Yesterday, I finished the book of Jeremiah- first time, all the way through. I always thought Jeremiah would be encouraging, uplifting because the only verse I knew by heart was this one...
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.- Jeremiah 29:11
Unfortunately, what I realized is that Jeremiah is full of warnings and, at the end, disaster for the Jewish people. After reflecting for a day or two, I did get a couple of lessons out of it.
(1) It is not always easy to hear from God. Jeremiah knew what would happen and tried to warn the people, but he was often ignored and persecuted. God often tells us things we don't want to hear. If we're not careful, we can use that as an excuse not to listen. But, God's ways are always perfect, so we shouldn't let the fear of bad news, or things unknown, stop us from asking and listening.
(2) We can't change anyone's life. Oh, we can beg and plead and warn and spew hellfire and brimstone. But we can't change anyone. Only God can. No matter what we know or what we hear, it's up to God to change someone's heart. Does this mean we shouldn't teach what is right? No, we are absolutely commanded to teach God's ways. It does mean, though, that we need to be aware that sometimes His teachings will be accepted and understood, and sometimes they will fall on deaf ears.
These two lessons were helpful for me. I hope they are for you.
Peace.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
About the election...
I didn't write this, Kelly did. But I wish I had.
"The Church has traded its birthright as the hope of the world for a steaming bowl of legislation and patriotism. We have sold our mission of good news for the poor, freedom for the prisoners, and sight for the blind to the world of policy and pundits. We gave up believing in the transformational power of the gospel and transferred our hope to enforcing spirituality through the Supreme Court."
She goes on...
"...why (do) Christians give more money, passion and energy to electing Obama or McCain than they do to loving God and their neighbor. According to Jesus, that's something He cares about a whole lot more."
Wow. Something to think about on Tuesday.
"The Church has traded its birthright as the hope of the world for a steaming bowl of legislation and patriotism. We have sold our mission of good news for the poor, freedom for the prisoners, and sight for the blind to the world of policy and pundits. We gave up believing in the transformational power of the gospel and transferred our hope to enforcing spirituality through the Supreme Court."
She goes on...
"...why (do) Christians give more money, passion and energy to electing Obama or McCain than they do to loving God and their neighbor. According to Jesus, that's something He cares about a whole lot more."
Wow. Something to think about on Tuesday.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
What is your church's 'Market Statement?'
In the business world, companies are adamant about shaping their 'market statement.' In other words, what does the company stand for, how are they perceived in the market. In the church world, though, we ignore that. We sometimes think it's our mission statement, which is too broad (and often too harmless) to really say who we are. This weekend, I attended a church whose mission statment was "Love God, Love Others." Great mission, but tells nothing about who they are or who they are trying to reach.
A great market statement should tell the following:
- What is our church's laser focus (evangelism, discipleship, mission work)
- Who is our target audience ('People' is not good enough, nor is 'lost people.' specifics are important here- families in their 20's and 30's with young kids, for example)
- What do we do well
- What do we not do well
Most churches, like most businesses, tend to try to do too much. This often works in the short term, because trying to be all things to all people allows you to attract people. But, in the long term, this incomplete structure will collapse on itself. As author Jim Collins says, most organizations are more likely to gorge themselves to death than starve themselves to death. There is no lack of opportunity. But people can quickly see when something (a company or a church) is not what it's advertised to be.
It's better that the leadership understand who they are up front, rather than fooling themselves and trying to pick up the pieces later. Having a market statement helps them focus on only what they can do well. This doesn't mean we leave lost people lost, it means we try to reach the ones we're good at reaching.
A great market statement should tell the following:
- What is our church's laser focus (evangelism, discipleship, mission work)
- Who is our target audience ('People' is not good enough, nor is 'lost people.' specifics are important here- families in their 20's and 30's with young kids, for example)
- What do we do well
- What do we not do well
Most churches, like most businesses, tend to try to do too much. This often works in the short term, because trying to be all things to all people allows you to attract people. But, in the long term, this incomplete structure will collapse on itself. As author Jim Collins says, most organizations are more likely to gorge themselves to death than starve themselves to death. There is no lack of opportunity. But people can quickly see when something (a company or a church) is not what it's advertised to be.
It's better that the leadership understand who they are up front, rather than fooling themselves and trying to pick up the pieces later. Having a market statement helps them focus on only what they can do well. This doesn't mean we leave lost people lost, it means we try to reach the ones we're good at reaching.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Finding God in the fire
What is it about fire that brings us together? Last night, we had 21 friends at our house, and at some point we were all gathered around a large campfire/ small bonfire in my back yard. The air was crisp and cool in a way that surprises you when you first walk out the door, but in which most people won't linger too long without being bundled up. Yet, with a fire going, people are engaged- talking, laughing, singing in a way that wouldn't happen in our living room. Even though it's a very comfortable 68 degrees.
After everyone left last night, I sat around the fire for a while- gazing at the orange embers, stroking the silky cat on my lap, watching the reflection of the dancing toungues of flame reflect off the bright yellow leaves still clinging to the trees, and feeling the deep warmth of the fire coming from the remaining logs. And I thought, the depth of this warmth really represents the way God makes us feel. We're out in the relative cold, and we all gather around this thing- this one thing that is central to our lives and common to all of us, and it defines who we are at that moment. In the back yard, the fire is the one place we can go and warm ourselves, feed ourselves, and find the community we're looking for. In Christ, we have the same ability to do that.
Many of my friends have tried to find community by moving into master-planned neighborhoods with intentionally-scheduled outings, or by joining social clubs, or going to gatherings at bars after work. All of those things are fine and fun, but when the party is over and the bar closes and everyone goes home, you're alone again. But, when the community centers around Christ, the feeling lingers, the embers continue to burn, and you're left with this warm, reassuring feeling that even after the people leave, the community is still there.
I drifted off to sleep last night thinking about how lucky I am to have the friends I have. Smelling of wood smoke.
After everyone left last night, I sat around the fire for a while- gazing at the orange embers, stroking the silky cat on my lap, watching the reflection of the dancing toungues of flame reflect off the bright yellow leaves still clinging to the trees, and feeling the deep warmth of the fire coming from the remaining logs. And I thought, the depth of this warmth really represents the way God makes us feel. We're out in the relative cold, and we all gather around this thing- this one thing that is central to our lives and common to all of us, and it defines who we are at that moment. In the back yard, the fire is the one place we can go and warm ourselves, feed ourselves, and find the community we're looking for. In Christ, we have the same ability to do that.
Many of my friends have tried to find community by moving into master-planned neighborhoods with intentionally-scheduled outings, or by joining social clubs, or going to gatherings at bars after work. All of those things are fine and fun, but when the party is over and the bar closes and everyone goes home, you're alone again. But, when the community centers around Christ, the feeling lingers, the embers continue to burn, and you're left with this warm, reassuring feeling that even after the people leave, the community is still there.
I drifted off to sleep last night thinking about how lucky I am to have the friends I have. Smelling of wood smoke.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
My sister on the news
Take a look at this video about my sister, who's really turned her life around. I'm very proud of her!
The insistence on giving
Yesterday, I wrote about the secret of giving - that God calls us to give in secret. It may have made more sense to start with today's post- that God insists on giving.
These thoughts stem from a series we're in at Genesis Church on giving. My thoughts are based on the scripture from Matthew 6:1-4, where Jesus lays this out:
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
The one word that continually stands out to me in this passage is a small one: "When."
Jesus doesn’t say IF you give, or on the rare occasion we decide to give, he says when you give. Jesus just assumes that anyone inside the kingdom of God will be a willing participant in funding it. He assumes that anyone who has been outside the Kingdom, walking in the dark, and who comes into the light of Christ will be so undone and overwhelmed by the grace of God that to give back a small part of their income would be natural. But, it’s not always like that.
Life gets in the way and our daily living expenses get in the way and we’re so caught up in it that giving back to God takes a back seat.
But, Jesus continues: “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."- Matthew 6:19-21.
See, this is the reason for giving. Not because God needs your money, because he doesn’t. Anything he wants to do he can do without money. But because he knows that, for many of us, money has a grip on our hearts. And God wants your heart, and he wants my heart, and he knows that wherever our treasure is, our hearts will be also.
Many of us cling tightly to our money, because it is visible, or at least the things we can buy with it are visible. But, think of your giving as an investment, and you get a whole different view. Look at the change in your life or in the lives of those around you this church has made. Look at other churches or organizations that are built solely or mostly on contributions, and look at how they change the landscape in which they operate. If you think about sowing generously to a cause you believe in, and you think about the change that can bring about, you are more likely to want to give.
When you give, do not announce it with trumpets, do not let your left hand know what the right one is doing. But when you give, give in secret. Then your father, who knows what is done in secret, will reward you.
These thoughts stem from a series we're in at Genesis Church on giving. My thoughts are based on the scripture from Matthew 6:1-4, where Jesus lays this out:
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
The one word that continually stands out to me in this passage is a small one: "When."
Jesus doesn’t say IF you give, or on the rare occasion we decide to give, he says when you give. Jesus just assumes that anyone inside the kingdom of God will be a willing participant in funding it. He assumes that anyone who has been outside the Kingdom, walking in the dark, and who comes into the light of Christ will be so undone and overwhelmed by the grace of God that to give back a small part of their income would be natural. But, it’s not always like that.
Life gets in the way and our daily living expenses get in the way and we’re so caught up in it that giving back to God takes a back seat.
But, Jesus continues: “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."- Matthew 6:19-21.
See, this is the reason for giving. Not because God needs your money, because he doesn’t. Anything he wants to do he can do without money. But because he knows that, for many of us, money has a grip on our hearts. And God wants your heart, and he wants my heart, and he knows that wherever our treasure is, our hearts will be also.
Many of us cling tightly to our money, because it is visible, or at least the things we can buy with it are visible. But, think of your giving as an investment, and you get a whole different view. Look at the change in your life or in the lives of those around you this church has made. Look at other churches or organizations that are built solely or mostly on contributions, and look at how they change the landscape in which they operate. If you think about sowing generously to a cause you believe in, and you think about the change that can bring about, you are more likely to want to give.
When you give, do not announce it with trumpets, do not let your left hand know what the right one is doing. But when you give, give in secret. Then your father, who knows what is done in secret, will reward you.
Monday, October 20, 2008
The secret of giving
This weekend at Genesis, Paul Mumaw outlined the biblical tenets on giving, and I thought he did a great job. I wanted to take the next couple of days and outline some other thoughts I've had on giving.
These come from the passage in Matthew 6:1-4, if you want the text.
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit one of my Alma Maters, Purdue University. I love going back to see old friends and visit the places I used to hang out. But the campus has changed quite a bit, even in just the last few years.
I was part of the last class to use the old Krannert Management building. The new management students have a new gleaming monstrosity of steel, stone, and glass called Jerry S. Rawls hall. Rawls hall is really a beautiful building situated right on the Southeast end of campus that announces to visitors “You are now at Purdue.” It is solid glass on the front and opens into a sunlit three-story lobby and the name Jerry S. Rawls Hall is proudly displayed in stone on the corner near the main entrance.
During my last visit, I decided to visit Rawls hall and take the tour. I strode proudly through the three-story lobby knowing that my tuition had done it’s little share to help build this monument to higher education. Off to one side of the lobby, near the main entrance, was a giant portrait of The Man himself, Jerry S. Rawls, with his countenance cast into metal, his lips forever frozen between a smile and a grimace. Now, it turns out that Mr. Rawls is the CEO of a networking company located in silicon valley, and he paid a mere $10 million to have his name carved in stone on the building and his gigantic half-smiling face hanging in the lobby. But it turns out, he’s not alone.
When I was at Purdue as an undergrad, all the classes were held in the Physics Building, or the Mechanical Engineering Building, or the EE building, or the Chemistry Building, or the temporary creative arts huts that had been temporary since 1950. By the way, they just tore those temporary huts down last year, and do you know what they’re replacing them with? The Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering. Some of the newer buildings on Purdue’s campus are the Arthur G. Hansen Life Sciences Research Building, the Holleman-Niswonger Simulator Center, the Michael Golden Engineering Laboratories, the Clayton W. DeMent Fire Station, and the Melvin Ollman Golfcart barn. All of these people, so generous in their giving, yet so public. But Jesus suggests we should “Give your Gifts in Secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:4)
So, one of the more important parts of giving is to do so in secret, for otherwise, "...you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1)
More on giving tomorrow.
These come from the passage in Matthew 6:1-4, if you want the text.
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit one of my Alma Maters, Purdue University. I love going back to see old friends and visit the places I used to hang out. But the campus has changed quite a bit, even in just the last few years.
I was part of the last class to use the old Krannert Management building. The new management students have a new gleaming monstrosity of steel, stone, and glass called Jerry S. Rawls hall. Rawls hall is really a beautiful building situated right on the Southeast end of campus that announces to visitors “You are now at Purdue.” It is solid glass on the front and opens into a sunlit three-story lobby and the name Jerry S. Rawls Hall is proudly displayed in stone on the corner near the main entrance.
During my last visit, I decided to visit Rawls hall and take the tour. I strode proudly through the three-story lobby knowing that my tuition had done it’s little share to help build this monument to higher education. Off to one side of the lobby, near the main entrance, was a giant portrait of The Man himself, Jerry S. Rawls, with his countenance cast into metal, his lips forever frozen between a smile and a grimace. Now, it turns out that Mr. Rawls is the CEO of a networking company located in silicon valley, and he paid a mere $10 million to have his name carved in stone on the building and his gigantic half-smiling face hanging in the lobby. But it turns out, he’s not alone.
When I was at Purdue as an undergrad, all the classes were held in the Physics Building, or the Mechanical Engineering Building, or the EE building, or the Chemistry Building, or the temporary creative arts huts that had been temporary since 1950. By the way, they just tore those temporary huts down last year, and do you know what they’re replacing them with? The Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering. Some of the newer buildings on Purdue’s campus are the Arthur G. Hansen Life Sciences Research Building, the Holleman-Niswonger Simulator Center, the Michael Golden Engineering Laboratories, the Clayton W. DeMent Fire Station, and the Melvin Ollman Golfcart barn. All of these people, so generous in their giving, yet so public. But Jesus suggests we should “Give your Gifts in Secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:4)
So, one of the more important parts of giving is to do so in secret, for otherwise, "...you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1)
More on giving tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
SafeGuard Flex Seat featured on WTHR 13
Last night, WTHR did a story about seat belts on school buses, and did a great job emphasizing how the SafeGuard Flex Seat solves the capacity issue for school buses. The video is below:
Monday, October 13, 2008
Catalyst Conference 2008- Day 2
Here are the highlights, as I saw them, for day 2:
Session 6- Dave Ramsey
Dave is a personal finance expert, best-selling author, and national radio talk show host. He spoke at Catalyst last year about money management, but this was his first talk on leadership. He spoke specifically about unity in an organization. The 5 enemies to unity are:
- Poor communication
- Gossip
- Unresolved disagreements
- Lack of shared purpose
- Sanctioned incompetence
Team members will become demotivated when someone on the team can’t or won’t do their job and the leader fails to act. For the sake of unity on a team, the leader must do battle early and often with any of these enemies of unity.
Specifically, as it applies to Christian businesses, I loved this comment from Dave: “If you’re going to put a fish on the back of that thing, you’d better drive it right.”
Session 7- Franklin Graham
Franklin Graham accepted a lifetime achievement award for his father. But, he spoke with conviction about the power of the gospel message. We can’t control it, we can’t manage it, but there is power in the gospel of Jesus.
Session 8- Matt Chandler
This may have been the best session at the conference, so I’m glad we stayed to watch it. Chandler is the lead pastor at The Village Church in Highland Village (Dallas), Texas. Chandler taught at length from 1 Timothy 4 and said there are a lot of people who know about Jesus, but don’t really know Jesus. Having the right answers and saying the right things doesn’t make you right with God- it’s about your relationship with Christ. His heart breaks for the people in church every week who don’t know Jesus.
Session 9- Andy Stanley
Here are the 5 things Andy Stanley is thinking about now:
1. To reach people no one else is reaching, we need to do things no one else is doing. – Craig Groeschel
It’s not good enough to do the same thing louder or better or differently. To reach people outside the church, we need to go outside the church. Stanley says we need to become preoccupied with those we haven’t reached as opposed to those we are trying to keep.
2. The next Generation product almost never comes from the previous generation.- Al Reis
If you’re over 45, you need to accept that your ideas to reach the next generation will not be effective. You need to lend your expertise to deciding which ideas are good ones instead of trying to come up with good ideas. Be a student, not a critic.
3. What do I believe is impossible to do in my field... but if it could be done, it would fundamentally change my business? - Joel Barker
Pay attention to those who are breaking the rules- they are almost always the ones that solve the problems
4. If we got kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what we he do? Why shouldn’t we walk out the door, come back in, and do it ourselves? – Andy Grove
Acknowledge what’s not working, and own up to why you are unwilling to do anything about it.
No pain = no change. Change is always painful, but almost always worth it.
5. When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near. – Michael Hammer
Don’t let success overshadow your vision.
Summary
The Catalyst Conference was really great this year. I left out comments from a few speakers (Tim Sanders, Brenda Salter McNeil, Andy Crouch) that I didn’t get much from, but the sessions were almost universally good. (Sorry, I love Tim Sanders, but I didn't get much. He's great though. Really. Read Love is the Killer App.)
Session 6- Dave Ramsey
Dave is a personal finance expert, best-selling author, and national radio talk show host. He spoke at Catalyst last year about money management, but this was his first talk on leadership. He spoke specifically about unity in an organization. The 5 enemies to unity are:
- Poor communication
- Gossip
- Unresolved disagreements
- Lack of shared purpose
- Sanctioned incompetence
Team members will become demotivated when someone on the team can’t or won’t do their job and the leader fails to act. For the sake of unity on a team, the leader must do battle early and often with any of these enemies of unity.
Specifically, as it applies to Christian businesses, I loved this comment from Dave: “If you’re going to put a fish on the back of that thing, you’d better drive it right.”
Session 7- Franklin Graham
Franklin Graham accepted a lifetime achievement award for his father. But, he spoke with conviction about the power of the gospel message. We can’t control it, we can’t manage it, but there is power in the gospel of Jesus.
Session 8- Matt Chandler
This may have been the best session at the conference, so I’m glad we stayed to watch it. Chandler is the lead pastor at The Village Church in Highland Village (Dallas), Texas. Chandler taught at length from 1 Timothy 4 and said there are a lot of people who know about Jesus, but don’t really know Jesus. Having the right answers and saying the right things doesn’t make you right with God- it’s about your relationship with Christ. His heart breaks for the people in church every week who don’t know Jesus.
Session 9- Andy Stanley
Here are the 5 things Andy Stanley is thinking about now:
1. To reach people no one else is reaching, we need to do things no one else is doing. – Craig Groeschel
It’s not good enough to do the same thing louder or better or differently. To reach people outside the church, we need to go outside the church. Stanley says we need to become preoccupied with those we haven’t reached as opposed to those we are trying to keep.
2. The next Generation product almost never comes from the previous generation.- Al Reis
If you’re over 45, you need to accept that your ideas to reach the next generation will not be effective. You need to lend your expertise to deciding which ideas are good ones instead of trying to come up with good ideas. Be a student, not a critic.
3. What do I believe is impossible to do in my field... but if it could be done, it would fundamentally change my business? - Joel Barker
Pay attention to those who are breaking the rules- they are almost always the ones that solve the problems
4. If we got kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what we he do? Why shouldn’t we walk out the door, come back in, and do it ourselves? – Andy Grove
Acknowledge what’s not working, and own up to why you are unwilling to do anything about it.
No pain = no change. Change is always painful, but almost always worth it.
5. When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near. – Michael Hammer
Don’t let success overshadow your vision.
Summary
The Catalyst Conference was really great this year. I left out comments from a few speakers (Tim Sanders, Brenda Salter McNeil, Andy Crouch) that I didn’t get much from, but the sessions were almost universally good. (Sorry, I love Tim Sanders, but I didn't get much. He's great though. Really. Read Love is the Killer App.)
Catalyst Conference 2008 - Day 1
I thought I should post an update on Catalyst this year. Here are the highlights as I see them:
Session 1- Andy Stanley
Stanley talked about moral authority in leadership. People won’t necessarily follow us because they believe what we say we believe, but they absolutely must know that WE believe what we say we believe. That is moral authority- basically, that the walk matches the talk. He specifically said the church needs moral authority in three areas:
- Forgiveness- we can’t teach forgiveness from a heart that hasn’t forgiven
- Family – we can’t effectively teach the importance of family when we don’t put family first
- Finances – our checkbook shows our priorities.
He used the story of Nehemiah to reinforce this point: when he confronted the Jews on their lending money with high interest to other Jews, they immediately gave in because he had moral authority- Nehemiah had never accepted what he rightfully had coming to him (Nehemiah 5:6-18)
Session 2- William Paul Young / Jim Collins
William Paul Young is the author of the bestseller The Shack. This was an interesting interview. Young wrote the book for his kids with no intent of publishing it, but there was so much demand for the story that it became a bestseller. The moral: create what the people around you need or want, and it may be what many people need or want.
Jim Collins is also a bestselling author, most notably of the book Good to Great. Collins said that the main difference between good organizations and great ones is not the circumstances they find themselves in: “We are not imprisoned by our circumstances, we are freed by our choices and our discipline.” Instead, he said, one of the major differences between good and great is a culture of discipline. We need to have discipline to keep doing what we need to do. Each step is a tiny turn on a huge flywheel, but once it gets going, it has great momentum. He also said that organizations are far more likely to gorge themselves than starve to death- the great more often fall by overreaching than by having too little opportunity.
Session 3- Steven Furtick
Steven Furtick is the lead pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. He talked about the fact that between the promise and the payoff is a process- when God makes us a promise, we can sometimes give up on it if we can’t see the payoff coming. He used the scripture from 1 Kings 18 to encourage people that God is faithful in his promises- when Elijah promised the people of Israel that rain was coming, the text says there was a cloud forming that was the size of a man’s hand. God is preparing you for what He is preparing for you.
Session 4- Seth Godin
Godin is the author of such books as Purple Cow and The Dip. At this session, he talked about his new book Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us. He says that people (consumers or congregation members) are asking these questions of marketing organizations: Who else is going to be there? Who will lead us?
Godin says a crowd is not the same as a tribe. A tribe is self-selected and has a common purpose or mission. Moving forward, our job is to find out what characteristics people share – who is our tribe? He also said the idea that everyone wants to join your tribe is naive. Find the commonalities that your customers have and emphasize those in your marketing efforts.
Session 5 – Craig Groeschel
Groeschel is the senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv and author of the book Confessions of a Pastor. He was the first to really capitalize on the power of the Internet to leverage the power of the church.
Groeschel talked about Finding IT when you’ve lost IT. This was a very powerful session. We don’t know what IT is, but we know some things about IT:
- God makes IT happen
- We cannot create IT
- IT is not a model
- IT has an upside (lives are changed forever)
- IT has a downside (IT attracts critics)
- IT happens, but not always
- If you have IT, you can lose IT
- If you don’t have IT, you can get IT
Above all, for your church to have IT, you must have IT. If you lose IT, you need to do something drastic. You should pray:
- God, stretch me (take me outside my comfort zone)
- God, heal me (fix the things in my life I can’t fix)
- God, ruin me (maybe have to start all over with God)
Session 1- Andy Stanley
Stanley talked about moral authority in leadership. People won’t necessarily follow us because they believe what we say we believe, but they absolutely must know that WE believe what we say we believe. That is moral authority- basically, that the walk matches the talk. He specifically said the church needs moral authority in three areas:
- Forgiveness- we can’t teach forgiveness from a heart that hasn’t forgiven
- Family – we can’t effectively teach the importance of family when we don’t put family first
- Finances – our checkbook shows our priorities.
He used the story of Nehemiah to reinforce this point: when he confronted the Jews on their lending money with high interest to other Jews, they immediately gave in because he had moral authority- Nehemiah had never accepted what he rightfully had coming to him (Nehemiah 5:6-18)
Session 2- William Paul Young / Jim Collins
William Paul Young is the author of the bestseller The Shack. This was an interesting interview. Young wrote the book for his kids with no intent of publishing it, but there was so much demand for the story that it became a bestseller. The moral: create what the people around you need or want, and it may be what many people need or want.
Jim Collins is also a bestselling author, most notably of the book Good to Great. Collins said that the main difference between good organizations and great ones is not the circumstances they find themselves in: “We are not imprisoned by our circumstances, we are freed by our choices and our discipline.” Instead, he said, one of the major differences between good and great is a culture of discipline. We need to have discipline to keep doing what we need to do. Each step is a tiny turn on a huge flywheel, but once it gets going, it has great momentum. He also said that organizations are far more likely to gorge themselves than starve to death- the great more often fall by overreaching than by having too little opportunity.
Session 3- Steven Furtick
Steven Furtick is the lead pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. He talked about the fact that between the promise and the payoff is a process- when God makes us a promise, we can sometimes give up on it if we can’t see the payoff coming. He used the scripture from 1 Kings 18 to encourage people that God is faithful in his promises- when Elijah promised the people of Israel that rain was coming, the text says there was a cloud forming that was the size of a man’s hand. God is preparing you for what He is preparing for you.
Session 4- Seth Godin
Godin is the author of such books as Purple Cow and The Dip. At this session, he talked about his new book Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us. He says that people (consumers or congregation members) are asking these questions of marketing organizations: Who else is going to be there? Who will lead us?
Godin says a crowd is not the same as a tribe. A tribe is self-selected and has a common purpose or mission. Moving forward, our job is to find out what characteristics people share – who is our tribe? He also said the idea that everyone wants to join your tribe is naive. Find the commonalities that your customers have and emphasize those in your marketing efforts.
Session 5 – Craig Groeschel
Groeschel is the senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv and author of the book Confessions of a Pastor. He was the first to really capitalize on the power of the Internet to leverage the power of the church.
Groeschel talked about Finding IT when you’ve lost IT. This was a very powerful session. We don’t know what IT is, but we know some things about IT:
- God makes IT happen
- We cannot create IT
- IT is not a model
- IT has an upside (lives are changed forever)
- IT has a downside (IT attracts critics)
- IT happens, but not always
- If you have IT, you can lose IT
- If you don’t have IT, you can get IT
Above all, for your church to have IT, you must have IT. If you lose IT, you need to do something drastic. You should pray:
- God, stretch me (take me outside my comfort zone)
- God, heal me (fix the things in my life I can’t fix)
- God, ruin me (maybe have to start all over with God)
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Off to Catalyst...
Well, the boys and I are headed to the Catalyst Conference in the morning. Very excited to hear what God is going to say through Andy Stanley, Dave Ramsey, Craig Groeschel, and others. Even more excited to see what He is going to do with it at Genesis Church when we get back.
I'll try to post updates if I can find a PC in the nether regions of north suburban Atlanta.
Peace!
I'll try to post updates if I can find a PC in the nether regions of north suburban Atlanta.
Peace!
Monday, October 6, 2008
How do you know how to serve?
This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. -Ephesians 3:7-8 (the Message)
I love the humility in Paul's words here - "I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians." But more than that, I love the power and compassion and humor of God to take someone who's unqualified, call him to ministry, then qualify him. Can I suggest that this goes completely counter to how we often do things in ministry. So often, we look for what we're good at, then decide to serve in an area that requires someone with our strengths.
What if, though- what if we instead decided to listen to God's call for our lives, then turned ourselves off so that God could work in us and qualify us for the ministry he's called us to? In other words, what if we were so obedient to His voice that we followed Him no matter where He led us, and allowed Him to gift us with the abilities required to fulfill His calling?
How powerful could the church be for Christ if everyone's primary objective were to listen to God?
I love the humility in Paul's words here - "I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians." But more than that, I love the power and compassion and humor of God to take someone who's unqualified, call him to ministry, then qualify him. Can I suggest that this goes completely counter to how we often do things in ministry. So often, we look for what we're good at, then decide to serve in an area that requires someone with our strengths.
What if, though- what if we instead decided to listen to God's call for our lives, then turned ourselves off so that God could work in us and qualify us for the ministry he's called us to? In other words, what if we were so obedient to His voice that we followed Him no matter where He led us, and allowed Him to gift us with the abilities required to fulfill His calling?
How powerful could the church be for Christ if everyone's primary objective were to listen to God?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
What does it mean to be a leader in the church?
I happened upon this great article from Jon Tyson, the lead pastor of Origins Church in New York City. At it's heart is what it means to lead in the church. It doesn't matter if you are an elder, deacon, pastor, lay leader, or a volunteer who serves once a month, Tyson says there is one characteristic that is required of leaders.
Charisma? Leadership skills? Teaching gifts? Nah. See, leadership in the church is about making The Church beautiful, like the Bride of Christ she is called to be. So what is the required characteristic?
"Leadership in the church is more than just matching gifts with passion, or desire with opportunity. Leadership in the church is about nobility. In other words, it takes that which is noble to produce that which is beautiful."
Please go here to read the whole article. I promise, it's five minutes you won't regret.
Peace.
Charisma? Leadership skills? Teaching gifts? Nah. See, leadership in the church is about making The Church beautiful, like the Bride of Christ she is called to be. So what is the required characteristic?
"Leadership in the church is more than just matching gifts with passion, or desire with opportunity. Leadership in the church is about nobility. In other words, it takes that which is noble to produce that which is beautiful."
Please go here to read the whole article. I promise, it's five minutes you won't regret.
Peace.
The church as a force or a field?
Check out this video from Granger Community Church pastor Mark Beeson about two different philosophies of the church. Which do you think Christ's bride should be?
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