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Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
Passion Point
LifeChurch.tv : swerve has a post today relating to your passion point and then drifting from it and losing your passion for leading your small group. It begs the question, what is your passion point? Are you following it or have you been led another bureaucratic direction...in your faith or professionally.
...are you following your Hedgehog Concept...being the best at what you can be the best...
Here is the post...
Guest Blog - Stay Connected to Your Source (Kruckenberg)
Let me introduce you to Brian Kruckenberg, affectionately known as Kruck. Kruck is in charge of LifeGroups/Missions in Phoenix at the Mesa Campus.
He writes…
I’ve had some conversations lately with leaders of small groups about their struggles with keeping their LifeGroups effective. Many told me that while their groups once were actively engaged in study, prayer and service, they had become apathetic.
There are many factors that can contribute to group apathy, but one I’ve found most common comes from drifting away from the leader’s passion point. Leaders set the tone for the people they lead and when they become disconnected from their source of passion, their groups begin to atrophy and slowly die.
If a group is struggling I always ask the leader what fueled their desire to lead in the beginning. In nearly every case, the leader discovered that the group had strayed from its original purpose for beginning, which was the leader’s source of passion.
As leaders we have to stay connected to our passion point. Drift from it and the people you lead will shrivel up and eventually leave. But, if you stay connected to it and lead with passion, you will draw people who will follow you with the same level of intensity. In the immortal words of John Wesley, “When you set yourself on fire, people love to come and see you burn.”
...are you following your Hedgehog Concept...being the best at what you can be the best...
Here is the post...
Guest Blog - Stay Connected to Your Source (Kruckenberg)
Let me introduce you to Brian Kruckenberg, affectionately known as Kruck. Kruck is in charge of LifeGroups/Missions in Phoenix at the Mesa Campus.
He writes…
I’ve had some conversations lately with leaders of small groups about their struggles with keeping their LifeGroups effective. Many told me that while their groups once were actively engaged in study, prayer and service, they had become apathetic.
There are many factors that can contribute to group apathy, but one I’ve found most common comes from drifting away from the leader’s passion point. Leaders set the tone for the people they lead and when they become disconnected from their source of passion, their groups begin to atrophy and slowly die.
If a group is struggling I always ask the leader what fueled their desire to lead in the beginning. In nearly every case, the leader discovered that the group had strayed from its original purpose for beginning, which was the leader’s source of passion.
As leaders we have to stay connected to our passion point. Drift from it and the people you lead will shrivel up and eventually leave. But, if you stay connected to it and lead with passion, you will draw people who will follow you with the same level of intensity. In the immortal words of John Wesley, “When you set yourself on fire, people love to come and see you burn.”
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Give It To Me Straight
Seth Godin recently posted this on his blog, which in many ways relates to the growth of megachurches in our society.
Almost everything that happens before you fly on a plane is not as it seems. In order to deal with anxiety, the airlines put on a show. The show is getting old and the lies are starting to show. Here's some snips from an Economist article (hat tip to the Freaknomics blog):
“GOOD morning, ladies and gentlemen. We are delighted to welcome you aboard Veritas Airways, the airline that tells it like it is. Please ensure that your seat belt is fastened, your seat back is upright and your tray-table is stowed. At Veritas Airways, your safety is our first priority. Actually, that is not quite true: if it were, our seats would be rear-facing, like those in military aircraft, since they are safer in the event of an emergency landing. But then hardly anybody would buy our tickets and we would go bust.
Your life-jacket can be found under your seat, but please do not remove it now. In fact, do not bother to look for it at all. In the event of a landing on water, an unprecedented miracle will have occurred, because in the history of aviation the number of wide-bodied aircraft that have made successful landings on water is zero. This aircraft is equipped with inflatable slides that detach to form life rafts, not that it makes any difference. Please remove high-heeled shoes before using the slides. We might as well add that space helmets and anti-gravity belts should also be removed, since even to mention the use of the slides as rafts is to enter the realm of science fiction.
Please switch off all mobile phones, since they can interfere with the aircraft’s navigation systems. At least, that’s what you’ve always been told. The real reason to switch them off is because they interfere with mobile networks on the ground, but somehow that doesn’t sound quite so good. On most flights a few mobile phones are left on by mistake, so if they were really dangerous we would not allow them on board at all, if you think about it..."
In many respects I see a parallel to the revolution of emerging churches. They are breaking down the traditions and barriers that we were programmed to believe for years, enabling churchgoers to worship freely.
They are giving it to us in a straight, unfiltered manner that engages us to want more.
Almost everything that happens before you fly on a plane is not as it seems. In order to deal with anxiety, the airlines put on a show. The show is getting old and the lies are starting to show. Here's some snips from an Economist article (hat tip to the Freaknomics blog):“GOOD morning, ladies and gentlemen. We are delighted to welcome you aboard Veritas Airways, the airline that tells it like it is. Please ensure that your seat belt is fastened, your seat back is upright and your tray-table is stowed. At Veritas Airways, your safety is our first priority. Actually, that is not quite true: if it were, our seats would be rear-facing, like those in military aircraft, since they are safer in the event of an emergency landing. But then hardly anybody would buy our tickets and we would go bust.
Your life-jacket can be found under your seat, but please do not remove it now. In fact, do not bother to look for it at all. In the event of a landing on water, an unprecedented miracle will have occurred, because in the history of aviation the number of wide-bodied aircraft that have made successful landings on water is zero. This aircraft is equipped with inflatable slides that detach to form life rafts, not that it makes any difference. Please remove high-heeled shoes before using the slides. We might as well add that space helmets and anti-gravity belts should also be removed, since even to mention the use of the slides as rafts is to enter the realm of science fiction.
Please switch off all mobile phones, since they can interfere with the aircraft’s navigation systems. At least, that’s what you’ve always been told. The real reason to switch them off is because they interfere with mobile networks on the ground, but somehow that doesn’t sound quite so good. On most flights a few mobile phones are left on by mistake, so if they were really dangerous we would not allow them on board at all, if you think about it..."
In many respects I see a parallel to the revolution of emerging churches. They are breaking down the traditions and barriers that we were programmed to believe for years, enabling churchgoers to worship freely.
They are giving it to us in a straight, unfiltered manner that engages us to want more.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Reconciliation
I was reading in Hosea this week and was struck by one particular piece of scripture....Hosea 3
Hosea was called to reconcile with his wife...an adulteress, a prostitute! It made me meditate and ask God if I had a relationship like that in my life...one where I just let it go because it was too tough...too much baggage...because it was too big for me.
God reconciled us to Himself through a perfect sacrifice...what sacrifice are you waiting on for reconciliation with someone...who is the prostitute in your life?
I think God's best is that forgiveness and perhaps even reconciliation is not ours to withhold.
Hosea was called to reconcile with his wife...an adulteress, a prostitute! It made me meditate and ask God if I had a relationship like that in my life...one where I just let it go because it was too tough...too much baggage...because it was too big for me.
God reconciled us to Himself through a perfect sacrifice...what sacrifice are you waiting on for reconciliation with someone...who is the prostitute in your life?
I think God's best is that forgiveness and perhaps even reconciliation is not ours to withhold.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Do You Serve Yourself or Others?
Great post from Seth Godin yesterday entitled Where Do You Park?
Here is what Seth had to say:
The manager of the Chase bank in Pleasantville parks right out front. Her branch is on a quiet street with parking meters available for customers to use. Figure there's perhaps a dozen spaces convenient enough to make it worth going to the bank... if they're full, keep on driving, because there's always another bank coming up soon.
And yet, the manager parks right out front (in fact, I saw her move her car from two spaces away to an even closer spot today). She has four or five people working in the branch, so if they follow her lead, that's half the spaces.
Of course, it's a far bigger issue than parking spaces. It's about eating lunch with your employees, handing out free samples to customers instead of your friends or answering the phone yourself when customer service gets backed up.
I'm increasingly coming to the conclusion that there are really only two attitudes that people bring to work with them. Either they park right out front, or they park down the street in order to send a signal to their staff, their customers and themselves.
Take a look at the parking lot on Sunday morning. Are members taking the first available spot, or leaving those for guests? You could learn a lot about the heart of a church by where they park.
Here is what Seth had to say:
The manager of the Chase bank in Pleasantville parks right out front. Her branch is on a quiet street with parking meters available for customers to use. Figure there's perhaps a dozen spaces convenient enough to make it worth going to the bank... if they're full, keep on driving, because there's always another bank coming up soon.
And yet, the manager parks right out front (in fact, I saw her move her car from two spaces away to an even closer spot today). She has four or five people working in the branch, so if they follow her lead, that's half the spaces.
Of course, it's a far bigger issue than parking spaces. It's about eating lunch with your employees, handing out free samples to customers instead of your friends or answering the phone yourself when customer service gets backed up.
I'm increasingly coming to the conclusion that there are really only two attitudes that people bring to work with them. Either they park right out front, or they park down the street in order to send a signal to their staff, their customers and themselves.
Take a look at the parking lot on Sunday morning. Are members taking the first available spot, or leaving those for guests? You could learn a lot about the heart of a church by where they park.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Speed Kills
Not too long ago, I posed this question to our Lifegroup. Is speeding while driving a sin, and if so, does this recurring sin separate me from God? Even though I knew the answer was yes, I was holding out that someone had discovered a loophole.
Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”
So I made a commitment to stop speeding. The first couple of days I went no faster than the speed limit. Then I told myself it was okay to speed if I was passing someone, as long as I returned to the speed limit afterward. By the next week I had decided it was okay to go only five miles over the limit. Within a few weeks I was back to my old habits.
Don’t we do this with God sometimes? We make a "commitment" to stop doing something and stick to it for a couple days, and then we bargain with him? Or maybe we come up with excuse why we must continue our behavior, and then eventually we are right back where we started.
Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”
So I made a commitment to stop speeding. The first couple of days I went no faster than the speed limit. Then I told myself it was okay to speed if I was passing someone, as long as I returned to the speed limit afterward. By the next week I had decided it was okay to go only five miles over the limit. Within a few weeks I was back to my old habits.
Don’t we do this with God sometimes? We make a "commitment" to stop doing something and stick to it for a couple days, and then we bargain with him? Or maybe we come up with excuse why we must continue our behavior, and then eventually we are right back where we started.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Faith Data Points
Here are some of the best concepts...faith points...I have read recently.
- You can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right
- The biggest regrets of your life will not be your mistakes but the chances you didn’t take
- Something is holding all this together
- Everyone ends up somewhere but few people end up somewhere on purpose
- One of the dimensions of living the way of Christ, besides living a life of love, forgiveness, and service, is embracing the spirituality of downward mobility
- We have to grow beyond a Sunday school faith
- Celebration is rejoicing in the giver even when He comes empty-handed
- In the way of God, thoughts count for little, love is everything
- Hell is full of forgiven people
- Is your faith a wall of bricks…each doctrine a brick…remove/question one brick and the wall wobbles…collapses
What are some of the most inspiring thoughts you have read or are meditating on lately...
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Security Check-In
I am heading through security at the OKC airport; they scan my notebook, mobile, portfolio, and they scan my small suitcase. Then she says she needs to look in my suitcase...my toothpaste and shaving cream is too big...so I am off to check my bag at the ticket counter.
I come back through security and they scan my portfolio not once but twice...this makes three times counting the first time through. She unzips the bag and asks if I have change in it..."no"...she finds my 8" buck knife...DOH!
Put the scary fact that they missed it the first time aside.
It reminded me that there are times in our life that something is there and it takes a few times of looking closely to find it...sin is like that. We have to examine ourselves before God, lay the Word alongside our lives and see what looks like something hidden...something we have forgotten...something we have put away but not dealt with.
We need to be still before God and ask Him to keep us mindful of our sin and reveal gray areas. We need to go through a security checkpoint.
I come back through security and they scan my portfolio not once but twice...this makes three times counting the first time through. She unzips the bag and asks if I have change in it..."no"...she finds my 8" buck knife...DOH!
Put the scary fact that they missed it the first time aside.
It reminded me that there are times in our life that something is there and it takes a few times of looking closely to find it...sin is like that. We have to examine ourselves before God, lay the Word alongside our lives and see what looks like something hidden...something we have forgotten...something we have put away but not dealt with.
We need to be still before God and ask Him to keep us mindful of our sin and reveal gray areas. We need to go through a security checkpoint.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Quantity Over Quality?
In a recent article entitled, America's Most Innovative Churches Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv says, “Without apology, I will do whatever it takes to grab people’s attention.” While just last week a local minister, in his weekly column, bemoaned the “gimmicks” being used by churches to get people in the door – quantity over quality.
Years ago our church had a successful bus ministry that brought about 200 kids every Sunday morning. From a socio-economic standpoint, the members of our church were upper-middle class, while the bus kids (that's actually what we called them) came from "the wrong side of the tracks." They were fed donuts, cookies, soda, and other snacks. No doubt that some parents sent their kids to church for the food - and to get them out of their house for a few hours each Sunday.
My mother (think Church Lady from SNL) didn't like this at all. She said "We shouldn't have to bribe people with food to come to church. They should want to come here on their own. Jesus didn't have to do this!" (Maybe she missed the feeding of the 5,000).
Perry Noble, Senior Pastor of New Spring Church recently wrote this on his blog: "If you have a passion to reach people far from God…AND you begin to do that very thing with ANY amount of success then believe me…other pastors (who are not reaching ANYONE) are going to accuse you and your church of using gimmicks and “watering down” the Gospel. I mean…heck…if people’s lives are being changed then you MUST NOT BE PREACHING the Gospel, right?"
You could argue that more often than not these critics know very little about the churches they are criticizing. Instead, they see a number of their own congregation heading out the doors and feel the need to defend themselves.
But is there something behind the quantity over quality argument? What happens after hands are raised every weekend?
Are we creating true Disciples of Christ, or are we guilty as charged?
Years ago our church had a successful bus ministry that brought about 200 kids every Sunday morning. From a socio-economic standpoint, the members of our church were upper-middle class, while the bus kids (that's actually what we called them) came from "the wrong side of the tracks." They were fed donuts, cookies, soda, and other snacks. No doubt that some parents sent their kids to church for the food - and to get them out of their house for a few hours each Sunday.
My mother (think Church Lady from SNL) didn't like this at all. She said "We shouldn't have to bribe people with food to come to church. They should want to come here on their own. Jesus didn't have to do this!" (Maybe she missed the feeding of the 5,000). Perry Noble, Senior Pastor of New Spring Church recently wrote this on his blog: "If you have a passion to reach people far from God…AND you begin to do that very thing with ANY amount of success then believe me…other pastors (who are not reaching ANYONE) are going to accuse you and your church of using gimmicks and “watering down” the Gospel. I mean…heck…if people’s lives are being changed then you MUST NOT BE PREACHING the Gospel, right?"
You could argue that more often than not these critics know very little about the churches they are criticizing. Instead, they see a number of their own congregation heading out the doors and feel the need to defend themselves.
But is there something behind the quantity over quality argument? What happens after hands are raised every weekend?
Are we creating true Disciples of Christ, or are we guilty as charged?
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Lent or Lint
I walked into a weekly meeting I have with my team and noticed an elderly Catholic woman had a smudge on her forehead. I was informed it was Ash Wednesday. She walked around with it all day not phased by my obvious disrespect for the tradition.
Is Ash Wednesday and Lent viable spiritual habits for a Christ-follower or is it more form over substance? I was thinking it was about disrobing for God and relying more on Him than things...than the barriers we hold on to, and thus letting those go. However, she told me it was about being reminded we are here preparing ourselves for another place. She then said the Catholic "religion" has many traditions.
So it begs the question, if it is just tradition, why bother? Does God really want our mindless observance of a tradition more than our heart-felt obedience to a stripping away of self-reliance?
Is Ash Wednesday and Lent viable spiritual habits for a Christ-follower or is it more form over substance? I was thinking it was about disrobing for God and relying more on Him than things...than the barriers we hold on to, and thus letting those go. However, she told me it was about being reminded we are here preparing ourselves for another place. She then said the Catholic "religion" has many traditions.
So it begs the question, if it is just tradition, why bother? Does God really want our mindless observance of a tradition more than our heart-felt obedience to a stripping away of self-reliance?
Thoughts...
- Do you observe Lent...
- What do you target as wanting to lay down for God...
- Can this be a healthy habit for a Christ-follower...
- Is Lent more like lint and just a residue of stuff we put on...
- Was Christ's mission to prepare Himself for another place...
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
We got something interesting in the mail yesterday from a friend who attends our previous church. It was a photocopied page of a gospel hymn whose chorus says “Earnestly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling, O’ Sinner, come home!” At bottom of the page, the friend wrote I John 2:26, which says “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.”
The final comment was ““If Mark was alive – where would he go to church on Sunday morning? Mark was my youth minister as a teen, but more than that he was my mentor and friend. He was the most Godly man I have ever known. After a long battle with cancer, he passed away on Father’s Day 2005.
Apparently our friend believes we should come back home – to the “real church.” But as much as I love Mark, the real issue is where should I be going to church?
What did we look for in a new church family (those of you who have read Joshua’s Harris’s Stop Dating the Church will recognize some of these)?
- A church that values biblical truth, knows what it believes, and is guided by these beliefs in the way that it functions.
- Inspires me to apply the work of Christ practically in my daily life.
- Reaches out to the unsaved - locally, regionally, and globally.
- Seeks not only to believe rightly, but also to live rightly.
- Challenges me to be a disciple of Christ, not just a Christian.
- “Equips the saints for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12).
For our family, our previous church family did not meet these criteria. Even though outwardly I acted differently, my personal experience at our previous church led to an apathetic attitude toward God and the church. I was a poser – a pretender in everything I did. My actions were nothing more than that. I had no relationship with God.
How can people have such varied experiences in the same church? Should we feel threatened when someone says “This isn’t the right church for me,” or should we be happy that they have found a church family that inspires them to become fully devoted followers of Christ? Does it have to be a bad breakup or can we still be friends?
Is there just one “real church” out there and everyone else is doing it wrong? Is the concept of a perfect church possible, or is it more likely that most churches/denominations fall short in one area or another?
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Church.... The Way it Used to Be
I recently received a mailer from a local Baptist church that had the American status quo on it…4-unit Caucasian family, husband in a suit, wife in a long dress with pearls, etc, daughter with long dress and the young son with his suit. The title read, “Church, the way it used to be”.
Does this mean...
- Matured and hymn-based…
- Welcome but please dress appropriately for God…
- They do not talk about sex…
- Safe and homogeneous…
- They know what God likes…
- Developing fully devoted followers of Christ…
- Children’s choir and bake sales...
- Is this inferring today’s forward-thinking churches are irreverent?
- Is this effective niche-based marketing?
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Green Effect: Recycling of the UnderChurched
Is today’s megachurch tomorrow’s fad? The numbers are mind-blowing; thousands per year surrendering (or recommitting) to Christ, embracing Christ’s sacrifice, and tens of thousands flocking through the doors weekly.
Are we seeing a real revolution in the church or is this merely a recycling of the under-churched - transfers from the congregation down the road? I want to believe that the Holy Spirit is truly at work; however, perhaps it's our American culture at work here, where if you get tired of something and move on.
I see real teaching taking place, the Word of God is read and the simplicity of the Gospel is explained at every experience but are the earplugs still in…what is the contentment curve on those who migrate; and they migrate denominations too…Methodist, Baptist, Presby, AG, and more...they all moonlight…no congregation is immune.
We thought our experience was different. Yet the more people we meet at our megachurch, the more we realize that many around us are simply from a one of the many surrounding denominations. More under-churched than un-churched.
With today's progressive teachings, where does that leave the seemingly small-minded teaching of previous generations?
Are we seeing a real revolution in the church or is this merely a recycling of the under-churched - transfers from the congregation down the road? I want to believe that the Holy Spirit is truly at work; however, perhaps it's our American culture at work here, where if you get tired of something and move on.
I see real teaching taking place, the Word of God is read and the simplicity of the Gospel is explained at every experience but are the earplugs still in…what is the contentment curve on those who migrate; and they migrate denominations too…Methodist, Baptist, Presby, AG, and more...they all moonlight…no congregation is immune.
We thought our experience was different. Yet the more people we meet at our megachurch, the more we realize that many around us are simply from a one of the many surrounding denominations. More under-churched than un-churched.
This is real, right? I mean the coming together of so many different Christian backgrounds cannot be a fad…there had to be something missing in their prior congregations. Or is it just the same people, with the same mindset, with jeans and a t-shirt instead of tie?
For me, I see a shift from the stench of worthiness to the cries of downward mobility; it is caring and evangelism. I believe people are drawn to the message of loving the world and the people in it, and realizing praying for them is just not enough. If it were, Christ would have never walked among them.
So the next time you see the moonlighters, the under-churched, remember how many "Christians” they tripped over in the pews of their last church to get to where we are…to lead people into a moment-by-moment relationship with Christ.
Thoughts...
- Can fast growing, forward thinking megachurches sustain the momentum or will they eventually be replaced by the next big thing?
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Megachurches: Mile Wide; Inch Deep?
According to Wikipedia, a megachurch is a large church, having around 2,000 or more worshippers for a typical weekly service. Critics of megachurches claim that such churches are more concerned with entertainment than God’s truth.
Before we made the leap to our local "megachurch," we got an earful from friends and family:
- The messages are geared toward seekers, not long-time believers.
- The kids programs are less than desirable. All they do is play. They don't teach them anything.
- It's too big. You can't develop close relationships. No one speaks to anyone else. As soon as the church service is over, everyone leaves.
- People only go there because the Pastor is a great communicator. What happens if he leaves?
One common thread with these fast growing megachurches is discipleship, particularly small groups meeting in homes.
2 Timothy 2:1-2: "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."
Skeptics say there is no depth because there are too many "seekers." Not enough qualified teachers; no discipleship of the saved.
For example, an unmarried couple, living together, leads a small group. Their leading and being surrounded by others who are encouraging them, may lead to them obeying God’s will for their lives. However, their leading is a witness and not a good one.
Is there a responsibility of the church to guide those whom they ask to lead small groups, and have an expectation of obedience in those public sin areas? On the other hand, are the megachurches doing a better job of not making people feel like they have to be “worthy” to contribute, to attend, so these areas are lesser concerns, lesser evils?
It presents some thoughts:
- Can those who are unaccountable lead others?
- Is discipleship intentional or a hopeful byproduct in the megachurch format?
- Can megachurches effectively balance messages and programs directed at seekers, while still training and developing leaders who are qualified to teach others?
Friday, February 2, 2007
Tithing Debate on Evotional Blog
Mark summed up the debate with his second post - "The bottomline is this: the first fruits have always and will always belong to God. But the tithe isn't even the goal. The tithe is the starting place."
Mark is the Lead Pastor at National Community Church in Washington, DC and the author of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. If you haven't read it, get it.
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