Trying something new!
Filed under: Church Revitalization, Random Thoughts, church growth, creativity
I am proposing to my college a “new” idea to make us a Kindle Campus. All books, or at least all general education class books would be available as Kindle Downloads that way students wouldn’t have to carry around a backpack full of books anymore. (Sorry to The North Face company and other backpack makers.) This involves a change in the way teachers think about a text book. Can we now embed video in the middle of a text book? Can we make it so that students can click on difficult words and it gives them a definition? I know this isn’t a “churchy” post, but as a church, are we looking for new and innovative ways to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people or are we like many professors who want to keep teaching the way they have always taught. If you haven’t made creativity and innovation a part of your gospel presentation, then you are missing the boat! If you sit back and wonder why people are falling asleep in the service, maybe it is because nothing is there to get their attention. No, I am not saying you have to have lights and smoke just to keep people entertained. I am saying that to bring people to the Lord, the same methods that worked in 1950, might no longer be the most effective. Try something new!
For more ideas, don’t forget to check out the “In Search of the Great Pastor Conference” coming up in February!
Young Leaders!
Filed under: Church Revitalization, Direction, Encouragement, Random Thoughts, creativity
I just had one of my advisees, Jarrick Lee, stop by my office. He is studying to be a pastor and feels that God is calling him to plant a church. It is incredible to spend time with young leaders who are so full of passion for our Savior! If you have been hanging out with a bunch of Christians who were Christians when Kennedy was shot or even when the Challenger blew up, it is time to make a conscious effort to get out of your box and spend time with some baby Christians and young leaders who are challenging the status quo! I love teaching on a college campus where there are so many young people who are on fire for God!
What is the church to do in a country headed to Hell?
I am not referring to Hell, Michigan
America, is a great country for religious freedom. We still have the freedom to assemble and worship together! Many Americans take advantage of this freedom each week. We live in a country where the majority of people still believe in a god of some kind. As the church, we are seeing that freedom slowly deteriorating. This country is having problems! Many people can instantly point to the economic abuses of our federal and many of our state governments. We see moral dilemmas such as killing unborn children, state funded immorality(Funding groups that support gay, lesbian, trans gender, or pedophilia agendas), and I am sure you can add to my examples. We see limits on how and when churches or groups can assemble. So what is the bride of Christ to do?
2 Chronicles 7:14 reminds us: “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Also, when Jonah was sent to preach to the wicked city of Ninevah, those people surprisingly listened and turned from their wicked ways. They repented in sackcloth and ashes from the greatest to the least! And Ninevah prospered for about 400 more years! That is quite a few generations! We can work politically. I am not against Christians being involved in politics. At the very least, we need to vote for people who will push for values that are like our own. More than that we change this world one person at a time. We share Jesus with one person, disciple them, and as that one person repents and comes to be “Christ-like”, and they repeat that process with another person…then this nation and this world can be saved from going to Hell! (And for any readers in Hell, Michigan, I am sure you realize I am not dissing your city…though you really need a new name!)
Had to laugh…at/with Seth Godin
A couple days ago, Seth Godin, who is one of my favorite authors in the area of marketing and leadership, published this post on his blog. What I had to laugh about is that he seems to take for granted an age old idea in publishing which is the idea of “the platform”. That means, how many people out there care what you have to say to them. He has somewhere around half a million subscribers to his blog. If only 10% of those people buy something he publishes, he has still made some money on the deal. In comparison, there are about a hundred of you who read my ramblings…which means I am doing pretty well as my book has sold 26 copies! For Seth, cutting out the traditional publisher and self publishing is a great idea! He doesn’t need the publisher anymore. If I had written Wild About the Church in order to get paid, I would be starving to death. An author needs either their own platform, like a pastor of a mega-church, or leader of a large organization, or they will need a publisher who can get behind their book and market it to the masses. I know this post is a little out of the ordinary for me, but I am curious what you think about it. (You may want to go back and read Seth Godin’s post to understand what I am talking about first.)
Phone Calls…
This afternoon, I was sitting here watching an episode of Eureka on fancast when the phone rang. It was a youth pastor from a town a little south of here just calling to pick my brains a little for ideas he could use for his youth group. It surprised me since I am simply a blogger, no longer in the trenches of church leadership. It reminds me that each of us has something to offer. Each pastor and even former pastor can be a help to others. This is the very reason for the “In Search of the Great Pastor Conference” coming up in February 2011. Pastors can help each other. I pray that if you are a senior pastor, you will consider lending your expertise to this conference and learn from your cohorts in the process.
Friends are Friends Forever…Moving Pianos!
Filed under: Church Revitalization, Random Thoughts, church growth
This morning, I am a little sore…no, not upset or miffed, just physically, some of my muscles are complaining. Two days ago, a friend wanted some help moving a piano. Now, for those of you who move pianos all the time, this is no big deal, but to myself who am a teacher for a living, lifting a 1/2 ton piano was more than I am used to lifting in the average day. Are we like that as a church? Are we so not used to doing the “heavy lifting” in this world that when it does happen, it causes pain? When we have to reach out to others in our community, is that so out of the ordinary that it makes the church groan a bit? If so, there is a solution, just like my own situation. Just like I can decide to either stay out of shape or hit the gym so that I won’t feel this weak next time someone needs my arms to help move a piano, the church can sit back and say “We won’t do that again.” or get the congregation used to stepping out of the comfort zone until it becomes natural and normal…then you have to up the workout!
What is the secret to reviving a dead church?
Filed under: Church Revitalization, Encouragement, Random Thoughts, church growth
The secret to reviving a dead church at the base level is simple. People must fall in love with God to the point that their love is contagious! Have you ever noticed how on a personal level, there are people that you like to be around? They inspire you to be a better you. There are also people that make you cringe when you see them coming. Admit it, there are those negative people that inspire you to be a better you by getting out of there as quickly as possible. Churches are the same. Is your church one that inspires people to live and love like Jesus? Or is it more the discouraging church that drives people away? Before I get any hate mail, I am not talking about watering down the gospel so as not to offend people. If the WORD OF GOD offends people, they need to be offended, but when the church offends them, then the church has a problem to fix. Beg God that your church can be one that is making a difference in your community through the contagious love of Jesus Christ! When that is taking place, you will no longer be a dead church!
Why do Missions?
I have been in many different denominations in my life and one of the huge differences I have seen is that some put an emphasis on missions, and others don’t. The usual reason given by those who don’t give money to or send foreign missionaries is that there are too many people here in the USA who need the Lord to spend money in other countries. I am offering a third option. Missions is wherever you are! If that is in small town USA, then that is your mission field. If you are in a urban setting..that is your mission field. If you are outside the USA, then that is your mission field! So what about giving to “missions”? We are the richest country in the world…at least until we collapse. I make more in a month than most people in the world make in a year! Even though I make less than the “average American”. People taking the Gospel to those outside the USA don’t have the luxury of working a side job to make ends meet. Many times due to visa restrictions, they are not allowed to work. We then have a choice to make. Live in our luxury and make excused, or give to those who are working to take the Gospel to their mission field! (Please do not confuse this with the idea of giving to those who don’t work and want to live off of others.) I have never had to miss a meal because I gave too much and then didn’t have money to buy food. God encourages us to test HIM in this…HE will make up the difference!
Prosperity Doctrine???
Lately, I have read a few great books by authors not writing from a biblical or christian world view. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom by Suze Orman. Each of these books bring out an interesting point, especially since they are not written for the “Christian” market. That point is that giving is an important part of wealth. As Americans we are wealthy. If you feel poor see my previous post about this. By giving more, we open up our lives to receive wealth in many forms. There is something about not trying so hard to hold on to money that the rich understand well. Solomon, the richest man to ever live, the man who has tried every pleasure and found them meaningless, knew what it was to give lavishly. He built the temple of our Almighty God! Does this mean that if we write a big check to the church this week that next week we will be millionaires? No, it doesn’t, but a lifestyle of giving does lead to being happy, successful and even possibly wealthy. Try giving more to see if God doesn’t make up the difference. Each of these “secular” authors found this biblical truth to be true. I think that while being a follower of Christ in no way guarantees riches, following God’s plans concerning money are the best financial plans that one can follow.
Paris and Back in three days!
Tuesday afternoon, I took off for Paris…in my truck. While I had a great time working with my father in law in Paris, Tennessee – No one there speaks french. Paris,TN isn’t really trying to be Paris, France, but it does have a replica Eiffel tower. Is your church like that? Are you trying to be just a sort of imitation of another church. Did you just put in new carpet to look like another ministry? Each church should be part of THE CHURCH – The body of Christ. Thus each body of believers need to seek God to find out HIS plan for that congregation. It will never be just a cheap copy of another church.
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