...to everyday life

Worship Leader Search Completed!

Here's an email message we sent to our church family earlier today.

Dear Five Oaks Family,

I’m very happy to inform you that we have completed the search for a worship leader! The result is different than we expected when we first set out, but we are confident God is leading us in this direction. It will be a good fit for Five Oaks, and I am excited to see it unfold.

First, we have decided to move forward with a Worship Leader team approach. Joining our team is Jeremy Sanoski. As you may remember, Jeremy led worship three weekends ago and in February. Or you may remember him from this year’s Coffee House. He will begin his new role at Five Oaks starting in September and will lead worship approximately half of the weekends throughout the year. Jeremy loves what we are doing at Five Oaks and is eager to help us accomplish our mission through our worship services. In addition to his service at Five Oaks, Jeremy already has an active music ministry in the Twin Cities and on a national stage with Go Fish.

Second, Dan Lukas will move to the front lines of our worship ministry, leading our worship band members and vocalists and leading worship approximately half of the weekends. Dan will continue to serve on our staff executive team and as the overall director of the Worship Arts staff and ministry, as he has since the fall of 2011.

Third, we are on a search for a Fusion worship leader who will not only lead the high school band but will also disciple and develop the students who serve on that team. This will be a paid, part-time position and we appreciate any leads you can send us.

Lastly, I want to offer special thanks to the folks who served on our search team for their time, the intensity of their prayers, their love for the church and the feedback they gave us as we pondered this decision. Thanks also to all of you who joined us in prayer during this search.

There’s a lot more I could say, but I’ll give you a chance to ask your questions and address the more frequent ones on my blog. So email me your comments or questions.

Blessings,

Pastor Henry

Financial Peace U Results

Here's a note I received from Will Stanfest. Will taught the course with CarrieAnn, his wife.

Hey Henry,

Figured I'd give you a recap of this year's Financial Peace class. Palm Sunday was our graduation party and final lesson. This year we used the new 9 week class format, and it was a hit. The new videos are very well done, with interesting in-class 'case studies' that help apply the principles learned in real world situations.

FPU for January of 2013 by the numbers:
61 people signed up for the class
8 families attended (at least a few lessons) from outside our church

Over the 9 weeks of the class, the 17 families in attendance at graduation were able to pay off just over $165,000 in non-mortgage debt, and were able to put over $167,000 into savings! That's a total improvement of over $332,000!

Absolutely incredible!

These families were all amazing, and deserve a ton of credit for the hard work put in to make the changes needed to secure their financial future.

I really love this class because it teaches the tools each of us need to manage the money God has entrusted us with. With these tools we can use it in a way that honors Him, and blesses those around us.

Thanks again for supporting FPU at Five Oaks, and have a blessed week!

-Will

Congratulations to all who attended and made this kind of dent in their finances! Thank you Will and CarrieAnn.

People Helpers

Some people love to come alongside others who are hurting. Their hearts not only go out to people who are discouraged, facing trials, grieving or suffering, they also are inclined to offer a listening ear and a helping hand.

Does this describe you? If so, let me know. We are launching a new Care Ministry at Five Oaks. This ministry will focus on providing lay pastoral care to Five Oakers who are not in a small group but who could use some personal support while going through a hard patch or crisis in their lives. There will be training and coaching components so that you can be fully prepared, supported and confident in this ministry.

For more information email me at office@fiveoakschurch.org, subject line “Care Ministry Information.” Or email me directly from the email link under my picture on the blog page.

Another Experiment

I mentioned a Q&A experiment we're trying this weekend in my Mid-Week Memo yesterday. But there's another experiment we're launching on the weekend. Your grasp of what we're trying to do is essential to its success.

What you're going to see is an extended greeting time (from about 20 seconds to more than a minute). Hearing this may make you sigh, run for the hills or roll your eyes, but we'll make it as easy as we can on you by giving you a simple ice breaker question. This week's question: "What's your favorite food at a graduation party?" Simple. Painless. Vitally important!

This will work only if you, our core who reads this blog, embraces its purpose and follows our instructions. Here's the key: Always look first to greet someone you don't know and reconnect for a moment after the service. If new folks are ignored, we'll hear about it and this experiment will end. But if new folks are welcomed in this way, I am convinced it will have a huge impact on people who need to know they are welcomed.

Think about some typical first-guest profile:

• Someone who is giving "church" a chance again after years of absence. This person has a Christian in their lives that loves them deeply, lives in another state and has been praying for this day for years.
• A lonely family transferred here from a warm weather state. 
• A friend you've been reaching out to for years who decided to come but didn't let you know...and you are gone for that weekend!

What if they are warmly and personally greeted? And after being greeted someone brings them down to 10-Minute Connect and introduces them to me?

I might be talking about this in my message, but that will be after the greeting time, so I want you to have a heads-up.

• Look for someone you don't know.
• Introduce yourself by name.
• Ask them if they're new to Five Oaks.
• Share your answer to the question. 
• Reconnect after the service and see how the Spirit leads you.

Tomorrow I'll share an email I received recently that helped us pull the trigger on something like this after talking about for a long time. Be ready to be the church to someone this weekend.

Good Question

I received this question in an email today regarding my Mid-Week Memo from last night:

Hey Henry,

Curious about your opening paragraph. Why would you not choose to preach on this type of passage normally?

If you have the same question, here was my answer:

Great question.

There are three approaches to preaching: topical, expository, and lectionary.

The topical approach asks questions like "what does the church need" and "what will be a good series to help our folks invite their friends." The series are usually highly relevant in that they speak to everyday life in a way that shows that Bible speaks to our everyday lives.

Expository follows along in a book or section of a book. The lectionary approach uses a book that pays close attention to the Christian year and gives an OT, Psalm and NT passage for that week. With expository and lectionary, choosing the passage is to some degree out of your control.

There's a lot to commend topical approach and we have used it in the past [and will continue to from time to time], but I've never seen anyone who follows this approach actually choose a passage like the one from last week. Only exception might be a series called "the hard sayings of Jesus." It's very confrontative. It lacks what people today would consider appealing. It requires a lot of explanation (topical series don't usually major on actually teaching the text but on application of the text with minimal teaching). It requires much more than a quick reading to find the message of grace that permeates it. It doesn't seem "relevant" to everyday life. [I'll just add here: It may not seem relevant but there is nothing more relevant than a passage like this one.]

From a more personal standpoint, it was daunting to figure out how to communicate the message in a way that held the passage together and didn't lose attention. And my personal preference is a passage like the one this week where Jesus is very compassionate. Doesn't feel too compassionate when Jesus says, "Yeah, 18 people died in that accident and you will suffer similarly if you don't repent."

If you have time, check out John Piper's blog post on the night of the I35 bridge collapse. Fascinating. He's the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis, in case you don't know. But he was heavily criticized for writing what he wrote and most people don't think this deeply (or want to) about our sin and culpability before a God who judges.

So, that's why I wrote what I wrote. Thanks for asking.

 

My Comments on Your Comments

Every week, during our worship gatherings, we ask you to fill out the Communication Cards and give us feedback, ask questions, mark decisions, request more information, or write a prayer request. I've explained elsewhere why this is such an important practice for our church and why we need everyone to fill out a card every week. (You can read about it here.) But I've never commented on the comments. And only recently have I started listing them (or most of them) in my Mid-Week Memo.

Yesterday, one of our staff members came in to my office  and shared his concern that by asking for comments and feedback feels like we're offering a consumer product and that we're feeding a consumer mentality. (If you've not thought about the danger of turning church into a consumer product, just ponder it for a few moments, shudder, then come back to this post.) He explained that he was at a restaurant where he received a card that basically said, "We want your feedback and we will change to make you happy." (If only we would ask God for feedback with that mindset!)

I told him I have felt uneasy about this too, and we talked about how we can counteract it. We agreed that comments and feedback are a good thing and that making it easier to give it has it's advantages. So here are a few thoughts about commenting and giving feedback, without denigrating church in your mind to a consumer product that's all about you:

• Tell us how you were impacted spiritually by the service or an element in the service. I recently heard a story from a worship leader who took a tour of a Greek Orthodox Church. He commented on how wonderful it must be to worship while looking at the beautiful icons. The priest stopped the tour and said, "No, we don't look at them. We see through them." There's lots going on in our services that can catch your eye or your ear, and it's okay to like that guitar solo, a funny story in the message or singing your new favorite song. But don't make that your ultimate focus. It's okay to comment on it, but more than anything we want you to "see through" all of that to God--to worship and adore Christ; to be moved to make a decision or confess a sin; to commit to some change in your life. Try not to focus so much on the beautiful "icon" that you fail to see through it to God.  

• Tell us when something we're doing is getting in the way of worship. But please remember that our congregation is diverse and what you hate is someone else's joy. Take the loudness issue...please. Okay, bad joke. But the truth is we've had weekends where one person tells us it was way too loud and someone else tells us it was way too low and lacking in energy. We listen, but it is absolutely impossible to make everyone happy. We continue to do everything we can to eliminate harsh sounds, but our music requires a certain amount of loudness or it wilts. And loudness is only one issue. Add to that communion bread, number of songs we sing, the length of the service...you've seen the comments so you can add to the list.

• Be specific, especially in your critique. Don't exaggerate or we won't listen (just being honest). For example, if one song was too loud, don't say, "It was so loud today I had to leave." Say, "That one song killed my ears." If you add, "Is it only me?," that kind of humility can go a long way.

• You know how easy it is to write things in an email in anger that you regret later? Well it's the same way with the cards. Like email, don't write anything you'll regret later or would never say face-to-face. I've had some people apologize for hasty, harsh remarks on cards, and I've been very appreciative of that. If you've been around Five Oaks long enough you've seen me apologize for harsh remarks I've made while preaching or in conversations, so I completely understand.

• Be encouraging. What's the ratio of encouragement versus critique you need to hear? If you want to have the right to make critical comments when something goes wrong (and be heard), you need to be in the habit of making positive comments along the way.

• Don't avoid a good fight. The caricature of the typical Minnesotan is someone who avoids conflict at all costs. So if there's something that's bothering them at their church, they think it's easier to just be nice, leave and not stir things up, rather than have a good and fair fight. Conflict is inevitable in families. So don't be that person. Don't live up to the caricature. Speak up...nicely (that part of the caricature is okay). Give us feedback on the card or later in an email or after the service. You'll be healthier and we'll all be better for it. 

Ultimately this post isn't about Communication Card etiquette. It's about gathering each week at God's invitation, honoring him in everything and growing bigger hearts for God. This was just one more opportunity for me to pastor you and help you grow as a disciple. Don't make worship into a consumer product. See through rather than looking at. Communicate in a godly way. And, by all means, keep communicating.

Mid-Week Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

I have EIGHT things I want to share with you (one day late):

#1- I absolutely loved the choir this last weekend. They sounded great!  It was so high energy and fun backstage with everyone in the "green room." Thank you to all of you sang.

#2- Justin introduced a new song that's not easy to sing the first time around but I think it will be a favorite before long. And Tim did a great job teaching on influence from Daniel 2 in our EVERYTHING series. Even our influence belongs to God.

#3- Looks like some of us will start mentoring our Kids Hope students next week. Some of us went to a monthly convocation at Woodbury Elementary yesterday, met the principle and checked out the mentoring room. Looks like I'm being matched to a kindergartner. I can't wait to meet him.

#4- I'm starting a new three-week series on prayer based on Luke 11 in a couple of weeks. We're going to be selling copies of "A Praying Life" by Paul Miller at a reduced price during the series. It's the best book I've read on prayer. I can't recommend it enough. We also have ESV Study Bibles available at the Resources & Registrations table.

#5- Dale Peterson is one of the pastors at Eagle Brook Church. Dale is passionate about the church, reaching lost people and leadership. For a couple of years I was part of a pastor cohort he led through the Eagle Brook Association. Dale keeps in touch with all the pastors that have participated. Here's some really great news he passed on to us about recorded first-time decision in the last six months among the 30 churches that have been in a cohort (including us and Eagle Brook): 3,545! That's not a typo!

#6- Another small group doing Impact story: The Gerbigs are adopting a child from Uganda. AnaLisa (she was one of the choir leaders on the weekend) and her mom are there right now working in the orphanage for a week before bringing home their child, and their small group sent them oof with a care package and a financial gift for the orphanage.

#7- I think we're up to about 21 people (including Lois and me) in our Story of God group. If you haven't experienced this yet, we'll offer it again this spring, some time after Easter. Learn the framework of the Story and you'll understand the Bible better for the rest of your life.

#8- This weekend is week five of the EVERYTHING series. We're looking at the "Salvation" scene and a passage where Jesus tells several parables that drive home the entire theme of this series in a powerful and very encouraging way. Jesus says that if we orient EVERYTHING toward him, he will do two absolutely amazing things for us. Come and see what they are.

Hope to see you on the weekend.

Blessings to you,

Pastor Henry

Tenth Avenue North @ Five Oaks this Sunday, 2:30pm, Free

This just came in. The band Tenth Avenue North will be at Five Oaks this Sunday at 2:30pm. It's free, but you have to 18 and older to come. They needed a venue to record an acoustic set with congregational voices singing along. Their record label requires 18 and older for the recording (legal reasons regarding consent). Sorry. They are playing at the Excel Center on Sunday evening as part of the Rock & Worship Roadshow with MercyMe. Come for this short concert (maybe an hour or so). Bring friends. KTIS will be promoting it on the radio.

New Bibles, New Translation

We're making an important change for 2012. After years of using the New Living Translation as our base translation for the weekend messages and Group life, we are switching to the English Standard Translation (ESV).

If you have a NLT or NIV, you'll still use them a lot. Contrasting translations can help lead you deeper. But I'd also suggest adding the ESV to your collection. The NLT (New Living Translation) is still the best translation for reading through large portions of Scripture, in my opinion. If you're doing a "read through the Bible in a year" challenge or reading with your kids, I would not recommend the ESV.

Here's why we're switching:

• For the kind of verse-by-verse study we do on the weekends and in Group Life (for personal and group study), it's hard to beat. It's more "literal" in nature, which affords the opportunity to see more of the dynamics in the original languages. This also makes it a little harder to relate to immediately and requires more digging in for meaning, but this is good. As we have been doing more detailed study, I've become increasingly frustrated with the translation choices the NLT makes and the loss of some of those dynamics. So now, instead of saying, "In a more literal translation it reads...," I'll be saying, "Here's how the NLT (or NIV or Message) translates it." Subtle but important difference.

• The newest NIV revision would have been an equally good choice but the fact that the new NIV is called the NIV and not something like the R(evised)NIV would just lead to a lot of confusion. (Yes, even trying to explain it is confusing!) But other factors favoring the ESV are below.

• It has the best study Bible available by far. I always say that if you're only going to have one Bible resource, get a good study Bible. If you have a million resources, it's still one you'll use all the time. We just purchased and distributed the study Bible to all staff so they can lead the way on this. You can check it out here.

• It has the best study Bible app available for smart phones and tablets. Check it out here for iPad and iPhone (I'm not sure this same app is available outside of the Apple line). You get the whole thing in a very intuitive and easy to use format. And don't be fooled by ESV Study Bible apps that are cheap (under $10). They're just an ebook version of the print version, unless that's all you want. If you use an iPhone or iPad for most of your Bible study, I'd get the app first and then page through someones print version to make sure you find all the content in the app.

• If you buy the Study Bible print version, you have full access to it online. They give you a code. This is a great resource that's free only if you buy the print version. The apps are not included, though.

Mid-Week Memo

Dear Five Oakers, I have SEVEN things I want to share with you (actually EIGHT, with the addendum I added about our Christmas services):

#1- What a great service this last weekend. I loved it!

• The whole Stocker family was represented on the worship team. Todd (dad) was on the piano. You've heard him speak at Five Oaks (he shared the story of losing their 16-year-old daughter a couple of years ago). Kelly (mom) and Maddie (daughter, she led one of the songs) sang. Nathan (son) played bass. Todd is a college chaplain and often preaches in a variety of churches on the weekends. We're always glad to have them with visit with us (they are part of our "close extended church family").
• You may have also noticed our guest guitarist, Ethan Lynn. He's a former guitar student of Justin from Michigan, but he's become a phenom at 13-years of age! Justin is happy to admit that Ethan has surpassed him in guitar skills and is one of the best guitarist's he knows.
• I preached on Philippians 2:12-13 and what it takes to sustain change in our lives: vigilant effort and inner transformation.

#2- I don't know what the final number is, but thanks to your generosity and obedience to God in giving tithes and offerings, we finished the year well in the black! I don't have final numbers yet, but this is such a blessing for ministry. A lot of credit goes to Brian Burquest (our Business Admin) and our staff for keeping expenses well below budget as well. Our Board also does a great job of overseeing the big picture and setting great goals. Way to go team!

#3- I'm very glad to announce that Casey Hayden is coming on staff (part-time) to lead the Jr. High ministry under Tim. Casey's dad, Dana, use to serve as our Outreach Director, and when the Haydens came to Five Oaks, Casey was in 9th grade. Casey has completed two internships with us, most recently this last fall, focusing on The Retreat ministry and Jr. High. Casey is a lot of fun, he has a passion to help hurting people and I love the way he thinks.

#4- The Student Ministry had an overnighter last week where they completed several projects around the church and some for our Impact Ministry outside the church. One of the projects was to label all the new chair Bibles. (I'll write about the translation change tomorrow.) They were also trained in CPR, making it the first 80 in a new push to train hundreds (or is 1000's?) in Woodbury. This was led by Five Oaker J.B. Guiton, the EMS Commander for the City of Woodbury.

#5- Great opportunity to grow your faith: You can download a Christian classic for free for this month, Knowing God by J.I. Packer, at ChristianAudio. This is a great book. I'm pretty sure you'll grow to know and love God better by listenting to it.

#6- We're starting a 6-week series this weekend that I think will have a profound effect on us. It's called "EVERYTHING (A 'Story of God' Series)." It's another run through the whole Story of God, but it's focused on how real peace, joy and purpose come from orienting EVERYTHING in our lives toward God. The Story of God was written not only to make that point but to convince us that it’s true! Basically we're tracing the thread of one of the mega-themes of the Bible through the whole story, starting with Creation and working our way to the New Creation.

#7- Look for the new Five Oaks University Catalog this weekend. We're offering some great classes, including Financial Peace University. I'll talk more about FOU next week.

I just want to add this one thing for those who are interested. I met today with our Programming Team to evaluate our Christmas services. We've received some very constructive feedback in person and via email and Facebook. I'm not exaggerating when I say that many people told us they loved it and, for some, it was the best ever. But there were as many people who went out of their way to tell us that they were disappointed.

We believe we could have done much better. In my opinion, we over-programmed the service (something we tend to do on these special weekends), which just feels disjointed for some people and moves us away from what we do best. We included elements that some people found offensive to one degree or another, and that's just REALLY dumb on our part (thank God he loves people who do dumb things, right?). And we didn't keep little kids in mind when planning a couple of elements that were scary, on a weekend where we offer limited children's programing!

This, I believe, spoiled (for some) all the GREAT elements that were represented in the service. Yes, many of you come to these kinds of services with such diverse and sometimes impossibly high expectations that it is truly impossible to please everyone (you know that, right?), but in this case we deserved many of the criticisms we received.

We are partners together in ministry, therefore you need to know that you can expect good things to happen if you bring a guest to our services. Too many of you didn't feel that way and you let me know very gracefully, keeping our partnership in reaching people for Christ at the forefront of your critique. THAT'S  the kind of criticism I'm always going to listen to. Thank you!

Blessing to all of you. I love being your pastor. Henry