That doesn't sound like a bad thing.
But I guess there are churches that simply dismiss services on one of the two most important Christian holidays of the year.
You might think I'm baffled by this, well I'm not.
It's really an indicator of the state of some of the churches and Christians in our country.
Before I throw any stones however, let's be honest.
Church attendance on the other Sunday mornings, and for some churches Sunday nights and Wednesday nights, is becoming more of an option than a requirement for many believers. They seem to be saying I could care less.
Many churches see that their membership rolls are a lot higher than their weekly average attendance. I have heard it said in my own church, "if we could just get everybody here, we would have 300 people".
First let me say I'm guilty. When I was younger and less spiritually mature, I would miss Sunday nights and Wednesday nights because, if I'm honest, I wanted to spend that time doing my own thing. Nothing against church, I just felt like there was better uses for my time, (like watching TV). And remember folks, I was and still am an Elder of the church.
It required another Christian to hold me accountable, and bluntly told me "how can you be a leader of the church and not be here?".
Good question.
Through that other Christian, and a heavy dose of conviction by the Holy Spirit, I realized that if I am going to lead others in a committed Christian walk, I had better be willing to model that walk. I will use this time to urge any Christian leader out there who is reading this to be honest with themselves and ask themselves how important attendance is to their ministry. Are you saying "people need to be in church" but living "I'll go to church when I want and when I have nothing better to do". Pray about this.
Now what about Christians who are not leaders. Is Church attendance important or even a requirement?
In my view..Yes.
Why?
Well the Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:25 that we should not give up meeting together. Why?
Well if we read on it tells us that we need to encourage one another.
Bottom line is that we feed off of each other. That's a good thing.
The reason we don't want to come to church, or we don't want the church to change, or we don't like it when someone is sitting in "our pew", or blah blah blah, is because church is about us.
When is it convenient for us to come to church, where can I park or sit where it is more comfortable. My time and activities are far more important than anything we are doing at church.
What happened to sacrifice? What happened to carrying our cross? What happened to following Jesus no matter the cost?
We all need to remember the cost of our salvation, the agony and death of an innocent man, just so we could have the opportunity to spend eternity in a perfect place. Can you put a price tag on that? How much money and time is that worth to you? What is more important, your comfort or Jesus Christ?
Yes Virginia, we will be having service Sunday morning.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
Closet Drummer
To this day I don't know why.
When I was in High School, I decided I wanted to join the band. I wanted to play the drums.
"No" was my Dad's answer.
Now in some houses "no" means just keep bugging Dad until he gives in. The house I grew up in when Dad said "no", it meant the discussion ended.
Period.
So I picked the trombone, which I must say is not nearly as cool as being a drummer. My heart really wasn't in it. I played for a couple of years until basketball became my focus. Then I quit the trombone.
I wonder why Dad said "no". Was he worried about the noise? Did he think I would end up in some rock band with long hair and ear rings?
I mean I really enjoy the rhythms of songs. My taste in music can range across a lot of different styles. Forget the lyrics, how cool is the rhythm.
Growing up in a VERY conservative church, all that we sang was hymns. There was nothing called contemporary worship. You had your song book. That's it.
During my teen years there wasn't a lot of cool Christian bands, in fact I think there was just a handful. None of which interested me in the least.
Christian teens today can enjoy a wide range of bands and styles that have a Christian message, shoot I've found that I even enjoy some of them.
Growing up I tried my hand at writing music, playing the guitar, and of course playing the drums. I played the drums for my friend Brian who played the guitar and sang. Lets just say our band never got off the ground, although I really enjoyed playing the drums for Brian.
That brings us to today.
Being the leader of a Jr-Sr high youth group I have rediscovered how important music is to the younger generation. What they like and don't like. I can tell you this, and don't get upset about this, but they have a really hard time with traditional worship music.
Why?
I think first it is a generational issue. Look I'm sure somebody's Grandma started breaking somebody's Elvis albums. Young people think older people are out of touch. This is not new, as a kid I thought older people were out of touch. Young people think they have most of the answers, although they find out when they get older that older people were sharper than they thought.
The second, and I think more important, issue is that young people are not blind. They see adults sing hymns with about as much passion as a sit in a doctors office waiting room. They watch people worship God in a hollow, perhaps zombie type way. Young people, for the most part, are about life. They are looking for a real, genuine worship experience. That means the music has to be a little more upbeat.
At my church we try to mix hymns with more contemporary music. I know Barna says not to, but I think it is a good thing. It makes the church grow by stretching some of the older folks and letting the younger ones feel more comfortable in worship. We try to make worship better for everyone, which has worked for us, your results may vary.
I have a confession however. Every once and awhile the church turns the Sunday evening service over to my youth group. They have the freedom to do whatever they want in the service. Their music 100%.
Guess what.
I find myself tapping my foot and really enjoying the worship music they pick. Is there any hope for me?
I wonder if they will let me play the drums for them?
Hmmmmm.
When I was in High School, I decided I wanted to join the band. I wanted to play the drums.
"No" was my Dad's answer.
Now in some houses "no" means just keep bugging Dad until he gives in. The house I grew up in when Dad said "no", it meant the discussion ended.
Period.
So I picked the trombone, which I must say is not nearly as cool as being a drummer. My heart really wasn't in it. I played for a couple of years until basketball became my focus. Then I quit the trombone.
I wonder why Dad said "no". Was he worried about the noise? Did he think I would end up in some rock band with long hair and ear rings?
I mean I really enjoy the rhythms of songs. My taste in music can range across a lot of different styles. Forget the lyrics, how cool is the rhythm.
Growing up in a VERY conservative church, all that we sang was hymns. There was nothing called contemporary worship. You had your song book. That's it.
During my teen years there wasn't a lot of cool Christian bands, in fact I think there was just a handful. None of which interested me in the least.
Christian teens today can enjoy a wide range of bands and styles that have a Christian message, shoot I've found that I even enjoy some of them.
Growing up I tried my hand at writing music, playing the guitar, and of course playing the drums. I played the drums for my friend Brian who played the guitar and sang. Lets just say our band never got off the ground, although I really enjoyed playing the drums for Brian.
That brings us to today.
Being the leader of a Jr-Sr high youth group I have rediscovered how important music is to the younger generation. What they like and don't like. I can tell you this, and don't get upset about this, but they have a really hard time with traditional worship music.
Why?
I think first it is a generational issue. Look I'm sure somebody's Grandma started breaking somebody's Elvis albums. Young people think older people are out of touch. This is not new, as a kid I thought older people were out of touch. Young people think they have most of the answers, although they find out when they get older that older people were sharper than they thought.
The second, and I think more important, issue is that young people are not blind. They see adults sing hymns with about as much passion as a sit in a doctors office waiting room. They watch people worship God in a hollow, perhaps zombie type way. Young people, for the most part, are about life. They are looking for a real, genuine worship experience. That means the music has to be a little more upbeat.
At my church we try to mix hymns with more contemporary music. I know Barna says not to, but I think it is a good thing. It makes the church grow by stretching some of the older folks and letting the younger ones feel more comfortable in worship. We try to make worship better for everyone, which has worked for us, your results may vary.
I have a confession however. Every once and awhile the church turns the Sunday evening service over to my youth group. They have the freedom to do whatever they want in the service. Their music 100%.
Guess what.
I find myself tapping my foot and really enjoying the worship music they pick. Is there any hope for me?
I wonder if they will let me play the drums for them?
Hmmmmm.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Holiday Tree?
"Let me ask you a question".
Frank usually didn't start our conversations like that, I was kind of worried about what the question was going to be.
"Sure", I said.
"At your house do you have a Christmas tree or a holiday tree?"
Frank obviously doesn't know I'm a Christian. "I have a Christmas tree", I replied in the nice but firm voice I'm famous for.
"See, that's what I say, but my wife wants to call it a holiday tree."
"Wow", was about all I could get out.
I have heard about this "holiday tree" garbage, the stores saying "happy holidays" instead of "merry Christmas". But I never thought I would actually talk to anyone who even knew anybody who bought into this stuff.
Maybe that's a problem.
I have to admit that I can really get steamed at the minority in this country, who, through shear intimidation, can ruin one of the greatest holidays there is.
I'm not usually one to scream the sky is falling every time some nut in this country tries to change how we handle God. I actually respect the rights of people who don't want anything to do with God. Why? Because God gives people the opportunity to live their life without Him. It is a simple choice and God loves you enough to let you decide. Heck, live your whole life that way and guess what, God will let you spend eternity without him, but that really won't be a pleasant experience.
But mess with Christmas?
I guess what gets me steamed is that the same minority that wants God out of their lives wants me to put God out of mine. If you don't want to celebrate Christmas the way I do, fine. Call your tree whatever you want, erase Christmas from your calendar all together if you like. That's what living in a free country is all about, you can decide how you want to live your life.
But don't mess with mine.
Why are people so afraid of Christ? Why are we so scared of the Ten Commandments? We don't keep them anyway. Why do some homosexuals try to push acceptance of their lifestyle choice on others? You can do whatever you want, just don't think that just because it's you that God is going to be okay with it.
Maybe the problem is right there.
To many people, to many churches try to create God in their image. We want a God to be okay with us, instead of us being okay with God. It is a lot easier that way.
Jesus said something that really caught my eye, Luke 6 verse 46, He said "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?". This cuts both ways, it warns Christians to be following the teachings of Jesus, and if we are going to be followers of Christ, we must obey ALL of His teachings. Not just the ones we like. What is the use of saying that Jesus is the lord of our life when we simply live life the way we want to?
In reading this some may say that I am uncaring, a homophobe, self righteous or, gasp, even conservative. But I submit I'm none of the above.
I am simply a Christian man, that fails his Lord every day. The difference is that I am trying to conform my life to what God expects, not making God see things my way.
Jesus said that if we love Him, we must obey him. Everybody runs around saying they love Jesus, but do they love Him enough to deny themselves and their desires to follow Him? It is a question we all must be brave enough to ask.
In the last times we are told not to be surprised at the events we witness, yet I can't help but be surprised at the direction we have taken as a country. At one time being a Christian was a positive thing, now it is something to be feared. Is hate that far off?
I want everyone to accept Christ as their savior, I don't want anyone to suffer hell. The Bible tells us that the road to hell is wide. The majority of people will choose to live without God.
And God loves them enough to let them.
Frank usually didn't start our conversations like that, I was kind of worried about what the question was going to be.
"Sure", I said.
"At your house do you have a Christmas tree or a holiday tree?"
Frank obviously doesn't know I'm a Christian. "I have a Christmas tree", I replied in the nice but firm voice I'm famous for.
"See, that's what I say, but my wife wants to call it a holiday tree."
"Wow", was about all I could get out.
I have heard about this "holiday tree" garbage, the stores saying "happy holidays" instead of "merry Christmas". But I never thought I would actually talk to anyone who even knew anybody who bought into this stuff.
Maybe that's a problem.
I have to admit that I can really get steamed at the minority in this country, who, through shear intimidation, can ruin one of the greatest holidays there is.
I'm not usually one to scream the sky is falling every time some nut in this country tries to change how we handle God. I actually respect the rights of people who don't want anything to do with God. Why? Because God gives people the opportunity to live their life without Him. It is a simple choice and God loves you enough to let you decide. Heck, live your whole life that way and guess what, God will let you spend eternity without him, but that really won't be a pleasant experience.
But mess with Christmas?
I guess what gets me steamed is that the same minority that wants God out of their lives wants me to put God out of mine. If you don't want to celebrate Christmas the way I do, fine. Call your tree whatever you want, erase Christmas from your calendar all together if you like. That's what living in a free country is all about, you can decide how you want to live your life.
But don't mess with mine.
Why are people so afraid of Christ? Why are we so scared of the Ten Commandments? We don't keep them anyway. Why do some homosexuals try to push acceptance of their lifestyle choice on others? You can do whatever you want, just don't think that just because it's you that God is going to be okay with it.
Maybe the problem is right there.
To many people, to many churches try to create God in their image. We want a God to be okay with us, instead of us being okay with God. It is a lot easier that way.
Jesus said something that really caught my eye, Luke 6 verse 46, He said "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?". This cuts both ways, it warns Christians to be following the teachings of Jesus, and if we are going to be followers of Christ, we must obey ALL of His teachings. Not just the ones we like. What is the use of saying that Jesus is the lord of our life when we simply live life the way we want to?
In reading this some may say that I am uncaring, a homophobe, self righteous or, gasp, even conservative. But I submit I'm none of the above.
I am simply a Christian man, that fails his Lord every day. The difference is that I am trying to conform my life to what God expects, not making God see things my way.
Jesus said that if we love Him, we must obey him. Everybody runs around saying they love Jesus, but do they love Him enough to deny themselves and their desires to follow Him? It is a question we all must be brave enough to ask.
In the last times we are told not to be surprised at the events we witness, yet I can't help but be surprised at the direction we have taken as a country. At one time being a Christian was a positive thing, now it is something to be feared. Is hate that far off?
I want everyone to accept Christ as their savior, I don't want anyone to suffer hell. The Bible tells us that the road to hell is wide. The majority of people will choose to live without God.
And God loves them enough to let them.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Where have all the good times gone?
That's an old Van Halen song, that has a message.
Many people think that the church was so much better than it is today. I'm always hearing about the good ol' days. If you think that way, read this;
In other words, he wished to see Christians doing the things that Christ did, and using, in matters of the church, the same business sense which they brought to bear upon their own affairs. He thought of the poverty, squalor and wretchedness of some for whom Christ died, and of the costly luxuries of the church into whose hands the Master had given the care of these. He thought of the doors to places of sin, swinging wide before the young, while the doors of the church were often closed against them. He thought of the secret societies and orders, doing the work that the church was meant to do,and of the honest, moral men, who refused to identify themselves with the church, though professing belief in Jesus Christ; and, thinking of these things and more like them, he was forced to say that the church must change her methods; that she must talk less and do more;that she must rest her claims to the love of mankind where Christ rested his; upon the works that He did. He saw that the church was proving false to the Christ; that her service was a service of the lips only; that her worship was form and ceremony--not of the heart--a hollow mockery. He saw that she was not touching the great problems of life; and that, while men were dying for want of spiritual bread, she was offering them only the stones of ecclesiastical pride and denominational egotism. He saw all this, and yet,--because he was a strong man--remained full of love for Christ and taught that those things were not Christianity but the lack of it;and placed the blame where it justly belonged, upon the teaching and doctrines of men, and not upon the principles of Christ; but upon the shepherds, who fattened themselves, while the starving sheep grew thin and lean; and not upon Him who came to seek and save that which was lost.
Sound like today's church?
Well it isn't.
This was written by a man that lived from 1872 to 1944, Harold Bell Wright, and this is an excerpt from his book,"That Printer of Udell's".
What does this tell us?
That no matter what generation you want to talk about, the church has always dealt with the same problems that we deal with today.
The prescription to fix the problem is the same today as it was then. It cannot become content.
We cannot be content as a church while people are in need. We cannot be content as a church to the point we really don't want anyone else to join our club. We cannot be content as a church when people are dying and going to an eternal hell. When we do become content about these things, God simply stops using us.
Think about the church in Revelation, the one in Ephesus, that lost its first love. In other words they became content. Jesus tells them to remember the height from which they had fallen. To repent and do the things they had done before. You can argue that this letter was for the church in Ephesus or it was symbolic for every church, but the meaning is clear either way, the church can become very content with itself and God does not dig that.
In the end the question is simple for us as leaders, either we lead by example and encourage strongly our congregation to mature enough to see what church is really all about, or...
we become hospice providers for a dying church.
Many people think that the church was so much better than it is today. I'm always hearing about the good ol' days. If you think that way, read this;
In other words, he wished to see Christians doing the things that Christ did, and using, in matters of the church, the same business sense which they brought to bear upon their own affairs. He thought of the poverty, squalor and wretchedness of some for whom Christ died, and of the costly luxuries of the church into whose hands the Master had given the care of these. He thought of the doors to places of sin, swinging wide before the young, while the doors of the church were often closed against them. He thought of the secret societies and orders, doing the work that the church was meant to do,and of the honest, moral men, who refused to identify themselves with the church, though professing belief in Jesus Christ; and, thinking of these things and more like them, he was forced to say that the church must change her methods; that she must talk less and do more;that she must rest her claims to the love of mankind where Christ rested his; upon the works that He did. He saw that the church was proving false to the Christ; that her service was a service of the lips only; that her worship was form and ceremony--not of the heart--a hollow mockery. He saw that she was not touching the great problems of life; and that, while men were dying for want of spiritual bread, she was offering them only the stones of ecclesiastical pride and denominational egotism. He saw all this, and yet,--because he was a strong man--remained full of love for Christ and taught that those things were not Christianity but the lack of it;and placed the blame where it justly belonged, upon the teaching and doctrines of men, and not upon the principles of Christ; but upon the shepherds, who fattened themselves, while the starving sheep grew thin and lean; and not upon Him who came to seek and save that which was lost.
Sound like today's church?
Well it isn't.
This was written by a man that lived from 1872 to 1944, Harold Bell Wright, and this is an excerpt from his book,"That Printer of Udell's".
What does this tell us?
That no matter what generation you want to talk about, the church has always dealt with the same problems that we deal with today.
The prescription to fix the problem is the same today as it was then. It cannot become content.
We cannot be content as a church while people are in need. We cannot be content as a church to the point we really don't want anyone else to join our club. We cannot be content as a church when people are dying and going to an eternal hell. When we do become content about these things, God simply stops using us.
Think about the church in Revelation, the one in Ephesus, that lost its first love. In other words they became content. Jesus tells them to remember the height from which they had fallen. To repent and do the things they had done before. You can argue that this letter was for the church in Ephesus or it was symbolic for every church, but the meaning is clear either way, the church can become very content with itself and God does not dig that.
In the end the question is simple for us as leaders, either we lead by example and encourage strongly our congregation to mature enough to see what church is really all about, or...
we become hospice providers for a dying church.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
What I'm thankful for...
Man this could get long.
First I'm thankful for God and my savior Jesus Christ. Why God would ever use someone like me goes way beyond my understanding. I fail my Lord so many times He has to be up there slapping his head.
I'm thankful for my wife of 17 years. She has had to put up with me and my wild ideas for a long time. While we have had our disagreements, I always knew she still loved me (even when she threw my stuff) and for some reason she still loves me. I didn't think I would ever get the pretty girl, but I sure did!
I am thankful for my dad, who has been with the Lord for a few years now. He was my idol and later in my life, my friend. I miss talking to him and gleaning his wisdom. He was the first one to take me to church and his fear of God was ever present. His humor was unique and there was usually laughter in our home. God really blessed me with such a great father. He wasn't perfect, and I had to watch as lung cancer slowly killed him. He had made some bad choices in his life, but in the end he made the best choice, accepting God's grace.
I am thankful for my mother, who always has been tough when she needed to be and also had a sense of humor. Many nights she was by herself when Dad worked out of town. When Dad got hurt and couldn't work, she picked up the slack. She put up with Dad and stayed with him during a tough time in their relationship. She always wanted a big family and a big house, something you don't hear women say much anymore. She became a Christian while I was a child and always made sure I was in church. My morals and attitudes come from her. She is a special lady.
I am thankful for my brothers and sisters, two of each. It was fun growing up with them and watching them grow. We are a very close group, something else you don't see a lot of. Now this group has turned out brother and sister in laws, nephews and nieces. All of which bring me joy and lots of laughs. I am blessed with a great family.
I am thankful for some great friends, all of whom I know I can count on no matter what. They have been very special to me and they can make me laugh until my head hurts.
I am thankful for my in-laws. I'm sure at times they have shook their heads at some of my stunts, but they always let us feel our way through things. They are wonderful grandparents and I try to seek their wisdom when I can.
I am thankful for my sons. I remember becoming a father for the first time and thinking about the awesome responsibility that God had given me. My boys are growing faster than I would like and I know my time with them is limited. They have been a joy to me and I can't help feeling very proud of them. I am told by many people how well behaved and smart they are, I have to say more like their mother than their dad.
I am thankful for everything that God has blessed me with, far more than I deserve. A good job, a nice home, and my new addition, a shop! It doesn't get any better than that!
I am thankful for my church, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and my pastors and leadership team. When I married my wife I gained a church home. God knows what He's doing.
Finally I'm thankful for life. There is a lot of things in this world I don't like. I hate the direction we are headed as a country when I see God being removed from every part of our culture. We have become too smart and too wealthy as a people to remember our humble beginnings and who we owe for our prosperity. No matter how bad it gets however, I am thankful I am right here, right now. I am able to walk and get around and besides being a tad overweight I'm in pretty good shape for a guy knocking on the old 40 door.
I am a blessed man.
First I'm thankful for God and my savior Jesus Christ. Why God would ever use someone like me goes way beyond my understanding. I fail my Lord so many times He has to be up there slapping his head.
I'm thankful for my wife of 17 years. She has had to put up with me and my wild ideas for a long time. While we have had our disagreements, I always knew she still loved me (even when she threw my stuff) and for some reason she still loves me. I didn't think I would ever get the pretty girl, but I sure did!
I am thankful for my dad, who has been with the Lord for a few years now. He was my idol and later in my life, my friend. I miss talking to him and gleaning his wisdom. He was the first one to take me to church and his fear of God was ever present. His humor was unique and there was usually laughter in our home. God really blessed me with such a great father. He wasn't perfect, and I had to watch as lung cancer slowly killed him. He had made some bad choices in his life, but in the end he made the best choice, accepting God's grace.
I am thankful for my mother, who always has been tough when she needed to be and also had a sense of humor. Many nights she was by herself when Dad worked out of town. When Dad got hurt and couldn't work, she picked up the slack. She put up with Dad and stayed with him during a tough time in their relationship. She always wanted a big family and a big house, something you don't hear women say much anymore. She became a Christian while I was a child and always made sure I was in church. My morals and attitudes come from her. She is a special lady.
I am thankful for my brothers and sisters, two of each. It was fun growing up with them and watching them grow. We are a very close group, something else you don't see a lot of. Now this group has turned out brother and sister in laws, nephews and nieces. All of which bring me joy and lots of laughs. I am blessed with a great family.
I am thankful for some great friends, all of whom I know I can count on no matter what. They have been very special to me and they can make me laugh until my head hurts.
I am thankful for my in-laws. I'm sure at times they have shook their heads at some of my stunts, but they always let us feel our way through things. They are wonderful grandparents and I try to seek their wisdom when I can.
I am thankful for my sons. I remember becoming a father for the first time and thinking about the awesome responsibility that God had given me. My boys are growing faster than I would like and I know my time with them is limited. They have been a joy to me and I can't help feeling very proud of them. I am told by many people how well behaved and smart they are, I have to say more like their mother than their dad.
I am thankful for everything that God has blessed me with, far more than I deserve. A good job, a nice home, and my new addition, a shop! It doesn't get any better than that!
I am thankful for my church, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and my pastors and leadership team. When I married my wife I gained a church home. God knows what He's doing.
Finally I'm thankful for life. There is a lot of things in this world I don't like. I hate the direction we are headed as a country when I see God being removed from every part of our culture. We have become too smart and too wealthy as a people to remember our humble beginnings and who we owe for our prosperity. No matter how bad it gets however, I am thankful I am right here, right now. I am able to walk and get around and besides being a tad overweight I'm in pretty good shape for a guy knocking on the old 40 door.
I am a blessed man.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Money
Cue the Pink Floyd.
I never cared for the song or the group, but I must admit, it has a message.
Stay on a church board long enough, and you will have to deal with the wonderful and at times terrible subject of money.
First we have to understand that the church HAS to spend money. I know that sounds kind of simple, but you would be surprised at the people that don't get that.
There is where the problem lies.
God is so cool that He made us all different. We all look at things from a different point of view. It's no wonder many marriages fall apart, usually there is a saver and a spender, and unless we are willing to work together and compromise, we are in for some huge battles.
Those attitudes come with us when we enter the council meeting room. There are savers and spenders. The fuel is present for some nasty explosions and unfortunately, like some marriages, churches split.
How do we avoid this?
First we must realize that the church is NOT a business and it is NOT like our home finances. The goals need to be different.
In our homes we try to save some for retirement, or maybe a home or a car. In a business you save to upgrade, and perhaps keep a little in case business gets slow.
What does the church save for? What is its goals?
I never really thought about it until I was reading Erwin McManus' book "An Unstoppable Force". It hit me. We are worried about our survival.
When we become more interested in our church surviving than we are about its mission, we have reached a dangerous point in our church history.
It turns itself inward, hoarding its resources, afraid to step out and spend a little to do the work. Maybe what we really ought to call it is unfaithfulness.
I really tried to think of a Biblical story of God rewarding people who lacked faith in His ability to provide. The only one I can think of is when the Hebrew people were wondering in the desert (because they lacked faith, hmmm) and God provided them with manna.
I wonder how many churches are wandering in the "desert" because they didn't think God was big enough to handle a mission project, or whatever else we NEED to be doing in our churches.
The Bible says we cannot serve two masters. We cannot say we are doing everything we can to reach people when we are unwilling to spend our money for ministry. We cannot serve the god of money and the one true God.
Now I'm not saying the church shouldn't have a little put away for a roof or something like that, our buildings need upkeep, and of course the church should always pay its bills, but don't always think that being a good steward means hoarding your money while people in your community are going hungry and needing clothes.
The church in Acts, according to the Bible, sold what they had and gave it away. You will notice they did not put it away for a rainy day, into a CD or a building fund. The "church" was not worried about their survival, just doing the work of their Lord.
No wonder it grew.
I never cared for the song or the group, but I must admit, it has a message.
Stay on a church board long enough, and you will have to deal with the wonderful and at times terrible subject of money.
First we have to understand that the church HAS to spend money. I know that sounds kind of simple, but you would be surprised at the people that don't get that.
There is where the problem lies.
God is so cool that He made us all different. We all look at things from a different point of view. It's no wonder many marriages fall apart, usually there is a saver and a spender, and unless we are willing to work together and compromise, we are in for some huge battles.
Those attitudes come with us when we enter the council meeting room. There are savers and spenders. The fuel is present for some nasty explosions and unfortunately, like some marriages, churches split.
How do we avoid this?
First we must realize that the church is NOT a business and it is NOT like our home finances. The goals need to be different.
In our homes we try to save some for retirement, or maybe a home or a car. In a business you save to upgrade, and perhaps keep a little in case business gets slow.
What does the church save for? What is its goals?
I never really thought about it until I was reading Erwin McManus' book "An Unstoppable Force". It hit me. We are worried about our survival.
When we become more interested in our church surviving than we are about its mission, we have reached a dangerous point in our church history.
It turns itself inward, hoarding its resources, afraid to step out and spend a little to do the work. Maybe what we really ought to call it is unfaithfulness.
I really tried to think of a Biblical story of God rewarding people who lacked faith in His ability to provide. The only one I can think of is when the Hebrew people were wondering in the desert (because they lacked faith, hmmm) and God provided them with manna.
I wonder how many churches are wandering in the "desert" because they didn't think God was big enough to handle a mission project, or whatever else we NEED to be doing in our churches.
The Bible says we cannot serve two masters. We cannot say we are doing everything we can to reach people when we are unwilling to spend our money for ministry. We cannot serve the god of money and the one true God.
Now I'm not saying the church shouldn't have a little put away for a roof or something like that, our buildings need upkeep, and of course the church should always pay its bills, but don't always think that being a good steward means hoarding your money while people in your community are going hungry and needing clothes.
The church in Acts, according to the Bible, sold what they had and gave it away. You will notice they did not put it away for a rainy day, into a CD or a building fund. The "church" was not worried about their survival, just doing the work of their Lord.
No wonder it grew.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
My youth group, leader lesson mini-sized
Somebody was going to get wet.
In my quest to find an activity for my Jr.-Sr. High youth group I came across this little game which would be fun for the youth and, more importantly, entertaining for the leader. I split the group into two groups, boys vs girls. Each group had to lay on their backs in a circle with their feet in the air, their heals touching the person on each side of them. With their feet forming a platform, I placed a small bucket of water on the bottom of their feet and instructed them, one at a time, to take one shoe off and then the other shoe. The object was for the rest of the group to keep the water from spilling while each person removed a shoe.
Got it?
Well it was a lot of fun, I laughed so hard my head hurt and of course people got wet. But something that happened during the game got me thinking.
One group (I won't tell you which one) seemed very afraid of getting wet. As shoes were being removed the bucket began to slosh water, panic ensued, and the group members bailed out leaving everyone to fend for themselves. The bucket spilled it's entire contents and people got wet.
The other group had a much better experience. The water was placed on their feet and it did slosh a little water out as shoes were being removed. But the pail didn't spill.
Why?
The second group had a leader, someone who had taken charge, coached and encouraged the group not to give up and to work together.
I found true leadership in a simple game. Even at the risk of getting wet, the leader didn't yell, panic, or blame the team. The leader knew the objective, got the team to the goal and didn't brag or swagger. It was a team effort.
Many leaders try to push their agenda down the throats of the people their suppose to be leading. Maybe sometimes it works, but I submit it rarely does. What happens most of the time is they leave a trail of destruction in their wake. They become frustrated, the people become frustrated, and bad things happen.
The lesson I learned in that silly game is that, as leaders, we need to sell the vision to the people we lead. We need to encourage and coach, not get mad when things don't move at the speed we would like. People are watching us all the time. We cannot panic or blame others when things go bad and we shouldn't brag and take all the credit when we have positive moments. We can do so much more when we work together than we can do when we try to do it alone.
If we don't work together, we are going to get wet.
In my quest to find an activity for my Jr.-Sr. High youth group I came across this little game which would be fun for the youth and, more importantly, entertaining for the leader. I split the group into two groups, boys vs girls. Each group had to lay on their backs in a circle with their feet in the air, their heals touching the person on each side of them. With their feet forming a platform, I placed a small bucket of water on the bottom of their feet and instructed them, one at a time, to take one shoe off and then the other shoe. The object was for the rest of the group to keep the water from spilling while each person removed a shoe.
Got it?
Well it was a lot of fun, I laughed so hard my head hurt and of course people got wet. But something that happened during the game got me thinking.
One group (I won't tell you which one) seemed very afraid of getting wet. As shoes were being removed the bucket began to slosh water, panic ensued, and the group members bailed out leaving everyone to fend for themselves. The bucket spilled it's entire contents and people got wet.
The other group had a much better experience. The water was placed on their feet and it did slosh a little water out as shoes were being removed. But the pail didn't spill.
Why?
The second group had a leader, someone who had taken charge, coached and encouraged the group not to give up and to work together.
I found true leadership in a simple game. Even at the risk of getting wet, the leader didn't yell, panic, or blame the team. The leader knew the objective, got the team to the goal and didn't brag or swagger. It was a team effort.
Many leaders try to push their agenda down the throats of the people their suppose to be leading. Maybe sometimes it works, but I submit it rarely does. What happens most of the time is they leave a trail of destruction in their wake. They become frustrated, the people become frustrated, and bad things happen.
The lesson I learned in that silly game is that, as leaders, we need to sell the vision to the people we lead. We need to encourage and coach, not get mad when things don't move at the speed we would like. People are watching us all the time. We cannot panic or blame others when things go bad and we shouldn't brag and take all the credit when we have positive moments. We can do so much more when we work together than we can do when we try to do it alone.
If we don't work together, we are going to get wet.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Dear _ _ _,
I know that look.
Those tired eyes give it away.
I was invited to your council meeting to see if I could help you and your church, but I remained silent. You may be wondering why.
You see before I came to your meeting I prayed that God would hold my tongue, and He did.
I came to listen to the noise. You have been through so much with the dismissal of your pastor, the reduction of your attendance and then of course your income. The search for a new pastor is always one of the toughest choices a church body has to make. It seems that lines have formed, those who support the young youth director who is full of life and wants to take the church in a direction your just not sure about, and another man who comes from a different denomination but offers a slightly more traditional background.
As with most meetings you have the onlookers who want to offer their advice, the two young men who spoke in favor of the youth director taking the senior pastor role were very convincing, although what I thought I heard them say was that if the youth director was not given the position (or someone like him, I thought that was a nice touch) they would have to look at another church.
Interesting.
I will tell you a story from my youth. There was a corner lot we used to play football. We, being young men, of course played tackle football, and it got rough at times. One of my friends had a new Nerf football. Now today that seems like no big deal, but for the poor area I grew up in a Nerf football was something new. Now my friend had this habit of getting upset when he played and before long his anger would grow until he grabbed the football, went home to his front porch and rocked in his rocking chair for all of us to see, the Nerf football safely placed on his porch.
My point is this, what it sounds like to me is if you don't hire the guy I want (or someone like him) I'm taking my bright orange football home and you will have to live with the fact I'm at some other church blessing them with my attendance.
I heard some voices of reason, I heard some voices of fear, I heard pain. I wanted just to listen and watch as that meeting ground along.
But what really caught my eye was your face. That tired expression and those eyes. Those very tired eyes.
After the meeting I made it a point to speak to you. I wanted to encourage you and I wish to do that again now.
Keep your head up. Keep smiling. There will be happiness again. Do NOT hire anyone without some serious prayer time and more meetings with your leaders. Meet away from the church and away from any candidates. Speak open and honestly with each other about the direction you feel God moving the church. Then and only then can you select the right candidate.
Don't let anyone who threatens to leave bother you. You are NEVER going to make everybody happy so don't even try. If they leave, they leave. Send them away with love and move on. They will be happier and you will be happier for it.
_ _ _, I have sat in your chair and I know how you feel. You just want it to end. Hire somebody, anybody, just take this load off of me. Don't give in to that feeling. Be patient, have faith, and watch God work.
There is light at the end of the tunnel.
Tom
Those tired eyes give it away.
I was invited to your council meeting to see if I could help you and your church, but I remained silent. You may be wondering why.
You see before I came to your meeting I prayed that God would hold my tongue, and He did.
I came to listen to the noise. You have been through so much with the dismissal of your pastor, the reduction of your attendance and then of course your income. The search for a new pastor is always one of the toughest choices a church body has to make. It seems that lines have formed, those who support the young youth director who is full of life and wants to take the church in a direction your just not sure about, and another man who comes from a different denomination but offers a slightly more traditional background.
As with most meetings you have the onlookers who want to offer their advice, the two young men who spoke in favor of the youth director taking the senior pastor role were very convincing, although what I thought I heard them say was that if the youth director was not given the position (or someone like him, I thought that was a nice touch) they would have to look at another church.
Interesting.
I will tell you a story from my youth. There was a corner lot we used to play football. We, being young men, of course played tackle football, and it got rough at times. One of my friends had a new Nerf football. Now today that seems like no big deal, but for the poor area I grew up in a Nerf football was something new. Now my friend had this habit of getting upset when he played and before long his anger would grow until he grabbed the football, went home to his front porch and rocked in his rocking chair for all of us to see, the Nerf football safely placed on his porch.
My point is this, what it sounds like to me is if you don't hire the guy I want (or someone like him) I'm taking my bright orange football home and you will have to live with the fact I'm at some other church blessing them with my attendance.
I heard some voices of reason, I heard some voices of fear, I heard pain. I wanted just to listen and watch as that meeting ground along.
But what really caught my eye was your face. That tired expression and those eyes. Those very tired eyes.
After the meeting I made it a point to speak to you. I wanted to encourage you and I wish to do that again now.
Keep your head up. Keep smiling. There will be happiness again. Do NOT hire anyone without some serious prayer time and more meetings with your leaders. Meet away from the church and away from any candidates. Speak open and honestly with each other about the direction you feel God moving the church. Then and only then can you select the right candidate.
Don't let anyone who threatens to leave bother you. You are NEVER going to make everybody happy so don't even try. If they leave, they leave. Send them away with love and move on. They will be happier and you will be happier for it.
_ _ _, I have sat in your chair and I know how you feel. You just want it to end. Hire somebody, anybody, just take this load off of me. Don't give in to that feeling. Be patient, have faith, and watch God work.
There is light at the end of the tunnel.
Tom
Friday, November 11, 2005
CHANGE
I liked my old computer.
I have had it since I was moved upstairs at work. It had all my bookmarks, old e-mails that were special, I knew my way around it. It was a little slow, and had been crashing some lately but I was comfortable with it. I was running Windows 98, which I know is old school, but it was pretty simple to run.
My boss was having all the computers at work updated to XP. They were not going to give me a new computer, just slap in some more memory and put XP on. I was okay with it I guess, there was not a lot I could do about it.
Then it happened.
The guy who was doing the upgrades suggested giving me a brand new computer, a short time later my old computer was gone. How sad it was that something I had spent so much time with, got comfortable with, had used a lot, was gone.
You think I'm making to big a deal about my old computer?
Careful.
I have found that changing things in churches become MUCH bigger deals. Change a service time, or order of service. Change worship music or leader, go to two services, cancel a service or add a service, and you might find yourself in the worst fight of your life.
Why?
I think that a lot of it is the generation we deal with. They have seen so much change in their lives (and I'm afraid not a lot of good changes) that the last thing they want changed is the church they attend. That is one aspect of their life they can control, and heaven help whoever messes with it.
Comfort has a lot to do with it also. We get used to things the way they are, and we know at 9:30 service will start, we will do this and that, we will sing some songs, the preacher will talk and then we will go home to eat.
Now repeat that for about three thousand times. No wonder our worship life gets a little stale.
Now before I go any farther I want to state something very plainly. I DO NOT believe in changing something just for the sake of change. That's just asking for trouble. But we do need to look at every aspect of our time together and ask, can we do it better?
Maybe we should ask a better question. What has become sacred in our churches? Our traditions and service schedule or the savior we came to worship?
My new computer is really fast and I kind of like it.
Who would of thought?
I have had it since I was moved upstairs at work. It had all my bookmarks, old e-mails that were special, I knew my way around it. It was a little slow, and had been crashing some lately but I was comfortable with it. I was running Windows 98, which I know is old school, but it was pretty simple to run.
My boss was having all the computers at work updated to XP. They were not going to give me a new computer, just slap in some more memory and put XP on. I was okay with it I guess, there was not a lot I could do about it.
Then it happened.
The guy who was doing the upgrades suggested giving me a brand new computer, a short time later my old computer was gone. How sad it was that something I had spent so much time with, got comfortable with, had used a lot, was gone.
You think I'm making to big a deal about my old computer?
Careful.
I have found that changing things in churches become MUCH bigger deals. Change a service time, or order of service. Change worship music or leader, go to two services, cancel a service or add a service, and you might find yourself in the worst fight of your life.
Why?
I think that a lot of it is the generation we deal with. They have seen so much change in their lives (and I'm afraid not a lot of good changes) that the last thing they want changed is the church they attend. That is one aspect of their life they can control, and heaven help whoever messes with it.
Comfort has a lot to do with it also. We get used to things the way they are, and we know at 9:30 service will start, we will do this and that, we will sing some songs, the preacher will talk and then we will go home to eat.
Now repeat that for about three thousand times. No wonder our worship life gets a little stale.
Now before I go any farther I want to state something very plainly. I DO NOT believe in changing something just for the sake of change. That's just asking for trouble. But we do need to look at every aspect of our time together and ask, can we do it better?
Maybe we should ask a better question. What has become sacred in our churches? Our traditions and service schedule or the savior we came to worship?
My new computer is really fast and I kind of like it.
Who would of thought?
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
The Tom Brady syndrome
What an interview.
Here is a guy who has everything. I mean look at what he has, 3 Super Bowl rings, dating some model, tons of money.
And he his empty.
I give Tom a lot of credit to admit something that the vast majority just doesn't get. It will never be enough.
The world tells us that we must be wealthy (tons of money), successful career (3 Super Bowl rings), and a hottie by our side (the model). By the worlds definition Tom Brady should be the happiest guy on the planet.
But he isn't.
In this rich country of ours it is very easy to obtain many things that we just know will make us happy, make us complete.
We pile the stuff up until we have to go rent a storage building to hold the rest of it. We want our bodies to be ripped and perfect, we want money so badly that we are willing to send our wives into the workplace, our children to the sitters, just to obtain more. We should be happy.
But we are not.
In fact I would say that in today's world we are as empty as we have ever been. Drug use is on the rise, we marry and divorce, have affairs and file bankruptcy. Always searching for that key
ingredient that we think will make everything better.
The answer of course is Jesus, but the world isn't buying that. I wonder if it's because the world sees Christians falling into the same traps.
We tell the world that "all you need is Jesus" and then run to the store to buy lottery tickets. What does that convey? I have faith that Jesus will supply all of my needs, but just in case He doesn't I'll play powerball. How about "all you need is Jesus", but my wife doesn't understand me so I found a "friend" on the side that does. "All you need is Jesus", but the bass boat I can't afford would look great on the lake. "All you need is Jesus", but I'm addicted to drugs, alcohol, or porn because I need it to get by. I wonder sometimes, do we really need Jesus, or just more money, sex or power.
It's a good question for all of us. I'm not saying nice things are bad, but what are we willing to give up to have them. What is our priority?
Jesus talked with a nice rich young man one time. The gentleman wanted eternal life and had obeyed the "rules" in his life. Jesus pointed out that there was something between this rich man and true happiness. The "things" in life got in the way. He left empty, coming so close to true wealth, but yet so far away.
I wonder if Tom will leave this earth the same way.
Here is a guy who has everything. I mean look at what he has, 3 Super Bowl rings, dating some model, tons of money.
And he his empty.
I give Tom a lot of credit to admit something that the vast majority just doesn't get. It will never be enough.
The world tells us that we must be wealthy (tons of money), successful career (3 Super Bowl rings), and a hottie by our side (the model). By the worlds definition Tom Brady should be the happiest guy on the planet.
But he isn't.
In this rich country of ours it is very easy to obtain many things that we just know will make us happy, make us complete.
We pile the stuff up until we have to go rent a storage building to hold the rest of it. We want our bodies to be ripped and perfect, we want money so badly that we are willing to send our wives into the workplace, our children to the sitters, just to obtain more. We should be happy.
But we are not.
In fact I would say that in today's world we are as empty as we have ever been. Drug use is on the rise, we marry and divorce, have affairs and file bankruptcy. Always searching for that key
ingredient that we think will make everything better.
The answer of course is Jesus, but the world isn't buying that. I wonder if it's because the world sees Christians falling into the same traps.
We tell the world that "all you need is Jesus" and then run to the store to buy lottery tickets. What does that convey? I have faith that Jesus will supply all of my needs, but just in case He doesn't I'll play powerball. How about "all you need is Jesus", but my wife doesn't understand me so I found a "friend" on the side that does. "All you need is Jesus", but the bass boat I can't afford would look great on the lake. "All you need is Jesus", but I'm addicted to drugs, alcohol, or porn because I need it to get by. I wonder sometimes, do we really need Jesus, or just more money, sex or power.
It's a good question for all of us. I'm not saying nice things are bad, but what are we willing to give up to have them. What is our priority?
Jesus talked with a nice rich young man one time. The gentleman wanted eternal life and had obeyed the "rules" in his life. Jesus pointed out that there was something between this rich man and true happiness. The "things" in life got in the way. He left empty, coming so close to true wealth, but yet so far away.
I wonder if Tom will leave this earth the same way.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Loner
I've always been a loner.
I'm not sure how it happened, maybe the fact that my parents were not in the social circles and that they over protected me as a child.
I just didn't need anyone else.
I was the only one I knew I could trust for a long time, I would walk to and from school, my mind always engaged with thought or day dreaming. The friends I did have were close. I didn't make close friends easily, it was something that took a lot of time. They had to earn my trust before I would let them into my world.
I was a stick in the mud so to speak, I loved being home, doing my thing. I could care less about the school dances or the events. I was shy around people, usually because I figured I would say something stupid, so I just avoided most people. Even to this day, more people know who I am in my small town, than I know who they are.
I was tall growing up, but pretty skinny. Because of that people just thought I should play basketball. I tried it and found out I really enjoyed the game. That was probably the best thing for me as it drug me out of my shell a little and it kept me busy.
What has that got to do with the church?
Well in some ways we all are loners. We don't let people into our lives very much. We don't let our Christian brothers and sisters in very close either. We guard our lives and our time like a pit bull standing over a T-bone. We have so much stuff and activities to do we just don't have time to develop relationships. We each have our own world and were comfortable with that. Church becomes an extension of our world but really nothing more.
I say this for two reasons. First, we miss out on genuine fellowship, not just eating together, but really getting to know people. This is hard for me still. But when I have done it, I have found it to be a blessing. I have grown as a person and a Christian when I let my guard down and let people in.
The second reason is the toughest. We need to develop relationships with people who are lost. I'm not talking about smacking them over the head with a coffee table KJV. I mean a genuine concern for people. They have to see our beliefs in action before they will ever consider joining you on your journey. Most people have heard it all before. Their not looking for someone to preach to them. Their looking for a friend.
We need to be tearing down fences instead of building them.
I'm not sure how it happened, maybe the fact that my parents were not in the social circles and that they over protected me as a child.
I just didn't need anyone else.
I was the only one I knew I could trust for a long time, I would walk to and from school, my mind always engaged with thought or day dreaming. The friends I did have were close. I didn't make close friends easily, it was something that took a lot of time. They had to earn my trust before I would let them into my world.
I was a stick in the mud so to speak, I loved being home, doing my thing. I could care less about the school dances or the events. I was shy around people, usually because I figured I would say something stupid, so I just avoided most people. Even to this day, more people know who I am in my small town, than I know who they are.
I was tall growing up, but pretty skinny. Because of that people just thought I should play basketball. I tried it and found out I really enjoyed the game. That was probably the best thing for me as it drug me out of my shell a little and it kept me busy.
What has that got to do with the church?
Well in some ways we all are loners. We don't let people into our lives very much. We don't let our Christian brothers and sisters in very close either. We guard our lives and our time like a pit bull standing over a T-bone. We have so much stuff and activities to do we just don't have time to develop relationships. We each have our own world and were comfortable with that. Church becomes an extension of our world but really nothing more.
I say this for two reasons. First, we miss out on genuine fellowship, not just eating together, but really getting to know people. This is hard for me still. But when I have done it, I have found it to be a blessing. I have grown as a person and a Christian when I let my guard down and let people in.
The second reason is the toughest. We need to develop relationships with people who are lost. I'm not talking about smacking them over the head with a coffee table KJV. I mean a genuine concern for people. They have to see our beliefs in action before they will ever consider joining you on your journey. Most people have heard it all before. Their not looking for someone to preach to them. Their looking for a friend.
We need to be tearing down fences instead of building them.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Focus
It was starting to get ugly.
It was probably my second council meeting as chairman. I had been elected as vice chairman 6 months earlier, and as luck would have it the chairman had moved to a different state. That left me in the captain's chair.
The last place I wanted to be.
It all started when someone mentioned getting one of those small church buses instead of a van. That lead to the question of, if we did get the mini-bus, where would we house it.
We had 2 or 3 people on the board that were still a little bitter about a previous event, and it seemed that everything was just bugging them.
Voices began to raise and I saw faces getting red.
It was time to act.
"Anybody else got anything to say" I blurted out. That seemed to get their attention. "Let's go upstairs".
I was going upstairs to focus. You see that is were the sanctuary is. That is where the altar is.
I explained that we were going to get on our knees and pray. I left it open so anyone could pray either to themselves or out loud.
Why?
The most important reason is focus. Blame the church for not doing this or that, blame it's unwillingness to change, blame it for losing it's mission. But I can tell you the real reason we fail.
We aren't focused.
Think about it, King David was God's man. From a small boy he had faith in his God. God blessed David for that faith. Everything was great. Until...
Instead of being with his troops one day David took some time off. Why not, he had earned it. He had good people under him, the victory would still be won.
He went on top of his estate and happen to look in the wrong direction. You know the rest of the story. That one moment of forgetting what his focus should of been brought David misery the rest of his life.
That was just a moment, a glance if you will, of losing focus for David. Some churches lose their focus for years. And they too spend years in misery.
I want the leaders at my church to stay focused. Forget about all the petty arguments and conflicts, past histories and grudges.
When Paul would write the churches he urged them to focus on Christ and each other. The church in Acts grew in leaps and bounds when they "had everything in common" and "all the believers were one in heart and mind." See my point.
It's easy to get out of focus, all it takes is putting something in front of following Jesus.
Our council now goes before the altar before each meeting. It is a time to confess sin, pray for the sick and for the upcoming meeting.
But really we do it to focus.
It was probably my second council meeting as chairman. I had been elected as vice chairman 6 months earlier, and as luck would have it the chairman had moved to a different state. That left me in the captain's chair.
The last place I wanted to be.
It all started when someone mentioned getting one of those small church buses instead of a van. That lead to the question of, if we did get the mini-bus, where would we house it.
We had 2 or 3 people on the board that were still a little bitter about a previous event, and it seemed that everything was just bugging them.
Voices began to raise and I saw faces getting red.
It was time to act.
"Anybody else got anything to say" I blurted out. That seemed to get their attention. "Let's go upstairs".
I was going upstairs to focus. You see that is were the sanctuary is. That is where the altar is.
I explained that we were going to get on our knees and pray. I left it open so anyone could pray either to themselves or out loud.
Why?
The most important reason is focus. Blame the church for not doing this or that, blame it's unwillingness to change, blame it for losing it's mission. But I can tell you the real reason we fail.
We aren't focused.
Think about it, King David was God's man. From a small boy he had faith in his God. God blessed David for that faith. Everything was great. Until...
Instead of being with his troops one day David took some time off. Why not, he had earned it. He had good people under him, the victory would still be won.
He went on top of his estate and happen to look in the wrong direction. You know the rest of the story. That one moment of forgetting what his focus should of been brought David misery the rest of his life.
That was just a moment, a glance if you will, of losing focus for David. Some churches lose their focus for years. And they too spend years in misery.
I want the leaders at my church to stay focused. Forget about all the petty arguments and conflicts, past histories and grudges.
When Paul would write the churches he urged them to focus on Christ and each other. The church in Acts grew in leaps and bounds when they "had everything in common" and "all the believers were one in heart and mind." See my point.
It's easy to get out of focus, all it takes is putting something in front of following Jesus.
Our council now goes before the altar before each meeting. It is a time to confess sin, pray for the sick and for the upcoming meeting.
But really we do it to focus.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Council Meetings
I hate the dentist.
It's nothing personal, it's just every time I get into the old dentist chair, pain is sure to follow.
It's oddly enough the same feeling I get at council meetings sometimes.
It's not the people on the board, they are all good people.
It's the content.
At some moment in church history, I'm not sure when it happened, the church became a business.
I know I know, you HAVE to take care of the business, pay the bills, hear the reports. Or do we? In my church we have pastors, elders, deacons, trustees, clerk, treasurer, and an advisory member from our women's group on our board. They are all elected by the congregation to do a job. So what's the problem?
Well I know I'm going to take some heat for this but I don't need to hear a report from any of them.
What?!?
Let me explain, the elders are responsible for the worship and spiritual health (along with the pastors) of the church. Do your job.
The deacons take care of the needs of the church in a financial sense, budgets etc. and help with the ordinances. Do your job.
The trustees take care of the building and grounds. Do your job.
The pastor shepherds the flock. Do your job.
I don't need to know what toilet got fixed, the budgetary numbers for the worship team, what the pastor did every waking moment of his week. I'm sorry I don't.
If we are truly a team, I trust the deacons to do what is best for the church. I don't need to know all the details. If we don't trust them, why have we elected them?
This may sound extreme, but I remember looking at carpet samples for what seemed like an eternity. I'm color blind. I don't care. Get some people together who do care and do it! Want more? In our last building project, we couldn't decide what kind of cover plate to put over the light switches. I wish I was kidding.
Look, like I said, I love my church and the brothers and sisters I serve with. This is in no way a slam on them. It's just the culture they have been brought up in. They compare the church board with a county or business board. We think were doing the right thing by talking about profit & losses, and what color to paint the men's bathroom. I'm not so sure.
I dream of a day when the leaders of our churches get together and talk about vision, and brainstorm about ways we can make the church more like the way Christ would want it, not about wallpaper and paint, profit and losses.
But for now...
It's nothing personal, it's just every time I get into the old dentist chair, pain is sure to follow.
It's oddly enough the same feeling I get at council meetings sometimes.
It's not the people on the board, they are all good people.
It's the content.
At some moment in church history, I'm not sure when it happened, the church became a business.
I know I know, you HAVE to take care of the business, pay the bills, hear the reports. Or do we? In my church we have pastors, elders, deacons, trustees, clerk, treasurer, and an advisory member from our women's group on our board. They are all elected by the congregation to do a job. So what's the problem?
Well I know I'm going to take some heat for this but I don't need to hear a report from any of them.
What?!?
Let me explain, the elders are responsible for the worship and spiritual health (along with the pastors) of the church. Do your job.
The deacons take care of the needs of the church in a financial sense, budgets etc. and help with the ordinances. Do your job.
The trustees take care of the building and grounds. Do your job.
The pastor shepherds the flock. Do your job.
I don't need to know what toilet got fixed, the budgetary numbers for the worship team, what the pastor did every waking moment of his week. I'm sorry I don't.
If we are truly a team, I trust the deacons to do what is best for the church. I don't need to know all the details. If we don't trust them, why have we elected them?
This may sound extreme, but I remember looking at carpet samples for what seemed like an eternity. I'm color blind. I don't care. Get some people together who do care and do it! Want more? In our last building project, we couldn't decide what kind of cover plate to put over the light switches. I wish I was kidding.
Look, like I said, I love my church and the brothers and sisters I serve with. This is in no way a slam on them. It's just the culture they have been brought up in. They compare the church board with a county or business board. We think were doing the right thing by talking about profit & losses, and what color to paint the men's bathroom. I'm not so sure.
I dream of a day when the leaders of our churches get together and talk about vision, and brainstorm about ways we can make the church more like the way Christ would want it, not about wallpaper and paint, profit and losses.
But for now...
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
The Mega Church
Brian an I were excited.
Our friend Wade was getting married at Willow Creek church in Barrington. At that time one of the largest churches in North America. We were in the wedding party.
Just the wedding chapel could hold the population of my small town and I was in awe.
The pastor doing the service asked us if we would like to see the main sanctuary. I couldn't wait to see it. It was just huge. I remember seeing phones on the first row chairs, I assumed were for communicating back to the A-V area.
Brian was not impressed.
"I thought it would be bigger".
Several years later Brian and I went to a seminar held at Willow Creek with other leaders from our denomination. I had heard they built a new sanctuary and again I was eager to see it. It did not disappoint. It was twice as grand as the first one. When we walked into the church it reminded me of an airport. Tons of people, multi-storied, food courts. Just amazing, simply amazing. They even had a kiosk. Whoever heard of a kiosk in a church?
Now I know your waiting for me to bash the "mega church", and I do have a couple of issues with it. But not what you might expect.
I think some people dislike them because of simple jealousy, it's so beautiful it is hard not to be envious, but is that a good reason to put them down?
And just think what good they can do with that many resources, the impact they can have in the community and in the world. That's a lot of good things.
What put a little damper on my warm feelings was looking at all the pastors at the seminar with their Willow Creek packets, eager to soak up everything and anything of value so they can be a mega church too. I mean if it worked for Bill why won't it work for me?
I could imagine them going back to their home church, busting with excitement. He springs it on his church, they buy it and then WHAM. He falls on his face.
Now this pastor is crushed. What went wrong? He begins to doubt his abilities. Maybe he's not the man the church needs. Do you see where I'm going with this?
What Willow Creek and other mega's do is great, but that does not mean that pastors in smaller churches across the country and around the world are not doing great things. Don't judge your ministry on size. Base it on the spiritual growth of your flock. Are they becoming spiritual "adults" or are they stuck in spiritual infancy.
The only other trouble I have is the bigger the machine, the more fuel it requires. Where does the fuel come from? I would be interested to know the percentage of new converts at Willow Creek against the percentage of people who left smaller churches in the area to join Willow Creek. Is it true numerical growth, or just shifting people from smaller churches to larger churches than can offer more of everything. I'm just curious.
Make no mistake, I have a lot of respect for the mega's. They have done some great things in Christ's name. I wish them continued success and prosperity.
But I also wish the average pastor of his small church the same thing.
Our friend Wade was getting married at Willow Creek church in Barrington. At that time one of the largest churches in North America. We were in the wedding party.
Just the wedding chapel could hold the population of my small town and I was in awe.
The pastor doing the service asked us if we would like to see the main sanctuary. I couldn't wait to see it. It was just huge. I remember seeing phones on the first row chairs, I assumed were for communicating back to the A-V area.
Brian was not impressed.
"I thought it would be bigger".
Several years later Brian and I went to a seminar held at Willow Creek with other leaders from our denomination. I had heard they built a new sanctuary and again I was eager to see it. It did not disappoint. It was twice as grand as the first one. When we walked into the church it reminded me of an airport. Tons of people, multi-storied, food courts. Just amazing, simply amazing. They even had a kiosk. Whoever heard of a kiosk in a church?
Now I know your waiting for me to bash the "mega church", and I do have a couple of issues with it. But not what you might expect.
I think some people dislike them because of simple jealousy, it's so beautiful it is hard not to be envious, but is that a good reason to put them down?
And just think what good they can do with that many resources, the impact they can have in the community and in the world. That's a lot of good things.
What put a little damper on my warm feelings was looking at all the pastors at the seminar with their Willow Creek packets, eager to soak up everything and anything of value so they can be a mega church too. I mean if it worked for Bill why won't it work for me?
I could imagine them going back to their home church, busting with excitement. He springs it on his church, they buy it and then WHAM. He falls on his face.
Now this pastor is crushed. What went wrong? He begins to doubt his abilities. Maybe he's not the man the church needs. Do you see where I'm going with this?
What Willow Creek and other mega's do is great, but that does not mean that pastors in smaller churches across the country and around the world are not doing great things. Don't judge your ministry on size. Base it on the spiritual growth of your flock. Are they becoming spiritual "adults" or are they stuck in spiritual infancy.
The only other trouble I have is the bigger the machine, the more fuel it requires. Where does the fuel come from? I would be interested to know the percentage of new converts at Willow Creek against the percentage of people who left smaller churches in the area to join Willow Creek. Is it true numerical growth, or just shifting people from smaller churches to larger churches than can offer more of everything. I'm just curious.
Make no mistake, I have a lot of respect for the mega's. They have done some great things in Christ's name. I wish them continued success and prosperity.
But I also wish the average pastor of his small church the same thing.
Consumerism in church
We are all consumers.
We buy products to live, we buy products to entertain us, we buy, buy, buy.
And we have become disloyal. Remember the good ole' days when you were either a Ford, GM, or Chrysler man? No so anymore.
Now we want whatever gives us the bigger bang for the buck. My desires and wants have become paramount. It's all about me.
I suppose that's fine when shopping for material thing as long as it's within your financial grasp.
But how about looking for a church?
You see I'm afraid the church as bought into this. We want to make ourselves attractive, not so much for the lost I fear, but for the Christian family looking for a new home since the last church they were in didn't meet there "needs".
It's not new, I'm sure some of the people that followed Jesus and the apostles were just wanting to be entertained, you know, see the "show". Was that shallow? Be careful how you answer that. You might find that you are leaving or looking for a church based on that same shallowness.
Churches are trying to deliver more product, a bigger bang for the buck, to the church consumer. We all claim that were not trying to steal people from other churches, but were certainly happy when the do show up. Here's someone all cleaned up and ready to be put to work. We don't have to worry about how they look or act, there just like us! Hooray!!
I'm not saying the church shouldn't change what it's doing, I think we should from time to time look at our ministries and evaluate there effectiveness. But who are we trying to reach?
Our church has lost and gained people. I have heard the excuses. Church "A" has more stuff for my kids, church "B" just lost there pastor and since I don't like the new guy I'm going to try your church. I like church "C" because of there music leader. It sounds an awful lot like there saying church is all about me.
In the good ole' days of horse and buggy, several people came together and built a little church in the area. Over a large area alot of these little churches sprang up. People just didn't want to travel in a wagon very far. Not so today.
We will travel long distances to get what we want. And by george were going to get it.
Maybe the question we need to ask in our board (that's board not bored, it's an easy mistake to make) meetings is how do we make the church attractive to the people that we are supposed to reach out to, you remember, the lost.
I'm not telling the church to neglect the saints, but I think we can do both. Just imagine if we showed genuine concern and love for the lost that they wanted to be a part of the body, and I'm going out on a limb here, but I'll bet that their looking for that instead of who has the better power point presentation.
But it will require the saints to do something that for some reason we have a hard time doing. Accepting people just the way they are, you know, like Christ does. We get the cart before the horse. We want them holy, BEFORE we let them into our club. I'm glad Jesus doesn't work that way or we would all be in trouble.
I had a older fellow tell me that he really missed the old days when people would come to the alter and give their life to Christ. I think down deep all the saints miss that. So as far as I'm concerned it's a win-win.
Before that can happen however church has to become less of a product and more of a lighthouse.
We buy products to live, we buy products to entertain us, we buy, buy, buy.
And we have become disloyal. Remember the good ole' days when you were either a Ford, GM, or Chrysler man? No so anymore.
Now we want whatever gives us the bigger bang for the buck. My desires and wants have become paramount. It's all about me.
I suppose that's fine when shopping for material thing as long as it's within your financial grasp.
But how about looking for a church?
You see I'm afraid the church as bought into this. We want to make ourselves attractive, not so much for the lost I fear, but for the Christian family looking for a new home since the last church they were in didn't meet there "needs".
It's not new, I'm sure some of the people that followed Jesus and the apostles were just wanting to be entertained, you know, see the "show". Was that shallow? Be careful how you answer that. You might find that you are leaving or looking for a church based on that same shallowness.
Churches are trying to deliver more product, a bigger bang for the buck, to the church consumer. We all claim that were not trying to steal people from other churches, but were certainly happy when the do show up. Here's someone all cleaned up and ready to be put to work. We don't have to worry about how they look or act, there just like us! Hooray!!
I'm not saying the church shouldn't change what it's doing, I think we should from time to time look at our ministries and evaluate there effectiveness. But who are we trying to reach?
Our church has lost and gained people. I have heard the excuses. Church "A" has more stuff for my kids, church "B" just lost there pastor and since I don't like the new guy I'm going to try your church. I like church "C" because of there music leader. It sounds an awful lot like there saying church is all about me.
In the good ole' days of horse and buggy, several people came together and built a little church in the area. Over a large area alot of these little churches sprang up. People just didn't want to travel in a wagon very far. Not so today.
We will travel long distances to get what we want. And by george were going to get it.
Maybe the question we need to ask in our board (that's board not bored, it's an easy mistake to make) meetings is how do we make the church attractive to the people that we are supposed to reach out to, you remember, the lost.
I'm not telling the church to neglect the saints, but I think we can do both. Just imagine if we showed genuine concern and love for the lost that they wanted to be a part of the body, and I'm going out on a limb here, but I'll bet that their looking for that instead of who has the better power point presentation.
But it will require the saints to do something that for some reason we have a hard time doing. Accepting people just the way they are, you know, like Christ does. We get the cart before the horse. We want them holy, BEFORE we let them into our club. I'm glad Jesus doesn't work that way or we would all be in trouble.
I had a older fellow tell me that he really missed the old days when people would come to the alter and give their life to Christ. I think down deep all the saints miss that. So as far as I'm concerned it's a win-win.
Before that can happen however church has to become less of a product and more of a lighthouse.
Monday, October 31, 2005
My friend Brian
Brian has given me a lot of good press.
Who's Brian you ask?
Well you can get a pretty good idea by visiting his blog- bedrock3.blogspot.com. In that widely read blog you will find that he is a pastor with a heart to reach people in a non-traditional church setting and atmosphere.
He has also been my friend since second grade.
In school I always envied his intelligence. Brian made math look easy. He always comprehended stuff that made my head hurt. He had read books that were DEEP. You know, no pictures. We played basketball together in school, probably the only thing we had in common and it cemented our friendship. I was asked about doing Campus Life in Martinsville, which I accepted. If I recall correctly I asked Brian to help me, he accepted. Our first ministry.
My marriage was a product of him as his then girlfriend setting me up with a blind date. Four years later I was married.
After college Brian got a great job with IBM. I starting working for an industrial supply house.
I would talk with Brian once and awhile, and then...
I heard he was going to seminary.
Brian had grown up in a very traditional church, as did I. The only time he spoke about his church was to comment how the youth would sit in the balcony and goof off during the service while the adults struggled to pay attention. I think Brian saw the church as someplace that people went because they were just expected to. I think Brian wanted the church to be more than that, he wanted it to be alive, relevant to the community, a place were love and hope could be found.
He tried to pastor a traditional church, no dice. It seemed they were unwilling to change to broaden there reach. So he did the best thing I think he could have done.
He planted a church.
Talk about faith! Talk about fearless! Now he will tell you that he has had his moments when he wasn't so sure about it, but I'm also sure he would tell you the journey has never been dull.
He became the head of church planting for the midwest region in our denomination, were he works to help others plant churches.
Brian isn't perfect, like all of us he has his faults, but I still find myself envying him, not so much for his head knowledge (which is still WAY over my head) but for his heart and passion to reach people that have given up on the church.
Who's Brian you ask?
Well you can get a pretty good idea by visiting his blog- bedrock3.blogspot.com. In that widely read blog you will find that he is a pastor with a heart to reach people in a non-traditional church setting and atmosphere.
He has also been my friend since second grade.
In school I always envied his intelligence. Brian made math look easy. He always comprehended stuff that made my head hurt. He had read books that were DEEP. You know, no pictures. We played basketball together in school, probably the only thing we had in common and it cemented our friendship. I was asked about doing Campus Life in Martinsville, which I accepted. If I recall correctly I asked Brian to help me, he accepted. Our first ministry.
My marriage was a product of him as his then girlfriend setting me up with a blind date. Four years later I was married.
After college Brian got a great job with IBM. I starting working for an industrial supply house.
I would talk with Brian once and awhile, and then...
I heard he was going to seminary.
Brian had grown up in a very traditional church, as did I. The only time he spoke about his church was to comment how the youth would sit in the balcony and goof off during the service while the adults struggled to pay attention. I think Brian saw the church as someplace that people went because they were just expected to. I think Brian wanted the church to be more than that, he wanted it to be alive, relevant to the community, a place were love and hope could be found.
He tried to pastor a traditional church, no dice. It seemed they were unwilling to change to broaden there reach. So he did the best thing I think he could have done.
He planted a church.
Talk about faith! Talk about fearless! Now he will tell you that he has had his moments when he wasn't so sure about it, but I'm also sure he would tell you the journey has never been dull.
He became the head of church planting for the midwest region in our denomination, were he works to help others plant churches.
Brian isn't perfect, like all of us he has his faults, but I still find myself envying him, not so much for his head knowledge (which is still WAY over my head) but for his heart and passion to reach people that have given up on the church.
Individualism and today's church
In my Sunday School class we talked about something that I had not really thought about. We have a new classification (well new to me). There are atheist (No God), agnostic (God, but unreachable) and now individualist ( Me and God are tight, just in my own way). I remember a conversation I had with an alcoholic that told me that he and Jesus had a relationship, but it was a relationship that apparently was unique and different than everybody else. I'm hearing more people tell me that. I've thought to myself, why wouldn't they want to have what I guess I consider a "normal" relationship that is open, and not so undercover.
Why don't they attend church? My first thought is that they have seen so many bad examples of Christianity in church that they feel there better off outside the church. I won't argue that, sometimes we are bad billboards for Christ. I urge people to NOT look so much at people but focus on Christ, but that just isn't going to happen.
I also think that people have become more independent. We live in a world that we can communicate thoughts and ideas, good and bad, to anyone that wants to listen. We are bombarded with so much information about religion, we don't need a pastor. Why risk relationships with other believers who can hurt us? When your on your own you can get as close or as far away as you want.
There is one more thing that being an individualist offers, no accountability. If I keep my relationship a secret I can do what I want, whenever I want and no one is going to jump down my throat. If someone does point out the sin in my life, I can always say that I simply don't believe that way. You can kind of float about on the currents of the latest ideas, without really standing for anything.
How do we, as the Church, reach people that see no use for us? First and foremost we have to LOVE them. This sounds the easiest, but if were honest, it's the toughest. Most churches are not interested in people that are not interested in the church. Hey if they want to be on there own, let them, we got more important things to do like balance our budget, plan the next social gathering, stuff like that. Help people? Sorry we just don't have the time.
Second we have to get over our fear. This is the toughest for me. Any relationship incurs a risk no matter what you want to talk about. I am so socially backwards that just spitting out my name can be a problem with somebody I don't know. I envy people that can be bold and just stick out your hand to anyone that walks by. Jesus teaches that we need not fear anyone, so my faith is weak in that area. I'm betting I'm not the only one.
Lastly, keep it simple. I don't think people need to know all of your theological knowledge. If we can't explain Christ's love for us in a plain simple way, (you know like Christ did), what's the use?
People can listen to the intellectuals on TV (I'll bet they spend a second before they switch the channel). I think the world is hungry for the plain, simple truth.
The bottom line is this...teach the simple truth and live that truth.
Why don't they attend church? My first thought is that they have seen so many bad examples of Christianity in church that they feel there better off outside the church. I won't argue that, sometimes we are bad billboards for Christ. I urge people to NOT look so much at people but focus on Christ, but that just isn't going to happen.
I also think that people have become more independent. We live in a world that we can communicate thoughts and ideas, good and bad, to anyone that wants to listen. We are bombarded with so much information about religion, we don't need a pastor. Why risk relationships with other believers who can hurt us? When your on your own you can get as close or as far away as you want.
There is one more thing that being an individualist offers, no accountability. If I keep my relationship a secret I can do what I want, whenever I want and no one is going to jump down my throat. If someone does point out the sin in my life, I can always say that I simply don't believe that way. You can kind of float about on the currents of the latest ideas, without really standing for anything.
How do we, as the Church, reach people that see no use for us? First and foremost we have to LOVE them. This sounds the easiest, but if were honest, it's the toughest. Most churches are not interested in people that are not interested in the church. Hey if they want to be on there own, let them, we got more important things to do like balance our budget, plan the next social gathering, stuff like that. Help people? Sorry we just don't have the time.
Second we have to get over our fear. This is the toughest for me. Any relationship incurs a risk no matter what you want to talk about. I am so socially backwards that just spitting out my name can be a problem with somebody I don't know. I envy people that can be bold and just stick out your hand to anyone that walks by. Jesus teaches that we need not fear anyone, so my faith is weak in that area. I'm betting I'm not the only one.
Lastly, keep it simple. I don't think people need to know all of your theological knowledge. If we can't explain Christ's love for us in a plain simple way, (you know like Christ did), what's the use?
People can listen to the intellectuals on TV (I'll bet they spend a second before they switch the channel). I think the world is hungry for the plain, simple truth.
The bottom line is this...teach the simple truth and live that truth.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Welcome to my Blog
Wow my first post. Brian would be very proud of me. I want to introduce to you who I am. My name is Tom, I have a lovely (and patient) wife Marsha, and two great sons, Matt and Aaron. My reason for starting this Blog is two-fold. The first reason is two have an outlet for my thoughts on church leadership from the perspective of an elder from a small town traditional church as it grapples with change from within and outside the church. Secondly I wanted to share my personal struggle as a Christian man to live the life that God has called us to live. My hope is that it will encourage others.
Why Flower Hill? Well I grew up on a hill in a small town. In my town when you say your from Flower Hill it usually indicates that your poor, rough living, simple. I have found it to be a special place to live, where people are for the most part poor, rough living and simple. But there is a sense of community. Anyone just passing through just wouldn't see the things I see.
Why? Because they don't see it the way that I do. I am simple, I don't like complicated, long winded babble. Just get me the bottom line.
So how does this connect with church leadership? I read and hear so much about what the church should or should not be doing. Much has been written on "doing church". Doing it better, doing it smarter, the latest craze, small groups, large groups, small churches, mega churches. It just goes on and on. Where I believe we have to get to is putting down all the other books, and pick up the best church growth book out there, your Bible. You see until we stop "doing" church and start "being" the church we will always come up short. But how do we move our traditional churches from where they are to were they need to be? There lies the problem.
More on that later. If you do come across this blog I hope you enjoy it.
But understand...I'm from Flower Hill.
Why Flower Hill? Well I grew up on a hill in a small town. In my town when you say your from Flower Hill it usually indicates that your poor, rough living, simple. I have found it to be a special place to live, where people are for the most part poor, rough living and simple. But there is a sense of community. Anyone just passing through just wouldn't see the things I see.
Why? Because they don't see it the way that I do. I am simple, I don't like complicated, long winded babble. Just get me the bottom line.
So how does this connect with church leadership? I read and hear so much about what the church should or should not be doing. Much has been written on "doing church". Doing it better, doing it smarter, the latest craze, small groups, large groups, small churches, mega churches. It just goes on and on. Where I believe we have to get to is putting down all the other books, and pick up the best church growth book out there, your Bible. You see until we stop "doing" church and start "being" the church we will always come up short. But how do we move our traditional churches from where they are to were they need to be? There lies the problem.
More on that later. If you do come across this blog I hope you enjoy it.
But understand...I'm from Flower Hill.
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