Message from Shawn Albright - BAF Men New Leadership

May 24, 2010

As you may know, Brandon has taken on a new responsibility within the church as Campus Pastor at the Westside Campus. In addition, several of the Men's Ministry core leadership team have also been asked to take on new leadership roles; therefore, we have formed a new team of leaders.

A huge thanks goes out to Brandon Cunningham, Scott Bram, Scott Walker, David Habib, and Roger Potts for all their hard work and contributions. They will all continue to be active in the Men's Ministry, but will do so in new roles within the church. They have laid a firm foundation from which we will continue to build. The new core leadership of the Men's Ministry will be Jerry Dugan, David Rotter, Ray Witherspoon, Doug Cook, Jeff Powell, Roger Rincon, and myself. I can't wait to see how God will work through this group of men. In the near future, we plan to get together and completely evaluate what we have done in the past, what we are currently doing, and where God is leading us in the future. Please pray for this group of men that we will be obedient to what God wants us to do and have the strength and faith to get involved where God is already at work.

Shawn Albright
Director of Men's Ministry
Bay Area Fellowship

Train the called; do not call the trained

byMark Driscoll Preaching Pastor at Mars Hill Church

This is a series on 11 Leadership Lessons from 12 Disciples, based on the recent sermon Jesus Calls the Twelve, on Luke 6:12-16.

Lesson #4: Train the called; do not call the trained

Jesus called his leaders. He didn't get a committee. They didn't take a congregational vote. They didn't do nominations. Jesus called them. Jesus still calls people into ministry. We believe that. Acts 20 says that the Holy Spirit chooses the leaders in the church, he appoints the overseers. So God still picks leaders. Jesus still picks leaders through the indwelling, empowering, calling of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus trained the called. We don't make leaders, God does. We recognize them, and then train them.

Find your calling

Some of you will have a calling, and sometimes your calling will be like mine. Mine was obvious. God spoke to me, "Marry Grace, plant churches, train men, preach the Bible." Okay, that's what I'm doing. For some of you, you'll be reading the Bible, and you'll see something or somebody, and it's all of a sudden like that just leaps out at you, you're like, "That's it. That's what I want to do. That's what I want to give my life to." Or you meet somebody in the Bible, you're like, "I'm like them. I want to do what they're doing. That's what I need to do." That could be your calling. And sometimes it's trial and error, you're like, "I tried that, I'm no good at it. I tried that, I'm no good at it. I tried that. Hey, that actually works. I'm pretty good at that, and I like that. God seems to bless it when I serve in that area."

Calling also can be just that deep-rooted sense of "have to" in your gut. It could be the Holy Spirit. So you say, "I have to help abuse victims. I have to help the poor. I have to help single moms. I have to help kids. I have to help men learn to be fathers." Right, there's something in your gut, and it's there from God. It's the beginning of a calling, and it starts with a real passion. Maybe there are certain things in life, you kind of ebb and flow, and the enthusiasm is hot and cold, but this is something that's consistent.

Delight in the Lord

See, for me, I see it this way: how do you know you're called to something? Well, part of it is God gives you an innate desire. That's why it says in 1 Peter 5, "Don't lead because people made you lead, lead because you desire to, that you want to." That's why Paul says elsewhere, "If anyone desires the office of overseer, it's a noble thing they desire." It's a good thing to have a desire. So I was talking to a new Christian recently and they were unsure about God's calling on their life. "I don't know what God wants me to do. Got all these new decisions to make in life now that I'm a new Christian." And they were very kind of panicked about it, "What do I do?" I said, "Don't worry about God's calling, first worry about God. The Bible says, 'Delight yourself in the Lord, and he'll give you the desires of your heart.'" I said, "Are you enjoying the Lord?" They said, "Yeah, I'm reading my Bible. I'm praying. I'm in a community group and reading good books, and I'm repenting of sin, and I'm seeing the ways that I'm not like Jesus, and my life is changing and yeah, I feel like there's momentum, and I'm really excited about Jesus, and I'm growing." "Great."

This person looked at me and said, "Well, what do I do?" I said, "Do whatever you want." They're like, "What? Do whatever I want?" "Yeah, because if you delight yourself in the Lord, he'll give you the desires of your heart. He'll put desires on your heart, so that God's desires become your desires." Augustine said it this way, "Love God and do whatever you please." I said, "Well, what do you like?" They're like, "Well, I like serving people, and I'm pretty extroverted and, you know, I like welcoming people." "So you want to be a greeter?" "Yeah, I'd love to be a greeter. And I love hospitality and I love getting people together." "So someday you'd like to be a community group leader?" "That'd be great. I'm not ready yet, but maybe I could apprentice and get ready." "Yeah, that'd be a great idea. How does that sound?" "That sounds really fun. Should I do it?" "Do you want to?" "Yeah, well, how do I know if it's God will or my will?" "Well, if you're enjoying the Lord, his will becomes your will. He's glorified, you're satisfied, other people are helped. Everybody wins, that's ministry." It's more about our heart enjoying the Lord, and then we'll want to do what he wants us do.

You need to know this: I like my job. I love to preach and teach the Bible. There are, quite frankly, a lot of things that I get excited about, that I lose excitement for; studying the Bible, teaching the Bible, my whole life, ever since I got saved at age nineteen I've been pretty fired up about that. People ask me all the time, they're like, "How do you study that much?" I like it. It helps. Alright, unlike some jobs, which you're like, "I don't like it," that's hard, and maybe God's called you to a hard job, but when it comes to ministry, particularly for those of you who are volunteering, it's a great opportunity to say, "I want to do something that I like and I'm good at, and helps people and glorifies God, and I just get to pick something that fits." That's all.

Jesus trained the called

Jesus trained the called. These twelve were already part of his ministry, they're already serving. They're already following him. They're already responding to him. They're already submitting to him, so he starts training them. "All right, we're going to teach you guys, open your Bibles, we're going to have some discussion. We're going to run some classes. You're going to do some experiences. We're going to let you go out and pray, cast out a few demons, help the sick. You kids are going to get your feet wet now. It's going to be busy time."

He doesn't call the trained, and this is where ministry's gone wrong in the modern era. Jesus didn't go to where they trained the scribes, or up to the temple where they trained the priests. He didn't go to the equivalent of the Bible college or the seminary and say, "Alright, who's head of the class? Alright, who's Pharisee of the month? I want that kid, that's who I want." He didn't do that, because you can be trained but not called. You can go to school for something that God hasn't asked you to do, and you've got all the credentials, but you don't have any of the courage.

And I'm not against training. I've got a master's degree in theology, and I'm not against seminary or Bible college. We've got a school, Re:Train, we love to train people, but calling precedes training. Has God burdened you for something? Do you want to do it? Will you do it? Great, we'll help you do it. But see, people can help train, but only God can call. If God hasn't called you, we can't call you. Many of you need to be careful. You'll think, "I'm going to go get a degree for ministry." Do ministry, volunteer, check it out. Let us then help train you, and find a slot to get you developed, but it may not be your thing. There was a controversial report some years ago that said that upwards of three-fourths of those who graduate from Bible college and seminary go into ministry and leave within the first five years, never to return. It means they spent years training for something that they're not going to do, why? Because there's a difference between calling the trained into ministry, and training the called for ministry. It starts with a calling.

Are There Boundaries when Reaching the Lost?

Are There Boundaries when Reaching the Lost?

May 6, 2010 by John C. Atkinson

As many of you know we recently did a big event for Easter called “The Ultimate Giveaway.” We gave away millions of dollars worth of “donated” items in hopes of attracting folks far from God to church so they could hear a message of hope and salvation on arguably the most important day we celebrate as Christians.

As you can imagine the Christian critics came out in force! Those that disagreed with us accused us of fostering things like greed and envy. I have a couple of simple questions that I hope will generate some responses!

1) In your opinion, is anything, short of sin, off limits when it comes to reaching those farthest from God? Read the question carefully before commenting because we are not talking about allowing sin for the greater good!

I ask that because we were lambasted by Christians and church leaders who accused us of some ugly things simply because we gave cars and things away at Easter! I guess I just don’t understand how thousands of people giving away their personal stuff to people they don’t know simply because they wanted to them to find Jesus, is somehow a bad thing.

So heres how it went. Our people modeled selflessness and gave, and I am so proud to say they gave like crazy, the things they gave away were given to complete strangers with nothing expected in return, which enticed thousands of people to come to church on Easter that probably never would have otherwise, some clearly for the wrong reasons which was expected, but in-spite of that, 1556 people prayed to begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ for the first time in their lives, and BAF grew significantly as many of those who made that commitment are coming back and worshipping regularly now.

So here’s another question:

2) How does any of any of that dishonor Jesus and the sacrifice He made on the cross?

Are we not called to reach the lost? Isn’t that what going after the one sheep means? If were to go out and make disciples and baptize them as Jesus commanded, doesn’t that mean that to fulfill that command we have to reach people that are not yet baptized or saved? Does taking the Gospel to all nations mean only to saved church attending folks? Obviously we (the Western Church) are not doing a great job of spreading the Gospel as were losing a generation, so wouldn’t doing anything shy of sin be better than surrendering and watching the Gospel die out slowly?

I’m interested to hear what you think, but remember this before you comment, as Christians, how we feel about something certainly matters, but those feelings must also align with the Word of God! Just because your church doesn’t do something a certain way, doesn’t mean it’s wrong!

Please hear my heart, this is not about BAF, this is about a deeper question that we as believers and leaders must ask ourselves, because the world around us is leaving The Church in numbers never before seen! Whats sad is that while this downfall is happening, far too many of us are wasting our time criticizing each other instead of doing what ever it takes to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to very lost and broken world!

Let’s Discuss, and we can disagree, but please do so with respect or your post will not make it on here!

John

BAF West Side Doing Well, Reaching the Lost, Could Use Some Long-Term Commitment

by Jerry Dugan

The BAF West Side campus had its grand opening on Easter Sunday, and with help from many volunteers initially, 580 people attended with 92 people beginning a relationship with Jesus Christ.

BAF West Side is now consistently seeing attendance around 100 people each weekend. Brandon Cunningham, former Director of BAF Men, was asked to take the lead at BAF West Side as its first Campus Pastor, and the campus continues to serve the local area by bringing Pastor Bil's message to the community every weekend and inviting people to begin an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

Much of the work at this campus has been completed by only a dedicated few each and every week. Men such as Rome Gregorio, Wayne Meyer, Clem Ortiz, Scott Bram, and more who are bringing their families not to attend service at BAF West Side but to serve.

This has been a great start, but work is just getting started. BAF West Side could use help completing its build out projects, but more importantly the community of BAF West Side needs sustained volunteer support.

If you have felt the pull on your heart to make a move to BAF West Side and make a difference in a community that desperately needs God's message of love, forgiveness, and salvation to be heard, then don't hesitate to contact Pastor Brandon Cunningham at gbrandonc@gmail.com or call 361-288-1054.

2(Jesus) told them "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves." Luke 10:2-3 NIV

Go to the West Side campus at BAF and become a worker for God's kingdom. Go become fishers of men through your service there.

Isaiah 53

by Scott Bram, http://worldkeepsspinningblog.blogspot.com

I read Isaiah 53 a couple of weeks ago and it completely messed me up. I mean I've read this before but it never hit me the way that it did this particular morning. It literally brought me to tears. I got choked up telling my wife about it. I suggest that you read it, but here is a portion:

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. Isaiah 53: 4-6

This is Old Testament prophecy of Christ and what He would do for the world. What He did for me!! I mean, I understand what Christ did for me, but this particular morning it was revealed to me anew. I got it! It broke my heart and, in breaking my heart, it changed my prayers.

I now pray that God will break my heart for what breaks His. It scares me because I don't know where that might lead, but I want to be able to show others the grace and mercy that Christ has already shown to me. After the gift that He has given me, how could I not share that with others? I have to! I struggle with this because it takes me out of my comfort zone, but I'm learning.

Is your heart broken? If so, have you turned to Christ and asked for His grace and mercy? If not, you should - He will take your burden and make it light.