The State of Preaching

I don't know if I've earned the right to make such an evaluation, but here we go. I preached the first service of a weekend revival last night and after the service one of the members of the church engaged me on this very subject. He had spiritually grown up under the preaching of Steven Olford and others and he was lamenting the lack of preaching power and biblical depth in the pulpit today. After the service I went back to the pastor's home and spent the rest of the evening talking with the pastor's family (his wife and in-laws, who are retired Church of God ministers). Part of that conversation also turned to the state of preaching, particularly in the Church of God. Off of this non-scientific "survey" and my own convictions based on very little observation as well as the understanding I have gained here at Fuller both from classes and from teaching students, I want to make a few observations.

1. Based on homiletical training of students, almost all of the training for students focuses on exegetical and hermeneutical training. For instance, here at Fuller M.Div. students must complete both Greek and Hebrew as well as Greek Exegesis and Hebrew Exegesis prior to taking Homiletics. In other words you take four quarters of language study before taking one quarter of preaching. The basic homiletics class (called PR 500 here) is a 4 unit class that is required for the degree. After taking PR 500 the student must take 4 more hours in either homiletics or communications. Most students take a Preaching Practicum course or two (they are 2 hours each) to fulfill their last 4 hours (a total of 8 hours is required in the preaching area). All this to say that the students are heaped in language and study habits and are given some practical experience in preaching (most of the time you will preach twice in each class, so you may preach in class as many as six times before graduating. This doesn't count your field ministry experience where you will probably preach once or twice. The disconnect I see here is that we teach them how to put a sermon together but very little performance training.
2. My mentor, Dr. Clay Schmit, is one of the leading voices in the area of Performance Preaching. Many people are put off by the use of the word "Performance" because they associate the word with the wrong things. Actors perform by becoming a character they are not. Therefore, performance is viewed by many as being akin to fakery or falsehood. Interestingly, the same connotation is not given to soloists in the church. We don't mind that they perform a song. Why the double standard? Because we are still questioning the use of emotion in the pulpit. The subject of emotionalism in North American church history is long and complicated. From the Pilgrims stoic, unemotional delivery (described as the Perkins Method by O.C. Moore in his, "History of Preaching") to the firebrand style of George Whitfield, we are unsure as to how much emotion is too much - how much performance is helpful and how much is manipulative. However, any layperson will tell you that not only don't they mind some emotion from the pulpit, they would also appreciate it if a few more preachers learned the details of rhetoric and performance in their preaching. That is why the area of performance studies is growing and I firmly believe it is one of the missing pieces in how we train preachers today.
3. The lack of creativity in preaching is astounding. We all seem to be trying to emulate someone else. We try to preach like Rick Warren or copy the style of a Joel Osteen. We get sermons off the internet and try and preach them as our own. We discover someone else's outline and preach it as though it came from our sweet and brow. Preaching is not only about doing the study required to preach well, it is also about "finding your voice" in the pulpit. You have not been called to be someone else. God saw you as a unique vessel and decided to use you, your gifts, your talents, your personality, your quirky sense of thinking to be His vessel for sharing the Word. When we copy something from someone else we deny the reality that God desires to use us and that God knew what he was doing when he called us. Use your gifts. Be creative. A three point sermon with a poem at the end may have worked for someone else but each preacher must allow her voice to shine out.
   

Maybe these will resonate with some of you. Let me know. There is more to come.

Catching Up

It has been some weeks since I last wrote on the blog. Some catching up seems appropriate. Since my last writing I have been hard at work with some fascinating (at least for me) experiences to share. Here goes:

1. I spent several days with Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie, the renowned preacher and former Chaplain of the U.S. Senate. I became Fuller's official liaison for his "Preaching with Passion" Conference that the Seminary hosted. Dr. Ogilvie is an author (I have numerous copies of his books that he wrote as pastor of Hollywood Presbyterian Church) and a new, signed copy of his latest book, "The Red Ember in the White Ash". His inscription says, "To Jeff: God's man - a preacher with passion and my friend." Wow!
2. I have now given several lectures to M.Div students this quarter. I had to fill-in for my mentor, Dr. Schmit, who was on jury duty. I gave one lecture on "Text to Sermon" detailing how one goes from a passage through the daily process of study that will eventually end up in a sermon (I then spent the second hour preaching the sermon to them so that they might have a model to use and/or critique); Another lecture was on Narrative Preaching where I help the students understand the principles of how to do this genre of preaching. Most of that lecture was based on my book, which is required reading in the course.
   
3. Church of the Foothills (the Church of God congregation here in Pasadena that I am Interim Pastor for) is hosting an Arabic language service this coming Friday. It is supposed to attract a packed house of Arabic speaking Christians who live in the area. One of our Pre-School families left the Middle East after being persecuted for their Christian beliefs in a predominantly Muslim nation.
   
4. I am currently reading a book by Stephen Webb called, "The Divine Voice" which is an absolutely fascinating book about the Theology of Sound. His use of both the bible and dealing with the works of great philosophers and theologians, makes the book a unique read. It is helping to form my own understanding of the uniqueness and the power of preaching.
   
5. Joanie continues to get high marks from her new principal and the leadership of the school. I am so very proud of her and how she is growing in her life. She has been hired by Church of the Foothills to be their Minister of Music. Last week she shared her testimony with the Fuller Wives Support Group that she is deeply involved in. She is doing very well juggling her many tasks and the recovery from her hip replacement surgery continues to go well.
6. This weekend I will be holding a weekend revival in Whittier (about 20 minutes away). It is a big weekend for them and they are focusing on reaching out to their neighborhood, so I pray their efforts will be fruitful.
   
7. I have to register for Winter classes in a few weeks. It will be the last time I register for classes here at Fuller. After the Winter Quarter I will be preparing to take my Comprehensive Exams in the Spring and then I will be taking Directed Readings for the second half of my program as I prepare to write my Dissertation. While I have several years in front of me, it is amazing how time has flown by.
   

Better Than Any Words I Can Write - Malachi at 3 Weeks

Accomplishments

In the age of Reality Television, one interesting feature has come to light for me. The issue of competition has become the foundational basis for nearly all reality shows. Joanie and I have become fans of the show "Top Chef" - we've watched several seasons of it. Hits like "Dancing with the Stars" and "American Idol" have created a whole industry built up around competition between either well known stars in unfamiliar settings (ballroom dancing) or unknowns seeking to become known (to become the next "American Idol"). The one thing they all have in common, like the game show formats upon which they seem to be based, is that they engage the viewer in the "cliff hanger" motif. You never know who is going to win the competition.
The shows on television today that constantly receive the highest ratings are the major sports competitions - Super Bowls, World Series, NCAA Basketball Tournament, NASCAR races like the Daytona 500, and New Years Day Bowl Games, etc. Like Reality TV, they are competition based. This emphasis on competition leaks into the corporate world, into politics, and even into churches that seem to be in competition with other churches for parishioners, bigger budgets, and larger numbers. When High School athletics are on TV and the networks put on shows like "Kidnation" that glory in competition at the lowest ages; when parents fight to get their toddlers into the "perfect" Kindergarten or fear that their children's future educational lives may be ruined by not getting into a prestigious preschool; when young people assign value and importance to other people's lives based on what car they drive or what clothes they wear, competition has gotten out of hand. As my son, Jonathan, once said about Survivor, "How can you say that a bunch of people running around half-naked on a deserted island being filmed by dozens of camera people and then having those pictures sent out over the airwaves to millions and millions of people - how is that reality?"
Somehow we have to change the standard by which we evaluate what is foundational in people's lives. Competition isn't working. Something else has to supplant it that will make a better society... a better world. Maybe the better standard would be accomplishment (the symbol at the top of this post is the Chinese symbol for accomplishment). I think accomplishing something is far more important than beating someone in a competition. A child's crayon drawing is a far greater accomplishment than getting a soccer trophy. It shows development, creativity, and a growing understanding of the world in which the child is living. A soccer trophy means that your child has physically grown or developed at a greater speed than his peers. Eventually the others will catch up and pass them. What will they do then when their competitive edge is lost? Steroids? While I love sports and enjoyed my children playing them, it is not a great judge of their future accomplishments. Some traits from the world of competition may very well help in other phases of life, the ability to accomplish something is far superior to being able to win competitions at an early age.
Here at Fuller you hear a lot of students talk about education in terms of competition. This is especially true for those who want to go beyond the Master's Degree and get into a Ph.D. program. You have to get good grades to get into Graduate School. I understand that. In my own case, my strongest argument for getting into the Ph.D. program at Fuller may have been the high grade point average I accumulated in my Master's work. I understand how competition for spots can be fierce. However, the best thing about graduating with a Master's Degree was the learning that I received during the experience. When I received my diploma, it was the sense of accomplishment that I felt that was the most rewarding thing of all. Getting the grade was merely a way of judging how well I had accomplished the goals for learning in the course. It was not a competition. It was a challenge. I like challenges.
By the way, grades came out today for both the Spring and Summer quarters. I got my first A on a paper for the Ph.D. program. The first two papers I handed in (for the Fall and Winter Quarters of my first year) received A-. For the Spring Quarter I received an A. The difference between the two at this level of education is that an A- is a quality paper. An A paper is not of greater quality but has a deeper and better organization of thought that makes it of publishable quality. The difference is not really a subtle one. These are being graded by professors, all of whom have published several books and numerous articles and papers. They know the difference between a good paper and one that others in the field of your expertize will find meaningful. Getting an A is an accomplishment. No one is ever going to look and see if I got an A or an A- in any of my doctoral seminars. They will only look to see if I have the degree and completed my dissertation. However, it means a great deal to know that I may have reached a place where my thoughts and my work will be valued by others. It may mean that I have taken my first measurable step toward becoming a scholar. At the very least it is an accomplishment. And that feels good!
By the way, I got an A in Latin, too. That's not an accomplishment. That's a miracle.

Malachi at Home with Grandpa

Nothing I can say will be better than a picture of me holding my grandson while he finds his thumb! Grandparenting is great!

Evangelism with a Twist

If you are interested in knowing some of the cutting edge, pushing the envelope types of evangelism and worship that is going on in churches, please read this blog by a pastor doing something new and refreshing:

http://www.vinceantonucci.com

Blood Diamonds

We just finished watching the Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou movie, "Blood Diamonds". It tells the horrific story of the carnage created in places like Sierra Leone where the mining of diamonds has been used to pay for bloody civil wars and genocide. Meanwhile, those of us in the West go blindly shopping for diamond rings and baubles that have been bought with the blood and suffering of millions.
In the course of the movie the depiction of the torture inflicted upon the people of Sierra Leone by their own rebel forces results in the amputation of young men so that they are unable to either vote in elections or carry arms against the rebels. It is not just Hollywood drama but an accurate depiction of the real thing. The picture of this young man with no hands attests to the maiming that has been done and is still being done by rebels and opposing forces on the citizenry of various African countries. How can someone do that to their own countrymen and women? How can you kill a mother or child in cold blood merely for the benefits some mineral can give you? Of course, this is just Africa where backward people with no real morals kill each other for sport, isn't it?
We who are white and from the West look down on those peoples of color who do horrible things to each other. Blood Diamonds, the Killing Fields of Pol Pot in Cambodia, the Rwandan massacre depicted in Don Cheadle's "Hotel Rwanda", the Rape of Nanking by the Japanese Imperial Army in 1937-38, etc. There are no shortages of people of color killing themselves. How conveniently we forget the millions who died at Stalin's hands in the Gulags, or the holocaust ovens of Hitler, or the genocide of Turks against the Armenians, or the ethnic cleansing of Bosnia, or the death toll at the dreaded Andersonville Prison during our own Civil War. These were not people of color killing themselves, these were basically white, Euro-Centric people who did unspeakable things to one another. No, the color of your skin does not dictate the level or depth of inhumanity one group accomplish. It is sickening.
Yet, there persists in the vacuum of postmodernistic thinking the idea that sin is a universal constant. We seem desperate to hold on to the idea that humankind is "basically good". We want to believe that such things only happen far away from us and never in a civilized society. But the biblical picture of the world still rings true in spite of the assault against it. In a world that hates itself, sin is the predominant force that drives the relationship of human beings, countries, and the world. I'm afraid that Sally Fields statement at the Emmy's is naive: ""And let's face it; if the world was run by mothers, there would be no...wars." No, I'm afraid there would be. Because human beings, regardless of gender, have the same problem - we are invested in sinful living. And the cure isn't thinking good thoughts or trying self-help books. Dr. Phil may help some but he is fighting a losing battle. The sin in our society is not a social issue but a spiritual one. And sin cannot be eradicated by tolerance, acceptance, and non-judgmentalism. It can only be changed by the power of God changing the soul of a person. Anything else that we try creates the same sad situation that was depicted in "Blood Diamonds".

Those Leaving Ministry

Joanie and I are enjoying the days with our new grandson and his parents. It has given me a few moments to pause and reflect. I just read my friend Lloyd Moritz's blog and it has prompted me to write this one. His facts and figures about what is happening to ministers are disturbing, to say the least:

Within 5 years of graduating from Bible College or Seminary 80% have left the ministry.

The average tenure of a pastor in a church today is only 3 years.

The average tenure of a pastor's ministry career is only 14 years.

Two thoughts strike me about these disturbing figures. First, as someone preparing to teach seminary students who are either about to enter the ministry or are already in ministry and seeking more knowledge, what do I need to do to combat these alarming statistics? What are the implications for teaching and preparing candidates for ministry?
Second, what is wrong with our churches that they have this kind of effect on ministers? I realize their is a corollary to this - what is wrong with our ministers that they are leaving in such huge numbers? I don't doubt that there are numerous candidates for pastoring that are seeking pastoral ministry for all the wrong reasons. I don't doubt that there are ministers out there that make a mess out of their situations and leave the ministry or the church because they have done the wrong things in the wrong way. I'm sure I can count myself among those who have done the wrong things and gotten himself into trouble.
However, I have had my ministry shortened at two congregations by the actions of men and women who should never have been given the power to make life miserable for the pastor. At one church, the culprits were three leading laypersons whose personal lives were a mess and whose actions were immoral. Yet, they were trusted and the pastor was "the hired hand". One of them went on to create the same havoc in another congregation before the leaders stopped him by supporting the pastor and creating church discipline. One of them left the church after his moral failure came to light. The other one stays at the church and continues to make life miserable for both pastors and laypersons alike. I should note that the other culprit at this church was a fellow minster and staff person. He was believed and affirmed while I was chastised and condemned. He became the pastor, lasted 18 months, had a moral failure, destroyed his family, and left the ministry. Obviously there was no spirit of discernment that undergirded that church.
The second congregation decided to listen to a faction of people led by two men who have no moral or ethical character. They spread lies and rumors; they made untrue and slanderous statements about my wife; they gathered around them spiritually immature believers who had this thing or that against me (though they would never talk to me about it) and made huge claims of power and support that they never had. I left because God called me to go into this PhD program, but I could not have stayed very much longer under the kind of attack these folks put me and my family under. Where are those two "leaders" now? They have left the church. One a layperson who now fancies himself a minister (hmmm) and the other, again, a staff person. The staff person has shown his colors by becoming a Baptist and joining the staff of a local congregation whose doctrine and polity are directly opposite the Church of God. Folks, something is wrong with our churches when the pastor is the object of scorn and distrust and church "leaders" are given more power than the witness and testimony of their lives deserve. If we keep doing this, the numbers at the top of this blog report will only get worse.

To The Heartland

We are halfway across the United States (from California to Illinois) and we did it after Joanie had spent the day teaching school. From LA to Chicago in a little over three hours. Not bad, not bad at all. As I prepare to go to bed (I will be the last of the household to hit the hay) I have yet to be able to greet the newest Frymire. That will all change at 10:30 am when we go to the hospital to see Joel, Shafali and Malachi. It has been more than a year since I have seen my son and his wife. Too long to go between visits. But all that will change when the morning (its 2am here) hits and we are off to the maternity ward.
Joel sent us this picture this afternoon. Malachi is 24 hours old in this pic. According to Joel, he has already changed features and looks different than he did yesterday. Isn't that amazing? We were created to change. But it seems the older we get the more we fight against any kind of meaningful change. We struggle to hold on to the comfortable while the very nature of our bodies and lives seeks change.
I've changed. OK, maybe not since yesterday, but I've changed this week. I've become a grandpa - that's a change! I've grown a goatee (anything to hide part of the mug - this is my collegiate rebellion phase) - that's a change. I've taken on a new ministry position at Church of the Foothills in Pasadena - that's a change. I'm taking two new classes in the Fall - that's a change! I'm married to Joanie - well, that's the same thing I've been for 32 years. But being married to her always brings about new things in our lives together and we've both changed even over the course of this summer as she has recovered from hip replacement surgery and we've adjusted our lifestyles.
God changes. That sounds like heresy, doesn't it. I thought he was the same yesterday, today, and forever? But God does change. He changes us. Salvation is his desire for each and every one of us and that is a profound change. And when God is in relationship with human beings who are in a constant state of change, doesn't that somehow change him or, at least, change the constantly changing dynamic of his relationship with a fallen, broken world that is being changed daily by the changes that are being made in people's lives by the Great Change Agent Jesus Christ?
I pray that if someone takes a picture of me on the inside and compares that with another picture of me 24 hours from now, I hope it shows that I have changed. Why? Because I know God is changing me even as I write. Even as I yawn. Even as I go to bed. Because, when I wake up tomorrow, I get to see Malachi. And nothing will ever quite be the same again.

Just 3 Minutes

At 7:00 on Wednesday night, my cell phone rang. Joel was leaving work and wanted me to know that he would not be calling me at his usual time (he calls me after he leaves work at 2am Illinois time/midnight California time) for us to talk as he rides home. He was on his way home early last night. There was much excitement at his workplace. His boss came rushing through the facility with a golf cart to pick up Joel and get him out to his car. THE Call had come. Shafali was in labor - she thought. After a couple of days of Braxton Hicks (contraction like pains that mimic the real pains) and the loss of the mucus plug, the time was now. The contractions were 13 minutes apart.
After Joel got home he was told that their OB-GYN had told them that they shouldn't come to the hospital until the contractions were 5 minutes apart. Wow! Just 5 minutes apart! On top of that, they had about 40 minutes to go to get to the hospital. In my mind, that seemed to be cutting things particularly close. But, then again, I am not a doctor (I played one on TV once - OK, not really, but you get the picture). At 2am his time (his regular time to call anyway) he called with Shafali in the car on the way to the hospital. The contractions were now closer to 3 minutes rather than 5. Wow! Just 3 minutes!
At 7:30 this morning a text message saying that they had made it through the night and that Shafali was 3 cm dilated and they were doing fine. Then......nothing. For the rest of the morning and into lunch, no word. I'm sure they were busy. I didn't expect a lot of communication. Too much going on and you have to concentrate on what's happening in the room, for sure! How long would it take? How far along was Shafali? How were things going? Then, at 1:23 California time (3:23 in Illinois), my phone beeped. The beep meant that a message was coming through. I assumed it to be a text message from Joel - an update on the progress of the birth. Instead, no words, no explanation, no update, no report - just a picture; a picture worth a thousand words. The picture of my grandson.
Not too long afterward came a call from the proud papa. As he related the amazement that is inherent in experiencing the birth of your first child, he told me something that amazed me. Now, I was there for the birth of both Jonathan and Joel. I experienced what Joel experienced today. After Jonathan was born, I went out and called my mother who was too ill to attend the birth. Joanie's mother was with us during the whole delivery - as was Doug. I told my mom all that I could about what I had experienced. But the one thing I couldn't do was allow her to see her new grandchild. It would be nearly a month before we could travel to see her and allow her to have a few minutes with her new grand baby. She was robbed by the cancer of even being able to see her grandson for nearly 30 days. Now, nearly 3 decades later, her baby boy is being called by her grandson to share in the birth of a new grandchild. Like my own mother, we were not able to be there for the birth (we are on a plane to Illinois tomorrow). But there is one notable difference. I got to see my grandchild less than 5 minutes after his birth. You see the picture above, taken by Joel, was taken when Malachi David was only 3 minutes old. Captured on his cell phone, he sent it out to me within 5 minutes of the birth. Malachi was born at 3:19 on a Thursday afternoon in September - on the 13th. And at 3:23 on that same afternoon, his grandfather received the very first picture ever taken of Malachi. I didn't have to wait 30 days or even for tomorrow night to arrive. I only had to wait 3 minutes. Just 3 minutes. Ain't it amazing!

Getting Ready for Malachi to Show Up

We are washing dishes (OK, Joanie is loading the dishwasher) and washing clothes (OK, Joanie washed the clothes) and getting ready to leave California for Illinois on Friday. It is such a hectic time for us: Joanie has just begun school (this is her second week) and I am just about to start school (begins on the 24th). I have a syllabus to get ready for a class I am helping to teach (on Creative Preaching) and a lot of preparation for the Preaching with Passion Conference that is coming up in October with Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie (I am the conference director or some title like that). This is the worst time to be taking 10 days and going away. . . unless you get to see your kids and be a part of the birth of your first grandchild. Then, it is the best time to be going away!

We spend so much of our time doing things that sound important and that we treat as important we can miss the things that are important. Classes and schoolwork, education and work are all important. But, they will be here when we return. The birth of Malachi David Frymire will only occur once. And nothing can or should keep me from that moment. Now, he may arrive before we get there (you know how births can be) but we will be there when he is but moments old. Like my children before him, I want to be a part of his whole life. I watched the joy my boys had in growing up with a set of grandparents like Joanie's folks were (my Mom and Dad died before my kids could get to know them). Their lives were enriched by the influence of these two wonderful people (Dad still influences them all greatly and, with Mom having passed away a few years back, Dad's wife Tina is now a continuing wonderful presence in their lives) and I hope that Joanie and I will have the same opportunity to influence Malachi as he grows. He will enter the world with wonderful parents who already love him and are excited about the joy of parenting.

So, we are getting ready for Malachi. Doing the most important thing we can do. We will be present. You know, that may be the most important thing we ever do - show up. Be there. I wish more people understood that when it comes to church and worship. How much larger and more dynamic would our worship services be if everyone just showed up every Sunday. Attendance would double at most churches (no exaggeration). We live in a society that believes that attending church once a month makes you a "regular" attender. It's the only place where that attitude lives. You are not a valued employee when you show up a couple of times a week. You are not a good student if you only go to class sporadically. Showing up means a lot. I went to my kids games, concerts, plays, and musicals. They could always count on Joanie and I showing up. It was important for us to be there. We wanted to be there - but it was also important to be there. I have become more and more convinced over the years that God desires to bless people who are faithful in worship - who just show up regularly. I even think that God expects us to show up and is sad when we don't show up. I remember when I was young and got to playing with friends and forgot to show up for lunch or dinner. That never made my parents happy and it always led to me being less than happy.
So, Malachi, when you show up your grandparents will be there. And that says a lot.

Out From the Safety of the Sanctuary

I spent most of the past week watching a group of about 20 children play soccer in the parking lot of the church. The goals were quite creative -but makeshift; The "field" had no grass - just macadam; The games had no referees - just parents and volunteers cheering. It may not have looked like either a soccer camp or a VBS - but actually was both. In a most unusual and creative departure from the usual VBS format, the children were instructed in both soccer and in the biblical applications that can be found in such a venture. A unique event and process to be sure. Two things struck me quite strongly:

1. It is amazing what happens when the church gets out of the sanctuary and into the world. While pastoring in Fresno we moved a Fall Festival celebration from the sanctuary area out to the frontage road. We went from a couple of hundred "church" folk to nearly 1,000 people from the church, neighborhood, and passers-by. Something like that happened here, albeit in a different way. By taking the VBS program from the church building to the parking lot, we attracted several families that were simply passing by. Literally. A father drove by and saw what was happening, went back and got his child and they, in turn got other children and parents to come. That would have never occurred if the children were couped up in classrooms or in the back of the church were no one could see them. You may be able to tell from this picture that the church is located on a fairly busy street. The parking lot is more than adequate for any cars needed for Sunday worship or for the preschool that the church runs. As a result, no one ever parks on the street. You can drive by the church and never notice that it is there or that anything is taking place. But not last week. Last week there were cars parked on the street. Parents, volunteers, and leaders were forced to park on the street. And, as cars passed by, they couldn't help but notice all the cars and all the activity going on. Young people out in the church parking lot having loads of fun. That image says more to the community than any advertising campaign a media company could devise.
   
2. It is amazing what happens when church people get off their Blessed Assurance and begin doing ministry that matters. When I interviewed with the Church of the Foothills about being their interim pastor, one of the leaders said that they had considered making a new sign for the front of the church that said, "Church of the Foothills - the church with no programs." An admirable thought, but what they really meant was that they gathered together for worship but not much else. But you should have seen them this week. Working together, playing together, interacting with folks from the neighborhood and the preschool. Suddenly, their faces came alive and their attitudes changed as they saw the fruits of their labors being manifested on the faces of the children.
   

I don't know if this will change the church or the neighborhood, but I do know it will do more than all the average services and leadership meetings that have taken place over the last few years. Lives are changed when the church abandons the safety of the sanctuary for the rough and tumble world of ... well, the world. More things can happen in a parking lot than anyone can imagine.