When your Mentor Passes

When your mentor passes from this life to the next, you see even more clearly his influence on your life.  This past weekend, my first ministry mentor, Rev. Carlton Hansen passed away.  Pastor Hansen was my Pastor at Dayton Parkview Church of the Nazarene and then my first District Superintendent. 

When I was 14 years old I said yes to God’s call on my life to full-time pastoral ministry, but I told no one.  You see, I was so painfully shy that I could not even see in myself the qualities that I thought a good pastor needed to have and I had no desire to stand before people and preach.  So, I figured I would just keep my calling to myself—maybe it would go away.  But one Sunday evening, I was walking into the sanctuary and Pastor Hansen grabbed my hand, looked me in the eye and asked, “Chad, is God calling you into ministry?”  I was stunned.  How did he know?  I had told know one.  I answered, “I think so.”  He smiled his big smile and said, “I can see how God will use you.  You are called.”  How could he see what I could not even see?  But he was convinced even more than I was of my call.  In fact, that same Sunday night, he announced it in front of the entire congregation and had me stand.  I wanted to crawl in a hole as I did not like attention drawn to myself.  But it was exactly what I needed.  If not for him announcing it, I may never had done so and I may have even run from my calling, but he committed me. 

Next, he started letting me experience ministry. He had me teaching Sunday school classes, visiting shut-ins, going with our Pastor of visitation on hospital calls and even preaching (for those of you who endured my first sermons let just apologize).  But with every opportunity he gave me, my calling became more and more real to me. I began to see a glimpse into why I was put on this planet earth.  It did not make any sense that God would call a shy, awkward person like me, but Pastor Hansen gave me permission to see myself from a different perspective. 

Fast forward seven years.  It was my senior year at Nazarene Theological Seminary.  I met with a few District Superintendents to see who would take a green, single Pastor-want-to-be.  Somehow Pastor Hansen found out that I was interviewing.  He called me and gave me a gentle, but clear rebuke.  He said, “Chad, quit interviewing with those other guys.  There is nothing open in South West Ohio right now, but I believe God wants you here so he will open a door.”  I just did what I was told and stopped looking elsewhere.  Once again, Pastor Hansen saw what others did not.  Centerville First Church of the Nazarene would close and West Carrollton Nazarene would restart that dead church.  “Chad,” Pastor Hansen said, “I want you to come and interview as the restart Pastor.”  I said, “Pastor Hansen, I don’t know anything about starting a church.  I have had one class on church planting and I have no experience.”  He said, just come.  So, I just came.  And somehow, I am sure with Pastor Hansen’s influence, West Carrollton voted to call me to be on staff for six months, to send 40 people and to support the new church financially for one year.  I was scared to death, but once again I relied on Pastor Hansen’s faith.  He gave me the courage to believe that God loved to take dead things and breathe new life in them. 

Then, because this was basically the first new start church in 50 years on the district, he said I was the expert and he appointed me the New Start director. Ha!  It still makes me laugh.  Once again, I had no idea what I was doing, but Pastor Hansen called me out into leadership with his typical sink or swim methodology.  And before he retired we had reached his goal of seeing ten new starts in the works.  Once again he saw what others could not see before they actually were. 

Well, he retired, I got busy in ministry and having a family and our contact changed from common to occasional.  But this past year, when I felt like had made the hardest decision of my ministry and announced my resignation from Living Hope after 14 ½ years to lead Canton First as their Pastor and for the purpose of a refocus, it was Pastor Hansen’s Facebook comment that meant the most to me.  He simply said, “I have no doubt that Chad would not make this move if he did not believe God was calling him to do so.”  Once again, he had confidence that I did not even have in my own decision. Once again he gave me permission to accept God’s call.

Then a little over a week ago he and I had our last communication.  I sent him a private face book message expressing my gratitude and love for him.  He was too weak to reply on his own so Mrs. Hansen wrote back.  And guess what he did?  One last time, he spoke blessing and life over me and my ministry.  He said, “Chad, I always knew God called you and would use you.”  He was dying and in pain, but to the end he would be a man who saw and believed what even today I struggle to see or believe about myself.  And once again, he gave me permission to believe that if he saw it, maybe there was something more that God could show me too.

I am very thankful for Pastor Hansen.  The truth is, I am not half the pastor he was.  But the half that I am is because that man dared to look in the shy eyes of an awkward 14 year old and call out something more.  I thank God for Pastor and Mrs. Hansen’s influence in my life.  I am very sad that he is gone.  But I am so happy that he has heard Jesus say what anyone who sat under him has always thought, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” 

Q and A

At the all-church meeting and vote on Sunday, April 6, 2014, I invited anyone with to write out their question.  I committed to responding to each question personally.  (One condition replied and that was any question submitted had to include a name. I explained that whenever I get anonymous notes, questions or complaints, I simply trash them because they do not allow for biblical or healthy communication).   I have now met with all but one to follow up with their question either in person or by phone or by email—depending on their preference. 

I have learned that one person’s question often represent that of others and so I thought I would share the questions submitted (there were one or two questions that were so particular to the individual that I will not share them because I do not feel they would apply to a larger audience) on April 6 (without the names) and share the response I gave them.

Question: What curriculum will the new children’s (K-5^th grade) be following? 

Answer:  Jerry and Susan Reynolds will be leading and the present children’s SS teachers facilitating the children through a hands-on, interactive learning time that will use the Bible and the Orange Curriculum.  This new format begins Sunday, May 4 and, as a parent, I am excited to see how excited my children are about it.  As a Pastor I believe that what Jerry and Susan are preparing will allow our children and grandchildren to connect with Jesus not only with their mind, but through all of their senses. 

Question: Are we going to do something about the lack of nursery care on Wednesday nights?

Answer:  We have done all we can do.  We have made the need known to our church family and the lack of response suggests that this is not something that we see as a priority at this time.  In addition, the “marble in a cup” vote that was taken on April 6 shows that our Wednesday night ministry only received 2 marbles.  The church family through this exercise said this was one of the lowest ministries priorities we have for helping a person to grow in their faith.   Therefore, I believe it is fair and faithful to the church family’s heart to say that we will NOT be putting more energy and resources into Wednesday night programming so that we can better put our resources into the other ministries that the church has said serve a greater need and purpose at this time.  In short, it would appear that Wednesday night ministry as it has been is coming to an end.  I am very proud of our church family for having the courage to give us permission to release what once was such an effective ministry to better help us do what is most effective now.  Your vision and heart in this again blows me away!  Most churches find it almost impossible to release any ministry no matter how much more effective it will allow them to be in other ways.  I am so proud of my church family!

Question: What about new believers?  How can we help them grow in their faith? 

Answer:  Each time someone indicates he or she has made a decision to follow Christ I send a personal note with a letter that shares what the Bible says about what it means to grow in one’s faith.  I explain that as with any relationship, the more you give to that relationship the healthier and more meaningful it will be.  So, I first equip them in personal Bible reading and prayer.  Next, I share how important it is to get connected with other believers past Sunday worship for encouragement, accountability, study and prayer.  I then list all of the opportunities available.  I then encourage them to find their place of service.  Every step of the way, I offer contact numbers and emails. 

I learned a long time ago in ministry that those who truly want to grow in their faith will pick up the phone or send an email when it is given if they really want to grow.  When a new believer does so, then the staff and I been over backwards to get them connected and growing.  And those who take that step always grow!

Question:  Why do we rope off the two side sections?  Why does it matter where my family sits?

Answer:  The reason is very practical.  Studies show that seating impacts the message we send to regular attenders and guests.  If we are over 80% full then we send the message there is not room for anyone new.  Likewise, if we are too empty feeling then the message, right or wrong, is that nothing is happening here.  So, we have been blocking off the side sections simply because at the present time they are not needed.  This allows us to fill in the center sections allowing us to be more connected in our worship.  Furthermore, on days when we need extra seats, ushers can easily direct people to the roped off section as “overflow seating.”  Finally, before I arrived there were plans to one day remodel the sanctuary to be in line with the remodel of the rest of the building.  The side sections are roped off because on down the road those sections would most likely be the sections most impacted by the remodel and so it seems to make sense to get us use to the potential change in seating now.

As to the second question, “Why does it matter where my family sits?”,  the person I met with was so great about allowing me to push back and ask in turn, “Why does it matter where your family sits?”  What is the heart behind this?  Why has a certain seat become so important?  Because, after all, a family can sit together in lots of other places, so why does that place matter so much?   So, why does it matter where any of us sit?  The point is not where we sit, but who we are here to worship and the fact that the point of worship is not to section off ourselves as families, but to connect with one another as a church family. I so respect this person for raising this question and allowing me to push back on their push pack.  This is the kind of person I want on our team!

Question: Who were the members of the nominating committee?

Answer: I appointed, with the board’s approval, Joe Tarantino, Ben Holloway and Victoria Pavlantos and then asked them to bring three people with them.  I gave them the expectations I have for board members and did not participate in the meeting so that it can never be said I only get my “favorites” on the board.  I only asked them to consider the counsel of General Superintendent, Jerry Porter, who encourages us to elect a board that reflects the face of the whole church.  In turn, they nominated about 35 people and of those 10 accepted based on the said expectations.

Question: Will the new child check-in security system have who is approved to pick up the child?

Answer: Yes.  The form the parents will fill out will have a place for parents to list who is approved for pick-up.  However, only the approved person with the child’s pick up sticker will be permitted to take the child from the class.

Question:  Is there any plan to reinstate community outreach through the music department (specifically through combined church choir events and Christmas/Easter cantatas)?

Answer:  1) Combined Choir concerts:  If our choir members would like to plan, organize and implement a combined choir concert with other churches as a community outreach, I would fully support their efforts.  I even believe this could be a great way to find a community need and do a fund raiser for it which would show our community that churches can work together for a common good. 2) Christmas/Easter Cantatas—I believe that time has shown that this particular ministry has seen its best days in the past. I use to be a Roman Guard in my home church cantata.  It was a great ministry for a season!  However, the reason I hear church after church no longer doing this ministry is because the people it was intended to reach with the gospel ceased to be reached for the most part and it seemed to become a venue where other church people from other churches turn out.  That being said, I believe the Cantatas taught us that drama and creativity in worship has a place in our corporate worship gatherings.  So, rather than offer creative communication at Christmas and Easter we will work hard to offer these elements every Sunday in some way or another to “by all means win some.”  So, if you have a heart for drama or have a creative side wanting to be expressed, please contact me or Pastor Dan and we will get you involved!

Question:  Why do we have hymnals if we do not use them?  Why not give the hymnals away to a church that might benefit from them?

Answer:  This question comes from one of our older members and I could not agree more.  I do not see the value in keeping hymnals in pews when we are not and do not plan to use them.  That does not mean I do not value hymns.  As you have noticed, we regularly and will continue to incorporate hymns in worship.  With all of our music selections, the songs are selected that go along with the Scripture and theme for each worship gathering. 

Question: What attention will be given to the preschool Sunday School classes? 

Answer:  This question I have to redirect to our Sunday School Superintendent whose vision has allowed us to make needed and excited enhancements to our K-5^th classes already.  Pamela Wagner is great and is always available to work with others to keep making SS ministry better. 

I hope you found this helpful.  If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Pastor Dan…ha! Just kidding!  I am always available. 

See you Sunday and we continue the 8^th Day series.  This Sunday, Melba Bixby will be sharing how God gave her a new day!

Read the Sad Story

I don’t like sad stories.  When I watch a movie or read a book, I don’t want to feel sad or cry.  I mean, I know that every good story has some kind of conflict that must be resolved, which I am fine with as long as it is about some kind of action or fight.  But if the conflict is about something sad, then I am done with it.  There is enough sad stuff in real life…I don’t want to watch it for pleasure. 

The prophet Isaiah said we would be tempted to do the same with the Suffering Servant (Jesus).  He said that we would not want to see a Messiah that is beaten, bloody, spit upon and pierced.  It’s true…who wants a hero that dies?  We dream up the kind of hero who is faster than a speeding bullet and stronger than steel.  We imagine a hero who puts evil to death; not the other way around. 

And so even though Isaiah prophesied hundreds of years prior that the true Messiah would be known for his suffering, the people of Israel could not…would not see God in the one dying on the cross.

And perhaps it is just as hard for us to see Jesus in his suffering.  We know the rest of the story.  We know he comes out of the grave.  We are quick, and rightly so, to celebrate the resurrection, but how can we grasp the power of the resurrection without taking time to see what we don’t like to look at and that is a Savior who suffers. 

Unless we pause to look into His suffering eyes, then we cannot understand how human he was.  And if we do not understand how human he was then we will be tempted to think that somehow he was not human like us.  And if we think he was not human like us then we will begin to think he does not truly understand what it is to suffer as we sometimes suffer in this life.  And if we do not think he understands, then how can we experience him with us when we do suffer?

Easter is great, but there would be no Easter without Good Friday.  Resurrections only follow deaths. 

So, I invite you to join us for Maundy (Latin meaning “Commandment”) Thursday. All ages will hear the commandments of Christ as we remember the Last Supper before he would be crucified.  We will see Jesus wrap a towel around his waist taking on the role of a slave who washes feet.  We will hear the wine poured into the glass just as his blood would be poured out for us.  We will see the bread be broken just as would happen to his body.  We will taste his death and in so doing we will be prepared to receive his life. 

So, this week is a sad story.  Don’t be afraid to go there…in fact, linger there this week.  Some texts that may help you do so are Isaiah 53, John 13 and Luke 22.  Why not walk through the suffering of Jesus as though it was the first time you had ever heard?  Sit in it.  Feel the pain.  Watch the blood drip from his crown of thorns.  Hear him scream out, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” And the more you see the ugliness of the cross, you will see the beauty of our God’s love. 

The 1st Refocus

I want to invite you to read Act 15.  In this chapter we see the first Century Church calling a council together for what I argue can be called its, “1^st Refocus.”  That did not take long, did it? The Church has barely been born and its leaders already realize it is time to change emphasis or direction. 

You see, some in the church were saying that unless you did everything a good Jew did, you could not be a Follower of Jesus.  This was a pivotal point in our history.  Would the church hang on to all the Jewish traditions that had meant so much to God’s people for centuries?  After all, these traditions and rituals had served great purpose in their covenant with God.  Circumcision was an outward mark of one’s true commitment to God.  Temple sacrifices was a response of obedience and worship of God.  What about all the other Temple worship styles, dress codes and customs?  How could you possibly follow Jesus and simply toss hundreds of years, worth of God-centered tradition out the window?  “No!” a strong group in the Church shouted, “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). 

Thankfully, Paul and Barnabas, stood up and spoke out!  Actually, Acts 15 says, “They came in sharp dispute with them.”  Paul and Barnabas would not sit by and let people undo what Jesus had already done.  Paul and Barnabas reminded them that Jesus Christ was sent by God to bring about a new covenant.  It did not mean the Old Covenant did not serve a purpose.  Without the Old the people and the world would not have been prepared to receive the new.  

So, the council met.  They prayed.  They discussed (which is and our nice Christian way of saying that they got in each other’s red faces and pounded their fists on the table).  But in the end they came to this decision:  We will let go of the Jewish traditions and customs of the Old Covenant and abide by their moral guidelines.  In other words, they said you don’t have to act and look like a good Jew to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus. 

How did they reach this point of unity so the 1^st Refocus could occur?  The answer is revealed in Acts 15: 28, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” 

On Sunday night during our Annual Church Meeting (If you missed it you will be able to watch it via video this week), it was like I was transported back to the early church.  As you allowed me to share openly and honestly about the finances, the staff and what we are looking forward to in the months to come, I was encouraged not only by your presence but by your openness. 

Then, as you have done more than once already, you blew me away as you got in small groups to answer this question:  What are the top three ministries we offer that we believe would best help a new believer to grow in their faith?  We said to name three because presently we have over 50 ministries, which we broke down into 9 sub-categories.  This means the unspoken message we give a new believer right now is that in order to be saved you have to give 9 hours a week here to CFNAZ.  That is unrealistic for the rest of us, but especially for a new believer.  But in unity, you showed that “it seemed good to us and the Holy Spirit” to name the following to be what you want the Refocus Team to consider as our primary focus as we move forward: 1) Corporate Worship, 2) Connection Groups and 3) Community Outreach and Sunday School.  This means it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to begin to release the other ministries that have been so valid in the days past and have in fact prepared us for ministry today.  But to hold onto the other 6 ministry categories, would be to lose sight of the kind of change it will take to effectively help new believers and all of us truly lose our lives for Christ so that we can truly live.

Therefore, our Refocus team will take what seemed good to you and the Spirit and let that guide our next discussion.  Thank you so much for not letting old customs and traditions and styles not get in the way of the God who says “He is making all things new!”

Once again, I am so proud of your heart, greatly respect your courage and value your faith! 

"Why are We Cutting Down All the Plants?"

When I was in Jr. High I started a “lawn mowing business” and by the time I was in high school my brother and I were mowing 20+ lawns.  In addition, I worked for a professional landscaping company.  All that to say, I use to love that work.  At the end of a job you could look back a see the difference you made—it was instant gratification. Perhaps it is because in Pastoral ministry it sometimes takes years to see true changes that I have still held on to my love for yard work (No, I will not come and take care of your yard—I don’t love it that much J).  So, on Tuesday night I began to work on our yard.  It is a mess.  The home we have purchased is a foreclosed home.  All of the plants and bushes are overgrown and out of control.  The dead that should have been removed last fall was still present and soon would have been a hindrance to the new. 

“Hey, Seth,” I called, “Do you want to help Daddy?  I will let you use these big, sharp trimmers!”  (I love being a Dad—what Mom would ever have that phrase come out of her mouth)?  Seth’s six year old eyes lit up.  He hollered back, “Sure!” as he ran toward me.  Pretty soon the whole family was cutting away the dead and overgrown plants that should have been tended to a few years ago. At one point Anna asked, “Why are we cutting down all the plants?”  I answered, “We are not cutting them down, we are making room for them to truly grow and be healthy.” 

It’s funny how God can take something that seems so disconnected from him and begin to show you just how connected he is to every action, every word and every thought we have if we will let him reveal himself.  You see, this week I have been preparing for our Annual, End of the Church Year meeting and elections (This Sunday, April 6, 3:30-5 PM in the sanctuary—everyone invited—we need you!).  As I was praying through how to best hear from all of you to help our Refocus Team continue in the process, I was reminded of Tuesday night. 

Like my daughter, I found myself asking, “Father, why are we doing this?”  Then I heard him use my very words to help me hear His, “You have to remove the dead to make room for life!”  That is why I am praying you will join us on Sunday afternoon.  Your part is crucial in helping us make room for new life.  Jesus has promised that he has come to bring life and life abundant here and now and forever!  The only thing that will leave the promise unfulfilled is if you and I are unwilling to let him remove what is dead in us as individuals and as a church family.

Yes, I know…its sounds painful because it is.  Cutting is never pleasant.  On the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?”  But, as the Psalmist says, “Joy comes in the morning.”  When God is the one doing the cutting, death ALWAYS clears the way for new life.

Jesus explained it this way in John 15:1-3, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

Will you and I let the Father do what he does best?  Will you and I let Him cut away that which does not bear fruit (an attitude, a lie that we have been living under, forgiveness we have been holding onto, a regret we can’t change, but  that we are letting control us, fear, selfishness, hurt—branches that don’t bear fruit come in all shapes and sizes)? Will you and I let the Father prune that which does bear His life in us to bring forth even more?

Now, here is the even harder question: Will we let the Father do that with us as a church family?  Will we let him show us what is not bearing fruit and then allow him to cut it off? Will we let him prune what does have life to make let it bear even more fruit? 

Will you prepare for our gathering on Sunday by simply praying John 15:1-3 to be made real among us? “Why?” you ask.  Because Jesus came to show us that the best way to come alive is to be willing to die!