Doing the right things
by David Arrol Macfarlane

In business we used to say: “What get’s measured get’s done!” When I worked with American Express I found this to be invaluable information. If you are going to achieve your budget, reach your sales quota, improve your product or service quality or expand your business base you must know clearly exactly what numbers you are aiming for. Having as a goal “to do better”, “try harder to make more widgets” or “grow the business” without measurables does not work most of the time. Now when you do have a clear measurable aim that you keep tracking it helps everyone stay focused and on target.
After leaving business for the Pastorate I brought this key concept in my leadership toolbox but realized that it needed to be retooled for ministry. That is when I came up with this triumvirate:

1. What get’s measured get’s done.

2. What get’s prayed for get’s done

3. What get’s celebrated get’s done.

While apparently controversial to some, I see:”what get’s measured get’s done” as key to accomplishing the vision and mission that the Lord has given us. Nehemiah and his team knew exactly what their task was – to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem – and it kept them focussed as they constantly monitored their progress and did not quit till it was all done. People like to know exactly what is expected of them.
“What get’s prayed for get’s done” is crucial on four fronts: First, it keeps us on our knees asking for God’s wisdom and help. Second, it keeps us focussed daily on what we need to be about and what needs to get done. Third, by praying we realize that without God’s intervention and sustaining power we will fail. Fourth, when the goal is accomplished we will not take any of the credit for it! Nehemiah and the people of God constantly prayed for success as they faced challenges and setbacks – God heard their prayer as He will ours.
“What get’s celebrated get’s done”. Nehemiah and the people pulled out all the stops when they accomplished their goal of rebuilding that wall and their rejoicing could be heard for miles around! I wonder what would happen in many churches if they celebrated someone leading a friend to Christ as much as they do for someone who prepares a church meal? “What get’s celebrated get’s done”. Nothing encourages or affirms your people to stay on track with the vision and goals more than celebrating big and small accomplishments to the glory of God. Hope that this is a help to you too.

Contact David Arrol Macfarlane at 519 503 8380 or arrol.mac@hotmail.com

10 ideas to “Un- Rut” yourself By David Arrol Macfarlane

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?...” Isaiah 43:19

While God is a God of the “new” we are often a people of the “old”, the familiar, predictable, and can end up in a rut of irrelevance without even realizing it. Someone said to me: “David, a rut is just a grave with the ends knocked out!”
When our oldest daughter, Susan, was in junior kindergarden they used to march around with “musical instruments” at the end of every class. While each time the children had a choice of lots of noise makers Susan always went for the same “shaker” (a plastic bottle filled with rice). This made me realize that nearly from birth our human “default” setting is to find a familiar “rut”. But to be relevant and effective we need to “un-rut” ourselves so as to be open to what new things the Lord might have for us.

Here are ten ideas that can help “un-rut” you.

1. Lighten up! Laugh lots. My philosophy of life is: “I take God seriously but not myself”. When I get them reversed I am in trouble.
2. Read widely. Try finding new interests and ideas.
3. Become curious. Ask lots of questions – that is how we expand our understanding.
4. Change your routine. Take a different road home. Order a new item on the menu. Go somewhere you have never been just to see things from a different perspective.
5. Take time to think. Solitude in prayer and the word recharges our batteries and opens us up to what God wants to say to us today.
6. Enlarge your circle. Purposely mix with interesting friends who “stretch” you.
7. Be healthy. Just as exhaustion depletes our openness to new ideas so rest, food and exercise can get us back on the “cutting edge”.
8. Write. Putting our thoughts, hopes and dreams down on paper can help us see the future in fresh new ways.
9. Develop a creative “spot”. In my home office I put up only pictures of people and painitings that inspire me and I took down all the others.
10. Keep passionate. Just as a great fire if untendered will be reduced to embers so it is in our spiritual life. The good news is that even embers can be brought back to life with some loving care!
To contact David Arrol Macfarlane: 519 503 8380 or arrol.mac@hotmail.com

Personal Renewal is What Counts
by David Arrol Macfarlane
“I want more of God” is a great statement because it can be the seed of a personal revival. Authentic faith means that we walk daily with a healthy spiritual hunger for more of the Lord in our life - a desire to live a renewed life, stay revived and have a fresh soul awakening. Often the Lord has used one ordinary “revived” person to spark a move of God that spreads like a forest fire throughout an area or even engulf a nation. Remember that God used an “inadequate” Moses to change the course of history for Israel, a “fearful” Jonah to bring the ungodly Ninevites to God, or a “fearful” Gideon to free his people. In Argentina, where I grew up, the nation went from less that 1% protestant when I was a boy to where, today, I have heard it reported that some 14% of the population have become evangelical, with many pointing to one layman, Carlos Anacondia, as the person most used to bring about this significant spiritual awakening.
Three tourists went to Wales in the early part of the 20th century to seek out the world renowned “Welsh Revival” which had awakened the churches throughout that nation, where thousands came to Christ and major positive social changes resulted from it. Not knowing where to go to find this revival the tourists went up to a bobby (policeman) and asked: “Could you please tell us where we can find the Welsh Revival?” To which it is reported that the policeman answered: “Sirs, the Welsh Revival is inside this uniform”. He meant that he had been revived by Christ. Revival is always first and foremost personal. If you are revived, God can use you as the spark to start an area-wide revival but, even if He didn’t, you will always benefit greatly from living passionately for Christ.
John the Baptist spearheaded a spiritual awakening in the first century. Here is how Jesus remembered him: “John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light” (John 5:35). May this be how Christ will remember you and me.
David Arrol Macfarlane is Director of National Initiatives for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and is a frequent speaker at conferences, city-wide events and churches across Canada. Contact David at 519 503 8380 or arrol.mac@hotmail.com

Attracted to Chruch!!

The "Quitting Church" series of blogs generated lots of responses. One leader said "I have been serving in the church for over twenty years and I want to quit - but I won't. I am tired of all the politics". Another thought that I was brave to tackle this issue as, to him, "Quitting Church" is the "elephant in the room" of Canadian Christianity.
Here are some wonderful signs of life that I see in growing and vibrant churches as I speak across our nation:
Numerous congregations that strategically and sacrificially reach out to unbelievers and are filled with the excitement of seeing many come to Christ each week!
Multicultural celebrations in churches that intentionally reflect the ethnic diversity of their changing neighbourhoods.
A congregation receiving a citation from the Mayor for the positive influence that they are seen to have as they serve their community.
Rural churches that are full of youth attracted by vibrant worship, genuine relationships and messages that they can clearly relate to.
A growing congregation that translates each service into seven languages simultaneously every Sunday like they do at the United Nations.
Christians that volunteer with the police to keep the streets safe for the community children as they go about on Halloween.
A small church now packed with youth after they built a skate park. Young people arrive each week with a Bible under one arm and a skate board under the other.
Churches working together to impact their cites with acts of kindness that is attractive to the community and getting the attention of the media.
Small groups that "adopt a block" that they serve and witness to throughout the year with amazing God sightings as a consequence.
Congregations, big on discipleship, where those that come to Christ stay and grow in their new found faith and fill the sanctuary with joy and celebration.
Compassionate churches where even strangers and neighbours feel loved and cared for.
The common denominator of exciting and growing Canadian congregations is not fancy programs, big budgets or the latest technology but Christians with such an authentic faith and an outward focus that it is attractive to a spiritually hungry Canada.
Ministry Update: Thank you for your prayers. This has been a wonderfully fruitful month with ministry in Toronto; Burlington; San Diego; Fredericton; Ottawa; Tampa and North York. We are encouraged by the positive response we have received everywhere and the many new requests to speak for groups in the future.
Every blessing,
David Arrol Macfarlane
e-mail: arrol.mac@hotmail.com
Cell: 519 503 8380
Website: davidamacfarlane.com

The “status quo” will be the “status dead”

(Quitting Church? Part 2).
Most Canadians are very aware of their spiritual needs today. If you doubt this statement just go to any Chapters, Coles, Indigo or other secular bookstore and take a look at the religious section. As I like to say in my leadership seminars “Twenty years ago in a Canadian secular bookstore the religion section had four bibles and two dead flies! But today they have row upon row of books on spirituality”. Why? Because they know that spiritual books sell! Bookstores understand, what many churches need to wake up to, that Canadians are searching for spiritual experiences and spiritual answers for their lives. Sadly, while the spiritual quest of the ordinary Canadian is way up Christian church attendance is way down and falling fast. Depending on which Canadian statistics you read, people that regularly go to a place of worship is at best 17% (down from some 60% fifty years ago) and some say as low as 4% of us are actually born again believers who faithfully go to an evangelical church today. This reality should be sobering enough for us evangelicals to realize that much of what we are doing is no longer working and that it is time for some massive, prayerful and courageous changes. If we do nothing different then the “status quo” will be the “status dead”.
For the last many years, on any given weekend, I find myself speaking in a wide variety of churches of different sizes, denominational backgrounds and many geographic locations from which I have developed a fresh perspective of the reality of “church” in Canada today. Most who invite me to speak are wonderful congregations that already have a strong interest in growing, being relevant and reaching their communities for Christ. But, having said that, as a teacher/evangelist, I find myself often in settings that are well meaning “Christian ghettos”, that are totally oblivious to the fact that in dress, music, topics, language, customs etc. they are almost totally unintelligible, irrelevant and confusing to someone on a spiritual quest in Canada today.
In light of this new “quitting church” reality it seems redundant to ask: Should we be looking at new ways of engaging our neighbourhoods with the gospel? Should we be focusing on different discipleship plans that will develop authentic and winsome believers? Should we intentionally be making our churches embracing to people different than us? How could we improve our overall communication so as to be found as relevant to the needs of seekers today? What recovery programs for “broken people” can we offer for those who live around us? Should we not care that people are “quitting church” or would Jesus have us do all we can to run after them?
In my next blog on “Quitting Church?” we will look at practical steps that some Canadian churches are taking to reverse the trend.
Ministry update
This summer some 26000 youth attended the three Rock the Rivers out west with hundreds coming to Christ! Last month saw me across the west speaking at mission’s conferences on reaching Canada for Christ, in churches, doing my REconneXIons leadership training seminars and an evangelistic event in an arena where many responded to the gospel. Praise the Lord!
Please pray as in October I also speak at the Cross the Street National Conference in Burlington plus minister multiple times in BC, Manitoba and Ontario.

David Arrol Macfarlane
e-mail: arrol.mac@hotmail.com
Cell: 519 503 8380
Webpage: davidamacfarlane.com
Videos of messages: http://www.youtube.com/user/davidarrolmacfarlane

Quitting chruch?

“In Vancouver, regular church attendance, for the committed, is ‘every other Sunday’” said Jim Packer (who wrote “Knowing God” and many other great Christian books) in a meeting I had with him at Regent College some fifteen years ago. Since then, as I travel across Canada, I hear about this spreading trend from church leaders at most every conference I speak at. Last year in Oshawa, Ontario, a friend who is the Pastor of a large congregation, said: “David, I am concerned. My church attendance numbers are going down steadily - but I have not lost anyone. I cannot count on my people coming to church as faithfully as they once did”. While ministering at a conference in one of the largest and most vibrant churches in Edmonton, Alberta, the Senior Pastor, who is a wonderful leader and Christian statesman, made this comment: “Today if I want all my people at an event I need to announce it strongly and creatively for eight consecutive weeks. If we only draw attention to it for four Sundays then only have half the people will come. They are just not in church every Sunday any more”. Recently in Vancouver, BC, I met with a friend who is a lay leader and on the board of his home church who lamented that “most of our friends not only are seldom in church today but a large number, who were once very committed and involved, no longer attend any church at all”. Statistics Canada bears this out. Those who indicated not attending any place of worship is a growing national trend.
Many people today are "Quitting Church" so in my next blogs I want to talk about Canadian congregations that are growing and “bucking this trend” and discuss solutions.

David Arrol Macfarlane ministry update
Please pray that new doors will continue to open for us to minister in churches and at conferences. Pray that I will be a help and encouragement to all who attend the many events I will be speaking to in the months ahead.

View this four minute promo video on the Cross the Street conference in
Ontario(http://www.billygraham.ca/ministries/training/cross-the-street.aspx).

View this three minute message: http://www.youtube.com/user/davidarrolmacfarlane

Some upcoming speaking engagements are: Fellowship Baptists national convention in Banff; Peace Portal Alliance Church in BC; Napanee city wide event; Christian Camping Association convention in FL; at REconneXions seminars in MB (http://www.billygraham.ca/ministries/training/reconnexion.aspx)and many more


Every blessing,
David Arrol Macfarlane
arrol.mac@hotmail.com
Cell. 519 503 8380
Website: davidamacfarlane.com

Our church a: Museum, Mall or Mission?
By David Arrol Macfarlane
Earlier this year Diana and I enjoyed visiting some fascinating museums in Prague (photo by WWII monument). Museum displays often show us what life was like in days past, we see outdated items that were once “cutting edge” and feature the accomplishments of hero’s and innovators of history. The goal of most museums is to preserve the past.
Thought: Has our church become a Museum? Are we looking to keep human traditions alive rather than embracing the future and getting the gospel to the next generation?

Someone has suggested that shopping Malls are the temples of our materialistic North American culture. The stores want you to “shop till you drop – and do it here” as they tempt us with slogans like: “You are worth it”, “pamper yourself”,“You deserve it”. Malls encourage us to want “more, bigger and faster” trying to transform us into fickle consumers who demand better service, prices, attention and entertainment – or we shop somewhere else!
Thought: Is our church very much like a Mall, the ultimate symbol of self-centeredness and consumerism or is it clearly a place for Christian selflessness, sacrifice and compassion?

When I was about to leave Argentina to come to Canada as an executive with American Express my Christian friends prayed: “We release David to be a missionary to Canada”. When I told this to Canadian Christians many just laughed at me “We don’t need missionaries, we send missionaries!” The truth is that Canada has always been a mission field (as long as there are lost people who need to be reached for Christ). Sadly most Canadian Christians do not consider themselves missionaries to their friends, neighoburs, business associates or acquaintances - to the point that those people will likely never hear the gospel from them.
Thought: Is our church basically a museum for a seemingly outdated faith or a gathering of comfort seeking religious consumers or is it full of passionate authentic believers doing whatever it takes to spread the good news?

As I speak at conventions across Canada I often meet passionate church leaders in churches where God is clearly at work which bring hope to my heart. But I must confess to being extremely disappointed with what I see in a majority of congregations: Instead of being a Mission (about reaching people for Christ) they are happy to be Museums (trying to preserve the past instead of doing all they can to reach the next generation) or a Mall (where it is all about them, their preferences, being comfortable and entertained and not about reaching the lost).
The good news is that there is hope!
Like David in Acts 13:36 “For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation…” we too can serve God's purposes in our time and impact those that will come after us for Christ, but we will never do it from a church museum or a church mall. When the church, full of loving and authentic Christians, is all about Mission we will leave an eternal legacy for our children and our nation!
David and Diana Macfarlane
e-mail: arrol.mac@hotmail.com
Website: davidamacfarlane.com
Tell: 519 503 8380