PANSIES OR TULIPS?

 At this time in the fall, the flowers that my wife, Karen, and I have planted earlier in the year have done their best to bring color and delight to our spring and summer but they are all tuckered out and droopy.  So normally we spend a few days planting some flowers, mainly pansies, which are created by God to provide us some color and brightness throughout the winter that lies ahead.  I am always amused that these flowers carry a name that is often used in derision for a person who cannot hold up under any kind of pressure, yet these beautiful, delicate flowers are at their best when other flowers and plants drop their petals and leaves and hide for the winter.  Pansies show off their toughness when they push their heads through the snow seeking the sun’s approval throughout the harsh winter months. So recently, Karen and I spent a few hours on a Saturday to plant some pansies around the house to allow them time to acclimate in preparation for the freezing temperatures that lie ahead (at least they say they’re coming).

A few years ago Karen and I planted about 60 tulips and we have fallen in love with the beauty that they bless us with every year as they greet the spring. This year I decided to plant 105 more tulips to complement their earlier planted cousin tulips.

As I was digging the 105 holes with my tulip planter tool (which is a great thing to use) I started thinking about the whole gardening thing and the parallels it has on life. This thought process took my mind off my aching back and knees and set me on a higher plane.

Are you planting pansies or tulips?

There is an immediate reward with planting pansies.  You go to your favorite nursery and pick out a pallet or two of your favorite colored pansies which are already in bloom.  You take them home and plant them and you can continue to enjoy their color for the rest of the fall and throughout the winter.

However, in planting tulips you buy a bag or two of ugly looking bulbs and trust the pictures on the bag to be telling you the truth as to what you’re buying.  You take them home and repeatedly (105 times in my case) lean over on your hands and knees digging a six inch hole in the hard ground, removing stones as you dig.  You then add some fertilizer and insert the bulb.  Move other six inches and repeat.  Six inches and repeat until the bag is empty.  Water them down and wait … for several long and anxious months … to see if the fruits of your hard labor are worth it.

So are you a person that invests yourself and your efforts in only immediate gratification in terms of a reward?  If something you’ve spent time and money on doesn’t immediately bloom for you, do you count it as a failure and waste of time and resources? And then do you quickly move on to another ‘flash in the pan’ effort?

Or do you have the foresight to envision the end result, plan for it, prepare for it,  invest hard work and costly capital in it, and then do you have the patience to wait … and wait … and wait until the time is right (of which you have no control).

Now let me put this in terms of ministry.

Do you invest your efforts, time and money on things and events that are expected to bring immediate returns or responses?   Do you plan things and invest in spectaculars that you have to repeat year after year in order to have the same result?

Or are you willing to put in hard work investing in planning and preparing and cultivating only to spend months in hopes of a bountiful reward at a later time?

In ministry, it is not a matter of either/or - it’s both/and. 

There will be times when God will use us to reap immediate benefits and harvests.  When we respond to an evident need, there will be times when lives are eternally changed before our eyes.

But there will be other times when we must spend hours in back breaking, monotonous preparation in hopes that the investment of our efforts and finances will produce a harvest.  Sometimes we will know the timetable  that it takes to get to harvest time.  Other times, we will not be able to see the harvest and can only exercise our faith in God’s timing.

So are you planting pansies or tulips … or both?

THINGS YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ….

FOR PASTORS: Ten Annoying Things that Pastors Must Stop Doing by Mark Dance -  http://buff.ly/2eiiXMg

FOR PASTORS: Ten More Annoying Things that Pastors Must Stop Doing by Mark Dance - http://www.lifeway.com/pastors/2016/10/26/ten-more-annoying-things-pastors-need-to-stop-doing/

FOR PASTORS: Pastor’s Date Night - What is a Pastor Date Night? Read about it and register for one. There's one in January in Jonesboro, GA. http://buff.ly/2djSACe

FOR EDUCATION STAFF: 2017 GBACE, January 19, 2016 at Mabel White Baptist Church, Macon, GA with Dr. Eric Geiger, vice president at LifeWay - http://gabaptistgroups.org/training-conferences/2017-gbace-conference/?utm_content=buffer736fd&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

FOR CHURCH & COMMUNITY – DevoHub, providing daily devotional material directly to your smart phone or tablet - http://devohub.com/

FOR LEADER TRAINING: On Track National Sunday School Conference, Hendersonville, TN, March 17 & 18, 2017 - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/OnTrack?type=events

FOR BIBLE STUDY LEADERS: Become a Bible Study Insider - http://biblestudyinsider.com/bsi-order-form/?emid=BSI-08232016#.V8rwpjXEKkU

FOR BIBLE STUDY LEADERS: smallgroup.com – tailor-make your Bible studies or discipleship groups topics - http://home.smallgroup.com/about

FOR DISCIPLESHIP: Disciples Path OR DP: The Journey, two options for developing disciples - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/Disciples-Path

FOR DISCIPLESHIP: Become a "Launch" Church for the New "Disciples Path: The Journey" Intentional Discipleship Study: http://buff.ly/2e5W53s

FOR DISCIPLESHIP: The Insanity of God movie simulcast on November 9 & 13 - http://www.insanityofgodmovie.com/

FOR DISCIPLESHIP: The Insanity of Obedience by Nik Ripken (a great follow up to the “Insanity of God” movie - http://www.lifeway.com/n/product-family/insanity-of-obedience

FOR MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT:  Seven Rings of Marriage - http://www.lifeway.com/Product/7-rings-of-marriage-leader-kit-P005644102

FOR WOMEN’S MINISTRY: Resources for Women’s Ministry - buff.ly/2cwkISt

FOR MEN’S MINISTRY: Onward by Russell Moore, confronting today’s culture with Christ - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/Onward?intcmp=Men-MTX-Slider-Onward-20160314

FOR MEN’S MINISTRY: Stepping Up: A Call to Courageous Manhood – http://www.lifeway.com/Product/stepping-up-a-call-to-courageous-manhood-leader-kit-P005764897

FOR STUDENT MINISTRY: The LIFT Tour for developing student leaders - http://www.slulead.com/lift-tour

FOR STUDENT MINISTRY: Join the Student Pastor Network.  No one should do student ministry alone. http://buff.ly/2bzBQfJ

FOR STUDENT MINISTRY: Disciples Path for students – a new series for developing your student’s discipleship - http://www.lifeway.com/Disciples-Path/Youth/c/N-1z0znzeZ1z141ym?intcmp=DisciplesPath-MTX-Text-Students-20150625

FOR KIDS MINISTRY: Kids Ministry Summit, Jekyll Island, GA, February 2 & 3, 2017 - http://gabaptist.org/event/kids-ministry-summit/?instance_id=4203

FOR KIDS MINISTRY: Training Videos on sharing the gospel through each of our Kids curriculum resources - http://www.lifeway.com/Kids/Video/c/N-1z10cb8Z1z10do1Z1z141rs?cid=RDR-kidsgospelpresentation

FOR KIDS MINISTRY: Five things Kids Ministers need to know about parents. http://buff.ly/2dDKyJF

FOR KIDS MINISTRY: TeamKid’s “Catching Air”, the newest cycle is this discipleship bestseller - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/TeamKID?intcmp=teamkid-erdr-314

LET YOUR CLASSROOM HELP YOU TEACH

Sunday School is a great forum to share and apply principles from the Bible to daily life.  A simple setup in your Sunday School room can help ensure these important messages penetrate the ears and minds of class members.

LIGHTING: When it comes to conducting a successful Sunday School class, don't take your room for granted. The atmosphere you teach in can have an impact on your lesson and your students. Begin with a brightly-lit room. Dim spaces lessen the alertness of your class members. Reading and using the Bible interactively is also more difficult in a dark room.

CHAIR ARRANGEMENT: If possible, arrange your seating in a circle or semi-circle. An open seating arrangement encourages interactivity. Everyone in a circle is a participant. A lecture format, where all students sit in rows facing the teacher, indicates subconsciously that class members are there to only listen. In the same vein, if you use tables in a room they inhibit a conversational style of learning. A circle seating arrangement also helps both teachers and class members to make eye contact with one another.

REFRESHMENTS: Many Sunday School classes offer refreshments. For adult classes, the availability of coffee is obligatory as a morning wake-up aid. However, avoid making refreshments a time-consuming activity every Sunday. Of the 168 hours class members have each week, you are allowed just one to teach the Bible. Make that hour count--dive into the scriptures and give yourself plenty of time to share the lesson, encourage participation and answer questions. Prayer time and in-depth study are essential to a successful, healthy Sunday School. Fellowship can happen before and after, and serious food is best reserved for social occasions apart from Sunday morning.

WRITING MATERIALS: Class members will forget 75% of what they hear in your class within 72 hours if they do not write it down. Encourage them to use their personal study guides to write notes and questions about the study. Also make sure you have writing instruments available. You may also want to have a few extra Bibles and study guides handy for guests or members who may not have brought their own. Dispose of any old literature or handouts that can quickly clutter the room.  Most Sunday School classes have a blackboard, whiteboard, smartboard, and/or TV monitor. Writing down outlines, key thoughts, scripture and responses from class members is a proven aid in remembering information. If you have one of them, use it. And make sure you have a good supply of chalk, dry erase markers, and erasers.

WALLS: Above all, let your Sunday School room be a friendly, inviting place. What are your walls communicating? Do you have pictures of your class social events? Are there teaching posters or visual aids filling the walls?  Remember that posters have a life span too.  Any poster left up over two weeks has served out its usefulness and begins to imply to the class member that things in the classroom aren’t kept current.

FLOORING: You may not have any choice in type of flooring but you can give input on when it needs attention.  If you have a type of tiling for your floor, make sure that it is in good repair.  You may want to add an area rug to help ‘warm up’ the room and help with acoustics.  If you have carpeting, make sure that it is vacuumed and cleaned regularly.  It is not beyond the realm of possibility that you may have a learning activity that involves being on the floor.

As you prepare yourself for teaching with ample study, also prepare your classroom so you are ready in all respects to make the most of your weekly Bible study hour.

THINGS YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ….

FOR EDUCATION STAFF: 2017 GBACE, January 19, 2016 at Mabel White Baptist Church, Macon, GA with Dr. Eric Geiger, vice president at LifeWay - http://gabaptistgroups.org/training-conferences/2017-gbace-conference/?utm_content=buffer736fd&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

FOR STAFF: 3 Truths about Interruptions in Ministry by Randal Williams - buff.ly/2cCLSMt

FOR CHURCH & COMMUNITY – DevoHub, providing daily devotional material directly to your smart phone or tablet - http://devohub.com/

FOR LEADER TRAINING: On Track National Sunday School Conference, Hendersonville, TN, March 17 & 18, 2017 - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/OnTrack?type=events

FOR BIBLE STUDY LEADERS: Become a Bible Study Insider - http://biblestudyinsider.com/bsi-order-form/?emid=BSI-08232016#.V8rwpjXEKkU

FOR BIBLE STUDY LEADERS: smallgroup.com – tailor-make your Bible studies or discipleship groups topics - http://home.smallgroup.com/about

FOR SMALL GROUPS: Small Groups side by side with Sunday School Conference, November 1, 2, & 3 - http://gabaptistgroups.org/2016-side-by-side/?utm_content=bufferb3cb0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

FOR DISCIPLESHIP: Disciples Path OR DP: The Journey, two options for developing disciples - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/Disciples-Path

FOR DISCIPLESHIP: Counter Culture by David Platt, responding to the social issues of our day - http://www.lifeway.com/Product/counter-culture-leader-kit-P005703479

FOR DISCIPLESHIP: The Insanity of Obedience by Nik Ripken (a great follow up to the “Insanity of God” movie - http://www.lifeway.com/n/product-family/insanity-of-obedience

FOR MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT:  A Beautiful Design by Matt Chandler, recognizing God’s design in men and women - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/A-Beautiful-Design?emid=adult-enewsletter-abd-70576

FOR WOMEN’S MINISTRY: Resources for Women’s Ministry - buff.ly/2cwkISt

FOR MEN’S MINISTRY: Mistakes we make in Men's ministry. http://buff.ly/2bBDsCC

FOR MEN’S MINISTRY: Onward by Russell Moore, confronting today’s culture with Christ - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/Onward?intcmp=Men-MTX-Slider-Onward-20160314

FOR MEN’S MINISTRY: Stepping Up: A Call to Courageous Manhood – http://www.lifeway.com/Product/stepping-up-a-call-to-courageous-manhood-leader-kit-P005764897

FOR STUDENT MINISTRY: The LIFT Tour for developing student leaders - http://www.slulead.com/lift-tour

FOR STUDENT MINISTRY: Join the Student Pastor Network.  No one should do student ministry alone. http://buff.ly/2bzBQfJ

FOR STUDENT MINISTRY: Disciples Path for students – a new series for developing your student’s discipleship - http://www.lifeway.com/Disciples-Path/Youth/c/N-1z0znzeZ1z141ym?intcmp=DisciplesPath-MTX-Text-Students-20150625

FOR STUDENT MINISTRY: 10 Reasons to Stay in Student Ministry - http://www.lifeway.com/studentministry/2016/09/21/episode-39-10-reasons-to-stay-in-student-ministry/

FOR KIDS MINISTRY: Training Videos on sharing the gospel through each of our Kids curriculum resources - http://www.lifeway.com/Kids/Video/c/N-1z10cb8Z1z10do1Z1z141rs?cid=RDR-kidsgospelpresentation

FOR KIDS MINISTRY: 6 Ways to Touch the Hearts of The Parents - http://buff.ly/2bCITnK

FOR KIDS MINISTRY: Kids in Worship - http://gabaptistgroups.org/kids-in-worship/

FOR KIDS MINISTRY: TeamKid’s “Catching Air”, the newest cycle is this discipleship bestseller - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/TeamKID?intcmp=teamkid-erdr-314

MEET THE ENGLE SCALE

 

James Engle introduced a scale that shows the different levels of receptivity a person goes through in their relationship to Christ. The Engle Scale helps us to see evangelism as a journey, moving people from no knowledge or awareness of God to becoming fully devoted followers of Christ. We have often seen the back end of this journey--discipleship--as a process, but failed to see the front end of the journey as a process as well. Look at the scale listed below:

Level	Description	God Is	Man's Task
-12	No God framework	Confirming	Prayer
-11	Experience of emptiness		Presence
-10	God framework	Revealing
-9	Vague awareness and belief in God
-8	Wondering if God can be known		Preparation
-7	Aware of Jesus	Guiding
-6	Interested in Jesus
-5	Experience of Christian love		Proclamation
-4	Aware of the basic facts of the gospel	Convicting
-3	Aware of personal need
-2	Grasp the implications of the gospel		Power
-1	Challenged to respond personally	Converting
0	Repentance and faith
+1	Holy Spirit and baptism	Transforming	Encouragement
+2	Functioning member of local Church	Empowering
+3	Continuing growth in character, lifestyle and service
+4	Part of Team Leadership		Support

On this scale you see the two right side columns.  One column describes how God presents Himself to the person moving along the scale.  

The other column shows what our task is with the inquiring person.  At first, all we can or should do is prayer for the person and making our self available to God to be used in the life of the person.  Then we become more involved and slowly plant the seeds of the gospel and begin cultivation.  Sometimes development is rapid, sometimes we don’t see any movement.  But we should never give up on the relationship.

If we lived in an area (or maybe I should say “era”) where everyone was a -4 or -3 then we could just share the gospel and see pretty positive results.  However, I think we are all aware that we mingle among people who are on all different levels of the scale, beginning at -12 on up.

I am sharing this to help all of us understand that evangelism is a process that is highly individualized.  We need to recognize where a seeker is on the scale and develop ways to move them to the next level.  The other important thing we need to consider is that it will take some time, depending on where they are on the scale.  The further down they are, the longer it will take.

That is why we stress inviting every member and every prospect to every class party or function every time.  Those times of fellowship are valuable in moving a person through the levels to the point where we can share the good news of Christ without fear because they are at a point where they are eager to hear it.

Make it a goal for your classes to provide ample opportunities for your members to develop relationships with prospects and make sure they are equipped to know what to do when God opens the door for the gospel to be received.

THINGS YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ….

FOR CHURCH & COMMUNITY – DevoHub, providing daily devotional material directly to your smart phone or tablet - http://devohub.com/

FOR CHURCH PLANTERS: Helps in starting and sustaining new church starts - https://newchurches.com/

FOR LEADER TRAINING: Leadership Pipeline Conference, October 13 & 14 - http://myleadershippipeline.com/

FOR LEADER TRAINING: On Track National Sunday School Conference, Hendersonville, TN, March 17 & 18, 2017 - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/OnTrack?type=events

FOR BIBLE STUDY LEADERS: Growing Groups Forums, October 6, 13, 20, & 27 (check the link for a location near you) - http://gabaptistgroups.org/2016-growing-groups-forums/

FOR BIBLE STUDY LEADERS: Become a Bible Study Insider - http://biblestudyinsider.com/bsi-order-form/?emid=BSI-08232016#.V8rwpjXEKkU

FOR BIBLE STUDY LEADERS: smallgroup.com – tailor-make your Bible studies or discipleship groups topics - http://home.smallgroup.com/about

FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL LEADERSHIP: National Sunday School Director Seminar, October 22, 2016, Norman Park, GA - http://www.lifeway.com/event/Leadership-Training-National-Sunday-School-Director-Seminar-2016-Norman-Park-GA

FOR SMALL GROUPS: How to Start a Small Group in 9 Easy Steps - http://www.lifeway.com/Article/ministry-a-Small-Group-Bible-Study-Plan

FOR DISCIPLESHIP: Disciples Path OR The Journey, two options for developing disciples - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/Disciples-Path

FOR DISCIPLESHIP: The Insanity of Obedience by Nik Ripken (a great follow up to the “Insanity of God” movie - http://www.lifeway.com/n/product-family/insanity-of-obedience

FOR MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT: Marriage Getaways at Ridgecrest, NC - http://buff.ly/2b7VhXI

FOR MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT:  A Beautiful Design by Matt Chandler, recognizing God’s design in men and women - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/A-Beautiful-Design?emid=adult-enewsletter-abd-70576

FOR FAMILY MINISTRY: ETCH (Equipping The Church & Home) Conference, Nashville, TN, October 3-5, 2016 - http://etchconference.com/

FOR WOMEN’S MINISTRY: Living Proof Simulcast with Beth Moore, September 17, 2016; host one at your church or in your home – http://buff.ly/2b7VOc6

FOR WOMEN’S MINISTRY: 5 Top Women’s Studies for the fall - http://buff.ly/2aO1FZ4

FOR MEN’S MINISTRY: Mistakes we make in Men's ministry. http://buff.ly/2bBDsCC

FOR MEN’S MINISTRY: Onward by Russell Moore, confronting today’s culture with Christ - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/Onward?intcmp=Men-MTX-Slider-Onward-20160314

FOR MEN’S MINISTRY: Stepping Up: A Call to Courageous Manhood – http://www.lifeway.com/Product/stepping-up-a-call-to-courageous-manhood-leader-kit-P005764897

FOR STUDENT MINISTRY: The LIFT Tour for developing student leaders - http://www.slulead.com/lift-tour

FOR STUDENT MINISTRY: Join the Student Pastor Network.  No one should do student ministry alone. http://buff.ly/2bzBQfJ

FOR STUDENT MINISTRY: Disciples Path for students – a new series for developing your student’s discipleship - http://www.lifeway.com/Disciples-Path/Youth/c/N-1z0znzeZ1z141ym?intcmp=DisciplesPath-MTX-Text-Students-20150625

FOR STUDENT MINISTRY: It’s Not What You Think by Jefferson Bethke, the Christian Life is more than receiving a pass into heaven - http://www.lifeway.com/Product/its-not-what-you-think-student-leader-kit-P005782007

FOR KIDS MINISTRY: Training Videos on sharing the gospel through each of our Kids curriculum resources - http://www.lifeway.com/Kids/Video/c/N-1z10cb8Z1z10do1Z1z141rs?cid=RDR-kidsgospelpresentation

FOR KIDS MINISTRY: 6 Ways to Touch the Hearts of The Parents - http://buff.ly/2bCITnK

FOR KIDS MINISTRY: What You Wish Volunteers Understood about you - http://buff.ly/2bltMt7

FOR KIDS MINISTRY: TeamKid’s “Catching Air”, the newest cycle is this discipleship bestseller - http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/TeamKID?intcmp=teamkid-erdr-314