Over the last week and a half, I have refrained from blogging and have only spent a few moments on Twitter.  While I have missed sharing with you, I can also say that it has been a nice break from the routine.

This month marks the second year since I started writing at Missiologically Thinking and spending time in the realm-O-Twitter.  The last time I took a leave of absence from writing, someone contacted me asking if I was okay.  I appreciated that.  It was very kind.

So, to avoid causing any concerns, I thought I would also give you an update.

After this post, I’m planning on taking another leave of absence until after January 12.  Oh, I may not be able to resist the Twitter-bug, but blogging will likely be on hold.

I am entering into one of my busiest times of the year.  Over the next two weeks, I will be leading a four-day class/training event for church planters, preparing to teach three classes this coming semester, preparing to speak at a missions conference later this month, making a three-day trip for some meetings in Alabama, and attempting to finish another book all by January 12. But, of course, I’ll still make time to have my coffee.  What?  Do you think I’m crazy?

I would greatly appreciate your prayers. . . . Not for the coffee though.

So, while I am very eager to get back to the blog with several posts already brewing, I’m needing some time off.

My prayers are with you as you begin this new year.  It is my hope and desire that you will grow in your walk with the Lord this year, that you will be intentional about sharing the gospel with others, and that you will be greatly blessed to be a blessing to others.  May the Lord use you in a powerful way this year to advance His Kingdom!

Lord willing, I’ll be in touch in a couple of weeks.  Take care.  And, as always, thank you for your support and encouragement over 2011.  It has been a blessing to me.

While I received my fill of the Food Network, I was introduced to a show that I had heard about but had never watched:  “Ice Road Truckers”.

Interesting.  Entertaining and troubling at times.  Definitely crazy stuff.

But I guess folks in Northern Canada need their Tim Horton’s coffee as much as those in Toronto.

I don’t know if it was the couple of episodes of watching truckers drive across frozen lakes or the fact that I spent 25 hours driving on the interstate to and from our destination or the numerous country music truck driving songs I listened to on my iPod as I drove, but I felt that I needed to do a post on the potential for gospel dissemination via the 18-wheeler.

Most churches do not realize the potential to spread the gospel across their countries by reaching truck drivers.  Across the world, countries are dependent upon the trucking industry.  Every year, drivers log thousands of miles and stop at numerous destinations along their routes, encountering a multitude of people.

When I was in high school, I assisted a man from my church who set up a chapel for truckers at one of the local truck stops.  Every Sunday, he would visit and pray with the drivers, and hold a worship gathering in a room on site.  Many people made professions of faith in Christ and many believers were encouraged in the faith and better equipped for ministry.  I believe this brother realized the potential of equipping truck drivers to spread the gospel as they lived their lives.

The life of a truck driver is a life on the road, often encountering new faces–sometimes in new places (Hey, this post is starting to sound like a country music song!).  Drivers are able to travel to locations and meet people that you and I will never be able to meet.

Do you see the opportunity for the rapid dissemination of the gospel along the roads of your country?

I have posted a few links at NorthAmericanMissions.org to resources for Trucker Ministries in the United States.  It is my hope that these will get you started in considering ministry to those driving along the highways and hedges of your country.

Do you and your church see the Great Commission potential among drivers?  What small steps can you be doing now to lead y0ur congregation to begin ministering to truckers?  Do you have truckers who are members of your church?  If so, what are you doing to equip them to remain faithful and effective in their ministries as they deliver food, machinery, gasoline, automobiles, etc.?  Are you praying for them and their families when they are on the road again?

I realize I just started a series of posts on critical issues and church planters.  However, just moments before I had planned on posting critical issue number 4, I received this information from Jeff Palmer, Executive Director of Baptist Global Response, addressing the present realities in Haiti. 

This update is current as of this past Saturday, February 13.  Because of the urgent nature of the situation in Haiti, I am interrupting the series to bring you this special report. 

Baptist Global Response is a global Southern Baptist relief and development organization.  For those of you not familiar with Baptist Global Response.  Let me encourage you to check out their web site HERE.  

From the Relief Network/US AID/UN Reports

 1. The Government of Haiti has now given an official death toll of approximately 200,000 dead.

 2. There are an estimated 700,000 displaced persons from the Port-au-Prince area with almost 500,000 having left Port-au-Prince for surrounding areas and still an estimated 3 million people affected/needing assistance.

 3. Minimal damage has been done to water sources and systems. Most displaced persons from Port-au-Prince are living with extended families. To date, 1.1 million people are being fed through coordinated efforts. Over 400,000 people are still receiving water delivery. Mountainous areas (surrounding the population center of P-a-P) are still hard to gain access to and need assistance.

4. Total assistance from all sectors is estimated to be around $522 Million US dollars. Some reports say that less than $1 in every $100 is getting to direct aid to Haitians.

5. Southern Baptists have raised over 4 million to date:  

          a. Florida Baptists – 1.4 million

          b. North American Mission Board– 400 K

          c. International Mission Board– 1.2 million

          d. Baptist Global Response– 1.1 million

From Our Baptist Global Response On-Ground Personnel (David Brown)

 1. There have been about 15 Southern Baptist volunteer teams on ground already and more are coming in. The majority have been medical teams through the DR network (8 to 10) and we still have been running a number of logistics teams trying to work out needs for handling and facilitating large numbers of volunteers, moving resources to needy/overlooked areas, etc.

2. We are working closely and have great relationships with Haitian Baptists, North American Mission Board and Florida Baptists. We are working on better communications with the Americas Affinity Group point persons as well.

3. David is in the process of completing an overall comprehensive Haiti Relief strategy from BGR’s perspective. This will include facilitation/cooperation with all parties (NAMB, Florida, Haitian Baptists, Americas Affinity Group, etc.) and be a more comprehensive Southern Baptist plus International Mission Board strategy for response.

I wish to thank Jeff, David and those with Baptist Global Response for sharing this information with us.  Please join me in praying for Jeff Palmer, David Brown, and the others connected to the ministry of Baptist Global Response as they serve the people of Haiti during these tragic days.

My desire was to find out what were the five most critical issues church planters were facing at that moment in time.  I wanted to know what they felt were the most pressing matters.

My research methodology was a very simple one.  I emailed them one question: “What do you believe are the five most critical issues in North American church planting?”  Remember, I said this was an informal study (But, hey, when you are working with a research budget of $0, and no research team, you have to start somewhere.).     

Since the time of the study, I have continued to ask the same question to church planters, denominational leaders, those coaching church planters, etc.  And their responses are either the same as the findings from my study, or very close.

While I have discussed the findings of this study in different publications, this is the first time I have blogged about it.  I am starting this series today for three reasons:

1) I want you to know the major issues pressing on church planters in the United States and Canada today. 

As a church planter, you need to be aware of these matters, long before you and your team enter the field.  If you are already on the field, you need to be aware of these matters and strategize accordingly.  If you are supervising, mentoring, shepherding church planters, in order to better minister to them, you need to know what is on their minds–even if they are not verbally communicating these to you. 

2) I want to extend a call to others to take up the challenge to do a better, and up-to-date study on the critical issues facing church planters.   

We need to know the challenges and how best to equip others for such labors.  Find out if my informal findings are still true.  If not, what are the new critical issues?

3) I want to challenge us to develop new resources to assist church planters in these areas.

So, today we begin with critical issue #5–Stress on the Family (Yes, I’m counting down, so you will have to stay tuned for the other issues.).

The fifth-most common response that I heard from the field was the amount of pressure placed on the church planting family.  Here are a few of responses from the field:

“Relational stress on families is great.  Church planters often move into areas where they have no relational support networks.  Mother churches often do not embrace the church planter’s family.  Couples with young children are especially vulnerable, since they depend on support networks to cope with the daily challenges of parenting.” 

“Young parents often miss out on opportunities to refresh themselves as a couple because they have no one with whom to leave their children.  Many of our young church planters arrive on the scene as ‘double income, no kids’ couples.  Yet the kids come; the wife has to quit her job; the family is left with one income.  And you’d be amazed how often this happens just as the church plant’s outside support is coming to an end.”

“Burning out for Jesus stinks, especially when it is not just the church planters who burn out but their wife and kids, too. . . . My wife and kids come before my ministry and always will.  After God, they are my highest priority.  The people who plant with me need to see this demonstrated.”

“The planter must at all costs take care of his/her family.  Church planting can be the worst thing that could ever happen to a family.  A planter must have as much of a plan for nurturing his family as he does for growing a church. It’s a shame that planters can be the very ones who turn those closest to themselves away from God.”

Two resources I believe will be of some assistance, particularly to those of you who are going to be planting and pastoring churches, are from the North American Mission Board.  The Board did a very insightful and helpful study on church planting wives (the best research on this topic to date).  You should read the report HERE.  I find that it compliments and provides insight to critical issue #5.  Out of their research, they published the outstanding book My Husband Wants to be a Church Planter. . . So What will that Make Me?  You can download it for FREE HERE. 

Another helpful resource, found HERE, is a video from my great friend and pastor, Dustin Neeley.  A portion of it addresses pastoring the family (begins at 2:40).  Check it out. 

These resources will provide assistance to you and your family as you begin to talk about and plan for critical issue #5.

Practical Matters to Keep in Mind:

1) Don’t neglect your daily time with the Father.

2) Home life does not have to be perfect. . . just next to perfect.   (remember, the world and new believers are watching us in our good times and bad times)

3) If your family falls, the missionary work falls even harder.   (remember, the ripple effect on the lives of new believers, new churches, and unbelievers in the community)

4) Take days of rest to be with your family.

5) Develop a family strategy for nurturing your family and bringing them along in the journey.