Tools of the Trade

Every profession has tools that are essential to doing a good job. When I was a kid, I would use a pair of pliers to remove the bolts on my bicycle. My father would remind me to use the right tool for the right job - then hand me an adjustable wrench.

Ministry has changed in the last 25 years. I remember using a hand cranked mimeograph machine to produce church bulletins. I thought putting transparencies on an overhead projector was high tech and will never forget how excited I was when the evangelistic film strips I used were converted to video tape.

Today we are blessed with a host of technological advances. Blackberries, I-Phones and a host of web-based resources. Recently I was reminded of a couple of tools that I believe would be very helpful to those of you in ministry. My friend Shawn Mathis has developed a social network for ministry entitled, The Minister Group. If you are involved in preaching or ministry of any kind I would encourage you to register and participate in the growth of this effort. Shawn has a great track record of successful ventures and I believe that his too will prove to be a great resource.

http://www.theministergroup.com/

In addition, Vista Print is a great resource for small run printed items, business cards, postcards, brochures, etc. I recently joined their resellers program and found that I can help others get great discounts on their printing needs. For more information, you can visit them at:

http://www.vistaprint.com/

or you can contact me at trent.wheeler@charter.net

Making Memories

Wow, just a couple of days until Christmas. Last night a friend posted a note asking about the best Christmas gift I ever received. I tried long and hard to remember the "STUFF" I have received through the years. I am grateful for all of it, but nothing jumped out as my favorite.

As I tried to think back I had a different experience. I remembered events, times shared together, special memories from Christmas. I remember the smell of my mom's chocolate spritz cookies, I remember having water gun fights in the house, I remember Tristan and Alyssa dressing up as pirates just last Christmas day.

I know my family will appreciate the gifts I buy them - they are always good that way. What I really want to give my family for Christmas are memories. I want them to look back and laugh and cry, to remember the fun we shared and memories we made together.

My Atari gaming system has gone the way of the dinosaurs! The skittle bowl set that I couldn't live without entertained me for a couple of months (at best) and even the Legos I played with for years and years have now been outgrown. What will never leave me is the sound of mom's voice on Christmas morning, wrestling in the basement with my brothers and watching sapping Christmas movies over and over again.

Now that all the shopping is over, the hustle and bustle of cleaning, wrapping and preparing is coming to head; stop and make some memories with your children. Take them to Opryland Hotel to see the Christmas lights, rent a funny movie that makes you laugh till you cry, play board games or go for hike around Radnor Lake. Be sure this Christmas to give the gift that will reside in the heart of your family forever.

It's a Wonderful Life

Life happens to everyone. God is no respecter of persons and we all understand that He allows the rain to fall on the just and unjust. There is not one of us whose life is free from cares, worries and struggles.

How many times have we looked at the lives of others and wanted to trade places. I wish I was as happy as Linda or as affluent as Bob. Linda and Bob have their own cares and worries, we just don't see them on the surface. It was Henry David Thoreau who said, "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."

I grew up in a house with a lot of boys and a lot turmoil. If there are special rewards in heaven, my mother will be at the top of the list. She not only provided support, encouragement and a loving environment, she left me with memories to last my lifetime as well. As the holidays approach, those are the memories I cling to and those are the memories I want to create for my own children. My memories include watching the Thanksgiving Day Parades, laughing together at Christmas movies and fighting over the chocolate spritz cookies.

Yes, sometimes life deals to us from the bottom of the deck and the sun doesn't come out and shine, but it truly is a wonderful life - if you choose to make it so!!!

Mistakes I've Made

I keep the poem, "Man in the Glass" on the inside cover of my Bible. It is a reminder that regardless of what everyone else in the world might think, I have to live a life of integrity. That doesn't mean that I don't make mistakes (I make plenty), but that I take responsibility for them.

During some of the most challenging years of my life I was part of a men's study group that helped keep me accountable. It was a place where we could bring our problems, our cares, even our struggle with sin and know that we would recieve support while still being held accountable for our behavior.

The church is supposed to be that safe place. That means that God's people have to learn the difficult balance between holding people accountable for their behavior and providing the love, mercy and support they need to grow.

I recall a situation years ago where a young lady refused to "come forward" for sins she had committed in her life. She had seen other young people treated so badly after repenting that she wanted no part of it. The very people who should have held her in their tender arms became her judge and jury.

I always struggle with where to lay the blame. When we mess up in life we need to simply ask forgiveness and move forward. When others come to us with a penitent spirit we need to forgive and support them. Some will blame the church for an environment that isn't forgiving, others will blame individuals who will not be accountable for their mistakes. The truth is that both things are true. We make it easier when we create the right kind of culture in the church, but we also contribute to that kind of environment when, as individuals, we are open and honest about our own struggles and mistakes.

AMATEURS

I need to thank my good friend Dale Jenkins for inspiring this post. In a sermon Sunday morning he made reference to an amateur as a person who does something for pleasure rather than profit. While that may no longer be true of the Olympic athlete - it is true of a lot of people in this world. This post is a celebration of those who still play for the love of the game. Those who grab life with all its joys and sorrows and make the world a better place. These are my heroes.

There was the elder who always came by and patted me on the back and told me what a good job I was doing. He always seemed to know when I was feeling down.

There is the husband and wife who used to take me lunch during the darkest days of my life, just to be friends and support me.

There are the ladies who never get public recognition for visiting the sick, carrying meals to the hungry, or sending a card to the bereaved.

There is invisible multitude who daily encourage their children, serve our master on foriegn soil, bear the burdens of brethren, pray for the weak, and engage in limitless good works.

In the past I have heard people say, "Oh, he is just an amateur." We need more amateurs in the kingdom. Today I surrender my professional license! I am looking forward to joining the multitudes who do God's will for the pure joy of service.

Bridging the Gap

I will always recall one of my Bible teachers telling us, "boys you have to learn to preach across the gap." Of course we struggled to understand what Brother Carr was talking about. His response has stayed with me all these years, "Boys, you are going to have to learn early on that you can't live perfect lives, but you have to preach a perfect gospel. Sometimes that means you have to preach lessons that are mighty close to home.

There are places in our lives where we all have to preach across the gap. It is hard to train and correct our children when they throw our own failures and inadequecies up in our face. In teaching a Bible class we sometimes have to deal with topics that haven't quite mastered in our own lives. Some people may call this hypocrisy, but the truth is that we are called to "preach the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).

Recently I have been facilitating a men's study/prayer group on Monday mornings. It is a thrill to have a such a great group of men who are committed to starting their week with Christ. Our current topic of discussion is Patrick Morley's book, "The Man in the Mirror." The title alone illustrates how hard it is to facilitate this discussion. Reading each chapter and trying to evaluate my own life is painful at times. I know the lessons we share on Monday are helping me, challenging me, but sometimes it is like a doctor probing around for an abcess. When he finds the troubled area - it doesn't feel very good.

Preachers aren't the only ones who have to cross that chasm. We all have the difficult challenge of living what we believe and teach. That should also remind us of the importance of showing some grace and understanding to those who walk in leadership positions. They don't live perfect lives, but like the rest of us, they pursue that perfect pattern.

Learning to Give

In most churches our education on giving is limited to two areas: 1) Financial giving and 2) using our talents. We talk of stewardship and that everything belongs to God, but I have heard few lessons that give practical examples of how to be a good steward. Here are a few examples of alternatives to writing a check, that demonstrate good stewardship.

1. Economic Stimulus Act of 2008. This law which was passed on October 3rd and allows individual s 70 1/2 and older to have their IRA withdrawals transferred directly to a charitable organization (or church) with no tax penalty. By using this method it allows a Christian to give 25% to 30% more by avoiding tax penalties.

2. Appreciated Assets. ANY appreciated asset (land, stocks, personal property) that is transferred directly to a charity avoids the capital gains tax. While not many of us want to move stocks or investments right now, a donation of land that has appreciated value allows the donor to avoid capital gains.

3. Estate planning. There are so many ways that Christians can give to God through their estate. There areCharitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, Gift Annuities and other estate planning options. The real beauty of wise estate planning is that you can actually give more to your family and the church while avoiding giving that money to Uncle Sam.

If this information is helpful to you, or you would like to learn more about how you can help your church or favorite charity, please feel free to contact me via email or phone and I will be happy to help you with the specifics.

Faith, Family & the Holidays

I will open this blog by confessing that I went to see the movie, "Four Christmases" this past week. While most of the audience found the movie funny, I found it somewhat disturbing. The general thrust of the movie is that a young couple have to visit four families (because of broken home issues) all on Christmas day.

The families in the movie were all dysfunctional in some significant way. I sat through the movie with a number of troubling thoughts:

• Is this really the state of affairs in America?
• How do the issues of divorce and blended families affect my own children?
• What can we all do to help our children navigate through the holidays and provide a positive experience for them.

Whether your family is "traditional" or otherwise, you have issues that you face during the holidays. It may be struggles over where to spend Christmas and New Years, or simply the battles between siblings once school is out for three weeks.

I have always believed that holidays are a time for faith and family. A time to reflect on the blessings that God has given us and a time to share with one another. It is tragic to think that we often worry about how to navigate through family politics rather than accept the blessings we recieve from God. This year in my quiet time and prayer time I will be praying for the families in our community.

"Father, bless the homes and families in our community. There are parents who are struggling, children who are hurting and so very many in want and need. Be with me as a father and husband to put the needs of my wife and children first. Help me to have an understanding heart and an open mind. Give my children and those around us a deeper understanding of your love and will in their lives. Father as I think of the gifts I can give, I pray that my emphasis is on my example. Help me to give my children a foundation of faith, to my community an example of a godly life and to my wife the love and respect she deserves. Father open my eyes to the needs that are around me. Allow me an opportunity each day to touch the lives of others in some small way."

www.trentwheeler.com

A Mind to Work

In all of my years of church work, I have never seen anything that compared to the energy and enthusiasm demonstrated yesterday. I have been in congregations where we have pleaded and begged for members to come out and help with one project or another only to see a handful on the work day.

In Nehemiah 4:6, the children of Israel were commended because the people had a mind to work. It could easily be said of the Spring Meadows Church of Christ that the people had a mind to work. I have to admit however that there were people just standing around yesterday. There were a number of reasons they were standing, but none of them had anything to do with apathy or laziness. Here are a few of my observations:

• There were often more workers than there was work to do. People were standing and asking for something to do, but all the jobs were taken.
• Members of the body were spending time in genuine Christian fellowship. Not just talking about the latest soap opera or their favorite recipe, but talking about the work of the church. I heard discussions about Bible classes, how to use our resources and ways we could reach the community.
• Some of us were just standing in AWE. God is powerful. God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). God is working through his people in Spring Hill, TN.

What a day of rejoicing we all enjoyed yesterday. There is a spirit and warmth that I have never experienced any other place. What a blessing it is to be among a people who have a mind to work.