     That is the wonderful thing about having a God who sees the big picture in our lives. We can easily get disoriented and confused by change. God can see the overall plan. He knows how it is all going to work out. He even orchestrates our life changes in order to put us in just the right places to serve Him best. Have you had a major life change lately? Well don't just sit there.... Find out why God sent you there and get involved in what He is doing in your new place of ministry....

Doug & Ruth

Easter & American Culture

Fact: Easter is a part of the American Culture

     Our Pastor recently pointed out that Easter is one of those days on the US cultural calendar when it is totally acceptable for everyone and anyone to attend church. People who don't go to church all year long will search out a church to attend on Easter.
     Knowing this fact about our culture is important, because it gives us the opportunity to be pro-active, to invite our friends and neighbors to come to church. Something as simple as "Hey... I know lots of people go to church on Easter. Are you looking for a church to attend? We have a great one. Do you want to come with us?" can be totally comfortable to say at Easter.
      So why is it so difficult to invite people to church on the other 51 weeks of the year? Are we afraid it might make us look like a "Jesus freak"? ( Not really a bad thing if we mean just being totally excited about Jesus. Could be a bad thing if we mean being totally obnoxious about it.) Can we handle the rejection if they say no? If they say no, is that any worse than if we didn't ask in the first place?
     You know, the great thing about Easter is that we get right to the nut of Christianity. Its all about Sin, Separation (from God), Payment, and Restoration. That message can be told in many different ways. Some churches tell it through special programs, or dramas, or speakers. For me the key is making sure that people leave remembering the message and not the event. Easter is a great time for inviting visitors to church. If someone wants to know what following Christ is all about... this is it!
     We really enjoyed spending Easter with the Spanish believers at Church of the Open Door this year. Ruth and I, along with several others, lead the music and our Spanish Pastor told the redemption story in a powerful way... and our people invited their friends and family. Our little group of believers swelled to over 50 in attendance with several of them returning the next week.
     But don't wait until Easter next year to invite someone to church... A week later, Ruth was in the dentist's office. As she returned to the waiting area after her appointment, a lady was talking to our son David in Spanish. She was very impressed with David's ability to speak Spanish, and told Ruth so. Ruth was able to share with her a bit about our background in South America and then invited her to church on Sunday. Turns out, this lady had been looking for a new church in the area. She came the very next week... and invited 3 other people to come with her. So don't wait until next Easter. Invite someone to church this week.

Doug & Ruth

Who's Big Idea is This?

     I had the great privilege of joining some of our pastors on a trip to Mexico yesterday. Our church has been working with a local pastor there for years and a wonderful international relationship has developed as a result.  So when some of our staff caught a new vision for international ministry, our thoughts turned to our Mexican partners.
     However, we were not too sure just how they would see the idea. Would it be another idea from the outside that they felt obligated to accept? Was it just one more thing they would have to squeeze into their busy schedule because they didn't want to offend us? Or would this be something that would help them better reach their community for Christ?
     Have you ever had a great idea for ministry? Have you ever wondered if it is your great idea or if it is God's? It can be pretty difficult to determine the difference sometimes. We naturally want to think that its God's idea. We want to do great things for God. But wait... is this a God thing or is it really me? Will I only feel like I am serving God well if I have a large and well known ministry?
     There's nothing wrong with dreaming big. But let's remember that Jesus Himself started out with very humble men and a very humble ministry. He didn't have big cathedrals to preach in. He often didn't even have a place to sleep indoors. His followers were not the mighty and important elite of His day. They were poor fisherman who worked hard each day on the open seas. Yet the impact He had in three short years continues to change the world.
     I think one of the great confirmations of God's will is when we see Him out in front, bringing together people and resources before we even ask. It is the realization that God was already working, planting ideas, giving vision and then bringing people together at just the right time. And so it was yesterday as we talked to our partners in ministry. God had already been working, giving our partners a similar burden. It is so comforting to rest in the knowledge that we are only a part of the vision and that God is already preparing everything that we will need ahead of time.
     Oh it might not be something that launches you onto the international stage. But it will be something that God wants to do in your church, your community, your sphere of influence. And that is good enough for me. I don't need to be known by many.... I just want to be known by One....    
   
Doug

World Missions & World Cup

Pitch #1 Ready for the First Game

     On Feb 2nd our church, Church of the Open Door (COD), kicked off their annual Missions Conference. We wanted to do something that would get our young families excited about missions. So the church asked me to organize our first annual... "COD World Cup Soccer Tournament". We formed 7 teams representing countries in which our missionaries serve. Teams were required to have at least 3 of their 6 players on the field under the age of 15 at all times. They also had to have at least 2 female players on the field at all times, one over 15 years of age, and one under. The games were only 10 minutes long, and we had two games running at the same time. Competition was pretty even and everyone had a great time. Most of all, we got a lot of young families out to help kick off our missions conference and begin to think about "the nations" where our missionaries serve.

COD World Cup Soccer

     COD has a long legacy of supporting missionaries around the world. It is easy to forget how the church is impacting the world when our missionaries are not here all the time. I found over the years that people just couldn't relate to us when we lived overseas. The "mission field" is not something we can feel, touch or smell, unless you have gone to visit a missionary. Even then, we have an "experience". Our missionaries live the life, smell the smells, and touch/feel the mission field every day. To them, missions is life.

Family Fun with a Missions Spirit...

     So think about a missionary today and write them a note, send them an e-mail or message them on Facebook. Let them know that you remember them. That alone will encourage them. You might even find yourself praying for them, once you get to know their "life" better... Then maybe we will begin to think about "The Nations" the way God thinks about them.     

Doug

P.S. Who won? Well the big winners were our missionaries.... but Team Tanzania took the trophy home.