The Plan

Please refer to previous posts "The PEACE Plan", "5 Global Giants" and "The Solution" prior to reading this post so that it makes sense.

The following content is a summary of what Rick Warren has laid out in his global peace plan.
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The PEACE Plan is what Jesus did and this is how we can continue His strategy:

1. Plant & Partner with Churches (to address the Giant of Spiritual Emptiness)
- Most 501c3 organizations in the past 50 years exist because the local churches weren't doing what they should have been doing. This is due to the fact that much of the talent and expertise would go outside of the local church because churches didn't understand how to work with an entrepreneurial spirit or because the local church was too slow. Ministries such as Young Life, Campus Crusaders, Billy Graham Evangelism, World Vision, and the like were started because the local church wasn't reaching these needs groups effectively. In fact, history records over the past 50 years that most of the major accomplishments in these areas were NOT made by the local church but rather by these great organizations that were out on the battlefields doing the work.
Churches in past have taken a posture of saying, "We will pray, pay and stay out of the way." And so not to discredit the work of these organizations - but these accomplishments are only a drop in the bucket to what could be done. All of our agencies combined could not get it done - haven't even come close - this is because the VAST MAJORITY of believers (99% of them) sit in the pews doing nothing in these areas. We are not going to solve the world's greatest problems when 99% of the workforce is unmoved and immobilized. We have to figure out how to get the average person in the average pew involved, this is the beginning of P.E.A.C.E.

Technology has changed what it means to be missional, because now through the power of email, Internet, satellite, broadcast, etc. - ordinary people can be global Christians. Encourage each member of our churches to experience PEACE on a personal-level, local-level, cross-cultural-level and a global-level just once. If they do it just once, they'll be hooked - and how could they not?

The missions strategy of the 20th century has been first pray, then study, then give and then maybe someday go. Well Rick would suggest that we should adopt a new missions strategy for the 21st century that is first go. Don't pray, don't study, don't give - just go! Then come back and you'll want to pray, you'll want to study and you'll want to give.

As recorded in Romans 15:20 and I Corinthians 3:8 it only takes a day or two to plant a church. What global impact would be made for the kingdom if every church had a baby? The mark of physical maturity is the ability to reproduce. The mark of spiritual maturity is having a baby. A church that has not parented another church is still an immature church.

2. Equip Servant Leaders (to address the Giant of Corrupt Leadership)
- Refer to 2 Timothy 2:2.
- Teach others to be others-centered and then "pass it on".

3. Assist the Poor (to address the Giant of Extreme Poverty)
- Refer to 1 John 3:17, James 1:27 and Proverbs 19:17.

4. Care for the Sick (to address the Giant of Pandemic Diseases and Care for those who Suffer)
- Refer to Luke 6:36

5. Educate the Next Generation (to address the Giant of Illiteracy and Lack of Education)
- Refer to Psalm 78:6-7 and Proverbs 22:6

Agencies and organizations have been doing PEACE for years, the only change we make is how it is done and who is doing it. It's time to turn the tables and set them properly. The local church will be in the battlefields doing the work while the organizations support them.

We must move the local church from self-consumerism to unselfish-contribution. We need to teach our members to serve God by serving others. Faithfulness to Christ means taking risks, just read the parable of the talents and you'll see that Jesus despised the one who "played it safe."

We must ask ourselves what God could do through us if...
...we didn't care who gets the credit...
...we didn't care about our reputation...
...we didn't care about getting rich...
...we didn't care about getting criticized...

PEACE is a grassroots church-to-church strategy, helping churches around the world to make a difference together. Through PEACE, local congregations will become the heroes. Because of their location, motivation, longevity and credibility - local churches are the only grassroots organizations that can effectively address the five evil giants. Click Here to Read more!

The Solution

Please refer to previous posts "The PEACE Plan" and "5 Global Giants" prior to reading this post so that it makes sense.

The following content is a summary of what Rick Warren has laid out in his global peace plan.
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These are 5 things that Jesus focused on during His time on earth that we can learn from:

1. Jesus planted churches.
- Matthew 16:18 - and now His church is 2.3 billion strong

2. Jesus equipped leaders.
- Mark 3:14 & John 13:15
- Jesus spent 3 years training his disciples whom He entrusted the keys to His Kingdom
- Jesus loved everybody, fed the thousands, trained the seventy, discipled the twelve and mentored the three
3. Jesus assisted the poor.
- Luke 4:18 - this is His agenda (there are over 2,000 verses on the poor)
- Be careful to not only look at missions through evangelical blinders - see that it is more than just souls for heaven later - it is for souls AND lives in the present (His Kingdom in heaven and on earth)

4. Jesus cared for the sick.
- Matthew 9:35

5. Jesus educated people.
- Matthew 4:23
- Jesus spent His time like this: 1/3 teaching, 1/3 preaching and 1/3 healing
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Reformation (to reform)
"If the first reformation was about Believing - then we could say that this reformation is about Behaving. In the past 50 years the church in America has essentially cut off the hands and feet of Jesus. We've been acting as nothing more than a mouth - a big mouth. We've been known about what we say, not by what we do. In fact, we're known more by what we're against rather than what we're for." (Rick Warren)

I like what Rick says here. I must agree that we as the American church at large have been guilty of this - and it may be the media's fault or our own (or both). This isn't to discredit that churches should be about "being" and what we "believe" - only that we should ALSO be about "doing" and "behaving". The gospel is whole - and the holistic gospel is this: personal salvation AND social salvation. Christ didn't just come to establish His Kingdom in heaven some day when we die - but also to bring His Kingdom alive in our present lives here on earth - though it cannot be compared to what eternity will be. This reformation (as Warren refers) is about finding balance so that we aren't just about personal salvation or social salvation. Generally evangelical churches have focused the majority of their efforts on personal salvation while mainline churches have focused the majority of their efforts on social salvation. Where are the churches that are focusing their efforts on a balanced view of the two? Let us be an example to others what a balanced church looks like and acts like. Let us be known for what we're for and what we do instead of just what we say or what we're against.
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So here is the SOLUTION as Warren states it. Matthew 10 and Luke 10 (the sending out of the 70) shows us how we do PEACE. "Ordinary people, empowered by God, making a difference wherever they are."

1. Ordinary People
- Revivals start in ordinary people's hearts
- This isn't only for the superstars or professionals
- This is a plan for the lay person

2. Empowered by God
- Any time God tells us to do something, He gives us the power to do it

3. Making a Difference Together
- No loners should go on missions trips because they come back and have no one to share their experience with - then over time it just fades away
- This is a Group-Based strategy

4. Wherever They Are
- Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, The Ends of the Earth
- Personal-Level, Local-Level, Across Regional & Cultural Barriers, Global-Level
- This is not about Location - it's about Dedication

PEACE can empower and equip each member of a local church to address these global giants in a holistic manner throughout their local community (Jerusalem), nearby communities (Judea), regional area crossing cultural barriers (Samaria), and globally (to the entire world).

This is a massive effort to mobilize 1 billion Christians around the world into an outreach effort to attack the five global, evil giants of our day. Click Here to Read more!

Five Global Giants

If you've been following my posts keep reading - if not, please read the post titled "The PEACE Plan" as a preface to this one.

The following content is a summary of what Rick Warren has laid out in his global peace plan.
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These are the 5 Global Giants that ravage the lives of billions - not just millions:

1. Spiritual Emptiness
- Over 4.5 billion people in the world do not know Jesus Christ
- Of these, 2 billion never even heard the Christian message

2. Egocentric Leadership
- Self-centered or corrupt leaders are abusing their power to serve themselves instead of using their power and influence for the good of those who need help the most

- This is what happens when servant leaders become celebrities
- Refer to Zech. 10:2, Ezek. 34:8, Prov. 11:14

3. Extreme Poverty
- More than 8 million people around the world die every year due to extreme poverty related issues
- Over 3 billion people (half of the world's population) live on less than $2 a day
- Over 1 billion people live on less than a dollar a day
- Refer to Lam. 4:8-9

4. Pandemic Diseases
- Currently, 300 million people suffer from curable diseases, most of these are under the age of 5
- There are over 40 million people infected with HIV/AIDS resulting in 15 million children losing one or both parents
- Pandemic is an epidemic spread over a vast geographical region
- Refer to Jer. 28:8

5. Illiteracy and Lack of Education
- Over 3 billion people are functionally illiterate (don't have the reading/writing skills necessary for ordinary practical needs)
- This just isn't illiteracy but also poor education
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Everyone has failed to solve these problems. There is only one force on this earth that can solve these global giants - that is the local church (with Jesus Christ as the head) - an army of 2.5 billion people just waiting to be mobilized.

Government + Business + NGOs + Local Church = Solution

1. Government's Role
- The government provides security to its people
- The government provides freedom to its people
- The government sets and enforces laws

2. Business's Role
- Businesses provide jobs which is the outlet out of poverty
- Businesses provide capital to invest
- Businesses provide and educate in management skills

3. NGO's Role
- NGOs provide expertise to the specific areas

4. The Local Church's Role
- The local church has universal distribution (we are the largest network on the planet)
- The local church has the largest volunteer pool (hundreds of millions)
- The local church has credibility in their communities (where none others have this - the local church is trusted)
Only a COALITION can solve these global giant problems with Christ as our model and our leader. Click Here to Read more!

The P.E.A.C.E. Plan

Rick Warren is the author of A Purpose Driven Life and pastor of Saddleback Church in California. He has called the biggest problems that our world faces The Global Giants. And these are the 5 Global Giants that ravage the lives of billions of people – not just millions: Spiritual Emptiness, Egocentric or Self-Centered Leadership, Extreme Poverty, Pandemic Disease, and Lack of Education or Illiteracy.

We have an unprecedented opportunity to help bring lasting change to a world in dire need. Through Planting Churches, Equipping Leaders, Assisting the Poor, Caring for the Sick, and Educating the Next Generation -- we can help turn the tide of rampant evil in our time.
And I would add that Social Injustice is something that feeds every one of these global giants and we must be strategic about fighting it!

The P.E.A.C.E. Plan and fighting injustice envelops strategies that have been around since the birth of missions; however it is presented here in a way that we can effectively set and achieve attainable goals. We at Riverside Community Church have already been viewing missions through this lens for a couple of years now, it just hasn't been a missions strategy. I hope to see this strategy take root in the way we do missions at RCC. PEACE and Justice are two themes that I'll refer to quite often in this blog. Are there any churches or missions programs that are implementing PEACE or Justice into their strategies? Has anyone out there heard of these particular plan yet? Rick Warren and Saddleback are still making model churches with this plan before they make it public. His goal is to see Christians all over the world - which he refers to as an army of people that waiting to be mobilized - unite and take on the Global Giants together. This is the concept of Nehemiah - to fix the wall in front of us. If we each do our part then the world will change... Well that's what The One Life Project is all about! Click Here to Read more!

Faces of Cambodia

Part of this blog features a video reel that is linked to youtube.com. I am including one life project videos that will be featured on youtube. The first video is a collection of photos that I took on my recent trip to Cambodia in August 2007. These are the faces of the people that I met. Their faces represent the great need that they carry and the awesome hope that Cambodia has in Jesus Christ. We get to be a part of God's solution to the greatest needs of our time!
Thanks for watching the video! Click Here to Read more!

What I Get to Do!

I am happy to announce that I accepted a change in my position at my home church, Riverside Community Church in Oakmont (Pittsburgh), PA. I am still one of two Creative Arts Pastors and will continue to serve in this area, but I've been able to add to my portfolio local, cross-cultural and international missions. Therefore my new title and job description are Creative Arts and Missions Pastor. It will be a pleasure to implement the One Life Project at RCC. If you'd like to chat about how you can be a part of what we're doing, then please send me a message or give me a call at 412-828-2488 (RCC). Thanks for your support!

Riverside Community Church, 401 Allegheny Avenue, Oakmont, PA 15139
http://www.riversideconnect.org/Thanks for supporting me in this area of my life! Click Here to Read more!