“Teach Nolen”

As a Pastor I’ve learned that if you want to see people continue to serve the Lord faithfully you may need to help them transition to a new church. Listen, I know what you’re thinking. Sheep swapping is not discipleship. I agreed with you, however, it doesn’t change the fact that some people will leave the church. It’s inevitable. I mean some people you are called to serve will be with you for just a season and that’s ok. Yet making the decision to move on can be difficult for some. Here are a few suggestions on how to help people transition to new places of worship.

FOLLOW UP - Sometimes people who were once committed begin to attend less and less however that’s not always a sign that they are ready to move on. Before jumping to conclusions try meeting with them to see if everything is ok. Employment changes, children activities and health issues can keep members from consistently gathering together with the saints. Meeting with them can help you determine their intentions. It’s better to know than to assume.

PRAY - Once you know for sure the member is wanting to move on, begin lifting them up in prayer. Making a transition can be difficult. They are not just leaving a building but rather people they’ve come to consider as family. Ask the Lord to give them peace about the decision. Ask God to help them find a new church that will embrace them, teach them and use them in ministry.

HELP - There are a ton of churches however some are not as sound as others. You can be a tremendous help by recommending churches that would be safe to attend. Suggest churches that are close to their neighborhood and that have similar doctrinal beliefs. This will help make the transition easier for them. Just be sure to let them know the door is always open.

Supporting teachers with a full plate

School starts in less than a week!! Can you believe it? I know that’s exciting for some but let’s not forget that there are many classroom teachers who already feel the stress of having way too much on their plate like:

* Lesson plans

* Informal assessments

* Differentiation needs

* Small group activities

* Supplementary material prep

* Preparing centers

* Setting up for special days

What is a teacher to do? How will classroom educators get all the work done? Here are a few ways instructional paras can help support classroom teachers:

1. Discuss weekly lesson plans together.

I’ve learned that certified teachers are the backbone of school campuses. But they can’t do the work alone. Every teacher could benefit from a paraprofessional that can implement specific instructional tasks. This happens when teachers select certain skills that paras can practice with students. For instance, if sharing is the social skill of the day, paras can support teachers by reinforcing the skill during centers time or on the playground. Or how about the letter of the week. Paras can create a hallway song that includes words beginning with that particular letter. Discussing lesson plans and how to incorporate paras can be a win win for the entire class.

2. Share small group instruction time.

I’m always amazed at how much work teachers get done in a day. Whole group, small group and individual student support certainly fills up a teachers to-do-list. Not too mention retuning emails and phone calls to parents. Yikes! One way teachers can find help is assigning some small group tasks to paras. This means more than simply cutting out pictures and setting up art supplies. In addition to these tasks teachers can offer paras an opportunity to work with students on counting sheets during small group. Or how about authentic letter ID and writing activities? This could be a perfect stretch goal for the para and create time for teachers to accomplish individual student assessments. Give it a try. What could it hurt?

3. Work together during transitions.

Some of the most stressful moments during the school day are transitions. Going from one classroom to another can take a lot out of both staff and students. Teachers and paras can reduce the stress by working together from the time students line up until they reach the intended destination. An idea could be letting one adult lead a hallway activity while the other supports the anxious students in line. Two people focusing on a single task allows for smoother transitions and safer lines in the hallway. Trust me, it beats one person trying to keep the entire class in line while also encouraging a learner to keep walking after the student has stopped. That’s really hard. Listen, if you need more ideas, check out this podcast episode on “Hallway Transitions”.

4. Provide support for anxious students.

Teachers have a major responsibility that requires time to implement concepts during a small window for whole group instruction. When you add in a student who needs one on one support while teaching, it makes a person wonder how educators do it so well. A way to help teachers focus on instruction is to allow paras to manage student behaviors during whole group. Teachers can encourage paras to sit with students who need additional support. Also, learners who need a brain break can spend time with paras at a table close to the whole group. This allows teachers to continue instruction with minimal interruption. Create a plan and allow the para to implement it. You might be surprised.

5. Debrief daily on student progress.

Teachers are responsible for the continued growth of every student in their classroom. However, I’ve learned that two sets of eyes are better than one. Paras can play a vital role at helping teachers recognize progress and potential areas of growth. This can be done by allowing paras to share notes at the end of the day on student observations. Teachers can use this information for personal encouragement as well as a way to create an action plan going forward for particular students. Teachers can certainly benefit from another set of eyes in the classroom.

Enhancing vocabulary for young learners

As a future teacher, I’m learning that BIG words are not an obstacle for little learners. Teachers who use language in creative ways produce context for students to know when and how to use a BIG word. In a conference for early childhood educators, I picked up some great suggestions for how read-alouds can enhance vocabulary in young learners.

Change how you read.

Traditionally, classroom read-alouds are nothing more than moments when teachers read to students. Well, at least to those who are paying attention. But what if we changed the traditional “reading to students” into an activity of “reading with students”? This subtle shift could potentially create deeper engagement with the material making reading enjoyable for both teachers and students.

Choose words to emphasize.

One thought that hit me during the conference is sticky words grow vocabularies. If young learners are going to use BIGGER words then teachers need to find ways to help their brains hang onto new vocabulary. One suggestion was to select words from the book that allow students to engage interactively with the story. This requires reading action or compound words energetically as a fun way to help build a child’s vocabulary for future use. The more words we emphasize, the more words they will remember. Sticky words grow vocabularies!

Create context cues.

Repetition certainly supports word memory. But what about word meanings? Rather than expecting young leaners to memorize definitions, teachers can create hand gestures and facial expressions as a way to help students connect words with meaning. For instance, the word big can be gestured by widening your hands or the word leap can be expressed by making two fingers on one hand spring up from the palm of the other. Or you could simply stand up and leap in the air. Just be sure to give the students a chance to leap as well. This provides context for students to know when and how to use a word without memorizing a definition.

Develop a BIG word list.

I’m learning that young learners have the capacity to pick up on BIG words rather quickly. Teachers can help students take small steps toward using a bigger vocabulary by adding synonyms for the selected words in the book. For instance, after reading the word “quietly” introduce the word “whisper” by using a gesture to support the context such as covering both sides of your mouth with your hands. Or maybe after reading the word “big” try introducing the word “enormous” while making a largely demonstrative air circle. Each of these can help connect meaning in a fun way while creating long term memory cues for future word use.

I just took my first Google Certified Educator exam and I must say it was a little tougher than initially imagined. I passed, but not without a little stress 😬 along the way. Google does a really good job at making sure you understand the core competencies of their Workspace apps such as Google Drive, Gmail, Forms, Sheets, Docs and Calendar. It’s really important that you understand the steps needed to do basic functions in various apps. This means you can’t fluff your way through the exam. You need some familiarity with Google Workspace. Now, I would give you an example, however that would give you an unfair advantage 🤣. Besides, it’s also against the rules.

If you decide to take the exam, I suggest using the free training offered at edu.google.com. The site offers fundamental information about Google Workspace for Educators along with multiple choice and situational based questions to get you prepared for the exam. Not to mention it’s all FREE! Did I say free? Yes it’s FREE 😆.

Another way to prepare for the exam is by attending a Google Certified Educators academy. Shake Up Learning has an amazing training platform that offers virtual workshops and over 100 hours of professional development training for a small fee. I’ve heard it’s worth every penny. You can check out their podcast as well and learn tips and tricks for using technology in education. If you need hands on help this would be a great way to go.

Now for those of you who like free training, it doesn’t hurt to read a manual or two as well even if you have experience with the platform. I found one online titled “Mastering Google Workspace” by Carty Binn. It’s updated and filled with details about every Google application. It’s a free read if you have a Kindle Unlimited account😉.

What do you do when you don’t know what to do?

I can remember it like it was yesterday. It was summer 2009. Two little girls with pig tails on pink and white Barbie bikes rushing out of my garage, up the driveway and onto the sidewalk. One raced past me while the other trailed behind us. While I was trying to catch up with the one, I heard the other making grunting sounds “uhhhh, uhhhh” like she was having a hard time. As I turned around to see what was going on, three of the most memorable words came out of her mouth, “I can’t push”. The bike was stuck in a crack on the sidewalk and on her face was the look of defeat as she repeated the same words again, “I can’t push”. So, like a good father, I tell her to go backwards and then pedal forward as fast as she can. Guess what? She made it over the crack.

You know, life can feel the same way sometimes. I mean, we can find ourselves stuck in situations that we don’t know how to handle. Like dealing with inflation and rising gas prices but not having enough money to afford the increase. What about being unemployed for six months with no job leads. Or how about trying to make the best of a marriage that is no longer filled with joy. Some situations simply leave you saying “I can’t” figure it out.

Well, this week I found good news in James 1:5 which says,

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you”.

In this verse, James makes a hypothetical statement by saying, “If any of you lacks wisdom”. I like this because James never judges people by saying, “you don’t know what you are doing” or assumes anything about people by asking “do you know what you are doing”. No, he simply says should you find yourself stuck in a situation and you don’t have the insight necessary to handle it, here is what you do. This is good news because it promises that we can get an answer if we just ask God. It encourages us to admit that we need help and then assures us that once we do, we will receive it.

We've all heard the saying, "sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me". That's what we said as kids when we wanted to appear tough on the playground after someone said something mean to us. But truthfully words do hurt. Studies show that one of the reasons many marriages fall apart is due to verbal abuse. Many friendships are stalled over harmful conversations. Right now, the world we live in is being divided by those who suffer from a lack of emotional intelligence on social media. Words do hurt. And this is why I believe that if we are not careful, we could actually crush our children while we are attempting to correct them.

Don't get me wrong correction is necessary. There will be times when our children need to be held accountable for their challenging behavior. I mean we simply cannot allow misbehavior to go unchecked. Yet, how we correct our children is vitally important. Specifically, the words we use when we are correcting them.

Studies show that just like physical trauma, children can also experience emotional trauma from negative words they hear about themselves. For instance, children who are called dumb, stupid, no good, or just flat out bad have a tendency to internalize the words they hear and carry them throughout their lives. Now I know as some of you are reading this you are saying to yourself, "I was called everything but a child of God when I was growing up and I turned out alright". That's great but everyone doesn't respond the same way when it comes to emotional trauma. I read in an article that "toxic stress coming from verbal abuse damages the function and structure of a kid's brain". Now, I'm not a medical or psychological expert on adverse childhood experiences but I've seen how words can hurt children in both my personal and professional life.

How do we keep from wounding our children while trying to correct them? I believe Ephesians 4:29 offers wisdom for how to use our words when trying to redirect a child's behavior. The verse says,

"don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them."

The verse begins by making foul and abusive language off limits due its inability to develop people. An example of this is using curse words in your conversation or hurtful phrases that target the child more than the behavior. For instance, phrases like “you will always be a bad kid” or “you are going to end up just like so and so” produces more harm than good. This form of correction actually deposits a negative self-image in the child making it difficult at best to overcome the unhealthy thoughts created by our words. Instead, the verse calls parents and teachers to speak in a way that will build a child up in moments of correction rather than tearing them down. This means teachers benefit children when they choose not to use the words "you are being bad today" or “why are you so bad” when addressing challenging behavior. Instead, try using words like "you seem to be upset" or "are you ok". Positive phrases open the door for dialogue in hopes to redirect the child to the expected behavior. Parents benefit their children by removing the phrases like “you are going to be just like so and so” which only targets the child rather than the behavior. Instead, try using the mistakes made by the other person as a way to help the child determine how to make better choices. This keeps the child from always connecting themselves to the mistakes of other people. 

This year, at the Cutting It Straight Conference, I had a chance to meet Brian Croft who is the Senior Pastor of Auburndale Baptist Church and Founder of Practical Shepherding. He is the author of several great resources for Pastors and Church leaders. Books such as Visit the Sick, The Pastor’s Family and Oversee God’s People have personally blessed my life and ministry.

In his break-out session, “Gathering God’s People”, Pastor Brian asked a very good question. Is the Sunday morning gathering for believers or non-believers? He explained that how we answer this question will dictate how we gather. I personally believe Sunday morning is for the equipping of the Saints. But it’s also a time when we can offer the hope found in Jesus Christ to those who may not be saved. The following practical principles were suggested as a way to help shape your worship service for the glory of God.

1. Consider a balanced approach to the use of Scripture during service.

Pastor Brian listed 5 ways to intentionally present Scripture to the congregation.

Preach the Word - Sermons should be clear and faithfully presented.

Pray the Word - Corporate prayer should include the words from Scripture.

Read the Word - Use Scripture as often as possible during the service.

Sing the Word - Select songs that contain biblically sound lyrics.

See the Word - Visually present Scripture through Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

2. Treat every element of the worship service as important.

Everything we do matters on Sunday morning. From the opening reading of scripture to the benediction. It all helps people see Jesus. Respond accordingly.

3. Drive gospel centered content through music.

Songs are an excellent way to help people remember sound truth after they leave. We should be intentional with what we present in song.

4. Make sure the aim of congregational singing is to hear the voices.

When we gather we should sing to God and to each other. Make sure sound levels of the instruments do not drown out the voices.

5. It’s important to plan out the elements of worship as a team.

Meet often with your worship team to ensure the sermon, songs and scriptures that are being used fit together.

6. Never underestimate how much Sunday morning says about the Church.

If we want those who attend to take worship seriously then consider starting and ending on time, reading and singing with excellence and preaching faithfully the Word of God.

7. Know what you are good at and do it well.

Basically if you’re not a “singer” don’t sing a solo. It’s ok to be in unison with everyone else. They will thank you later.

8. Introduce new songs like there is a bunch of non-musicians gathered together.

Don’t expect the congregation to respond to every song like a group of professionals. Help them learn the song by displaying lyrics in some way for all to see. Also use the music ministry to lead the congregation through each new song. Patience is key.

9. Embrace being simple and clear.

Stay away from complicated flows during your worship service. We want people to understand everything we do. Plain and simple.

10. Assume the Gospel is heard before the sermon.

Making much of Jesus is the reason we gather. Use scripture reading and prayer as a way of presenting the gospel before the Sermon is preached.

Well #CIS2019 has come and gone. I’m thankful for the wonderful people that I serve who make it possible for my wife and I to attend each year. It is truly a blessing. I mean I’ve been to a lot of great conferences over the years. But there is something special about Cutting It Straight. I can’t really put it into words. It’s just something you have to experience for yourself. But I’ll do my best to share some of the highlights with you.

CONFERENCE SPEAKERS

This year there were so many wonderful speakers and sessions. I was refreshed by Breonous Mitchell, trained by Brian Croft, encouraged by Mac Brunson, lifted by Charlie Dates, wowed by Robert Smith, blessed by Bob Kauflin, floored by Steve Lawson and Pastored by H.B. Charles Jr. Each of the partipants modeled expository preaching while challenging us to be faithful preachers. We were reminded to preach the gospel, encouraged to hold on to the hope we have in Christ and to go back home and carry out the mission with the divine authority given to us by Jesus Christ our Lord. They each cut it straight.

CHURCH VOLUNTEERS

As an attendee I was served all week by some of the most humble volunteers that I’ve ever met. I’m not just saying that I really mean it. Every where I turned there were men and women in wonderfully colored shirts greeting us with smiles. Many of them reached out to shake your hand and even offer hugs and encouraging words. There were volunteers to help you up and down the stairs, on and off the shuttle vans and plenty of staff to help you find your way around campus. I couldn’t even make my own coffee! I mean who does that? Shiloh Church volunteers that’s who. My hat goes off to every volunteer for such a wonderful display of hospitality.

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHT

My favorite moment of the conference was being able to sit with my wife in worship. Every Sunday we serve the wonderful people of Vibrant Life Baptist Church from the moment we walk in the door to the moment we leave. It’s rare for us to get an opportunity to sit still and soak in worship together. This year it was a joy to watch her take in every spirit filled moment. She was blessed by the sermons, lifted by the songs and trained by the sessions. My wife was able to make new ministry friends and build a long term relationship. I got excited listening to how excited she got about learning to worship from Joe Pace. Content over style! Yessssss. But knowing how happy she was to receive encouragement from Debbie Brunson was priceless. I’m so thankful my wife gets a chance every year to be poured into.

CONTINUED FELLOWSHIP

For a second straight year my ministry brothers attended the conference which gave us a chance to strengthen our bond together. We laughed, prayed, had dinner and learned together. Each year becomes another opportunity to create new memories that we will carry with us for a life time. It was also great establishing close friendships with new brothers and some that I’ve only known on social media. Listen I’ve learned in these five short years as Pastor that it’s really difficult surviving in ministry without friends who can relate to what you are going through. Every Pastor needs other Pastors who will pray, encourage and even correct you when necessary. If you need a friend, know that you have one in me. Listen, enough about what I experienced. It’s time for you to experience Cutting It Straight for yourself. Registration is easy. I’ve even included a link below for early bird pricing. Hope to see you at #CIS2020.

Five years ago I entered the arena of church planting. Since then my life has been a roller coaster of sorts. This morning I woke up with an extreme feeling of thankfulness as I thought about all that God has done in and through me over the years. As I prepare to celebrate my 5th year serving the wonderful people of Vibrant Life, I thought I would share 5 reasons for my gratefulness.

God’s Calling

I came to Christ and was baptized in 1995 at a small Bible church in Garland. After running for many years I accepted His call into the gospel ministry in 2005. But not once in a million years did I ever think I would be a Pastor. In 2012 the Lord used my home church to confirm His call and now the rest is history. I’ve done a lot of things in my life that are not very “pastoral” but I’m so glad that God chose to use me in spite of all my flaws.

Wife’s Support

In 2013 I told my wife God was calling me to be a Pastor. She just looked at me and smiled lol. I’m 100% sure that my wife had some serious reservations about what that would mean but without hesitation she has fully supported the calling of God on my life. My wife has put up with the illuminating light of my phone as I’m typing notes in bed late at night. She has hugged me on Sundays when I came home not sure if I gave God my best. My wife has allowed me to spend time in prayer, study and counseling even if it meant taking away personal time with her and the kids. Through it all she has prayerfully been by my side the entire time.

Church’s Patience

We had our first worship service on September 7, 2014. I had no idea what I was doing. I mean I was an immature preacher at best just trying to understand what it meant to be a Pastor. I’m still trying to figure it out but don’t tell anybody I said that lol. My preaching was boring and I wore them out with a 30 page new members binder. Yes I said 30 pages. I told you I didn’t know what I was doing lol. But the people I serve were so patient. They hung in there with me. They prayed and waited for God to grow me up. And to this day they still are patient with me.

Teacher’s Faithfulness

God has placed so many wonderful Aquila’s AND PRISCILLA’s in my life to develop and shape me over these last 5 years. They faithfully taught and challenged my understanding of the Scriptures. There are far too many to name. I mean some are Apologists, Pastor’s, Deacons, Sunday school teachers, Pastor’s wives, youth ministers, church mothers and many brothers and sisters in the Lord. Some live in Wylie, Dallas, Sachse, Conway Arkansas, Louisiana, New Jersey, Georgia, Michigan, California, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, Philly, Rockford and Chicago Illinois. And the faithfulness of Florida changed the course of my ministry.

Life’s Lessons

The last 5 years have taught me a lot of hard lessons. I’ve come face to face with my own failures, insecurities and fears. I’ve had some really high highs. But I’ve also had some really low lows. I’ve had moments when I felt as if nothing could stop me. I mean nothing. But I’ve been burned out and felt like quitting at times as well. I’ve been hurt a lot in ministry. But I’ve also done some hurting as well myself. Yet through it all I’ve learned that love really does cover a multitude of sins.

As a new Pastor I’ve learned if you want to stay healthy, keep your family happy and help the membership grow spiritually you have to learn to get out of the way and let people help you. I mean one of the biggest pressures for a Pastor who serves a start up church is the overwhelming feeling of how much work needs to be done. Every week there is another worship service that needs to be setup. Another bible study that needs to be taught. Another person that needs to be discipled. Another ministry that needs to be started. And every week the pressure makes you feel like if you don’t do it yourself then the work won’t get done. So you choose to do all the work yourself which burns you out, frustrates your family and stunts the spiritual growth of those you serve. Now, it doesn’t have to be this way. God has surrounded you with lots of wonderfully gifted people who will serve with you. Here is how I learned to find help.

PRAY

I know it sounds cliche but it’s the only way to truly find help in ministry. Companies post internal job openings, but as a Pastor I’ve learned to get on my knees. God knows better than I do which person fits each individual task within the church. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:18 that “...God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted”. Ask God to move on the hearts of those you serve and fit them in place within the church.

TRAIN

When God moves on the hearts of people you need to be ready to prepare them for the task. This is why God gives Pastors to a local church; to equip the saints for the work of service. Each person willing to serve along side you in ministry will need biblical instruction about who and why they are serving. Also each person will need a practical example. This means you will need to roll up your own sleeves and let them watch you get involved. As a Pastor you should never be beyond stacking chairs, cleaning restrooms and serving a plate at the fellowship dinner. If you train people they will help you serve.

ENCOURAGE

When God moves on their hearts and you are actively involved in preparing the people make sure you spend time cheering them on. As you know ministry is difficult, but we can lighten the load just by a kind word of encouragement. I’ve learned that having ministry one-on-ones with those I’ve trained can go a long way. This gives me a chance to hear how their ministries are going and help guide where necessary. These become moments when I can say thank you and let them know how proud and excited I am about their progress.

Church planters pray and plan for a lot of things when they start a new church. Things like location, facilities, equipment, finances, messages and so forth are an important part of the work. But I believe often times there is one thing that may go unnoticed and that is considering how to welcome guests. I like to call those that come to weekly services guests rather than visitors because to me it sounds more personable. And when I say guests, I’m referring to people who randomly show up because someone either invited them or they found out about the church through some form of outreach. Sometimes this group of people can be missed out in the praying and planning stages of a new church. In some regards the praying and planning focuses on those who will come to church, but in most cases the focus is on those who have already shown an interest in coming.

When it comes to the church, I believe God expects us to welcome in guests that we do not know. I mean if you are going to reach those in your community for Christ, it’s going to take an intentional effort with each guest. You will need to help those who come to your worship services, realize you are really glad they came. This means you need to truly have what I call a welcoming spirit. Here are a few things I’m learning about helping your guests feel welcomed and included when they come to your weekly services.

RIGHTS ACTIONS

A “Welcoming Spirit” intentionally HELPS guests when they show up. People with a welcoming spirit know that guests don’t know anything about the church and in some cases don’t know anybody at the church. So people with a welcoming spirit help guests by approaching them with a smile or a handshake. They help by explaining how things work at the church and they spend time introducing guests to people in the church. This can happen before worship starts or during the formal meet and greet if you have one. So long as your guests are greeted by you and the members of the church.

RIGHT ATTITUDE

A “Welcoming Spirit” TREATS guests like they are members of the church. People with a welcoming spirit don’t keep the “non-member” at a distance but rather they invite the guest to be a part of life with the church. See a welcoming spirit invites guests to hang out for breakfast after worship. They invite guests who show up to come with them to small group. A welcoming spirit even invites the guest to come hang out at Wingstop, Starbucks or maybe even to watch a ballgame. See a “Welcoming Spirit” invites those that are guests to be part of their life no differently than they would a member of the church. Having the right attitude will go a long way with your guests. It will also help them return. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not a guy who concentrates on numbers, but I am the guy who concentrates on making disciples. And in order to do that you need guests who return.

RIGHT AIM

A “Welcoming Spirit” FEELS a certain way about guests that show up. It’s a genuine feeling of care and concern that wants the best for them. People with a welcoming spirit truly have a “love thy neighbor” feeling toward guests. This feeling is expressed in being sensitive to the potential needs of every guest who shows up. I mean if a guest comes in discouraged a “Welcoming Spirit” does what it can to lift the person up. Just an encouraging word can do a lot for someone. A welcoming spirit also prays for and even with guests that show up. Everybody needs prayer and sometimes simply asking a guest during prayer time if you can pray with them let’s the guest know they are welcomed and included. After all, Jesus told us to love others as ourselves.

I hope these ideas will help you be more welcoming to your guests at church. Reading Leviticus 19:33-34 has helped me learn how to reach those who enter the church doors for the first time. Read it when you can. Also, if you find yourself in Sachse, Texas please feel free to stop by Vibrant Life Baptist Church. I would love to introduce you to some wonderful people who are in love with Jesus. You can find more information about VLBC on Facebook @vibrantlifebc and on the web at vibrantlifebc.org. We would love to meet you and your entire family. So consider yourself invited and we will see you @ Church.