July 3, 2008

I once saw a Tim Conway routine on TV where he was playing an inept dentist. He was about to give a patient a shot of painkiller w

hen the hypodermic rotated in his hand and he ended up giving himself a shot of lidocaine in the head. It was one of the most hilarious events I have ever seen on TV.

I am reminded of that funny episode when I think about my past experience in the Church. When I finally extricated myself from the organized aspect of the Church, it felt like I was coming out from under anesthesia – like waking up after a long sleep. I suddenly woke up to people, ideas, and responsibilities to which I had been oblivious just a few months before. It was sobering and exhilarating all at once. I felt alive again.

Pondering this experience, my thoughts turn to the effect the controlling organization has on the human mind. That type of organization tends to take control out of the hands of the local group and the individual and draw it to the center of the organization. If you are at the center, where the power is, it feels good. You have a sense of purpose. But if you are on the extremities, it feels like anesthesia.

Why is that? Humans, as social creatures, are designed by God to be involved. When people are involved in every aspect of the Church (including the decision making aspect of it) they are much more likely to come alive with enthusiasm and passion. To be deprived of this human necessity is to be spiritually anesthetized.

When a person is put under anesthesia, they are suspended between life and death. They have lost consciousness. Just a bit further and they die. Don’t let any man do this to you spiritually!

Jesus inspired Paul to record his will for the Church. The ministry’s job is to prepare the members for works of service. All of us are to be fully active in the work of the Church. Each of us has been given a gift and a responsibility to produce for Jesus Christ.

Are we passionate about that responsibility? Do we even know what it is? To further consider the need for spiritual passion, order or download our new presentation God’s Kind of Spirituality #20000703.

Until next time,

Bill Jacobs

P. S. Everyone is busy with summer activities. But please don’t forget to support our efforts to make the church a better place for the children. They are our greatest asset and we need to take care of them. Your financial contributions go a long way to reach many with our message.

June 19, 2008

Our latest presentation, Paranoia #20080619, is now available. This presentation is part of a series on Christianity and mental health issues. If you would like a CD mailed to you, or if you want to download the mp3 or transcript follow this link.

Summer Plans

How’s your summer going? We have a full calendar already. We leave for California today to visit our children and their families. We are gathering for the birthday party of our twin grandchildren. They were born prematurely and clung to life by a slender thread for a while. But now they are five and are thriving. It will be a happy time for Elaine and me – a time to thank God for his care and blessings.

We also have a trip to Camp Outreach for Teens in Minnesota at the end of this month. That should be lot of fun. We consider it important to spend some time actively working directly with young people each summer.

In July we’ve planned an awesome backpacking trip in Wyoming with friends and relatives. (That’s my vacation.)

And then in October comes the Feast at Park City, Utah. We are ecstatic about that. We will see once again all the people who helped us last year. We already have a full compliment of speakers lined up. We are planning to do some in-house food service this year to reduce the cost of meals.

We have had excellent results with VRBO, the vacation housing website. Elaine and I rented a three-bedroom, three-bath condo for $120 per night. If I recall correctly it has a private Jacuzzi. We are sharing the condo with our daughter and her husband. The owner told me it has an awesome view of the mountains.

The only major things remaining are the activities schedule and a final firming up of the event calendar. It seems that we are way ahead of last year on that. If you are interested in helping with the activity schedule let us know.

That’s it from this end. I hope you are all well and busy doing good things.

Until next time,

Bill Jacobs

June 5, 2008

According to the business management and leadership literature, there are four major styles of managing or leading others.

• Authoritarian – leadership retains information and makes most decisions.
• Laissez-faire– leadership plays a peripheral, hands-off role.
• Democratic – leaders include stakeholders in decision-making.
• Empowering – leaders maximize productivity and creativity by serving and supporting employees.

Thirty years ago, if you asked me which style was the best style for the Church, I would have unhesitatingly said, “authoritarian.” After all, God is the supreme being who is in complete control.

Of course, God is in complete control because he is God. We are not, so it doesn’t follow that we humans ought to assume God’s role. He also deals with us in a laissez-faire manner at times, allowing us incredible freedom of choice. Since we have much decision-making freedom, we could also say that God is, at times, democratic. He also empowers us, providing talents to use creatively and the Holy Spirit.

This discovery rings true to scripture. When we look into the book of Ephesians, we see that Paul tells us the job of the ministry is to equip the members for works of service. That is an empowering role, rather than one of  control.

The research also supports scripture on another level. Since the core of empowering is serving, it fits perfectly with Jesus admonition to serve instead of lord it over others.

Our most recent presentation discusses empowering leadership in more detail. We are all going to be leaders in the Kingdom of God. Send for you copy now. A CD, DVD, mp3 or transcript may be downloaded through this link.

Until next time,

PS We've been working away, intent on our mission. Last week I suddenly realized that later this year we will have produced 100 presentations – all aimed at helping the Church’s children grow into their own relationship with God. We know of no other CoG ministry dedicated solely to this effort. We need your prayers and financial support as we continue our efforts on behalf of the children in the Church of God.

May 22, 2008

I knew a Buddhist once. He was Malaysian by birth, but lived in Australia with is wife, who was a Sabbatarian Christian. He worked for a worldwide computer company headquartered in Silicon Valley where I lived at the time. When he was in town he would attend services with us. As I got to know him, I learned that he was the manager over Australian operations for this gigantic firm.

Not terribly long after I met him, I was offered a job in my church in management. I was new to middle management so I called my friend to ask his advice about how to best engage the people who would be working for me. He told me this story.

“Once I became a manager, I realized I would soon lose my technical edge and so would become dependent upon the technicians who worked for me for my success. I would only be successful, if they were successful. So, I drove my stake in the ground – established the necessary boundaries -- and then I set about to serve them. I did everything I could to help them be successful.”

This man, who had started out as a technician, was now a multi-millionaire – one of the most successful managers to every work in this gigantic company.

I listened to his story and thought to myself, “I just learned more about what Jesus mean when he said we should be servants instead of overlords, than I ever learned from anyone in my church.”

We are now working our way through a series on congregational health. The third element is “empowering leadership.” One of the best ways to empower people, as I learned from my friend, is to serve them.

Learn more by ordering our latest presentation Leading by Serving #20080522.

Sincerely,

Bill Jacobs

May 8, 2008

Park City Festival

The spring festival is nearly over and we are eagerly looking forward to the fall festivals. If haven’t yet decided where you will attend the Feast of Tabernacles this year, you might like to consider Park City, Utah.

The festival in Park City is unique. Instead of focusing on sit-down services, we have opted for more interactive and engaging approaches. We usually have three or four workshops going on at the same time, so your chances of participating in something helpful to you goes up.

All our topics are geared toward learning spiritual skills you can take home and put to work in your family, your congregation and your community. Last year, for example we had a number of seminars on marriage, parenting, and community outreach.

And we had something educational for teenagers every day – something that actively engaged them at a participatory level.

This year we have worked hard to find some excellent prices on housing at some of the condominiums near the convention center. We are also planning optional group breakfasts and lunches on site. And we are lining up some great outdoor activities for those who are interested.

All this is taking place in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable. Park City is a safe, clean retreat-like environment for the festival.

If you can’t remember anything spiritual that you learned at the Feast last year, perhaps it’s time for a feast that will inspire and renew you spiritually.

See all the information about the Park City Feast of Tabernacles.

Current Presentation

Leading by Example #20080508 is now available.

Be sure to check it out.

Until next time,

Bill Jacobs

April 24, 2008

As you may know, we are deep into a series of presentations on Eight Qualities of Congregational Health. Why eight? After surveying well over a million Christians, the Natural Church Development staff discovered eight qualities that cause congregations to become healthy.

It is no surprise to anyone, I’m sure, that one of those eight qualities has to do with leadership.

The massive survey revealed what kind of leadership causes congregations to blossom.

The great mass of business management books on the market tell us that there are four or maybe five styles of leadership. One style is good for working in the military and with sports teams, another works well in national governments. And there is yet another style that causes health in churches and families.

What is your leadership style? Is it the type of leadership that Jesus modeled and that causes family and congregational health? We’ve all run into people who thought themselves to be strong leaders when, the truth be told, they stifled the growth of those in their care. Of course, they were unaware of the effect they were having.

Why did the NCD survey point to only one style of leadership when there are other leadership styles that work well in various environments? I think it has to do with the way God made the Church. He said it was to be like a living organism (specifically a body) that grows “all by itself.”

Certainly we could not describe the military or a sports team or our federal government as anything like that.  So it makes sense that an organization that was structured like a living thing would benefit from different treatment than an army.

What do you think? We would love to continue our discussion on this topic via our latest presentation, God’s Kind of Leadership #20080424. A CD, DVD, mp3 or transcript may be downloaded through this link.

Until next time,

Bill Jacobs

April 10, 2008

Have you been to the mall lately? If you have you may have seen some teens there. The malls of America are one of the main places where young people like to hang out these days.

If you spent any time observing the young people at the mall you may have gotten the sense that there is a great social gulf between the generations. Teens in America have their own clothing styles, hairstyles, movies, music, video games, activities, and even their own language.

It has been this way for a long time and with every generation the gulf gets a little wider.

How did this happen?

The surprising truth is that the adults caused it. Children always respond to adults. If that’s true, what is it that adults do to cause the distance? Simply put, adults in our culture tend to ignore children and teens. We leave them to themselves. To fill the vacuum, they seek to fulfill themselves on their own.

The results have been disastrous. One in four teenage girls in America has an STD. Teen depression and anxiety are approaching epidemic proportions. Teen and late adolescent suicide rates are exploding. Gang activity is increasing.

It might surprise you to know that many of the young people in the church generally feel the same way about the church as their counterparts feel in society – distanced. That’s why the Church loses so many young people.

Is there a solution to this problem? In an effort to generate dialog on this issue, we have created a presentation exploring the problem. The title is The Underground Railroad. We would be pleased to send you a CD without cost. You may also download a transcript or mp3.

Sincerely,

Bill Jacobs

P. S. We are doing all we can to raise awareness of youth issues in the church. We need your financial support to do more.

March 27, 2008

Park City Update

It’s already time to begin planning for the Feast of Tabernacles. Elaine and I hope you will consider Park City this year. We’ve found some great inexpensive condos and have a plan to serve breakfast and lunch on site for convenience and fellowship.

Be sure to keep checking our website for updates as plans firm up. It is also good to bear in mind that this site is unique in that we don’t do “sit and listen,” replacing it with “learn how and do.”

Latest Presentation

Living the Christian life is a challenge under the best of circumstances. When a person has been mistreated in childhood, it becomes incredibly difficult.

When children are mistreated or neglected they frequently have trouble regulating their emotions and moods. Brain researchers are finding that when parents sooth their children, they are learning how to sooth themselves because the soothing mechanism is being exercised. When children are not soothed, the self-regulation mechanism in the brain never fully develops.

Consequently, when people do not achieve self-regulation in early childhood it becomes a life-long struggle. We can think about people who rage in traffic, who are instantly angry over minor provocations, who’s moods fluctuate from high to low.

Inability to self-regulate is seen in a broad spectrum of mental health issues. One of the most notable is called Borderline Personality Disorder. People who suffer from this complex of personality traits have a terrible time relating to others in a healthy and satisfying manner.

Because Borderline Personality is becoming increasingly common, we have produced a presentation by that title explaining the symptoms, the causes, the treatments, and the implications for Christians. We would be pleased to send you a CD without cost.

Best regards,

Bill Jacobs

March 13, 2008

Park City

We just added VRBO.com to our housing location tools for the Feast of Tabernacles. VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner) helped Elaine and I find a condo for $75 per night only a few blocks away from the convention center.

Latest Presentation

In the twelfth chapter of the book of Romans, Paul told the members there that Christ had imbued each of them with one of his own characteristics — a gift of the spirit with which they were to contribute to the spiritual work of the Church.

What an amazing blessing! God gives each of us a way to fit into the Church, to make a contribution, to be an integral part.

In spite of the power of this blessing, there is nothing easy about any of it. It is hard to figure out what our gift is. If we are fortunate enough to find it, it is hard to get off our backsides and put it to use. It’s hard to have the courage to step out in faith and offer it to others. It’s hard to know how to best use it. It is hard to use it without getting the big head over it. It’s hard not to be envious of others who have gifts we would like to have. If we are in leadership positions, it is hard not to block the efforts of others to find and use their gifts.

And yet using the gifts God gives us is the only way our work will be done. It will never be done by our own efforts, but only by the power of God in us.

While thinking about the problems associated with spiritual gifts, my mind made an association: A chain saw is an amazing tool. Compared to cutting wood with an axe, it’s awesome. But a chain saw is of no help at all unless we know that we need to pull the starter cord first.

In the same way, we will never accomplish the work God wants us to do, unless we know how to use the tools he has provided. To this end, we have produced a presentation from our series on Congregational Health titled Spiritual Gifts Today. We would be pleased to send you a CD without cost to you.

Sincerely,

February 28, 2008

How important is a congregation to your spiritual growth? All of us know that our salvation rests in Jesus Christ, not in people. And yet, God, in his loving wisdom, has provided the Church to spiritually nurture us.No wonder that Jesus, who is the head of the Church, is also called “the Captain of our Salvation.” The responsibility for nurturing us and the office of head of the Church go hand-in-hand.

Because we are social beings it’s natural that we form into groups or congregations. The support of the group strengthens us in our human weakness. While the Church is made up of people, the ability to spiritually nurture us comes from Christ through those around us — as we all submit ourselves to Jesus Christ.

If we are not submitting ourselves to Christ as a congregation, our ability to help each other markedly diminishes.

On the other hand, if we look into the Word of God and learn how a congregation is to nurture it’s members and begin applying what we read to our congregation and to our lives, then our ability to nurture each other, and our children markedly increases.

That’s one good reason why we have embarked on a detailed series on Congregational Health. The next presentation is titled Using Your Gifts #20080228. We would be pleased to send you a CD without cost to you.

Until next time,

Bill Jacobs

February 14, 2008

Park City Feast of Tabernacles

Plans for the Park City Feast of Tabernacles are firming up. Some folks have purchased their airline tickets already.

We now have information about the expanded housing list.

In response to the feedback we received from festival attendees last year, we have modified our meal plan. Now you can buy what you want as you need it for breakfast and lunch. We plan to do these meals "in house" to reduce the cost. Dinner will be on your own. We think this new plan will reduce expenses, provide a lot more flexibility, and still give everyone a chance to eat together.

Latest Presentation

Many of you know we are deep into a series on congregational health. Why would a youth advocacy organization spend so much energy on congregational health? Because children come to church too! They are impacted by the congregation just as much as adults.

If the congregation is healthy and inclusive of them, they feel a sense of belonging. If not, then they feel like outsiders or second class citizens. The feeling of belonging fosters their spiritual identity, while exclusion creates a disconnect.

The older a child is the more impact the congregation has on them. As they move toward college age they are naturally forming strong opinions and feelings about their spiritual identity. Will they see themselves as an integral part of the congregation? If so, that’s a huge step toward conversion.

Some want to emphasize the distinction between a relationship with God and a relationship with the congregation. There is a difference, to be sure. However, God gave us the Church to nurture us spiritually. The Church is a physical group Christians can belong to. The feeling of belonging helps us know we belong to God and that God cares about all of us.

As children grow into teenage they are developing their identity. The congregation can play a profound role in helping them find an identity in Jesus Christ. How does a congregation accomplish this important task? Some of the answers to this question are contained in our series on congregational health. Be sure to order or download our latest presentation, titled Finding Your Gifts #20080214.

Sincerely,

Bill Jacobs

January 31, 2008

Latest Presentation

Our latest presentation, About Spiritual Gifts #20080131, is now ready for distribution. It is one of a series on the eight qualities of congregational health. To order a free CD return the enclosed coupon or go to our website for CDs, DVDs, mp3s, or transcripts.

Feast at Park City

It’s hard to believe this is the last day of January already. It’s already time for us to start thinking about the Feast of Tabernacles in Park City.

We spent quite a bit of time gathering feedback from those who attended last year and have some improvements in mind. We want to let you in on some of our initial thinking about plans for 2008.

We are once again going to have a service project, At present we are considering running that project in shifts on multiple days so that everyone will have a chance to provide direct services to those in need.

We are also working to reduce prices on condominium housing. We’ve discovered there is quite a bit of that kind of housing close to the conference center. Initial inquiries tell us we may be able to secure some of those units at a much lower rate than last year.

In addition, we have secured more space in the conference center for our use. This year we hope to provide a free light breakfast and a lunch buffet right in the conference center . put together by our own people. Because we would be doing that food ourselves, the prices would be at cost — much less than last year.

We have some volunteers to organize a child care cooperative. Parents will be able to share baby sitting duties during the seminars so that more parents can attend more seminars.

We also saw a need for more youth activities and have plans to improve that aspect of the feast.

At present we plan to run the seminar schedule again but with some modifications. We are also working on an exciting theme for most of them that will send everyone home with new spiritual skills.

As plans firm up, we will keep you informed.

January 31, 2008

Feast of Tabernacles 2008

We will have new information about the Feast of tabernacles in Park City, Utah available beginning in February. We are waiting on new, lower cost housing prices from the Propector Square Lodge.

God's Kind of Ministry

After the Park City Feast of Tabernacles last fall, I was reading the feedback forms submitted by those who attended. One of them was from a teen. The young person said, “I liked the service project the best. When I get home, I hope to find a place where I can get involved in that kind of activity in my community.”

Our work project was an all day event that included packing food boxes for the poor and working on a soup line serving dinner to the homeless. I was gratified to see that what I had hoped for was happening — young people introduced to and excited about caring for and serving the poor.

To support our efforts at Park City, we are working our way through an extensive series on Congregational Health. The first four presentations were about God’s love expressed in our lives. The next five will deal with spiritual gifts — the God-given tools for ministering to others.

One of the most important aspects of a spiritually healthy environment for children is that of serving. True spirituality is not about position or ordination. Nor is it completely about doctrinal purity. Jesus plainly tells us that ministry — caring for those in need — is high up on his list of spiritual qualities.

Closely tied to the concept of ministering to others, is that of spiritual gifts. God tells us that he gives us spiritual gifts so that we may serve others successfully. What are your gifts? How do we find our gifts? How do we use them to help others? Are we to use our gifts in isolation or in concert with others? How can we help our children find their gifts? All these and many more questions we will address in the next phase of this series.

If you would like to know more, please order or download a copy of our new presentation God's Kind of Ministry #20080117. Of course there is no charge. From the link above you can order a CD or DVD, or you may download an mp3 or transcript.

If you would like to support us as we support the children of the Church of God, your donations are always needed and appreciated.

Until next time,

January 3, 2008

Latest Presentation: The Restitution of All Things

Dear Friend,

Central to the hope of a Christian is God’s promise that Christ would return to the earth. When he was with us in the flesh the disciples thought he would, at that time, take control and route the Romans. But they misunderstood.

After he told them he wasn’t going to take over right away, they wanted to know when he would return. He then explained to them that at some time in the future he would come again to establish a kingdom of peace and righteousness over the entire earth. He spoke of a time when the governments of humankind will follow the laws of God. Christians have kept a watchful eye toward heaven ever since.

Perhaps the focus on the future has taken our eye off the past. In Acts 3:21 Peter tells us that Christ’s return will be a restoration of the Government of God, rather than a first-time event. Did you know that the Government of God has been over the entire earth before? Not during the time of Israel, nor when Christ came in the flesh, but long before.

More astounding yet, this portion of God’s salvation plan is portrayed for us in a biblical holyday, the Day of Atonement. Very few realize that all the holydays have New Testament significance. Jesus kept every one of them. So did the disciples — decades after Christ died. Far from being Jewish days, the holydays picture steps of salvation. Each one of them is deeply embedded in all that is Jesus Christ.

Long before children are a year old, they can hold an image in mind and connect it to their experience. A baby may not be able to say the word “cat” or even think the word. But when mom says “cat” a baby can create an image of a cat in his or her little brain. Scientists believe this visualization is the earliest form of human thought.

Each holyday is a picture, a visualization of an aspect of Christ at work in our lives. These days, with their metaphorical meanings, seem to be God communicating with us at the fundamental human level — imagery. But to grasp the picture we have to observe it and “become” the picture in action.

Those who observe the seven annual holydays in the way God intended are more likely to understand God at a much deeper level.

If you would like to know more, please order or download a copy of our new presentation The Restitution of All Things. Of course there is no charge. From the link above you can order a CD or DVD, or you may download an mp3 or transcript.

If you would like to support us as we support the children of the Church of God, your donations are always needed and appreciated.

The Underground Railroad

While in Lexington for the Winter Tournament, I spoke at the Leadership Conference about the Underground Railroad. This presentation highlights the needs of our young adults and teens.

This presentation is scheduled for release in late April.

Until next time,

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