Fishers Blog

Two Hours To Change The World

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:03:00 -0400

Thinking back on my recent trip to Europe, one of the ideas that made an impression on my thinking was the thought that God has given the Church 2 hours every Sunday to connect and impact our communities with the possibility of tasting a bit of Heaven and meeting personally the Creator of the Universe, God Almighty the Saviour of the world.

Jesus said that the Church is the salt of the earth and the light of the world, but if we lose our flavor or effectiveness we are no longer good for anything. Setting a city on a hill is so that its beauty can be VISIBLE to all around, and so it is with the Church, if we do our job or calling well, there will be no problem with VISIBILITY in regards to our communities knowing and recognizing that the Church is there.

I believe there is enough evidence to suggest that the Church in Europe is especially struggling with VISIBILITY in the cities and nations they are trying to impact, where there is a downturn in church attendance, a lack of momentum toward Sunday, and an unwillingness to really count the cost by genuinely giving our lives to the Cause of Christ. I think the average church goer believes and supports that God can do something, but as long as it doesn't involve them to much personally.

This is where the thought for 2 hours to change the world can be so effective. For the Church, Sunday is a most crucial and important opportunity for every Christian, and must involve the willingness to release our gifts and talents to the Lord, to build the Church toward the possibility of bringing permanent and significant change to the World. God is not asking very much from every Christian when we consider Sunday as the focus and pinnacle of our week, accept that we do more than just attend Church, but have a builders attitude toward Church, and through our gifts and talents be determined to see the Church established and VISIBLE again in our communities. I believe if the Church can get Sunday right by building momentum and excellence to what Sunday Church is about, we then earn the right to enter our communities Monday and from there into the hearts and lives of the people we are called to look after.

So how does this work? Well every Church has a Sunday to get through, but it depends on how we all respond to Sunday as believers, whether or not it is a highlight in our weekly calendar, or whether we are going through the motions of a Sunday service, or whether our Church really know the WHY or the REASON of why we attend? If we try to think of Sunday as a Day that God has given The Church to change the World, it really comes down to focusing on and making those 2 hours the most excellent and exciting 2 hours in a persons week. Let's not have any other activity being more exciting and passionate than Church! Like football or movies, or parties or eating - all this is insignificant in comparison with the potential of what God has destined the Church to be.

Before we go into the details we must express vision and life into the heart of our believers, because if they don't know what they are believing for in Church life, they will have little passion about it, and probably won't give you much of their time to help out. VISION IS LIFES FUEL and generates excitement, passion and a desire to help out. People must be taught that serving God and His House is the BEST thing that they can do, but we must put something exciting and challenging before them. We cannot expect people to get excited about Church that is DULL and BORING.

So all we have to on Sunday is to make these 2 hours the most exciting and passionate 2 hours possible. That means the Worship Team give the Church the best songs in the world, not the worst songs in the world. Many old songs lose their value over time, and there is only a few examples of songs that have lasting and timeless value. The worship is usually only about 20-25 minutes, if it's longer it is getting to long, and we will lose our people, and only have the die hards still standing. So then we must make sure that every moment of the Worship is valuable and has meaning to the service - no long explanations of the meaning of the songs, let's just get on with the job!

Making the service move quickly without long periods where nothing is happening is crucial to keeping the attention of people, especially VISITORS! The focus of this style of service is the VISITORS, because they are the ones who are unchurched or are looking for a new Church. Sunday must no longer be focused on the believers and those who already attend - if we are going to WIN THE WORLD we have to focus our attention on services that will be relative and relational to the NON-BELIEVERS, so that in doing so we may WIN SOME.

Understanding that it is really only 2 hours that we have to make great, really takes the pressure off being a great Church, because if we get these 2 hours right, we will become a great Church. Through Jesus, we are the Light to the World - we are the Salt of the Earth so we must learn to taste good, feel good, be a great place to go, so that people feel that they would love to come again. It's like eating at a great restaurant, it makes you want to go back again!

In the UK a survey revealed that 27% of people had been to Church but said that they would never go back again - this is because the experience was so bad, and this is 14 million people! What would have been the result if the experience was amazing!!

2 HOURS is all it takes on Sunday to CHANGE A PERSONS LIFE! Let's all start focusing a little more on what God has given us with Sunday, and with these precious 2 HOURS!

These 2 Hours in the right hands can change the world! Do you have the Hands to build these 2 Hours into something that Changes The World?

I HOPE SO.

Back To Europe 09

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 07:07:00 -0400

My latest trip got under way again from April 1st 09. It is my 6th time back to Europe since November 06, and I am finding that God is directing my steps and my vision, and slowly building momentum. My first trip started with a 4 week period where I was introduced to a few churches and church leaders, but now the trip has expanded to 12 weeks and covers Holland, Spain, Suriname, Switzerland, Finland, Estonia and Norway.

Well I began this time at a church in Delft in Holland where I ministered my CBD Summit for the first time in Europe and it was a great time. The Summit is focused on building and developing people, so they can build and develop the Church. One of the things I find in Europe is a lack of desire or understanding in the congregations of building the church. There is a willingness to attend, but it doesn't go much further than this. There needs to be a resurgence and fresh desire in people to build and develop the Church, because the situation is becoming desperate in Europe, as people are leaving the church because they have become disinterested through a lack of vision.

So after Delft I met up with Lucy my wife in Suriname in the Carribbien where we participated in a special Easter Event which attracted a couple of thousand people each night. This was a great time working with the youth musicians for a Saturday and Sunday night event. It was a crazy couple of nights, and Lucy led the team in worship totally on fire, bursting out in the prophetic song, leading in waves and waves of raw power and energy - the team was totally amazed with her raw energy and anointing. I preached both nights, and on Resurrection Sunday night I spoke on The 3 Signposts of Faith - Revelation of Christ, Resurrection of Christ and the Return of Christ, which was a powerful message.

Sadly Lucy returned to Sydney and I returned to Holland where I immediately travelled to Spain, to minister in a church in Balageur and then in Barcelona. This was also a great time, where I was involved in another youth event playing bass and also preaching. I spoke in the church in Balageur on Sunday morning and then to Barcelona for the Sunday night. Both was a great time and a chance to build new relationships for the future.

I am now in my 4th week and have travelled to a part of Holland called Zwolle. This is my 5th time back and I stay with a great family here in a country town called Delfsen, where we ride bikes through the countryside which is really cool. Again the situation here is much the same as in other parts of Holland where a lethargy has gripped the church and you find that there is no momentum in any part of church life, and even after 5 visits nothing much has changed - sometimes not even the song lists - but alas this is why I persevere.

So Europe remains in a desperate situation with the Church totally out of place, in a secular world that pays no attention or interest in a God they cannot relate to. I believe society would connect to God if they knew how, but the Church isn't giving them any opportunity to connect, because the churches approach is out of date and irrelevant to this generation of fast moving and fast thinking young people.

Mal Fletcher released a few statistics about the church in Europe and one said that Spain out of 30 million people only 0.01% were born again. The UK said that 27% of people who had been to church said they would never go again, because the experience was so bad - this must tell us something about the church, and must drive us toward doing something about making the church relevant and enjoyable - imagine if the 27% of people in the UK, which by the way is 14 million people, found that they liked the church the first time, you would probably find that they would like to go some more - AMAZING!!

So ultimately I press on toward that for which Christ Jesus has taken hold of me, which I believe is to inspire and encourage Church leaders and churches in Europe to rise and build for a generation that is fast approaching ignorance and disinterest with the church, and what a good or great church could do and be like in the community where it exists.

Blessings to you all, and more power to you.

Ephesians 3:20

The Fish

Eyes, Ears and Atmosphere

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:08:00 -0400

This blog is a bit different in that I feel to address some of the musicians needs in regards to ministering in a modern day worship service. In these days of in-ear monitoring we are in danger of raising up a generation who have missed the days of bleeding nose volume, where our eyes and ears learned to read the atmosphere of a room, where eye contact between players was a commonality, bringing the band and the playing to a central feeling of unity and oneness.

Today MD's commonly guide the changes and the grooves by communicating onstage with a mike fed through 'in-ears', and if we are not careful we can become lazy in looking around at each other for inspiration and connection, which was once common in all our playing, and also being lazy in watching the worship leader's calls for direction for where the songs are going. This was once felt intuitively, and changes came almost on a breath as the Spirit lead the meeting, so what is it that we need to teach this generation in feeling the atmosphere of a room, and being able to colour the dynamics to a place where the people are being connected to the songs right where they are at.

In ministering a worship service the ability to read the spirit of the room while remaining focused on our playing is key to our worship. As musicians we often learn our songs through the MP3?s and charts that are provided, but once learnt these are only guidelines to steer us on course through the changes of the songs. Learning to use our eyes and ears to read the atmosphere and spirit of a room is a ?whole nutha level?. Sometimes changes come all to quickly and we miss the magic of the moment by this mentality and focus of getting it right, which is good for rehearsals, but for the service we must let go of everything we know and open ourselves up to be free, exposed and honest in interpreting what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.

You see every time we play a song in a service the spirit of the room will be slightly different as a different body of people are attending, and the chords, melodies and grooves may require minute adjustments in sensitivity, dynamics and approach as the Spirit moves us to minister to their needs. If we miss this we can sound a bit like the band who gatecrashed the meeting, which means we simply play the songs as is, without leaving room to listen, feel and place the needs of a song in the right placement at the right time. Coming to the end of a song and starting to shift to early for the next groove will cause the atmosphere to stiffen and be manipulated by us, as we misread the moment and focus on what the beginning of the next song is to be. These moments are crucial, as I believe the Spirit is opening opportunity for us to play, to extend, to massage, to build or strengthen what has been established, so that the Church can rest in His presence for an extra moment of time.

Practically speaking, give the songs time to breath ? wait a few moments and play the intro?s and verses ect with the feeling that you are connected to the needs of the service. Listen and look around the room and guide the sensitivity of your playing by what you see and what you hear. Sometimes we can be a little rushed between songs and miss the moments we have created for people to be served in worship, by being too ready for the next count-in. Remember to look at each other and encourage the spontaneous, through facial expressions and body language.

Learning to read the room will open up new doors of blessing in our services, where the Holy Spirit can trust us to be listening for the moments that the music creates, and through those moments we are launched into areas that are truly touching Heaven and Changing Earth.

Our eyes have not seen, nor have our ears heard those things which God has?but He reveals them to us by His Spirit?.
(1 Corinthians 2:9,10)

Music is an awesome creation, and His sounds are all around us. It is our responsibility in the Church to create His sound on Earth as it is in Heaven, so that we become an exact replication of Christ and His Kingdom, and as musicians to teach those who are being raised up to not only focus on the structure of the song, but also to learn the sensitivities and dynamics of the Spirit, and how this relates and is released in and through our worship to the Church on Sundays.

So remember, rehearse the songs so that you know them well, get ready for the service, but then let it all go and see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and play with your intuition as you sense the direction and atmosphere of the service.

Rock n Roll Ain't Noise Pollution

Fish

A Piece of Heaven on a Frozen Lake

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:47:00 -0400

A few weeks ago I arrived home from a trip to the USA and Canada, and even though I didn't feel anything like destiny or God like inspiration about going, God really took control and many lives were encouraged and blessed. Often outside our structured meetings where God has 'so' gotta show up, we find God ministering in the homes or hotels, or on a frozen lake in a small shed with 5 guys 'ice fishing'. These are the sort of places we have got to get used to God being Himself, being a God amongst the people, where the masks are taken off and people feel they can be themselves - God loves that sort of honesty.

On a frozen lake with the ice 5 feet thick, 5 guys began to fish through 5 holes in the ice. As we began to settle in with a few beers and a couple of hits of Schnapps to keep warm, life began to unwind in this frozen wasteland. It was minus 15 degrees outside, but our little gas heater and a grill with some 'kranskies' cooking away, made this a cozy 6 hours of fun and some deep unraveling conversations about life, drugs, relationships, and how God in the midst of it all still cares for us, even though we are constantly on the brink of loosing it totally, and going back to the hippie lifestyle not long after Woodstock and the headtrip of the 70's.

A preacher, a worship leader/Pearl Jam fan, a young business guy and 2 construction guys who are twins are sitting together with a couple of fishing lines through the ice, slowly unwinding from all the hustle bustle, with the wind blowing outside and God talking to us inside - it was really cool. Sometimes we were joking around, sometimes silent, sometimes excited as the fish were biting, but in the midst of it all there was a stillness you could not deny, a stillness where truth was free to speak, where honesty seemed to be the only thing excepted in this piece of heaven on a frozen lake.

Could life always be like this? Where honesty and truth are the normal practice with people, and revealing who we are out in the open is not something to be afraid of, but something to be praised. A world of interesting people who are interested in each other, especially because we haven't met yet, or we don't really know each other - another opportunity for a coffee or a beer, an opportunity to love one another, and through that love experience how much God loves us.

This is what I experienced on a frozen lake in Saskatoon Canada, where we pulled up one fish, said Hi, took a photo and let him go until next time. It's all part of the pleasure of living together on planet earth, enjoying our leisure and making it our pleasure to connect with other human beings, and through that connection we give God a chance to connect to us as well, and after enjoying Him together we take the photo's and put Him back in the lake until next time - Selah.

Until next time - love someone

The Fish

Back Home For Christmas

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:13:00 -0500

Been home for a couple of weeks now, and Sydney is feeling more like home again. After the cool of Europe the weather has been a nice change, as the days seem to be getting better and better. Christmas has come and gone and it was a really great time to be at Church and catch up with some of the crew again. The Christmas Spectacular this year was really amazing, as it is every year, but the team really turned up the heat and the performances were totally excellent. As I write it is the day before New Years Eve and the holiday season is in full swing, but at the same time 2009 is approaching and we all need to take a look at 08, and be reminded of all that God has done for us throughout this past year. I'm sure that for all of us there have been some highlights and some low-lights, ups and downs, mountains and valleys, which always seem to be the pattern to a successful year. Maybe we can look at the highs as building momentum and the lows as building strength and determination, because in a day or two we begin another year, which will add another year to our age, and if we keep our lives focused and on track the new year also brings us a step closer to more of what God's will and purpose is for our lives. I know that the past 2 years, 07 & 08 have been significant years for me, where God has played His hand in my favor, and guided my steps and dreams toward what He has in mind. My vision and purpose has become clearer and has gained momentum, and gradually confidence and influence toward what I believe can be done in Europe is being established. I really believe that the Church is the only answer to the concerns of a secular Europe, as it always has been the Answer. What has happened is that the Church has become out of touch with the world around it, and has sat back and watched the secular advance over the years to a very strong position of influence and belief in the communities that it leads, and in many ways the Church has become a historic icon representing the past, and a past that no-one wants. I'm very excited about what is ahead for 2009 because this coming year gives us all as Church Leaders and Builders another opportunity to take what God has given with the Church, and create a strong and sure foundation for the future generations that are ready to serve God in Europe and in the Church. For 2009 those that are called to lead must lead with vision and purpose, and be bold in making necessary and innovative changes to their church structures, methods and presentation, especially on Sundays. 2009 will start with the world in an economic downturn, and we cannot allow this to colour our world in regards to what God is capable of achieving in and through us all. The Church in Europe in 2009 will need enormous injections of finance and funding, because there are many needs in the Church that must be addressed, if we are ever to take the Church to a level where our relevance and influence in society is viewed with respect. There are many Pastors in Europe, who are leading Churches while they are committed to part time or full time secular work positions - this is something that must change. We cannot expect these men of God to work full time at another job, and then be expected to look after the vision of the Church, look after the needs of the Church, and attend crisis situations, sickness and dysfunction in people's lives, and also attend to the needs of their own marriages and families - this is a burden no Pastor should have to carry, and I don't believe that God ever saw it this way. It is time to change this most desperate need, because churches cannot function effectively while the shepherd is watching over some other flock in the business world. So as we approach the beginning of another year, let us all approach this new year with a determination to do what ever it takes to bring increase, efficiency and prosperity to the churches in Europe. 12 months of focused change and innovation can achieve an incredible amount, if pursued with a positive outlook and a determination to serve God with vision and purpose. Sundays in 2009 must explode with vision and purpose, and become a relevant and effective tool that connects and influences our communities, and builds and develops our people. Be blessed this coming year, and let's be determined to be builders and developers of God's House, determined to keep full of faith and vision all throughout this coming year.

Cheers and God Bless

Lucky and Fish cool

Building and Developing in Sweden

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 03:01:00 -0500

Well I've been in Sweden for a few days now leading seminars on Church Builders and Developers. The Church I am at is in Hassleholm in southern Sweden, about 90 minutes from Malma, 600ks south of Stockholm. The weather has begun to get cold and a bit of snow has fallen. I've had a good time with the pastors and leaders in this church, but like much of Europe the church is not one of the priorities in people's lives - even in the hearts of well meaning Christians, and in many parts of Europe there is a definite strong spirit of resistance to the Gospel and to change.

As with most of this trip so far, God has been increasing the emphasis on being builders of the House, not just attending. The Church is designed to be interactive, and when this spirit has been activated and people desire to get involved, and have the heart of a servant or volunteer, great things can be accomplished.

Some of the building terms I have been using are words like Preparation. In any building there must be preparation, and as we are a body, or a temple of the Lord, the preparation must firstly begin with ourselves. There are 2 sides to this preparation - Natural and Spiritual. John 3:3 records Jesus teaching, 'to see the Kingdom of God, you must be born again' - this is a change of spirit, and of course there is preparation and development in building the inner man to attaining all the fullness of Christ. (Eph 4:12 -14) The goal here of course is to see the Kingdom of God, not our own personal kingdom which is of no use to God whatever.

The natural man must be redeveloped and transformed, because the natural man contains the soul, which is our mind (thinking, attitudes and perception) our will and our emotions. This area of the natural man is in a fallen state and must be transformed to be conformed into the image of Christ, so that we may know what the Will of God is. (Romans 12:2)

There are other words in Preparation like - Inspiration, Visualization, Education and Generation that are also word tools that carry meaning and transforming power. Churches in Europe today must begin to build and develop toward this generation,and apply a methodology that is contemporary and relevant, and connects to the heart and thinking of todays young people.

Developing is another word tool I have been using in teaching about builders, and this applies to the working of the vision. Words like Instigation, Motivation, Administration and Replication. The last word replication is an interesting word and relates to us developing something that replicates or is a mirror image of what it is that we see, feel or are instructed through revelation, to build here on earth. The bible teaches us that 'Thine will be done on earth as it is in Heaven', so it is our purpose as church builders to replicate things on earth as it is in Heaven.

Another couple of word groups are based on Building - words like, Renovation, Innovation, Transformation, Revelation and Globalization. All these words are building words and are designed to bring transformation to our lives, and also to the Church method and structure as well.

Finally, we are to Establish ourselves and the Church in the communities we inhabit. I have been using words like, Occupancy, Relevancy, Perminancy and Consistancy. These words are about developing and building a Church that is here to stay, and will remain throughout the generations as a witness to our communities that the Church of Jesus Christ is alive and active, and is an example to the world that this is the best and most fulfilling life to live.

John 10:10 'I have come to give you life - and life more abundantly.'

Until next time - Cheers

Fish cool