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!
New Beginnings
Filed under: Church Revitalization, Encouragement, creativity
The semester here at NGU starts tomorrow and so students are arriving in droves, moving into their dorms and greeting each other with smiles, laughter, hugs and a few screams of joy. The classes haven’t started yet. Joy is in the air because of relationships. Soon, things will get hard, and they won’t be quite as happy as they are now. Church plants can be like that. In the beginning, there is a great passion to reach the community for Jesus Christ, and then something happens as things begin to get hard. There is a struggle to pay the rent on the building or a deacon or staff member you thought would be there forever leaves. Starting something new takes work, but it can be just the thing to revive a dead environment too. Like our campus which seems lonely without the students, the church can be brought back to life through doing something new…anything new short of sin. Getting the membership to grab a hold of a new passion can ignite a fire in your church that will cause people to once again be excited about being a part of it like they were back when it was first planted.
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!
Have you taken a Look Around Lately?
Filed under: Church Planting, Church Revitalization, Encouragement, Random Thoughts, church growth, community, evangelism, leadership, ministry
When Church planters enter a community, they usually do some research first. They figure out where the people are, where they can meet the needs of the people they intend to reach etc… In established churches, sometimes the community changes while we aren’t paying attention. Maybe we need to take a walk around the neighborhood with some new eyes. Plant a new church within the established church! Rose White (Sorry Rose, I don’t have a link to you on the internet) recently did some incredible research into the idea of the “Christo-centric Walkabout” finding where people would and wouldn’t go in a city and why people might find certain areas or even churches “inaccessible”. Has your church become inaccessible to the people of the community where it is located? Do changes need to be made so that you can meet the people where they are in order to create relationships in which the Gospel of Jesus can be shared? Maybe it is time for a Walkabout…or even just a walk around the neighborhood with your eyes open to how God would have you reach the people there.
Are Programs Killing Your Church?
Filed under: Church Revitalization, Direction, Encouragement, Random Thoughts, Vision, leadership, ministry, volunteering
In the church world, there are so many great programs/events/studies/classes that can help your church. At what point do they become a detriment? One question to ask is, “How many staff and volunteers do we have?” and then secondly, “What is the very best use for these people?” If we try to do everything, we will accomplish nothing well. There are traditional programs like Choir, Vacation Bible School, Sunday School, Special Music, Men’s & Women’s ministries…each of these take someone to lead them and people to be involved in them. Each of these serve a purpose and can be good for the church. Sometimes though, it is important to choose between them so that a smaller number of programs can be done with the excellence that is due worship presented to the King of kings and Lord of lords! If you are having trouble getting volunteers for an area of ministry in your church, you could berate the congregation about why they aren’t serving the Lord…OR you might take another look at that area of ministry and ask if it is really vital to the core mission of the church? It might be time to kill it before it dies a long painful death.
Would you ask your church?
Filed under: Church Revitalization, Encouragement, Random Thoughts, church growth, leadership
Last night, as I thought about the sermon for this Sunday, a question popped in my head, really a series of questions. It is a survey of sorts. Since I am not the pastor of this church, just a guest speaker, my feeling is that if they hate me for it, that is fine. If the question gets some attention from them, then it was worth it. Here is the question series.
- How many of you have come to Christ in the last month?
- Last 2 months?
- Last year?
- Last two years?
- Last 5 years?
- 10 years?
My guess, sadly, is that in the first few questions, there may not be many hands going up. My second question then is “Why not?” If people will really ask that question and then do something about the answer, I believe we could have real revival and watch God do some incredible work in this country! Would you ask your church these questions? Would you be thrilled with the results, or does the idea terrify you? Oh, and like a boy scout, be prepared! God is doing AWESOME things in churches that are willing to actively take the gospel to the unbelieving and unchurched around them! You may have to get uncomfortable if/when you start dealing with the “Why not?” question. I can’t wait to see what God is going to do!
Henry Didn’t Invent the Automobile, but He Was Still a Success!
Filed under: Church Revitalization, Direction, church growth, creativity, leadership
Henry Ford may not have invented the automobile, but he was quite successful in his creative “new” way of building them. He had an idea to have men specialize in one part of building a car and then pushing it down the l
ine to the next guy to do his part. Back in 1913, it was a brand new idea! Think if car companies hadn’t updated at all since then what we would be driving! The model T was a great car for its day, but most of us would be quite disappointed with going 20 miles per hour on the open road now! In the church, we must be constantly begging God to give us new creativity! We don’t change the message that God has given us! We do change the method in which that message is conveyed. Just as I am sure Henry wouldn’t be content with still cranking out the model T in 2010, we shouldn’t be content to just do things the way they have always been done. I heard a quote recently, “Your organization is perfectly suited to get the results you are getting.” If you don’t like the results your church is getting, then something needs to change, or you will keep getting the same results. Change is scary! Some people won’t like it! Even a model T can be changed to be a hot rod!
Something is Missing!
Filed under: Church Revitalization, Direction, Encouragement, Random Thoughts, Vision, church growth, community, leadership, ministry
Today, my wife left for Seattle. The house hasn’t changed any. Life around me is more or less the same, but there is a little something missing. She is only one person, but in my life, she is a VERY important person! Are you a part of someone’s life enough that you would be missed if you disappeared for a while? Someone other than your spouse/kids? In church leadership we can ask that question both of ourselves and our church. If I disappeared from this ministry, would anyone care? Would it affect anything? The same with our church! If my church disappeared off the face of the earth today, would anyone outside of the staff & maybe the members even notice? Are we making a difference in the community? Do people outside see the life change that is going on in people’s lives because we are here? Or are we just that building on a hill that has a few cars outside it on Sunday mornings for an hour or so? Tough question to ask, but one we should be asking regularly. Just because you would be missed today, doesn’t mean you have that status forever. We must constantly be seeking the Lord and HIS vision and direction for our churches. When we step outside of HIS will, we are just a community club that will soon lose members and die off. Seek God’s grace that your church will be one that would be missed if you weren’t there!
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