My Last Mid-Week Article to LBC

May 7, 2012 Leave a comment

Copied from LBC Mid-Week Informer May 7, 2012

 Dear Friends and Family of LBC,

With a heavy heart but a rejoicing spirit, I offer to you my last Mid-Week Informer article.  My final day as interim pastor of LBC will be Sunday, May 27, and since I will be out for two weeks on the study tour of Greece and Turkey, this will be my final weekly installment.

When I arrived back in August 2011, only 10 months ago, I found a church in need of love and care.  From all accounts, emotions were raw, tension was thick and conflict was brimming on all sides.  Walt Browning and Bill Oliver tried to prepare me for the difficult situation the church was facing.  I sensed I was coming into a battlefield. 

Yet when I arrived, I found something very different.  There was an immediate connection between us.  I didn’t find a church engaged in battle, I found a people wanting to love their leader.  I was told by Walt early on, “Our people want to love their pastor and want to be loved by their pastor.”  Those words became the hallmark for what I believed God was calling me to do at LBC – simply love the people. 

And you, my dear brothers and sisters, returned that love immediately back upon me and my family.  There wasn’t a Sunday or Wednesday that went by where I didn’t “feel the love” in our midst.  In our times of worship, in prayer, in Bible study, in meetings, when eating around the table, with the children, the teenagers, the senior adults, the various Sunday school classes, with the staff, the deacons, the ministry teams, everyone showed us amazing, abundant love. 

I’ve often been reminded of Paul’s words to the churches in Galatia when thinking about you, my LBC family.  He writes, “For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.” (Gal 4:15b)  I think you might have done the same for me if I asked.

Deep love and kindred spirits are hard to come by these days.  For that I am so grateful to have shared this time with you.  I will look back on our Wednesday night studies with sincere fondness and a smile on my face for every time I made you do something new.  I will cherish the times I spent with Pastor Nehemiah & Stephen on our Google+ video conference staff meetings.  I will remember with joy walking up and down the aisles on Sunday mornings talking with you, shaking hands, asking how your week has gone.  I will continue to celebrate the increase in giving and attendance, the number of children baptized, and the explosion of community awareness and outreach.

Pastor Harold & his family are going to be so blessed because I know you will extend to them the same love you’ve extended to our family. I love each of you and will be praying God’s best for you in the days to come.

Grace and peace,   Shane

Filed under Family, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Preaching

Saying Goodbye to LBC a Second Time

April 30, 2012 1 Comment

Lewisport BC - LBC 1

My home church was LBC – Lewisport Baptist Church.  I love my 1st faith family at LBC with all my heart.  They led me to Christ, grew me up in Jesus, and adopted me as one of their sons in the faith.  I am, and will always be, eternally grateful for the people and minister of LBC.

Lancaster BC - LBC 2

But over this past year, I got a chance to meet and love another LBC – Lancaster Baptist Church.  My new faith family at LBC 2 has become so precious to me. 

They allowed me to lead them in worship, teach them from God’s word, challenge them to lean on the power of God, and reach their community in new ways.  They opened their hearts to me and for a second time I was adopted as a LBC son.

I will officially be completing my fourth interim pastorate later this month.  Each has been a new experience for me.  Living Grace Church in 2008 was all about learning how pastoral transitions work.  Parkway Bapt Church in 2009 taught me what it means to teach on a larger scale to wider diversity of people.  Bethany Bapt Church in 2010-11 stretched me personally and spiritually.  I always thought ministry in a major city would be easy because of all the people and needs, but it was much harder than I expected.

And now Lancaster Bapt. Church.  LBC 2 taught me it is possible to deeply love a people in a short amount of time.  I learned that I really love ministry when people love to be loved by their pastor.  I have teared up more than once thinking about these fine brothers and sisters in Christ who I’ve only known for 9 months, but feels like we’ve been friends for a lifetime. 

Thank you LBC 2.  Your new pastor is going to be awesome.  Your ministry in the future is going to be bright.  You will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Filed under Family, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Preaching

Pro’s & Con’s of Itinerant Ministry

February 16, 2012 Leave a comment

Back in the 1800′s and early into the 1900′s, it was not unusual for a pastor/preacher to be itinerant.  Itinerant meant that they either lived in one city and did ministry in another or they were a circuit preacher preaching in numerous churches on a rotational cycle. 

With so many churches being extremely small and unable to afford a pastor all their own, sharing was a must.  So the itinerant pastor traveled between locations, most often by horse and much later by car. 

So far in my ministry life, I have been far more of an itinerant pastor/preacher than anything else.  I have been on 6 church staffs in KY & TX, in nearly every position except Senior Pastor (i.e., Youth Minister, Associate Pastor and Interim Pastor) and in only one of those positions did I live in the actual city of the church.

Here’s the list and the drive time, one-way, to church.

  • First Baptist Church, (part-time staff) Millsap, TX – 45 minutes away
  • Trinity Baptist Church, (part-time staff) Fort Worth, TX – 30 minutes away
  • Main Street Baptist Church, (full-time staff) Alexandria, KY – we lived in Alex.
  • Parkway Baptist Church (interim), Bardstown, KY – 50 minutes away
  • Bethany Baptist Church (interim), Louisville, KY – 90 minutes away
  • Lancaster Baptist Church (interim), Lancaster, KY – 75 minutes away

Itinerant ministry can provide some benefits and challenges. 

Benefits
- First, there can be a benefit to having some space between you and your people.  Especially in the smaller community, pastors can feel as if they are always “on” whether at a restaurant, the grocery store or even driving from place to place.  Over time, this amplifies the glass-house syndrome.
- Secondly, itinerant ministry demands the pastor/minister and the church select only the most important of ministry tasks.  When you don’t live in the city, you have to come and go, which demands everyone to be selective and prioritize what is going to happen and what is going to be dismissed.

Challenges
-  No question, relationships.  It is possible to build great relationships in itinerant ministry, but they will not be as strong as other types of connection.  It is hard for the people to ever view you as an insider and local, if you live 45 minutes away.
-  No coffee shops conversations.  No bump into’s in the Walmart parking lot.  No seeing each other at the Memorial Day parade.  Just as space can be a benefit in preventing the glass-house syndrome, space can also be a huge disadvantage in that you are too far away to be completely available for the non-calendared meetings

Filed under Leadership, Life, Ministry, Preaching

KBC Imagine Conference 2012 – ParaKlete Your Kids

February 11, 2012 Leave a comment

This is the message from the KY Bapt. Conv. Imagine Preschool & Children’s Ministry entitled “ParaKlete Your Kids.”

Filed under Family, Ministry, Preaching, Teaching

Winter Ministry Opportunities

January 14, 2012 Leave a comment

With the first winter snow still on the ground, I thought I would give everyone an update of some ministry opportunities for Jennifer and I over the next few months.  God keeps opening doors for us to serve Him in a variety ways throughout His kingdom.

@Campbellsville University.  Of course, I am teaching a full load this time including classes in Leading Small Groups, Children’s Ministry, and Gospel & Postmodernity.  My Small Groups class includes 17 students who will each be leading a small group of their own.  The potential is to see over 100 student discipled in a network of small groups based out of our class.

Jennifer is also teaching Women in Ministry this semester as an adjunct instructor.  She has 22 in her class which is the most this class has ever had.  She gets back to her Ph.D. course work in February.

@KyBaptist Imagine Conference.  February 10-11, I will be one of the key note speakers at the 2nd Imagine Preschool and Children’s Ministry Conference at Parkway Bapt Church in Bardstown.  Last year there was over 500 people in attendance from around the state.

@BCM Valentine’s Service.  Jennifer and I get to share with the Bapt. Campus Ministry students this semester on biblical manhood and womenhood during their V-day worship service.  This will be the first time I’ve been asked to speak to a BCM group since we’ve been back to CU.  Very excited.

@Lowell Avenue Baptist Church.  In March, I will be leading an one-day Bible Study Teacher training event at Lowell Ave. BC, a church here in Campbellsville.  A great church led by Pastor Dave Walters and Assoc. Pastor Trent Creason.

@Lancaster Baptist Church.  I continue serving as the interim pastor of LBC.  We have agreed as a church to walk together in the 90 Day Vision which attempts to make an impact on every generation in Lancaster and Garrard Co. in the next 90 days (Jan. 8 till April 8).  We are praying for over 600 in attendance on Easter weekend, which would be the largest attendance in more than 8 years.  God is able to do abundantly more than we could think or ask (Eph. 3:20).

Finally, in March Jennifer and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary with a special trip.  Our anniversary is actually on April 6, but that is on Good Friday.  Not the best day to travel.  So during spring break, we will take some time to thank God for 10 great years together and rekindle our relationship with a no-kids trip to a warm location.

Filed under Family, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Preaching, Travel

2011 from the Rear View Mirror

December 27, 2011 Leave a comment

Usually I dislike reading The Year in Review.  Whether on TV or in magazines, I don’t find myself wanting to read what was hot and what was not.  I prefer setting goals for the upcoming year and moving forward.  But 2011 has been pretty cool for the Garrison family, so I would look back and look ahead.

In January, I spent time in Amman, Jordan teaching teachers which was a great honor.  Jordan has quite a few biblical locations which means plenty of sight-seeing.  It also meant spending some time with a dear friend and brother.

In the winter and early spring, Jennifer got to teach her first two college courses at CU and began the admission process for her Ph.D.  After years of being a full-time stay-at-home mom, we came to terms with her future career plan, once the boys are in school.  She loves teaching and loved the college environment, so doctoral work became her goal.  She got into the Ph.D. program in Family at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In July, I finished being the interim pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Louisville and in August became the interim pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church in Garrard Co.  God keeps providing ministry opportunities in strategic churches where I can, hopefully, be a blessing in times of transition.

In August, Jennifer started school and everything changed at our house.  Her work demanded an intense regiment of reading, studying, and writing.  Our weekly schedule shifted to include multiple “Boy Conferences.”  This is where mom is in my office (which she calls the chamber of secrets) and we boys entertain ourselves.  I became Boy Conference president in October.  Ethan did a great job as president last year. 

Also in August, I received the Non-Tenured Faculty of the Year award from CU.  I couldn’t believe I won.  These first 3 years have been so amazing.  Additionally, I was placed on the SACS 10 Year Reaffirmation team, which means great job security for the next 4 years.

Finally in August, we also had both of our boys in part-time school.  Isaac as a half-a-day kindergartener and Ethan as a 2-day per week glowworm.  Both at the Campbellsville Christian Church Center for Christian Education.

In September & October, it was all soccer.  We learned Isaac is pretty good and is built for the game – good speed, good accuracy, leadership in competition.  Ethan continues to show great skill and ability in all things athletic.  He will be a force next year.

In December, we celebrate that Isaac has read 150 books so far this year.  He is seeking a new school record of 243.  And Ethan has been on the green light all semester long, which is a miracle in and of itself.  Jennifer has made it through her first full semester in flying colors and will be teaching “Women in Ministry” this Spring at CU.  My interim at Lancaster BC is going very well.  Work at CU could not be any better.

God is faithful.  Serving Him is a joy and honor.  10 years of marriage with hardly no disruption.  Two great kids.  We are blessed beyond measure.

Filed under Family, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Preaching, Teaching, Travel

Millennials Want Sermons that are Portable

December 5, 2011 2 Comments

New insight into the Millennial generation.  It seems that what they LEAVE corporate worship with is MORE important than what they get out the service itself.  Gen. X’ers wanted to feel good after church, Millennials want to act upon something after church.

Millennials (22-32 year olds) want biblical teaching and preaching that is immediately portable.  In other words, they want to walk out of church with something that they can use that day, possibly even that hour, in their spiritual lives.  They want teaching that prompts quick, responsible action.

What types of messages and sermons are portable, you might ask?  Great question.  In a way, preaching in this fashion is quite different from 7 Ways to Raise Great Kids or 5 Steps toward Financial Freedom.  Millennials are not looking for this type of application-preaching that was in vogue 12 years ago.  They want messages that demand them to do something today.  Not philosphical ideas or suggestions. 

Steps toward financial freedom are good, but Millennials are asking “What can I do this afternoon to wisely impact my financial future?  What change can I make tomorrow when my bank opens?  What can I do right now with my online banking account?” 

Or in the topic of raising biblical children.  Millennials are asking what change should they make with their kids this afternoon on the way home from church or at the restaurant.  They want to know about more about discipleship methods for that night before bed?   Overall, they want to know what books and articles should they download and what resources can access right now on their cell phone while still at church.

I think the folks at Passion got it right 5 years ago.  Instead of having a missions area that promoted all sorts of mission organizations and opportunities for global involvement, they shifted to a “Do Something Now” area.  While they still had the missions area, the goal was not to sign up a student and get them an email two weeks later.  The focus was doing something immediately without delay.  Give to dig wells today.  Buy socks for homeless today.  Write cards to orphan’s today.

This needs to be translated into worship and preaching practices when Millennials are present.  Otherwise, they will check out…today.

Filed under Leadership, Ministry, Preaching

The Plight of the Spiritual Orphan

October 14, 2011 1 Comment

Over the past months, I have been asked to speak several times on the plight of the spiritual orphan.  We are in a time in which Evangelical Christianity in America is rapidly thinking and considering the care of orphans at an amazing rate.  Adoption, both domestic and international, have exploded.  Being foster parents to hurting or abandoned children on the rise.  Churches are beginning funds specifically to help families meet the cost of adoption. 

Believe me when I say I am thrilled this movement is happening.  But that is not orphan-care I am talking about.  I am not speaking of literal orphans, as in the ones living in orphanages or in the foster care system.  These children must be carried for, but these are not the ones I am trying to call Christians and churches to remember.

I am pleading for the spiritual orphan.  Spiritual orphans are boys, girls, and teenagers who live in homes with NO believing parents.  Neither mom nor dad, or mom and step-dad, or dad and girlfriend, none of them are believers.  These children have NO biblical, spiritual, or Christ-centered influence in their lives.  They live in every city, town, community and neighborhood.  While there are churches on nearly every corner, these children are slowing being forgotten. 

The culture says we can’t bus them in anymore or have people cruise the apartment complex and pick them up and bring them to church.  Churches and caring Christians have to have permission slips and medical release forms for everything.  There is a real fear of child predators and abduction among most families.  Even a backyard Bible club in a neighborhood is viewed as some suspect cult trying to indoctrinate unknowing children.

Because of these cultural dynamics and a thousand others, more and more children and teenagers are being forgotten.  It becomes too hard to find a way to connect and reach them for Christ.  Churches tend to only want children and students who have believing parents.

But we must reach them for Christ sake.  And when they do come to faith in the Lord Jesus, we must care for the spiritual orphan as our own family.  They are our adopted little brothers or little sisters in Christ.  They have no mom or dad to care for their spiritual needs.  They have no parent to pray with them or read them a Bible story.  They have you!  You, their church family.  Their older brothers and sisters in Christ.  Their only Christian family.

Please, please remember the spiritual orphan.  I was one of them.

Filed under Family, Life, Ministry, Preaching, Teaching

LanBaptist Sermon Audio

October 7, 2011 Leave a comment

If you are interested in hearing any of the messages from Lancaster Baptist Church, you can go here to find the sermon media player on the LBC website.  You can also search “Lancaster Baptist Church” on iTunes to pick up the podcast. 

The first series I preached was called “Priming the Pump.”   I am finishing a second series this week called “The Benefit of a Doubt.”  I will begin “When Opposites Attract” on October 16.

Filed under Leadership, Ministry, Preaching

Blog Sabbatical Over

October 7, 2011 Leave a comment

My official month long sabbatical from the blog is now over.  I am back and blogging away.  It was good to be gone for a while, but even more enjoyable to get back in the swing of things.  I hope my regular readers haven’t given up on me.  I just needed a bit of a break as the new semester kicked off.

But to give a quick update on the fam.

Starting back at the end of August, I became the interim pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church in Garrard Co.  This is the fourth interim pastorate I have been asked to serve.  LBC is awesome.  The congregation is very loving and community-oriented.  In just 7 weeks, we’ve already had a huge 9-11 service for local police, firefighters, EMS and first responders.  Last Sunday we hosted nearly 100 fall athletes and marching band members from Garrard Co. High School and Middle School.  I anticipate being at LBC through the year and possibly some into 2012 as they search for a new pastor.

Jennifer started something significant in August as well.  She officially became a Ph.D. student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  She is completing her Ph.D. in Family Ministry.  This has been a great shift in our family as she needs a lot of time throughout the week to study and do homework.  It will take her about 4 years total to complete the program, but I am thrilled for her.  She continues to be an adjunct at CU.

The boys are doing great and playing lots of soccer.  Isaac is dominating his Under 6 league having scored nearly 30 goals in 4 games.  He is faster than lightning.  Ethan’s Little Feet Soccer just finished this week.  He will be ready for U6 next year.  The Garrison boys might be a force to reckon with in Campbellsville Youth Soccer for years to come.

Thanks for checking in.  I got some posts in the hopper just waiting to come out.

Filed under Family, Life, Ministry, Preaching, Teaching

They Are Not Bible Characters

August 19, 2011 2 Comments

You would never hear a Social Studies teacher speak about George Washington or Benjamin Franklin as characters from the American Revolution.  No teacher would ever say Abraham Lincoln or Fredrick Douglas were inspirational characters from the Civil War.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was certaintly not a character in the struggle for social justice in 1960′s. 

They Are Not Bible Characters

So why then do teachers of the Bible, especially when teaching children, speak of Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Daniel, even Jesus, as characters in the Old or New Testaments.  Friends, they were not characters, they were real people.

Hansel and Gretel are characters.  Harry Potter and Ron Weasley are characters.  Humpty Dumpty and all the king’s horses and men are characters. 

John the Baptist is not a character.  Jonah the prophet is not a character.  The Apostle Paul was quite a character in the metaphorical sense, but not in the literal sense.  Each of these men walked, breathed, and acted in a real world.  They are historial, not fictional. 

I believe Christian parents and teachers must change our language when teaching the Bible, especially to children.  Our children are attempting to form their own understanding of what is truthful and what is fiction.  Because of child-like faith, and what I believe is God’s unique design in kids, they see the Bible as something different than storybooks in their bedroom.  Therefore, we as teachers and parents must respond with appropriate language to solidfy the truthfulness of the Bible and the reality of the people in the Bible.

We must remember that the men, women, teenagers and children found on the pages of Scripture are not storybook characters living in a land far, far away.  Each one lived in a real time, in a real place, and the details of their lives reported in Scripture are real, not make-believe.

We have to remember these are not the tales of the Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy.  This is the truth-filled, reliable account of God’s redemptive history in His created world.  Nothing make-believe about that.

Filed under Family, Preaching

A Call to Garrard County

August 17, 2011 2 Comments

This Sunday (August 21st), I have the great honor of preaching a trial sermon to become the interim pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church in Garrard County.  I am so excited about this possibility and opportunity to serve an excellent church with a passion for the Gospel and mission to reach people for Jesus. 

This interim will be slightly different than the other three I’ve been involved with.  This will be a 2-day a week experience, instead of the Sunday-only setups before.  If called, I will teach the Wednesday evening small group for adults and be available to work with staff and leadership groups before or after that meeting.  On Sunday, I will preach the Sunday morning service and be available to meet with deacons or the search committee as needed. 

I will be surrounded by an outstanding staff of brother-pastors: Associate Pastor Michael York, Worship Pastor Nehemiah Wilkinson, and Youth Pastor Stephen Brogli.  These men are full devoted to the Lord and He is using them greatly in His kingdom work.

The vote will be at the end of the Sunday morning worship service.  If affirmed and called, I will begin in full on Sunday, August 28th.  I am so thankful for the local church and the small part Jesus has called me to play in serving His bride.

Filed under Family, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Preaching

Maple Trail Ministry Consultants Turns 3

July 24, 2011 Leave a comment

The following post is from our Maple Trail site thanking all the churches and parachurch organizations that have allowed me or one of my team members to come and serve over the past three years.  All in all, it is overwhelming to think God has used this little firm so graciously to be a blessing to so many.
__________________________________

This week marks the 3rd anniversary of Maple Trail Ministry Consultants being in existence. In those three years, we have been honored to serve numerous churches, local associations, and Christian parachurch organizations.

We would like to thank each of the following partners in our Ephesians 4:12 vision to “equip the saints for the work of ministry.” These past 3 years have been the thrill of a lifetime.

Thank you for trusting us with your people.
Sincerely, The Maple Trail Team

Local Churches

  • Bethany BC, Louisville
  • Crestwood BC, Frankfort
  • Campbellsville BC, Campbellsville
  • Columbia BC, Columbia (4 consultations)
  • Living Grace Church, Campbellsville (3 consultations)
  • Anchor BC, Richmond
  • Pioneer BC, Harrodsburg
  • Salem BC, Campbellsville
  • Good Hope BC, Campbellsville
  • Mt. Gilboa BC, Campbellsville
  • First Baptist Church Monticello
  • Hope Community Church, Lawrenceburg
  • Calvary BC, Corbin
  • St. Mark United Methodist, Columbia
  • Parkway BC, Bardstown
  • Bethlehem BC, Cunningham
  • Main Street BC, Alexandria

Local Associations

  • Taylor County Bapt. Association
  • Central (Mercer & Boyle Co.) Bapt. Association
  • Blackford/Breckenridge Bapt Association

Conferences & Events

  • Campbellsville Univ. Louisville Contagious Churches Conference
  • Campbellsville Univ. Pastors & Church Leaders Conference
  • CU Think Again Workshop for church leaders
  • CU Worship Arts Conference
  • KBC Pastors & Deacons Retreat
  • KBC Super Saturday (9 events)
  • KBC Youth Pastors Retreat
  • KBC Imagine Children’s & Preschool Ministry Conference

Filed under Leadership, Ministry, Preaching, Teaching

An Extra Special Gift to Say Goodbye

July 10, 2011 Leave a comment

This morning was my final day as the interim pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.  I have served this fine church for about 10 months.  Bethany has been a wonderful church to love and be loved by.  As an extension of their love, they presented me with a gift this morning to say thank you.  Something I have been looking for for over 10 years.

They gave me this prayer bench. 

My Beloved Prayer Bench from Bethany BC

Back when we were in seminary in Fort Worth, our chapel had prayer benches down at the front of the auditorium.  I loved seeing students down there praying after a sermon and using the prayer benches to call out to God.  Even between classes, I would sometimes sneak into the chapel and spend some time talking with God on one of those benches.

Then later I was talking with one of my professors and saw they had a very old prayer bench in their office.  This particular bench had been taken from an old Catholic church and the kneeler was all worn out.  I desperately wanted a bench that had been used by other brothers and sisters in Christ, who were laboring in prayer. 

So for years, Jennifer and I went to antique stores, church sales, yard sales, and searched online for a prayer bench.  But never found one.  I asked an antique dealer one time if he ever got any prayer benches in.  His answer was “yeah, we get them. But we sell them the second we put them on the floor.”  In many ways, I had kinda given up hope.

But then today, as the interim search committee was pulling out something to present, my heart began to break.  They unveiled this brand new prayer bench built specifically for me.  I was overwhelmed to tears.  The kneeler is maroon to support Campbellsville University.  It has a cross on each side, a little slot to put a Bible or journal, and a placard on top reminding me of Bethany. 

I can’t say thank you enough to the people of Bethany for this gift.  They only way I can repay you for this gracious gift is to put it to good use.  And every time I kneel before the Lord, I will remember you always in my prayers (Phil. 1:3).  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  I love it with all my heart.  This means more than you will ever know.

Filed under Leadership, Life, Ministry, Preaching

A Dream that is Real

July 1, 2011 1 Comment

I had a very weird dream last night.  I dreamt that I was visiting an old friend in the hospital who was having a same-day surgery.  Apparently we had known each other for some time.  I arrived after the surgery was over and then helped him get back to his home.  At his house, he told me that he didn’t believe in the Gospel, Christ or the Bible anymore.  That he had become an agnostic over the past couple years.  He and his wife had divorced after 10 years of marriage and that tragedy sent him into a tailspin.

Then he told me that he was still a pastor of a local church.  He had been serving as a pastor of a conservative Baptist church preaching every Sunday and leading the congregation.  But when he went through the divorce, he resigned from the previous church and was jobless for a time period.  After about a year, he found another job.  Now he was pastor of another church, but with very different theological convictions.  He was now a pastor of a far-reaching liberal church who was fine with the divorce and actually okay with his non-belief in the Bible and Jesus.

So after we got him situated from the surgery, we went to his church for an evening “worship” service.  I sat there and observed what he said and how he taught…as an unbelieving pastor.  He talked a lot about personal independence and finding your strength in your own ability and skills.  He preached about how each person is responsible for their own progress and movement forward in life.  It was kinda health & wealth, prosperity teaching mixed with motivational speaking.  No mention of God.  No mention of Jesus.  No mention of God’s work in their lives.  And the people in the church loved it.  They even said “Amen” to his points and challenges. 

At the end of the dream, he and I had a talk about his new life.  He told me that people in his new church really didn’t care much about the Bible and Jesus, they just want a sermon which lifts them up and encourage them in their daily lives.  And that you didn’t have to have faith in Christ to teach those things.  He said as long as he visits his people, challenges them and loves them, they were satisfied with him as their pastor.

I immediately questioned his motivation about still being a pastor after leaving his faith behind.  And his response, being a pastor is a pretty good job.  It’s the only thing I’m trained in.  Why do my personal beliefs have to change my profession?

Then the dream ended…….thank goodness.

The problem with this dream is that is not really a dream.  It is based in some reality.  Tufts University put out a study back in 2010 that said there are a small percentage of unbelieving, atheistic pastors preaching in pulpits across America.  I first heard about the scandal on the Albert Mohler radio program and read about it on his blog.  The reporting of the study made it all the way up to World News on ABC.

Could there be pastors who don’t believe and still choose to serve as pastors?  Yes.  Why?  The pay and security of a church position.  It might be that their educational training only fits ministry and nothing else.  It could be they like the place of influence and power they possess over an organization.  It could be that they have chosen to live a lie in order to retire a couple of years down the road.  Who knows?

All I know is that my dream, which was based in reality, was very scary.

Filed under Ministry, Preaching

Busy Week Ahead

May 15, 2011 Leave a comment

This week is supposed to be the start of my summer break, but I won’t really be sitting on the porch all that much.

On Tuesday, I will be listening to the amazing Dr. Leonard Sweet, author of Postmodern Piligrims, AquaChurch, and many other titles, at the Contagious Churches & Leaders conference in Louisville.  I’ve read nearly everything Dr. Sweet has ever written and it will be a special treat to get 8 hours of content live and on-site.

After 8 hours of listening to great ideas and cultural analysis, I will be teaching 4 hours on the Baby Boomers in my Intergenerational grad class.  Quite anti-climatic for the students who were in the conference all day listening to Sweet and then have to end their day listening to me.  Nevertheless, class is class.

Then on Wednesday morning, I am up at the Contagious Conference sharing about my experience with Millennials and how to understand them spiritually.  I”m not thrilled being the first speaker to follow Dr. Sweet, but I am honored to participate in a small way.

My first session will focus on studies we’ve conducted on incoming Freshman at CU over the past 3 years and how they are responding to the Gospel in my Religion in Life classes.  The second session will attempt to analyze the spiritual convictions of Millennials offering 5 areas of concern and 5 reasons to have great hope.

Then on Thursday afternoon, the annual Suite 208 Golf Scramble will take place at Bright Leaf Golf Course in Harrodsburg, KY.  I will be joined by Mr. Chad Floyd (ABD) as my partner competing against Zach Rice and Brandon Carrier.  Last year Chad and I won in the 2-man best ball competition.

Then on Saturday and Sunday, I will be speaking at Hope Community Church in Lawrenceburg, KY.  I will be leading 2 workshops  Saturday evening and Sunday evening and preaching in the 2 services on Sunday morning.  The focus on the conference is Christian parenting and teaching believing parents how to engage their child in discipleship.  My message for Sunday morning will focus on how a church should respond to spiritual orphans in their midst and care for them once they are saved.

Should be a busy, but productive week.

Filed under Life, Ministry, Preaching, Teaching

Bethany BC Calls a Pastor

April 13, 2011 Leave a comment

Interim no. 3 is coming to an end. 

Ken, Shannon & Kids

Bethany Baptist Church in Louisville, KY has extended a call to Bro. Ken Vickery from Auburn, AL.  Ken and his wife Shannon, along with their two children, will be on-field some time this summer.  He is currently on the pastoral staff of Lakeview Baptist Church in Auburn.  He is a soon-to-be graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Bethany.  The people are so sweet and gracious.  I have loved serving with youth pastor Nick Webb and worship pastor Dr. Tom Bolton.  Marilyn Anderson is one of the best church secretaries I’ve ever been around (and I have been around some phenomenal church secretaries).

When I finish this summer, I will have preached weekly for over 10 months.  That is the longest run so far in my ministry career.  Getting into the Word weekly, seeking something fresh and vibrant from the Lord, and getting the opportunity to stand before a congregation and teach has been a great joy. 

I thank God for my experience at Bethany.

Filed under Life, Ministry, Preaching, Teaching

Summer Ministry Opportunities

March 19, 2011 Leave a comment

I am looking forward to a busy late spring and summer season of teaching and consulting ministry.  I get the honor of working with several new churches and participating in an amazing leaderhship conference.  As always, I am thrilled to be invited and look forward to beginning new relationships with these churches.

May 16-19 – Contagious Churches & Leaders Conference - Campbellsville Univ. Louisville Extension Center, Louisville, KY – I will be presenting a main session on how Millennials are reacting to the cultural shift of postmodernity and how that is radically shaping their worldview.  The main session speakers are Dr. Leonard Sweet, Dr. Steve Ayers, Dr. Kevin Cosby, Dr. Jeff Eaton, and Jon Weece.

May 20-21 – Hope Community Church, Frankfort, KY – Christian Parenting Conference – I will be presenting two seminars for Christian parents and preaching in the Sunday morning worship services. Hope Community is pastored by Dr. Jeff Eaton.

June 6-10 – VBS at Campbellsville Baptist Church – I wouldn’t miss VBS for anything.  I am working with the preschoolers again this year.  I hope I get to do preschool music.  Gives me a reason to jam out on the guitar.

June 11 – Anchor Baptist Church, Richmond, KY – Transformational Church Leadership Summit – I will be leading Anchor through the Transformational Church process. Anchor is pastored by Chris Carroll.

July 24 – Crestwood Baptist Church, Frankfort, KY – Children’s Ministry consultation – I will be presenting a Bible Study Teacher Training workshop and preaching in the Sunday morning worship services. Crestwood is pastored by Dr. Michael Hail.

And I am still the interim pastor at Bethany BC in Louisville.  I believe they are getting closer to a candidate, but I am committed to staying on until they secure a senior pastor.

God is so gracious to use broken vessels to serve others in His name.

Filed under Life, Ministry, Preaching, Teaching, Travel

Mentor, Friend, Pastor, Professor, Father in the Faith

March 9, 2011 Leave a comment

Dr. Taylor and I in the Holy Land (2010)

This month we are celebrating 40 years of Christian Ministry with my mentor, friend, colleague and leadership coach Dr. G. Ted Taylor.  On April 17, 2011, Dr. Taylor will have served in faithful Christian ministry for 40 years.

I met Dr. Taylor during the fall semester of my sophomore year at CU (1996).  I was in his Religion in Life class.  I was dealing with my own call to ministry and that class helped solidify what I believed God was doing in my heart.  Over Christmas break, I surrendered to the call of ministry and switched my major to Religious Education.  Dr. Taylor became my adviser, mentor, professor and personal life coach.  I spent hundreds of hours in his office talking life and ministry.

After I left CU in 1999, I kept in touch with Dr. Taylor all through seminary.  His name was on every resume that went out to churches I was applying.  He sent letters of recommendation to everything I asked.  I called him often for counsel and encouragement as a new youth minister.

Jordan River 2010

When we landed back in Northern KY in 2004 and I joined the CU Church Relations Council, I would see Dr. Taylor every year for the annual meeting on campus.  Again, we would spend time talking ministry and life.  I loved those visits because I got face-to-face time with my father in the faith.

And in 2008 when I was hired on at CU to take Dr. Taylor’s old position in Educational Ministries, our relationship blossomed even more.  Now he was my colleague and coach in a new job with very different leadership dynamics.  My success in the first couple years where basically his doing.

We have worked together on all kinds of projects.  We talk about everything from marriage, ministry, church, students, parenting, and leadership trends.  He and Ms. Sheri have adopted my family as their own.  Our boys consider them their third set of grandparents.  We have vacationed with them in TN.

Dr. Taylor is celebrating 40 years in ministry.  He has a website where people are leaving him personal messages.  Here was my message to my mentor, friend, pastor, professor, and father in the faith.

Words will never describe what Dr. Taylor has meant to my life. He has been a teacher, a mentor, a friend, a father-figure, an inspiration and a model of Christian leadership unlike any other. I consider his family, my family. I have been treated like his second son.

If ever there has been someone who has continually invested in me, Dr. Taylor is the one. He has pushed me further than I wanted to go and when I arrived at the finish line, he pushed me to go again.

I know I am not the same person since the day I met him back in 1996. During these 14 years of knowing each other, I have learned what it means to disciple another person by walking alongside a friend. Dr. Taylor has walked alongside of me for the entire journey and continues to teach me the ways of God by his words and example.

Dr. Taylor, Ms. Sheri, I love you with all my heart. Thank you for being faithful to give your lives away.

Filed under Family, Life, Ministry, Preaching, Teaching

WesternRecorder Article on Imagine Conference

February 24, 2011 Leave a comment

Read full article here.

My dear friend Lee Ann Vincent, Minister of Children & Families at Parkway Bapt Church

Connecting with kids

Preschool and children ministry leaders can count on encountering three types of kids walking through the church doors, said Shane Garrison, an assistant professor of educational ministries at Campbellsville University. He based each classification on the level of spiritual support a child is receiving at home.

• Spiritual orphans.

• 50-50.

• Children of believing parents.

Spiritual orphans are as the name implies, Garrison said. “This is a boy or girl that just shows up somehow. They don’t know how to behave. They don’t know the songs or the stories. All they know is there will be food, games and maybe a craft. They are blank slates.”

Spiritual orphans are children who come from families that do not know Christ. Garrison said that because these children are not receiving spiritual training at home, the responsibility for their eternal souls falls to the church.

Garrison said he was 9 years old when he first heard the name of Jesus. He did not hear about Christ from his father, or his mother—instead, Garrison said he learned about what Jesus did for him at vacation Bible school. He accepted Christ as his Savior and was given the promise found in Galatians 4:7. “I got a new lineage that day at VBS,” Garrison said. “I got a new family.”

“Jesus will grab hold” of the hearts of children and not let go,” Garrison said. “But first, they have to hear His voice and that is where children’s ministry leaders step in.”

Preschool and children’s ministry leaders should also step in to help nurture the parent of a 50-50 child, he added. A kid who comes from a family consisting of one parent who is a believer and one who is a non-believer falls into this category.

Garrison told ministry leaders and volunteers it is their responsibility to stand alongside the believing parent and provide strength and encouragement.

For children of believing parents, Garrison said the responsibility of a child’s soul shifts back home, but there still is a role for churches to play.

Garrison noted that modern parents are accustomed to “outsourcing.” The everyday education of children has been outsourced to professional educators. Similarly, if a child excels in a particular sport, Dad signs the child up for athletic camps.

“So, when it comes to the matter of the soul of a child, they outsource to the professionals—you,” Garrison said. “Parents think, ‘As long as I just get them to church, you will take care of their spiritual needs.’ They are completely blind that the child’s soul is their responsibility.”

Children’s ministry leaders should consider a language change when it comes to children of believing parents, Garrison said. Be a resource rather than the source. Educate parents how to lead their children to Christ—and fuel the way for parents to experience the blessing of being an integral part in their child’s walk with God.

Compiled from reporting by News Director Drew Nichter and Partnerships Editions Director Robin Bass. Western Recorder issue date: February 22, 2011.

Filed under Ministry, Preaching, Teaching

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