Thursday, August 16, 2012
ARC Pastor Publishes New Book
7:18 PM | 
Posted by
Mike Bradley
“Too
long have followers of Jesus settled for religious compliance and inoffensive
comportment. Too long have rank and file Christians delegated the dangerous
life of following Jesus to the professionals, believing them best suited for
the radical engagement with the world that Jesus models. Too long have we
believed that the highest goal of Christianity is conforming people to good
behavior, getting folks to follow the rules, making people nice. Now is the time to raise our
danger quotient. Now
is the time
for us to move from bland church drones into followers of the living Christ who
are potent for the purposes of God and a mortal threat to the enemy of our
souls.”
So
opens the recently published book, The
Dangerous Kind, written by ARC pastor, Graeme Sellers. Graeme is lead
pastor for Wonderful Mercy Church and a member of the ARC National Leadership
Team. As Director for the ARC, I am very strategic about the books I recommend
to you as leaders and this is a book well worth reading as it speaks to one of
our core values: being a safe place for the dangerous kind. I was privileged to
read the manuscript three times as it was being developed and I was inspired,
challenged, and learned something each time I read it. Graeme's perspectives on
various themes, which can help us live a life that is dangerous for the kingdom
of God, are fresh and inspiring.
Cheryl
Sacks who leads a large, bi-annual conference on prayer called Prayer Quake, and is a published author
herself, writes: “I was even more impressed
with chapter one when I read it a second time. (Graeme) is not only a gifted writer
but more importantly has God's message of the hour. The Dangerous Kind is a wake up call to everyone who desires to
live a life of authentic Christianity. If you want to be jarred out
of a life of complacency and mediocrity and enlist in a mission that will
change the course of history, then this book was written for you.”
I cannot recommend this book to you highly enough. I have
purchased copies for each of my staff members at The Master’s Institute and
were I back in a congregational setting it would be a book I would go through
with my staff and all ministry team leaders. You can order a copy today on
Amazon.com. You’ll be glad you did!
Friday, August 3, 2012
Vacation Bible School is Alive and Well in the Arizona White Mountains
By Derek Luptak, Associate
Pastor, Grace Church – Show Low, AZ
Distance Student at The
Master’s Institute Seminary
Here at Grace Church in Show Low, AZ,
when we do VBS, we go all out. We know that summer can be a hectic season and
very often events like VBS can be just another thing to get through, but there
is something about seeing the good news of Jesus Christ break into a child’s
life that makes it worth it all. When Amanda (my wife) came on staff as Family
Ministry Coordinator 4 years ago, we both sensed a calling to make VBS a major
event in our church year. We believe that having fun with children as they
learn about God’s love for them is an enormous opportunity for the Kingdom in
our community. One thing we’ve learned is that children want to come to Jesus
and it’s up to us to not hinder them from coming. The crowning moment of this
year’s VBS was an interaction I had with a 3rd grader who exclaimed
excitedly, “Learning about God is so much fun!” I told him that he was
right, and it never stops being fun, even when you reach old age (mid-thirties)
like me. Looking back on our VBS week, knowing that at least one child’s heart
was opened to the joy of knowing God, I can only thank God for having a part in
it.
Over the years, we have learned a lot
about putting on a VBS week that kids want to come to. First, we decorate the
entire church, so that the whole congregation gets a chance to get excited and
support it with prayer and donations. During the week, you will need the
strength of others’ intercession. It will be exhausting and there will be
spiritual attacks from the enemy, but it is well worth it.
This year, our theme was Treasure Quest
– inspired by Indiana Jones and other adventure movies. Our sanctuary was
transformed into a treasure cave, complete with stalactites. The Narthex was
converted into a jungle and waterfall. Our children’s wing was another series
of caves and our fellowship hall became a puppet theater where the youth group
put on puppet shows for the kids, helping them learn the daily lessons and
bible verses. I spray-painted some ordinary garden sculptures metallic gold and
they became the treasure. Each “artifact” was used as a visual representation
of a day’s theme: golden armor, a golden serpent, a golden lantern and a golden
cross. We have learned that if we write our own curriculum, we can save a LOT
of money that could be better spent in other places. At the end of the day, we
set up an inflatable waterslide and a member of the congregation who is an
ice-cream truck driver comes by. 
A vibrant VBS
comes from finding volunteers who are willing to share their gifts and talents
with the kids. Last year we had 5 different members of the congregation come by
and share their creativity. There was a painter, a personal trainer, a dance
instructor and a chef. They all came by and taught the kids that God created
them and we all have creative gifts to share. The kids learned to paint,
exercise, dance and make a perfect French omelet. But they also learned that
God was an artist who created each one of them and put His signature in their
hearts. At the end of the week, we simply invite the children to come to Jesus,
give their lives to Him and become part of His family. No fear, guilt or
manipulation. The kids respond overwhelmingly every year. We don’t have to
cajole them to come to Christ, just as He said, we only need to get out of
their way. 
We
have also found that VBS is a great week to partner with other churches in the
community. Some smaller churches can’t afford to put on a VBS of their own, but
are happy to join in with another church. We joined with three other churches
this year and had 145 kids attend. Of that number, 50 opened their hearts to a
relationship with God through Christ and came into the Kingdom. VBS, like
anything else in ministry, is a wonderful opportunity for Kingdom expansion and
adult volunteers also get something out of it. It is a great reminder that
knowing God and being in His family is “fun” (a great adventure) when compared
to the life of guilt, shame and defeat that our enemy wants for us. VBS is a
great opportunity for a congregation to step into that adventure together for
the sake of the kids they are reaching!
If you’d like to have Derek and Amanda consult with your
children’s ministry staff, you can contact them at: derek@graceshowlow.com
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