Men’s Retreat · 2011-12-09
Friday Evening – Saturday Morning
January 13-14, 2012
Guest Speaker: Dr. Larry Purcell
Served as a Marine, Seattle SWAT Team Member.
Hobbies include: motorcycles, and shooting pistols
Favorite movie: Outlaw Josie Wales with Clint Eastwood
“This is not a warm-fuzzy, touchy-feely retreat. Most of those conferences are designed around what women think men need to know.” -Dr. Purcell
The purpose of the University Men’s Ministry is “Developing godly men in fellowship and partnership with one another and with God.”
“What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (I John 1:3)
“For we are God’s fellow workers;” (I Cor. 3:9a)
This retreat is designed to point the way for a man to be the man God created him to be. This retreat will help reverse the trend of feminizing men and ministry. As a man, God has a plan for your life. God has gifted you for ministry. God has gifted you for manly service.
This retreat will enable the men of University Baptist Church to form a team of godly men who are energized by the Holy Spirit, motivated by God’s love, and determined to make a difference in the world.
Register ASAP! Cost $100
— Chuck Deglow
WORSHIP SERVICE CANCELLED ON CHRISTMAS DAY · 2011-11-16
The Pastoral Team of University Baptist Church has discussed the pros and cons of cancelling Sunday School on Christmas Sunday, December 25. The final decision is coming soon. However, we were stunned to find out that several highly respected mega-churches have decided to cancel Sunday morning worship altogether on Christmas Day!
What could be more contradictory than for a church (a body of baptized believers banded together to carry out the commission of Christ) to decide that the worship gathering is optional on one of the two most clearly Christian religious holidays of the year! Christmas is all about the incarnation (coming in the flesh) of God the Son in order to rescue us from the evil one and reconcile us to God the Father by His death and resurrection. Christmas celebrates God’s love for sinners.
But wait… Christmas is not about families as a priority. It is about the Gospel – the Good News that Christ died for our sins. In fact, we are aware that suicide rates are highest during the holidays. So by closing their doors to worshippers on this particularly Christian holiday churches may be guilty of sending the message “You are alone and lonely during the holidays. Well, we have families and we are going to take the day off to enjoy this time with them.”
It is possible that we are witnessing another step toward the total assimilation of our church organizations into the contemporary culture. This may be “creative”. It may be “cutting edge”. It may be “innovative”. But it seems to me that it borders on irresponsible and “narcissistic”, and perhaps even contradictory to the message of the Gospel.
“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (I John 3:16)
— Chuck Deglow
Worship AND Serve · 2011-10-24
During a recent sermon series on worship, I made the statement that God meant for every believer to worship Him and to serve Him. I called attention to the frequent use of the two terms together to describe our responsibility to God. (Matt 4:10 and Rom 12:1 for example) I indicated that Worship may be thought of as our faith-response God-ward. Service may be thought of as our faith-response man-ward. I then insisted that we cannot be right with God if we are not serving Him. We cannot be right with God if we consider attending corporate worship as the fulfillment of our responsibility toward God. At the conclusion of the sermon someone asked, “How can those serve who can’t do anything?” I will seek to respond to that question for those who feel they are not gifted and for those who feel they are disadvantaged due to age or illness.
First, there are those who consider themselves ungifted for serving God in those ministries and activities that are limited to those that are done when the church is gathered together, such as teaching, singing, playing an instrument, etc. Serving God is not limited to a thing for which a special skill is required. Even when the church is gathered together there is a need for greeters to welcome people, helpers in children’s Sunday School classes, helpers in Children’s Worship, Child Care assistance, ushers, etc. But serving is not limited to what can be done while we are gathered together as the church. Look around you. Who is missing? You do not need to be elected by the church or appointed by the pastor in order to make a phone call to tell someone that you missed them. You can write letters, email, or send cards. And if you are really courageous, you could even actually go VISIT the person!
Second, there are those who think they are disadvantaged by age or physical restraints. You can still serve. Have you ever considered making a guest who visits our church feel welcome by contacting them later? You could send a card, a letter, or email. You could call them by phone. You could get their name while they are at church and you could PRAY FOR THEM during the week. You could remember their name next week when they come back (because you wrote it down) and call them by name when you greet them. Do not underestimate the importance of prayer! In addition, there are hundreds of people on our church Sunday School enrolment records who do not come. Why? You could contact them to find out. SERVING God is not the same as holding an office in the church, or being talented musically, or skilled as a teacher. Serving God is the extension of your worship in the form of helping others in whatever form it may take.
VISIT THE SICK. VISIT THE LONELY. VISIT THOSE SHUT IN DUE TO ILLNESS OR OTHER ADVERSITY. WRITE CARDS, LETTERS, OR EMAIL. MAKE PHONE CALLS. PRAY! JOIN A WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRAYER GROUP. START ANOTHER PRAYER GROUP TO MEET TO PRAY. BE A HELPER IN SUNDAY SCHOOL, CHILD CARE, CHILDREN’S WORSHIP, PRESCHOOL CHOIR, ETC.
We learned a simple definition of Spiritual Warfare in our recent study. Spiritual Warfare exists whenever and wherever Satan and his followers try to prevent you from doing what you know God wants you to do. BE ALERT! Do not let the Evil One prevent you from obeying God.
— Chuck Deglow
Some Simple Rules of Church Etiquette · 2011-08-12
The worship service is designed to focus attention upon the Lord God through His Word spoken, sung, prayed, read, and preached. The utmost respect must be given to this time when the Word of God is brought to bear upon our hearts to change us into the image of Jesus Christ. For some people in some churches the worship service is viewed as a performance and the congregation as spectators. There exists an atmosphere of a convention, or a concert. The term auditorium has replaced the term sanctuary, reflecting the loss of emphasis upon the sanctity and severity of the eternal issues at stake.
UPON ARRIVAL
Turn off your cell phone.
Greet those around you warmly.
Never leave a guest sitting alone – sit with them or invite them to sit with you.
DURING THE SERVICE
Avoid unnecessary chatter
Participate in all parts of the worship service.
Do not talk to others during solos or the sermon.
Children should be taken to the restroom before the service begins.
If you know you will need to leave before the end of the service (the benediction), sit near the back of the sanctuary so you will not attract attention to yourself when you leave.
If you find that you must leave during the service, but you plan to return – because of an uncontrollable cough, unexpected restroom urgency, etc. leave as quietly as possible. When you return slip quietly into the sanctuary and sit near the back. DO NOT RETURN TO YOUR ORIGINAL SEAT if it is more than five rows from the back.
Do not carry messages to people during the service. Unless it involves an emergency or imminent danger, it can wait.
Child care is provided for preschool children. Out of consideration for others, it is recommended that parents of preschoolers take advantage of this ministry. Preschoolers are cute and attract the attention of every loving person, especially grandmas. It is unreasonable to expect them to remain still and quiet. Their activity is cute and funny and entertaining, but by that same token it distracts the worshipper from focus upon God and His Word. Children should not be put into a position of being resented because they are behaving like children.
The ushers should keep a watchful eye on unattended children. If they exit the service, intercept them when they return, and insist that they sit near the back. Respect and protect the hard work of those leading worship by restricting entrance into the sanctuary to times of congregational singing. Prayer is not a good time to be discussing seating arrangements. Think of the message we send! When others are speaking to God, we are moving around making adjustments. It is possible that we are viewed as disrespecting God by our actions. The musicians, singers and speakers have invested hours in anticipation on this one moment. Please honor that commitment and insist that others do the same.
— Chuck Deglow
Fund-raising - Donation in Exchange for Benefits · 2011-07-15
Raising funds for a worthy cause by selling items for a “donation” is effective. It is usually fun. And it motivates more people to contribute to a cause. The question is “Why is it effective?” And the question must be asked whether it is biblical for the church to engage in such activities. The test is not whether it works, but whether it is biblical.
The Bible teaches that ministry is to be supported through the tithes and offerings of God’s people.
Giving an offering is an act of worship.
Giving an offering communicates that “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)
David said “I will not sacrifice that which cost me nothing” (2 Sam 24:24)
The Bible teaches that offerings are to be given freely from the heart as an act of worship with no promise of personal benefit in return.
But what about other causes?
PBS, etc may use such fund-raising methods because their guidelines allow it.
The church should not use such fund-raising methods because the guidelines in the Bible do not allow for it.
It diverts energy, talent, and time away from gospel ministry and toward causes that are worthy but not necessarily essential to the Kingdom of God.
It communicates a confused message that it is not better to give than to receive. It is a compromise that plays on our fallen sin nature encouraging consumerism and sometimes even greed (raffles). If I give in order to get. It is no longer a gift. It is a purchase.
This does not mean that individuals within a congregation should not endeavor to use fund-raising techniques to assist with worthy causes. They are certainly free and encouraged to do so. Individuals may even form a non-profit group to promote such causes by formal legal means or by simple agreement to work together.
In fact there are thousands of non-profit charitable groups in existence that got their start in just that way.
However, the church has one message – the gospel of Jesus Christ. Time, talent, energy and money must remain clearly focused on ways to communicate that one message to the unsaved and ways to apply that one message to the saved. The church should refrain from using fund-raising techniques that contradict or compromise the Bible’s teaching about giving freely from the heart as an act of worship with no promise of personal benefit in return. The test is not whether it works, but whether it is biblical.
— Chuck Deglow