God is love. Love is not just a virtue of God, but it is God Himself. Love is the essence of His person, nature, and character. When I make a statement such as "Love is the essence of His person, nature, and character," it is important to understand what is meant by those terms. Over the next few blog posts, I hope to explain what is meant by "person, nature, and character." Today's blog post will focus on "God is Person." There are three essential qualities of personhood: intellect (i.e. mind), sensibility (i.e. emotion), and volition (i.e. will). As a person, God has the power of understanding. God is aware of Himself. A basic characteristic of personality is self-awareness, the ability to know oneself. When God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM" (Ex. 3:14), God was describing Himself according to His own perception. He exists in Himself and is aware of who He is. God is said to know and have known (cf. Gen. 18:19; Ex. 3:7; Acts 15:18). The infinite wisdom and knowledge of God are clearly taught in the Bible (cf. Jer. 39:19). The Bible also pictures God remembering (cf. Gen. 8:1; Ex. 2:24), which implies classifying that which He knows because He is a rational and orderly God (cf. 1 Cor. 14:40). As a person, God has the capacity for and ability to express emotion (cf. Gen. 6:6; Jn. 3:16; Ps. 103:8-13; Ex. 3:7-8; Jn. 11:35; Ps. 7:11). Since God is perfect, His feelings are pure in their source and perfect in their expression. As a person, God has the power and freedom to do as He chooses (self-determination). Personhood is associated with freedom. There is nothing that makes God do or be anything. God is free to follow the direction of His nature (cf. Rom. 9:11; Heb. 6:17; Job 23:13). Animals do not have personhood; they act out of instinct. Persons make rational or volitional choices. The ultimate act of personality is the power to make rational decisions that give self-direction to one's life. When we consider the essence of God's personhood is love, we are suggesting that God is fully aware of who He is (i.e. love), He can express His love perfectly, and He freely chose you as the object of His love! (NOTE: The content of this blog post is exactly the type of subject matter we are studying on Wednesday nights through CLASS 203: Systematic Theology from 6:15pm until 7:15pm.)
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We have small groups that meet on Sunday mornings and throughout the week in homes. It is important to train coaches to communicate weekly to all of the small group leaders they oversee. Below is a sample of a coach's weekly e-mail update.
On the Thursday following small groups we send out an e-mail called the “Small Group Update (Week 1 of 12).” The purpose of the e-mail is to keep small group leaders updated with current information and to provide accountability in following up with members of their small group. We begin with a brief attendance report of all small groups from the week. We provide both the number of participants who attended this week followed by the total number of unique SG members who have attended for the semester. For example: 212/243. This would indicate that we had 212 individuals attend small groups and that we have seen 243 unique individuals for the whole semester. This is a grand total of all small groups for that week. We follow the attendance report with an update on curriculum. Since we write our own curriculum, we make sure small group leaders have all of the material they need. Next, we inform the small group leader of any upcoming fellowships. For example, we may have a church-wide fellowship in which each small group competes in a "Grill Showdown." We then include a short training tip for small group leaders. It doesn’t have to be lengthy, but we want to include a short encouraging word and include a practical tip that will help them be successful in their ministry. We bought a copy of “99 Thoughts for Small Group Leaders” by Joshua Griffin and Doug Fields for each of our Small Group Leaders and use some of their insights for this section. Next, we remind the SG Leaders of the upcoming training workshops for Small Group Leaders. Whenever possible, we provide a list of topics that will be discussed during the training meetings. We conclude the Small Group Update with details for following up with small group members using the “3-Week Strategy.” The strategy is designed to make sure that people aren’t falling through the cracks. How often do you communicate with your Small Group Leaders? What do you communicate with them? Here is a sample e-mail… Small Group Update (Week 12 of 12) Hey Small Group Leaders!!! Congratulations on making it through an incredible semester of Small Groups!
Blessings, Your SG Coach Ministry can be stressful. Because we (pastors) don't post blogs about our counseling sessions people don't see the stresses of daily ministry. We typically don't post a Facebook status update that reads, "Just counseled another teenager who was contemplating suicide and tonight she reached out to her small group leader." Instead, we post things like "God is doing great things in small groups!" Which is interpreted: "They're having a fun time!" The negative comments, the pressure, and the crisis counseling situations don't get publicized. The average church member never sees the stresses their pastors face.
In my nearly twenty-five years of ministry, I have ministered to those who are struggling with thoughts of suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, depression, sexual abuse, physical abuse, pregnancy, and the list goes on. When any of these situations arise in our small groups, we have asked our Small Group Leaders to contact one of the pastors immediately. We remind Small Group Leaders that their job is not to serve as a professional counselor, nor should they refer others to counselors. Instead, their primary responsibility in handling a crisis situation is to assess the severity of the crisis related to the individual’s safety and level of functioning and then communicate that assessment to one of the pastors immediately. Once a pastor has been notified a specific plan of action is developed in terms of communication (i.e. parents, authorities, etc.) and in terms of counseling and a support group. For example, someone who has shared with his Small Group Leader that he has frequent thoughts of suicide should prompt the SG Leader to contact a pastor immediately after small groups. Together the SG Leader and Pastor assess the situation using the SLAP Suicide Assessment Method developed by Dr. Kenneth Morris. How SPECIFIC is the plan? The more specific the details, the higher the degree of risk. How LETHAL is the proposed method? How quickly could the person die if the plan is implemented? The greater the level of lethality, the higher the degree of risk. How AVAILABLE is the proposed method? If the method to be used is readily available, the risk is greater. What is the PROXIMITY of helping resources? The greater the distance the person is from helping resources, the greater the degree of risk if the plan were implemented. While this method does not make us experts in assessing the risk of suicide, it helps in communicating the severity of the need for help when speaking with parents. We never delay in speaking with parents about the threat of suicide from a minor. Once we have assessed the threat, we meet with the individual and his/her parents the same day we were made aware of the threat. Here is what we bring to that meeting… 1. Contact information for continued professional help. We have already done our homework and can offer suggestions where to turn for additional help. 2. “Contract of Agreement Against Suicide.” We ask the individual to sign a contract where they agree to contact an adult if they have any suicidal thoughts. I include my personal cell phone number and let them know they have permission to call any of those numbers even if it’s 3:00am in the morning when they are struggling with thoughts of suicide. They should come up with a list of 3 other trusted adults that they feel comfortable calling. They should keep the contract with him/her in their wallet or purse. 3. If the person having suicidal thoughts was a minor, we also bring a “Parental Contract of Agreement Against Suicide.” We ask the parents to sign a contract where they agree to support and seek help for their teen. They will also take the precautions necessary to remove any possible methods of suicide from the home (i.e. lock all guns, secure medications, etc.). This contract is for the parent to keep. What plans do you have in place for dealing with threats of suicide, abuse, teen pregnancy, etc.? Here are samples of the contracts we use. For more information on contracts click here. CONTRACT OF AGREEMENT AGAINST SUICIDE AGREEMENT: To seek help in times of suicidal thoughts, plans, or attempts. I, ____________________________________________ believe the Bible is the True Word of God. I believe what is not of God is sin. I believe the Bible holds the keys of life and a life more abundantly. I fully understand that suicide OF ANY FORM, is sin in the eyes of God. By signing this contract of agreement, I am making a conscious decision to seek help if I have, if I am presently, or if / when I experience thoughts of suicide, plans of suicide, and / or attempts of suicide. Upon signing, I have agreed to seek help from the following: parents, pastors, counselors, or significant others adult, (give a name of significant other adult ___________________________). I will not allow fear, anger, rejection or shame keep me from seeking and receiving the help, love and encouragement I need. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land He swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. — Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ________________________________________________________________________ Signature of Individual Date ________________________________________________________________________ Signature of Witness Date Phone numbers of people I can call when I need help… 911 1-800-SUICIDE ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ PARENTAL CONTRACT OF AGREEMENT AGAINST SUICIDE AGREEMENT: To begin to listen, support and if needed seek help for my child if signs of suicidal tendencies begin to show. I, ____________________________________________ realize suicide is an extremely serious area of temptation which Satan can use against ___________________________. I fully understand the importance of learning to listen and relate to ___________________________, and begin to allow him/her to share their feelings with me. Upon signing this contract of agreement, I am making a conscious decision to listen, support and seek help for ____________________________, if he/she begins to show signs of suicidal tendencies. I will also make a verbal agreement between ____________________________ and myself to be open and honest with each other and to be willing to work through any type of problem in order to find a solution. I agree to take the precautions necessary in my home to remove any possible methods of suicide that my child may obtain. (i.e. lock all guns, secure medications, etc.) This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land He swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. — Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ________________________________________________________________________ Signature of Parent / Guardian Date ________________________________________________________________________ Signature of Teen / Young Adult Date ________________________________________________________________________ Signature of Witness Date |
AuthorDr. Chris Dortch has been in vocational ministry since 1993. His blog is aimed to "equip the saints for the work of ministry." Archives
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