Karis is happy to welcome Dr. Tom Schreiner of Southern Seminary to Columbia on February 3-5.  There will be multiple opportunities to hear Dr. Schreiner speak during his weekend visit including a lecture on the reliability of the Christian Scriptures at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night, February 3rd, at MU’s Keller Auditorium.  Hear from Dr. Schreiner again on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. as he lectures twice on “Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament”.  Finally, join us on Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. as Dr. Schreiner preaches at Karis’ weekly gathering on “Seeing Christ in the book of Exodus”.  Saturday and Sundays events will be held at 606 Ridgeway Avenue, the meeting place for Karis Community Church.  Contact us at info@karischurch.org or 573.479.0699 if you have any questions.

I know. It’s already January 8th. But you can start this Bible plan today. This past year I’ve spent reading the Bible utilizing the Horner plan found here. It has been great. But for now, I’m going to switch things up and utilize the method found in this article. What is it? Choose a book of the Bible and read through it 20 times, immersing yourself in the book, allowing that book to transform you. I started with Jude, and I’m now reading through Ephesians. It’s amazing the words and concepts that jump out at you when reading and meditating on a book so many times. I’d highly recommend it. Give it a try!

Tom Schreiner of Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky will be teaching in Columbia, Missouri this February 3-5. Karis Community Church will host Tom, the author of a number of books, including Paul, Apostle of God’s Glory in Christ, and New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ. He will be teaching two sessions on Saturday, February the 4th on the theme, “Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament.” Additionally, he’ll be lecturing on Friday night, answering the question, “Can You Trust the Bible?” and will be preaching in Karis’s worship Gathering at 11 a.m. on Sunday at 606 Ridgeway on “Seeing Christ in the book of Exodus.” Look soon for an email with more details, including sites and times for Schreiner’s teachings. Additionally, check karischurch.org for more information, or call 573.479.0699.

This past Saturday we had a Christmas dinner for the community around Karis. The entire neighborhood was invited and volunteers from Karis brought food. Several members also volunteered their talents in taking free family photos for anyone who attended the dinner.

We were excited about this dinner because it helps to fulfill Karis’s vision of not just existing within a community, but being involved in it through intentionally serving our neighbors and building relationships. This dinner was part of our Shalom projects—Shalom meaning “peace”—which are projects involving service within the community. Around 30-40 individuals from the neighborhood showed up, and we from Karis were able to meet some of our neighbors, as well as the neighbors having the opportunity to meet some of each other for the first time! This especially is exciting since one of the things we hope for at Karis is to help create a sense of community not only between the Karis and the neighborhood, but within the neighborhood as well.

In November we did a series of Shalom walks in which we spent four Sunday afternoons walking around the neighborhood surrounding Karis, knocking on doors, talking to people in order to make them aware of Karis’s new presence in their neighborhood and discover any needs. My group met a woman with whom Angi Haeny and I were able to follow up several times, and she actually came to the Christmas dinner with her small daughter. Angi and I had our picture taken with her and her daughter.

Hopefully this Christmas dinner is a tradition that Karis can continue for many years.

At Karis Church, we highly value membership. We are convinced all believers need the encouragement and accountability that membership in a local assembly provides. We have recently tweaked our membership class, moving from two, extended afternoon classes to eight, 45-50 minute lessons that can be listened to on your own time. These are the recent “Karis DNA” messages delivered at Karis this fall. They give the essentials about the heart of Karis. Right click on the links below to download them or visit the podcast page to download them in iTunes.

Karis DNA: For The City (Jonah 3:1-5)

Karis DNA: Gospel I (Galatians 2:1-14)

Karis DNA: Gospel II (John 4:1-24)

Karis DNA: Community I (John 17)

Karis DNA: Community 2 (Acts 2:42-47)

Karis DNA: Mission I (Genesis 12:1-3)

Karis DNA: Mission II (John 9)

Karis DNA: For the Kingdom (Ephesians 4:1-16)

Brothers, fight the urge to empower people too quickly. Some planters, desiring to expand their plant team and move ahead in their mission, will dole out leadership responsibilities to people they barely know. Many even counsel this. “Give ‘em a job, and they’ll stick around,” the logic goes. Yet that “logic” is suicidal.

How do you know they support your vision? Your first co-laborers, and certainly your first leaders, need to comprehend and be able to articulate and even defend your vision.  The worst thing you could do is empower someone who has other ideas. Draw a line with an arrow pointing upward on a piece of paper that represents your vision. Then draw another one, that starts at the same point, but veers off at a 45 degree angle to the left. That sort of vision disalignment is easy to spot. However, it’s harder to catch the person who veers off only slightly. Yet, if you project that line’s trajectory, it still ends up in a drastically different, potentially devastating, spot. Knowing if someone’s vision fits with that of your church, however, takes time. Do you really want to position someone to pull against the vision God has given you?

How do you know that they know how to follow? People often flock to church plants seeking positions of influence. They desire to draw near to the pastor, shaping him and the future of the church. Often they bring track records of resisting authority and causing division in previous contexts. The last thing you want is to put someone arrogant and power-hungry in a place of leadership. He or she will end up hurting people around them. That same person will likely undermine your authority, as well. If he or she was angry and dissatisfied with their previous pastor, it’s almost certain that you’ll soon be next. Make sure they know how to follow before you let them lead. How do you know this? It takes time. In fact, making them wait will generally force their motives to the surface. Be careful. You don’t want to end up empowering your worst enemy.

How do you know they are strong in character? You need someone to lead worship, so you give them the mic. You know nothing about finances, so you hand someone the books. Be careful, brothers. Don’t let your desperate feelings and their flashy gifts keep you from seeing their heart. How do you know that worship leader or bookkeeper is a gospel-formed man or woman? How do you know that small group leader will represent Christ or your church community well? You don’t initially. As hard as it is to do, give it some time. Exercise patience now, and avoid a blow-up later. It’s much harder to fire someone than it is to hire them.

Here’s a rule with only a few exceptions: most people think they’re the exception to the rules. Do they want to be a part of a church where people show up and are immediately given positions of leadership? Of course not! How could that be a healthy course? But most think those rules don’t apply to them. They’re special, of course. And they don’t want to patiently pay their dues and earn that influence. Treat this new, cheerful, ostensibly gifted person just like anyone else. Depending on how they react, you’re more likely to save yourself headaches and even earn their respect later.

There is a tension in the early days of planting that is difficult. You desperately want to add to your plant team, especially with strong leaders. However, during that time, you’re shaping the congregation’s DNA. In the time you are tempted to be the most lenient, you really must be the most cautious. Some planters hand the reins of their nascent church to people they barely know. It may lead to quick growth, but it won’t result in lasting health. True, in a church plant, time’s not on your side. But you have more than you think. And who has time to start over? Pray hard. Calm down. Wait on the Lord. Get people to buy in before you let them lead out.

This Sunday, we’ll launch into a series we’re entitling “Set Free.” We’ll look at the book of Exodus. We’ll spend at least two years in this wonderful, rich Old Testament book. Join us! Here’s the message of the book:

We are set free through Jesus from bondage for life to worship by God’s grace and for His glory.

Did you see this great article?