Awakening The Sleeping Giant

The Uncomfortable Truth:  My Struggle with Charging for Ministry and What The Holy Spirit Has Asked Me to Do About It. I have a confession to make, one that sits uncomfortably in my spirit, especially given my years of academic pursuit in the realm of ministry. I struggle. I mean really struggle, with the very act of charging people for any form of ministry I offer. This internal conflict presents a genuine challenge. I hold a Master's degree in Ministry and stand on the precipice of completing my Doctorate in Ministry (just that final 5%!). It's not that I subscribe to the misguided notion that those called to full-time ministry should live in poverty. Quite the opposite. I firmly believe that those who dedicate their lives to serving the Lord and His people deserve to have their needs met. However, my deep-seated conviction lies in the how of that provision. I cannot reconcile the idea of directly charging individuals for ministry with what I understand to be the biblical m...

Prosperity (not the prosperity gospel): God's Blessings in Every Calling This morning, one of my students popped into my office, buzzing with the kind of infectious excitement that reminds me why I love what I do. He was sharing his journey into entrepreneurship, a new business venture he and a friend are launching. But what struck me most wasn't the business plan or the potential for success; it was his unwavering conviction that God has been actively blessing their efforts every step of the way. This conversation resonated deeply because I believe it touches on a misconception that often lingers within the Christian community: the idea that if you're truly "on fire" for Jesus, your calling must be in full-time ministry, and that's where God's blessings will primarily flow. Now, as the voice behind "Radical Faith: Beyond Belief," a blog dedicated to exploring the depths of faith and the power of God's work, I am certainly not discounting th...

  The Consumer Church: Are We Buying Faith, Not Living It? We live in a consumer-driven world. It's woven into the fabric of our culture, shaping how we approach everything, even our faith. In North America, this "consumer mindset" has infiltrated the church, often without us even realizing it. The "Come and Hear" Approach: Think about it. We're bombarded with invitations: "Invite your friends next week," "Easter and Christmas are perfect for first-timers!" Pastors are strategizing, saying things like, "We need to give them what they want so we can give them what they need," or "Anything short of sin, we'll risk to bring people closer to Jesus." This echoes a marketing approach, as seen in books like "Connect: How To Grow Your Church In 28-Days Guaranteed." The focus shifts to attracting people through "reach events" – chili cook-offs, carnivals, even Disney movie nights. While well-intentioned,...

  The Pastor Overload: Is Our Church Leadership Model Broken? In many North American churches, a familiar pattern plays out. It's what we might call the "Leadership Flow," or as some might observe, "Plan America." It looks something like this: The People Expect the Pastor To: Be a highly trained professional. Continuously seek further training and attend conferences. Dedicate vast amounts of time to the church. Deliver engaging teachings. Make all the crucial decisions. Manage the church calendar and schedule events. Create and implement all programs. Design and execute compelling worship experiences. Handle every unexpected crisis, both within and outside the congregation. Minister to the sick and conduct pastoral visits. The Result? The Pastor is Also Responsible For: Leading evangelism efforts. Overseeing discipleship programs. Delivering sermons and teachings. Providing comprehensive member care. Essentially, fulfilling the entire Great Commi...

  Beyond the Building: Rediscovering True Community The modern North American Church (NAC) has achieved remarkable feats of organization and reach. But have we lost sight of the essence of community that defined the early church? The New Testament Church (NTC) wasn't built on grand buildings or complex programs. It thrived in homes and communal spaces, a network of believers bound by shared faith and radica l love. This organic growth continued until around 330 AD, when Constantine's influence began to reshape the church. From Community to Control Constantine, driven by power and influence, leveraged Christianity for his own ends. What began as a movement of genuine community in Acts became a tool for control and profit. Sound familiar? But what did that early community look like? I got a glimpse during a trip to Israel in 2019. Our visit to Magdala, Mary Magdalene's hometown, was unexpectedly profound. Walking through the preserved ruins, I could picture daily life: a tig...

  Who Is the Greatest? A Question as Old as the Church Itself "Who is the greatest?" This question isn't some modern-day church conundrum. It's a question as old as the New Testament church itself. Human nature being what it is, we've always been preoccupied with hierarchy, with figuring out who's "better," who's "more qualified," and ultimately, who should be in charge. We see this struggle play out vividly in the Gospels. In Luke 9:46, we read a familiar scene: "An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest." It's a very human moment. The disciples, who had walked with Jesus, witnessed his miracles, and heard his teachings, were still caught up in the pursuit of status. They equated greatness with power, and power with leadership. They were vying for position in what they perceived to be an earthly kingdom. Jesus' response, however, was  unexpected, I am sure,  He "took a...

  The Shock of Simplicity: Has the Church Become Too Complicated? While living in Puerto Rico a few years back, I had a conversation with a fellow missionary and friend that has stuck with me ever since. We were discussing the nature of the church and what it truly was from a biblical perspective. I shared my understanding, grounded in scripture, and then... silence. A long, thoughtful silence. Finally, he spoke, and his words revealed a profound truth: "The simplicity of it... that's the problem." He had grown up in a traditional North American church, much like myself, steeped in its established structures and programs. The picture I painted, a picture of a church organically woven into the fabric of daily life, meeting in homes and public spaces and adjusting to the rhythms of the community, was almost foreign to him. It was too simple. And, sadly, his reaction isn't unique. It's a common response I encounter when discussing the early church. We've b...

  Outside Influences: Are We Building God's Church or Our Own? The way our local churches operate has a huge impact on how effectively they connect with their communities. It's hard to deny that most North American churches follow a centralized, institutional model. But as Francis Chan so pointedly states, "God gave us his 'order' for the church. He told us precisely what He wanted through His commandments in the Bible. In our arrogance, we created something we think works better." Ouch. That stings, but it also makes you think. Are we truly following God's blueprint, or have we allowed outside influences to shape our churches into something He never intended? Think about it: businesses, government, social media, the whole media landscape, even other non-profits, income, status, family, and friends – they all play a role in how we "do church" today. Could it be that the very things we think are essential for church – budgets, programs, locat...

  Love: The True Manifestation of Faith The idea that faith is expressed through love isn't just a quaint medieval notion; it's a core biblical principle woven throughout the New Testament (Matthew 7:12; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 6:27). Jesus himself emphasized that all commandments hinge on the command to love (Mark 12:30-31). For medieval Christians, the central focus was making faith visible through acts of love. This contrasts sharply with many contemporary Christians whose primary, though perhaps subconscious, concern revolves around being "good" and performing good deeds. While these are important, Jesus taught that loving God and loving others should be the driving force behind our faith. The Book of James supports this, explaining that good works are a result of genuine faith, not the evidence of it (James 2:14-26). Essentially, a faith rooted in love will naturally produce good works. A significant danger arises when we prioritize a "faith manifested thr...

  Reimagining Church: Lessons from Monastic Communities and the Book of Acts Although seemingly disparate, the principles of monastic communities and the early church described in the Book of Acts share surprising similarities. While monastic communities pursued a life of contemplation and prayer, often withdrawing from society, the early church, though active in its community, also demonstrated a deep commitment to shared living, learning, and worship. This post explores how we might glean wisdom from both to revitalize the church today. St. Anthony, considered the father of monasticism, exemplified this dedication by forsaking wealth and social status to pursue a life of prayer and contemplation, drawing a group of disciples around him. This intense lifestyle, though not directly comparable to the early church, echoes the devotion and communal focus found in the Book of Acts. My experience serving at youth camps has brought this connection into sharp focus. These week-long re...

The Lonely Road of Ministry: Where Have All the Disciples Gone? It's a strange reality that in today's church, it seems you need a title to be heard. You need a position, preferably "Pastor," to be considered a legitimate voice in the Christian community. This strikes me as incredibly odd, especially when I look back at the Bible. Jesus, the ultimate example, held no official position. He was a Rabbi, yes, but in the truest sense of a teacher. His authority came from his words and actions, not a title. The disciples? Their title was "disciple." Followers of Jesus. Simple. Where are those disciples today? Where are the teachers, the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists – not the ones employed by institutions, but the ones gifted by the Spirit, yearning to use their gifts, often overlooked by the established church? It feels like the church has become a reflection of social media. The loudest voices, the most charismatic personalities, the bigges...