Archive - October, 2009

Stunting Church Growth

October 27, 2009 in Church, Evangelism with 3 Comments

Bovina Bulletin Board

Bovina Bulletin Board

I’m going to be upfront here. I think if we are pursuing church growth, we’re pursuing the wrong thing. It’s the trap of the business model to which we’ve succumbed. Church growth stems from the need to grow an organization, which has a budget that must be met. The more members a church has, the more contributions it will receive. The more the more the contribution, the more that can be done.

The New Testament says nothing about growing churches. Jesus taught, repeatedly, that the kingdom will grow, but its growth would be the natural product of kingdom living. Churches grew because people were spreading the gospel (Acts 8:4). Growth was the effect, not the pursuit. God is the one who gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:6).

This being said, something is wrong if churches aren’t growing, including mine. I think many recognize this, so they pursue all sorts of gimmicks to fill pews. Sometimes the gimmicks work, but more often than not they don’t. Part of the problem, in my estimation, is that we’re pursuing the wrong things.

Nevertheless, there are some sure fire ways that churches are keeping themselves from growing. If God is the one who gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:6), and our churches aren’t growing, then I can’t help but think that God is looking at what we’re doing and holding back, as if to say, “Wake up!” The question is…Will we?

So this brings me to a bulletin board I saw Sunday at a small church in the rural community of Bovina, TX. They hosted a great youth rally on Sunday afternoon. We really enjoyed being there.

As we were registering, and kids were filing in, Tisha called me over to look at a bulletin board in the hallway of their foyer. On it was an overweight, devilish looking figure standing in front of hellish flames. The devilish figure is lecturing through a series of bullet points. The bullet points were:

  • It’s not my job.
  • Let the preacher do it.
  • It never worked before.
  • We might offend someone.
  • We don’t have the resources.
  • We’re fine the way we are.
  • Let’s call a meeting.

At the bottom, in quotation marks, is “That concludes my presentation on time-tested, sure-fired statements that will stunt church growth. Any question?”

I’ve heard all of these statements before, interestingly enough, used in a number of different ways. I hope you’ll take some time to digest this bulletin board message. It speaks loudly and clearly about the mindsets of many Christians. Think about it. Over the next couple of weeks, I plan on writing about each of these bullet points.

The Lost Get Found

October 23, 2009 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXi709LCKWk[/youtube]

We Will Miss You

October 22, 2009 in Church, Jesus with 14 Comments

I’ve been reading George Barna’s newest book, Master Leaders, to review for the Tyndale Blog Network. It’s a book, as the title indicates, about leadership. Barna tells a story to communicate the insights he’s gleaned from proven leaders. It’s been a great read. I’ll post a review in the upcoming weeks.

An intriguing story comes from Colleen Barrett, former president and corporate secretary for Southwest Airlines. If you’ve ever flown with Southwest, or at the bare minimum seen a few of their commercials, you’ll know that Southwest is about fun and humor. In fact, humor is considered one of Southwest’s “core values.” Barrett shares this story with Barna,

Years ago, somebody wrote to Southwest and said, “I’m a long-term customer, and I don’t like the fact that you make jokes during the safety part of the flight.” Now most companies would write back to say, “We value you as a customer, please trust that we care about your safety and we are good at that, but here’s a free flight coupon and we will talk to the gate agents.” And then they would make a call and tell their people that the humor thing is good but they need to tone it down…But not Southwest. No. They sent the customer a note that said, “We will miss you.”

Barna concludes, “That’s when you know its a core value.” And he’s right. Leadership isn’t exhibited through pandering to vocal minorities and majorities. Leadership admits when it’s wrong, but affirms truths and forms impressions built upon its values. Too often, though, leaders don’t lead; they acquiesce to the wishes of a few and the whole organization suffers as a whole. This is especially true with regard to churches.

Some churches are held hostage by vocal minorities who are fearful of everything and resistant to anything. Church leadership, lest they “ruffle the feathers” of some, refrain from implementing programs that might prove to be beneficial for the entire congregation. Pandering isn’t leadership.

Consider how Jesus handled one situation recorded in Matthew 19:16-22. On that occasion, a prominent rich, young man approached Him inquiring, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?” The young man was a commandment keeper. He didn’t murder, commit adultery, steal, or bear false witness. He was devoted to honoring his father and mother, as well as loving his neighbor as himself. Well, maybe not so much to that last one. Nevertheless, he vows to having kept all these commandments, so “What do I still lack?” Jesus seeks to see if he really loves his neighbor or not, challenging him to, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” Verse 22 supplies his reaction. “When the young man heard that command, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

This story served as the basis for Jesus’ teaching on possession and the kingdom. But what is interesting to me, is that Jesus didn’t cave on one of his core values just to keep the rich young ruler in his camp. Jesus could have used a guy like this on his side, but he let him go. He wasn’t willing to give everything up to have Jesus, so he let him walk away. In so doing, He essentially said, “We will miss you.”

Not even Jesus pleased all. He didn’t grovel at the feet of some, to keep them from abandoning him. Neither did He refrain from doing what was good, like healing on the Sabbath, simply because people thought it was wrong. It wasn’t. They were the ones who were wrong about the matter. Consequently, neither did he refrain from doing it lest he offend them. They needed a reality check, so He gave them one!

This is a situation not a few find themselves in. What should they do? They should listen with an honest ear. If there ‘s merit to an inquiry, then consider it and adjust accordingly. But if not, don’t acquiesce or pander. Do what Jesus essentially did in letting them go. Say, “We will miss you.”

A Prayer

October 20, 2009 in Prayers, Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Last week I officiated the funeral of a woman, Dinnie Nutt, loved by many in the Clovis community. Of all present, I knew her the least. Her daughter was gracious enough to let me look over several mementos, in an effort to help me in my preparations. One was a piece of paper, cut out from something, with a poem entitled, “I Said a Prayer for You Today.” As I read it, it sounded like something Dinnie would utter.

At the close of the service, I read the short poem/prayer. Then, I uttered one for her, on behalf of her. This is what I prayed…

Eternal Father, from whom every good and perfect gift comes, we welcome your presence this day. For you are the God who transcends time, space and matter. You are Spirit- pure, everlasting Spirit- it is in you that we live, move and have our very beings. Thank you for making us in your image and tabernacling yourself in your people.

Father, we are here today to pay our respects to life well-lived. Our sister has left upon her family, her friends that have known her for years, as well as those of us who’ve known her for only a short time, an enduring memory of a life well-lived. She listened to others. She loved unconditionally. And that made her more after you than so many.

The presence of all those here today is a testimony to the impacts she made while she lived. We believe her place is now amongst the great cloud of witness who cheer us on in our walks with Jesus. And that is a wonderful place to be.

Please be with those she’s left behind. Knowing she’s in a better place and coping with loss don’t always balance out with each other. We know you, the God of peace, can and will provide in our times of need.

Through Jesus Christ the Lord we pray. Amen.

Maybe this is something you might, in some way, find beneficial.

Things aren’t right…

October 16, 2009 in Uncategorized with 7 Comments

Like a lot of you, I’m for simple living in the New Covenant inaugurated by Jesus. This is living in his kingdom, after his ways. He called it the abundant life (John 10:10).

I talk about living like Jesus, but I subconsciously qualify it to imply a certain kind of living that keeps me safely sheltered from his experiences. He had nothing; I have everything. Frankly, to a great extent, I live nothing like him.

While I’m in this transparency mode, I might as well confess…I don’t really think like him either. He genuinely loved his enemies. I’m just trying to survive by ignoring mine. At the core is the fact that there is really a void in me at this moment. My love’s too shallow; his spans the dimensions (Ephesians 3:18); I need his love, not mine!

The chasm between my love and his, my life and his, evidenced itself last week. On Sunday, though, in mid-sermon, I experienced its immense weight. While studying and reviewing for Sunday something registered that, for whatever reason, had before been overlooked.

In Philippians 3:8-11, Paul states,

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. ESV.

Paul’s living after the way of Christ was much more genuine than mine. I know this because of the nature of his living versus mine. With this comes a certain measure of guilt. But to add insult to injury, he slaps me upside the face with his desire to “share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible (emphasis mine) I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

His desire was to “share” in Christ’s suffering, not be sheltered from them. His desire was to become like him “in his death,” not evade it. His passion was, “by any means possible,” to cross the bar. If I understand him correctly, he actively pursued a course that would not insulate him from harm, but instead would thrust him possibly into the middle of it.

All of my life, I’ve heard prayers uttered, both in and out of the assembly, that center around “being free from harm and molestation,” “having the freedom to worship without fear of persecution,” and etc. Yet Paul’s Christ-likeness was so strong, that he pursued a course that would ultimately cost him his life. That’s simply not how I think. Nor is it how, most, if not all, Christians I know think. We yearn for insulation, but such thinking is clearly not in step with Jesus or Paul.

I’m not suggesting that we begin to pursue courses that should kill us. But before I pat myself on the back for the similarities I might have with the first century church, I’d better accept the fact that I’m nowhere near where they were.

So, where does this leave us? How true to form to the ways of the early church do we really want to be? I’ve got some serious thinking to do, especially, if I mean what I say. I’m not so certain that Jesus intends for his disciples to attach all sorts of caveats to living in the way, just so we can accommodate living in our world. Apparently, my thinking has a long way to go.
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