Tag: Church (page 8 of 8)

4 Things Growing Churches Do

September 14, 2010 / / 0 Comments

I never joined a fraternity.

I wasn’t a recluse at all…I had my circles of relationships.  I just didn’t ever join a fraternity.  And part of my reason for not joining was that I thought the whole thing was just weird.

They wore different colors.  They were always busy with fraternity activities.  They had their own house.  Their own chants.  Their own jokes.  Their own handshakes.  Their own sections at the games.  Their own language.

While fraternities had many positive things to offer (community, sense of belonging, lifelong friends, etc.) here are some negatives I noticed.

Where Fraternities missed the mark, they:

1. Were exclusivistic. If you weren’t one of them, you were treated like you were an outsider.

2. Seemed to lose the individual to the collective whole. After a person joined a fraternity, their identity became wrapped up with that fraternity.

3. Sent candidates through a long initiation process that, to those on the outside, was silly and pointless.

4. Dominated people’s time, and kept them from integrating with the rest of the student body.

I think this is what unhealthy churches do, too.  I know, I know…we should be developing healthy communities of people that love and care for each other.  But shouldn’t we want to grow?  Our goal as the Church isn’t to add just a certain type of the incoming class of freshmen…because our Savior died for people from every race and every tribe! If you want to add people to your local church (evangelism), you have to start thinking about how they will perceive what you do.

So how do we do that?  Take a cue from what fraternities do.

Growing churches…

1. Aren’t exclusivistic. *Before you comment, please read below* Rather, these churches take an inclusive stance to those outside of the faith, positioning and presenting their local church in a way that doesn’t offend, but invites, outsiders to come and see.  These churches consistently think, “How will a first-time guest perceive, and understand, what we do here?”

2. Give people the space to process, and the freedom to be themselves. If you’re producing drones that simply parrot back the “right” answer, never thinking and processing for themselves, then you’re doing a disservice to the individual God has created.  God has created us unique, and our uniqueness as individuals makes for a beautiful Church.

3. Don’t make the integration process difficult. If someone is seeking and curious, give them the chance to explore.  Immediately!  Don’t make them go through a 12-week membership process before they can serve, join a small group, or feel like they’re a part of your church family.  Strike while that iron’s hot.

4. Don’t dominate people’s time. Intuition says that more programs = more spiritual growth.  But if you have church activities every night of the week, how do you expect your church to truly be a vital part of the community?  How do you expect individuals to invest in their family?  How do you expect staff members to have any time of their own?  Advocating a simple model in your local church shows that you value investing in your community and in your families.

What other things do growing churches do?

*I’m not meaning theological exclusivity, as in the exclusivity of the Gospel (John 14:6).  My defense of that can come in another post.

 

Don’t let it rot

August 25, 2010 / / 0 Comments

We went out of town last weekend, and came home to this in our garden.

If you leave a fruit on the vine too long, it rots.  And rotting fruit looks, tastes, and smells disgusting.

Fruit was meant to be enjoyed by others.  Not to rot on the vine and never be enjoyed.

The same is true with the gifts God gives the Church.

To individuals in the Church: If God has gifted you, and you’re not using that gift, there’s a great chance that the gift will rot and start to stink.  If you’ve got a gift, use it!  We (the Church) need you to.

To church leaders: Turn your folks loose to use their gifts.  They’ll be honoring God, building the Church, and find themselves more satisfied.
This may lead to a bit of messiness, but the risk is worth it.  Your church is full of people who have been gifted by God, and will be much healthier if their gifts are being utilized.  Look for areas where people can use their gifts, and get them plugged in.
What gifts has God given you?

Have you been able to use them to build others up and honor God?

 

The “Visitor” Treatment

August 22, 2010 / / 4 Comments

I read this on a sign at an O’Charley’s restaurant I visited in Nashville:

At our place, everybody’s a regular.

What a powerful statement, especially to me on my first time in the restaurant.  That sign told me that I was being viewed a regular customer, even though it was my first time to ever step foot into the place.  I knew none of the waiters or waitresses.  I didn’t have my “special” seat.  The waiter didn’t know my name or what I “always ordered.”  Yet from the moment I stepped foot into the restaurant, I felt valued.

And the service I received backed that up.

I felt like an honored guest.  My waiter went out of his way to make sure I was served well.  He was skilled at his job, and was great at making our table feel served and appreciated.  I really did feel like I was a regular there.  The service was beyond my expectations…especially because there were 40 people in our group.  My tea was always full.  He made sure I was satisfied with each course of food.  He made sure my son was happy.  And he never seemed frustrated that my son was roaming throughout our section (for the record, he doesn’t normally do that, but he was in a foul mood because he was sick, so we let him roam a bit).

Yeah, our service was top notch.

This principle holds true in churches as well.

The way you treat visitors at your church says much about what you, as a church, value.  If you treat them as honored guests, you are saying:

1. We love you, even though we don’t know your story.

2. God loves you, and He does know your story.

3. We love others because God loves us…not because a person is an “insider.”

4. It’s ok to “come as you are.”  Questions, mess, and all.

5. God’s big enough to handle your junk.

Can it be said of a typical Sunday morning at your local church, “At our place, everybody’s a regular.“?

When was the last time you thought, “What impact will this have on first time guests?” as you were planning a Sunday morning environment?

Have you ever tried putting yourself in the shoes of a first-timer, trying to see and experience what they do, from the parking lot to the worship service and the children’s environments?

 

The “visitor” treatment

August 21, 2010 / / 0 Comments

I read this on a sign at an O’Charley’s restaurant I visited in Nashville:

At our place, everybody’s a regular.

What a powerful statement, especially to me on my first time in the restaurant.  That sign told me that I was being viewe a regular customer, even though it was my first time to ever step foot into the place.  I knew none of the waiters or waitresses.  I didn’t have my “special” seat.  The waiter didn’t know my name or what I “always ordered.”  Yet from the moment I stepped foot into the restaurant, I felt valued.

And the service I received backed that up.

I felt like an honored guest.  My waiter went out of his way to make sure I was served well.  He was skilled at his job, and was great at making our table feel served and appreciated.  I really did feel like I was a regular there.  The service was beyond my expectations…especially because there were 40 people in our group.  My tea was always full.  He made sure I was satisfied with each course of food.  He made sure my son was happy.  And he never seemed frustrated that my son was roaming throughout our section (for the record, he doesn’t normally do that, but he was in a foul mood because he was sick, so we let him roam a bit).

Yeah, our service was top notch.

This principle holds true in churches as well.

The way you treat visitors at your church says much about what you, as a church, value.  If you treat them as honored guests, you are saying:

1. We love you, even though we don’t know your story.

2. God loves you, and He does know your story.

3. We love others because God loves us…not because a person is an “insider.”

4. It’s ok to “come as you are.”  Questions, mess, and all.

5. God’s big enough to handle your junk.

Can it be said of a typical Sunday morning at your local church, “At our place, everybody’s a regular.”?

When was the last time you thought, “What impact will this have on first time guests?” as you were planning a Sunday morning environment?

Have you ever tried putting yourself in the shoes of a first-timer, trying to see and experience what they do, from the parking lot to the worship service and the children’s environments?

 

The Lantern

February 4, 2010 / / 0 Comments

If you live in the Clarksville, TN area, and are the spouse/girlfriend of a soldier who is, or will be, deploying, then you need to get connected with The Lantern.  Started as a small group, it’s grown to a once/month gathering focusing on specific topics that those affected by a deployed loved one will face.  I absolutely love the direction that this ministry is headed!

Here’s a quote from their website, telling a little more about who they are:

Our story is similar to that of most Military wives. We are a group of women made up of mothers, professionals, students, exercise-aholics, scrap-bookers, and divorcees from all over the country and all faith backgrounds, who are married to the Military, er, men in the Military. We have learned, often through painful trial and error, that we cannot continue to burden the challenges that come with a Military lifestyle alone. We have learned that when we rely on our own strengths, experiences, and plans to get through deployment and reintegration periods (often many periods), we fall short and our marriages, children, careers, and mental sanity suffer. It is only when we give our lives back to the One who made them that we are able, through His strength, love, and incredible grace, to live full lives despite our current circumstances.

Here’s a video we put together to help promote this ministry that will start on Thursday, February 18th, and continue every 2nd Thursday of the month, but check the calendar for specifics.

 

What if the Church worked together instead of apart?

December 17, 2009 / / 0 Comments

I’m all about the lone rebel who wins the war by himself. But our efforts combined are much more effective than our efforts alone.

Alone, we seem weird.

Together, others want to join in.

 

I don’t need to go to church

December 16, 2009 / / 23 Comments

Church Sign

Recently I said this on Twitter:

Can a person REALLY be growing in their faith & NOT be involved in a faith community? I think not.

As you might imagine, it stirred some people up.

As you can also imagine, the ones it stirred up were the ones not involved in a faith community (a general term that I used to point to church, small group, Sunday School, etc.)

I would love to hear from you, but before that, I’ll throw my thoughts into the ring. 

Can a person grow in their faith and not be involved in a faith community?

1. No.

2. 9 times out of 10, in my opinion, the statement, “I don’t need to go to church” is used as an excuse.  The people who say this aren’t growing, and don’t have much intention to grow.  Church would bring conviction and accountability…two things that they don’t have, and don’t truly desire.

3. For those who fall into the 1 out of 10 who aren‘t using, “I don’t need to go to church” as an excuse, I would say that the Church needs you as much as you need the church.  We need your encouragement, love, accountability (doctrinal as well as moral/practical), wisdom, love, care, support, admonition, rebuke, teaching, and leadership.  And you need us for the same reasons.

4. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)  Going to church brings us into close contact with the Church.  Hearing others worship, praying with others, hearing Scripture preached, and building relationships with others in the Church all help to grow our faith, and are, in my opinion, vital to your relationship with Christ.

5. We are prone to forget.  We need others to remind us, and spur us on in this walk of faith.  We get wrapped up in the trivialities of life, and get bogged down with details.  Others help remind us of the power of the resurrection.  The brevity of life.  The life-transforming power of grace.  The healing nature of forgiveness.  Without the Church, we quickly lose sight of all of that.  I can read about these things in a book…but seeing them lived out in the guy sitting two pews over is different altogether.

6. UPADATE – After a comment I received via Facebook, I’ve decided to make an addition to this post.  I’d like to make concessions for folks who are not able to travel, due to health or other reasons.  Those people should not feel an ounce of guilt for not traveling to gather with other believers.  That said, though, I truly believe that they need to gather with others, so the Church’s responsibility would be to go to them.

What do you think?  Do you believe that it’s possible to grow in your faith without “meeting together?”

 

Leaders, Know Your Gifts, part 2

November 18, 2009 / / 0 Comments

I’m in a series of posts of leadership strengths.  You can read the first post HERE.  Our staff took a test called Strengths Finder, and I’ll be posting my results, and subsequent personal thoughts, here on my blog.

I’ve got a word of caution about strengths.  Your strengths can become a curse when:

1. They’re used as a hammer.  There’s no reason to use your gifts to manipulate others.  God’s not pleased with that.

2. You assume everybody is gifted just like you. They’re not. And that’s a good thing.

3. When it’s the only lens through which you view leadership.  God has given you certain gifts, and you should use them.  But there are ways that He will stretch you, and situations in which your only course of action will be to rely on His strength.

God has gifted His church for the purpose of building up His bride (the church).  It astonishes me that He would use imperfect, weak men like me to build the church…but that’s His plan…and I know His plan is perfect.

Here’s the second strength that I tested into on my Strenghts Finder:

Achiever

People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.

Chances are good that you approach your work-related or academic assignments with a great deal of intensity. You are known for putting in long hours and working hard. It’s very likely that you tend to be quite selective about the company you keep. You prefer to spend time with individuals who are trustworthy. You consciously avoid people whose words and deeds indicate they value honesty less than you do. Because of your strengths, you exhibit a strong work ethic. Work probably gives your life a sense of purpose it would otherwise lack.
Instinctively, you argue that hard work influences the course of your life more than anything else. You make your own good fortune by preparing yourself to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Each time you are successful, you can outline exactly what you did to reach a goal. You link together facts, incidents, conversations, or available resources to understand your accomplishments. You resist the notion that life is nothing more than a game of chance. By nature, you exhibit the physical and mental endurance needed to continuously toil long after others have stopped working. You are hardwired to pursue goals until they are reached. When obstacles arise, you become even more determined to succeed.

Do you find yourself described in this assessment?

 

Leaders, Know your Gifts!

November 17, 2009 / / 0 Comments

God has wired me differently than He has wired you.  It may be true that you and I are the same gender.  Or live in the same city.  Or drink the same kind of coffee.  Or are passionate about similar ministries.

But at the end of the day, I have different gifts than you do.  And you have different gifts than I do.  And that’s a good thing.

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.  -Romans 12:3-8

Our staff at Grace Community Church just talked through our results from Strengths Finder.  It was cool to see the varying gifts and passions that God has uniquely given the staff here.  Over the next few posts, I’ll share my strengths with you.  I don’t share them to make much of myself, but to make much of God, the giver of all good gifts.

These descriptions aren’t perfect for me, but they’re pretty close.

Learner:

People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want
to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome,
excites them.

What makes you stand out?
Instinctively, you normally dedicate yourself to acquiring knowledge and gaining skills. You
probably devote many hours to mental labor. Because of your strengths, you can block out
distractions when you are working or studying. You are seldom pulled away from a task. You
probably desire to understand ahead of time what needs to be done. You also expect to
receive background briefings and/or a list of a project’s criteria. Armed with this information,
you move closer to your goal. With ease and certitude — that is, having no doubts — you
determine what is and is not important to know about an activity, event, or project. By nature,
you habitually bring together all sorts of information so you can refer to it later. At the instant
you collect a fact, example, story, or piece of data, typically you are eager to use it. You trust
it is valuable. Your fascination with knowledge has probably been part of you even before
you formed the words to ask your first question. It’s very likely that you might prefer to
enroll in a difficult class rather than register for the easiest one. Perhaps comparing how well
you are doing in relation to others has meaning only when you earn the best grades in the
hardest courses. To some extent, you crave recognition for your knowledge and winning
spirit. Chances are good that you may be an individual performer who signs up for tough
classes. Perhaps your desire to excel is amplified when the only path to a good grade is a
steep one.

Do you see yourself at all in this description?

 
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