Monday, August 31, 2009

First Day of Class: Part Ten of Eleven

We're nearing the end of this series on ways churches can present themselves better to visitors. Today, we're looking at the facilities.

Make sure your facilities are clean, safe and sound. That probably means you’ll need to do some repairs or install hand rails, ramps and easier to open doors. Visitors may never utilize some things, but if I’m checking out a church to attend, I know I will feel better knowing grandma will be able to make it in and around the building.

Safety is a huge issue that most churches tend to ignore. We use our budget (or lack of one) as the excuse for not funding the repairs or safety features. We may save on the budget today, but a preventable injury due to our negligence will bust our budgets and bank account.

But, safety doesn’t end there. Check out your children’s areas. Are drawers, electrical outlets and restrooms childproofed? I’ve seen many that aren’t. This is trouble that has found the place to happen. It’s just waiting for a willing participant.

Security is also an often overlooked issue. I wrote earlier in this series about a proper check-in set up for kids, but let’s expand security elsewhere. Churches tend to get as much right on this as they do wrong, regardless of size. There should always be someone watching your parking lot during services to ensure vehicles are protected. It wouldn’t take a thief but one or two visits to realize whether or not the parking lot is being watched during the service.

The same goes for your office area. Some buildings have the office area locked off where the public can’t get to them, but many others have the offices along the same hallways as classrooms and restrooms. When those wooden doors are closed for service, someone could be rummaging through your offices unnoticed. Finally, one thing that got a church I once attended robbed was the failure to properly check all classrooms.

One evening, a thief snuck into the building during service, pretended to head to the restroom, but slipped into a classroom and locked the door. The last security run through before locking up for the night didn’t find anything but empty rooms or locked doors. Later that night, the thief emerged and busted into the church office.

Finally, make sure your facilities are clean. Most churches I’ve visited do a good job of keeping things clean, but it doesn’t take much for the picky visitor to not want to return. It could be food or scrap paper on the floor. It might be smelly restrooms.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness, but an unclean church will be a big turnoff to your guests.

Friday, August 28, 2009

First Day of Class: Part Nine of Eleven

The language we use in church can go a long way toward making a guest feel comfortable or awkward. Notice in our discussions on this running topic that I have never referred to places in your church as sanctuary or vestibule. Instead, I’ve referred to them as auditorium and lobby.

Some church folk might think I’m just mincing words, but if I’ve never been to church before, I would think a sanctuary is a place for birds and other critters. And, the word vestibule is no longer a commonly used term, not even in theatres. But, everyone knows where to find the auditorium and lobby.

Word play should also be considered in our church-speak. For instance, the term “lost” is something most long-time Christians use to describe non-Christians. But, to a non-Christian, “lost” can be an offensive term. They’re not lost. They know right where they are. To them, the Christian using that term has “lost” their minds.

Another way to think of this is by looking in the Bible at the term used for non-Jews. Anyone not a Jew was referred to as a Gentile. Now, if you lived in that day and were a Greek or Roman or Egyptian, being called a Gentile by a Jew would be a shade offensive with undertones of racism. The Jews knew what they meant, but the non-Jews didn’t.

Today’s Christian has taken the “lost” term out of its biblical context, and turned it into a descriptor of people. There’s a lot of other church-speak that we need be careful about using in the broader settings of church, mainly because folks don’t know what they mean, Christians included.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

First Day of Class: Part Eight of Eleven

Another great way to make visitors ease into your church service is by displaying song lyrics and sermon notes on a big screen.

Most people can figure out a hymnal, but it might take a first time visitor a few songs to get the hang of it. By that point, however, the music will be coming to a close.

Putting the lyrics on the big screens does a couple of important things:
  • They get people to look up while they worship. If everyone is looking up, no visitor will be fumbling through the hymn book to find the right song. Now, you can still use the hymnal. Just be sure to post the lyrics on the big screen, too.
  • When people are looking up, they’re able to sing out much better than if they’re looking down. Physically, the wind pipe isn’t as crimped. (Side note: some would argue that standing is better for singing than sitting, and I would agree. However, I wouldn’t expect a church that is mainly elderly to stand for 30-minutes of worship. You have to base the stand/sit issue on your demographic.)

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

First Day of Class: Part Seven of Eleven

Everyone loves food, especially good snack food. One of the best ways churches can make visitors feel welcome is to provide some easy eats.

I can hear it now, "But someone will get the carpets in the sanctuary all dirty." Well, you can still require food and drink not be taken into the auditorium if you want. That's common enough in public places that no one will really mind the restriction.

Regardless, donuts and coffee are a great way to make guests feel comfortable. They're a common denominator among people. We all love to eat.

Put the food and drinks in your lobby or commons area. (Be sure to point the way with your signs.)Don't have a good spot? Create one. Maybe place a small table with a platter of fresh donut holes out for consumption. Sit a coffee pot and cups nearby.

I prefer them being in the lobby, because folks will filter into the auditorium for the service easier than they would if the munchies were in a commons area away from the auditorium. I was at a church that did this once. We put the donuts downstairs in the fellowship hall. Nothing was wrong with that until we realized that people kept hanging out with the food and not in the auditorium. Had to solve it by shutting down the kitchen a few minutes before service.

Be creative in your approach. Some areas may be more into granola or fruit. The munchies don't matter. The fellowship, the breaking down of barriers, the comfort of eating snack foods is very inviting and welcoming to your newcomers and your regular attenders, too.

Oh, and speaking of fellowship, this is the part of the plan that church leaders need to be diligent about. You need to keep folks from doing the holy huddle around their comfort foods, and instead go meet the visitors. That's the reason you're offering snack foods to begin with.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

First Day of Class: Part Six of Eleven

Okay, we've now reached one of my biggest pet peeves when visiting ANYWHERE for the first time, not just churches. How many times have you gone to an event, the mall or maybe just the doctor and had difficulty finding your way around? That happens to me every time I go to the grocery store.

Fortunately, Wal-mart has mastered the art of the direction sign. Think about it, you walk in and from the front doors, you can spot the large letters in the back designating where the sporting goods department is located. Shoes, Outdoors, Jewelry...the signs shorten your journey. Same thing for the grocery isle. I know right where the condiments are based on the large signs above the isles.

Now, Wal-mart recently threw everyone a curve ball when they tried to make their stores a little more high class. As part of the makeover, they did away with some of their large, horizontal departmental signs and replaced them with harder-to-see, vertical signs with smaller print. If you're not familiar with the layout of a given store, you have to really do some work to find where you want to go.

The same goes with churches. Direction signs aren't among the things on most pastor's priority lists, but they should be among the first things there.

Churches need direction signs. Big ones with large print and arrows to help people know where they're going. Hang them from the ceiling so they're easy to spot above people's heads.

The worst thing a church can do is to not use direction signs to point they way to the children's areas, the restroom, the auditorium or the coffeehouse. The next-to-worst is to have signs that are small print or eye-level that can get lost in crowds.

Directional signage is one of the cheapest, but most inviting non-human things you can include in your building. Think you have a big enough sign? Make it bigger. Your visitors will thank you for it. (Side note: if you have the money to spend, consider video boards, too. TVs always draw people's attention)

Monday, August 24, 2009

First Day of Class: Part Five of Eleven

Anytime you talk about making visitors feel welcome and comfortable in church, someone somewhere assumes that you'll eventually want to "water down the Gospel." You won't find that anywhere in this series, because I believe that when people set foot in a church, they anticipate the message that is preached will itself be uncomfortable and life changing.

What I'm hoping to accomplish with this series is point out areas that folks who don't attend church use as excuses for not coming. Today, we're focusing on the dress code.

This is one that you can't really argue with someone who has done the Sunday best their entire life. However, I think there is some wiggle room that allows reason to step in and help a church overcome the three-piece-suit-or-full-length-dress dress code.

Unchurched folks feel really out of place when they come to church in jeans and a t-shirt, and have to sit in a room full of suits and dresses. Don't believe me? Try doing it yourself some Sunday morning. You'll notice the people staring right away. That's the same thing that greets the casually dressed newcomer.

But, there's an even greater thing to consider regarding the attire of your church. If visitors feel like they have to drop a few hundred dollars on clothes just to come to church, they won't be back. It's inappropriate to suggest to first time visitors that they return home until they have the appropriate clothes (that's almost pharisee-like).

So, the alternative is to relax our personal dress code. It doesn't mean that we come to church looking like a slob. Instead, it means that we aren't afraid to throw on jeans and a t-shirt or slacks and a polo instead of the three-piece suit.

"But, I paid over $300 for that suit," you say. All the more reason to ebay it and come more casual. If you're more worried about how you look on Sunday, then you're likely not too worried about what God is doing in your heart and that of the casually dressed visitor you keep staring at two rows in front of you.

"But, Paul gave a dress code in the Bible." Indeed he did. In 1 Timothy 2:9, Paul said that women should dress modestly. I think similar can apply to men, too. Note, however, that modesty is not defined as "Sunday best." If anything, it's the exact opposite. Modest can mean both decent and humble. Fancy and expensive don't fall in that category.

"But, what about Jesus? What did he think of lavish clothing?" Well, in speaking about the Pharisees in Matthew 23, Jesus said this in verse five, "They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long."

Let's break that down a little. Phylacteries are leather, cube-shaped boxes that contain pieces of paper with scripture on them. The Pharisees would wear one on their left arm and one on their head. The fringes were the hemline and tassles on the garments they wore. What Jesus was pointing out was that these people wanted everyone to believe they were more spiritual than regular people by the way they dressed and the things they wore. And, they did it so everyone could see how much better they were.

When we criticize what newcomers wear when they show up in our services, we are essentially doing the same thing as the Pharisees.

So, I challenge you to start going more casual to church. Dump the suit and tie or formal dress. Settle for more modest, relaxed clothing. (And, let your pastor do the same. In fact, encourage him to dress down.)

That relaxed culture will be welcoming to someone who has never set foot in the door of a church.

Friday, August 21, 2009

First Day of Class: Part Four of Eleven

Continuing with our look at how to make church more appealing to those who only darken the door for weddings and funerals, one of the best ways is through a proper security set up for the children's area, and quality children's programs.

I personally believe that churches should spend the majority of their budgets on children. Their demographic is more receptive to the Gospel message, and they are much more likely to accept Jesus than adults. If your church is struggling to make gains in the youth of your neighborhood, I'd ask how much are you investing in them. It takes more than a youth pastor. It takes all kinds of resources. A church can't skimp on the youth while fully funding the cemetary fund.

Newcomers who notice a well-invested children's area will feel good about leaving their kids there. And, if the kids love it, they'll want to keep coming back.

But, the children's area isn't limited to investment. There's one other item we need to check -- security.

You can have a great children's area, but without proper security, all that investment can go up in the smoke of a lawsuit if something happened to one of the kids. It all starts before it ever begins. The first thing you should do in your church is make sure a background check is conducted with your local police or sheriff's department on every childcare worker. Let me stress that...EVERY childcare worker. You do it from the top down, so no one can cry foul. This can help you weed out any legal problems before they ever get to the classroom. One lawsuit could wreck a church.

Your visitors will never see this process, but they will appreciate that it's done. And, I think the parents already in your church will, too.

The next security feature involves the check-in process. It should be easy to do, but thorough enough to ensure security. There are a variety of ways to do this: buzzers, name tags with ID numbers, ID cards, etc.

For newcomers, the process of getting the kids signed in should also be quick and easy. I don't know about you, but I hate to fill out a bunch of paperwork just to drop my kid off for an hour. But, at the same time, I am comforted to know that enough information is gathered that a stranger won't be walking up to take my child.

To that extent, I really like the churches that have a check-in desk for kids, and the kids classrooms are blocked from general access. Newcomers appreciate security. One thing to remember, though, is that a new person may not realize the importance of the security tags they are given, so that should always be stressed. It's better to let a parent know they need that tag to get their kids before they toss it and come to collect their children.

One last thought toward making the new family feel welcomed in your church. Instruct your teachers to show the new kids some extra attention. Just like the first day in school, they're nervous and don't really know what to expect. Making the room fun and inviting will make them want to come back.

Do you have any ideas or thoughts? Share them.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

First Day of Class: Part Three of Eleven

We're returning to this lengthy blog series that began Monday with a reference to my kids starting school this week. My older two are both in new schools, and will be making a lot of new friends. I even feel a bit uncomfortable for them, and it's bringing back some of the anxiety I dealt with as a child and teen. I remember feeling so imtimidated the first day I walked into the high school building as an 8th grader (my small town didn't have a junior high). The coolest feeling came when some of the upper classmen took us under their wings and befriended us.

You know, that same thing happens in the church, but with must more frequency. Newcomers feel like children going to class in a new building for the first time. They're scared, intimidated and apprehensive about coming. But, they have come, and it's our duty as Christians to make them feel welcome, appreciated and wanted.

So, this series is dedicated to the newcomer. I'm giving tips on what we can do to help make their visit a good one. Today's tip is very easy to do. It's something we saw Jesus do countless times. He befriended the people he was trying to reach. As you read through the Gospels, you find that the people who hated Jesus were those who didn't like the people He befriended. Those same religious leaders who later murdered Jesus viewed the "sinners and tax collectors," as they called them, as scum and unworthy of God's love.

Fast forward 2,000 years, and we find similar attitudes in some churches. We build four walls, then do all we can to keep the "sinners and tax colelctors" of our day out while protecting what we have inside. That's not very becoming of people who say they follow the same guy who said He came to seek and provide salvation to EVERYONE who believed in Him.

So, here's today's tip for when you encounter newcomers in your church. It's a hard one. You may have trouble with it. Grit your teeth. Here it is...in two words: BE FRIENDLY.

That's all it takes. Just like the upper classmen who reached out to the new 8th graders in those first days at the high school, visitors to your church need someone who is friendly, will shake their hand, talk to them past the courtesy greetings and take time to get to know them. Those relationships will go a long way toward making someone who's never been in church feel comfortable, liked and at home.

What do you think? Any other ideas on this topic?

Tomorrow, I will bring the kids up again. Only, this time it'll be about your kids area.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Political Pressure and the Elephant in the Room

Were taking a break from our series today to tackle a political and social issue. The series on making visitors welcome will resume tomorrow.

This past month has been rather raucous in the country as the debate over government sponsored health care and general health care reform rages. Today, I offer my personal take on the topic. Like most of Congress, I haven't read the health care bills or their provisions. I don't have to.

All I need to know is that a country that allows it's government to take over major portions (or any for that matter) of industries is setting itself up for massive failures of not only government, but also the economy and society. As more and more of a population becomes dependent on government programs, the government itself will eventually have to start printing more money to supply the growing programs. That in turn destroys the economy by weakening the currency and driving businesses that have to compete with government out of business. Society fails, because it becomes reliant upon the failing government to provide the entitlements it can't afford.

That's why government sponsored health care is bad for the country. Sure, the current system isn't perfect. However, by taking away the freedom of the consumer to make demands of the private sector, the government will destroy incentives to improve the health care system, and remove a major player from the table -- the consumer. Free market societies are built so that the consumer can vote with their dollar on whether a product should succeed or fail. It takes time to weed out the bad stuff, but innovators and free thinkers rise to the top with the best products for everyone.

Once a government puts its claws into an industry, that industry will suffer from a lack of imagination and innovation. The status quo becomes the driving force of the industry. And, as we all know, striving for the status quo always results in mediocrity which will eventually lead to system failure.

So, what's the solution to all the health care problems? First, we must pressure Congress not to pass any health care reform. They must let the market fix the issues themselves. You can find your Representatives and Senators, then contact them to tell them to leave health care alone.

If (and it's a big if) government can leave health care alone, the next thing Congress needs to do is to impose a sunset for medicare and social security so they expire in twenty years. This provides the public plenty of time to wean off the two systems. We are not entitled to them, and must learn to do things the old fashioned way. We must earn our living, not rely on government to care for us. This will be the hardest part, because our nature is to go for the free ride. But, if we don't we will destroy our children's future by saddling them with even more of our debt.

Now, the game is back in our laps. At this point, we must become even more vocal than we are to Congress. We, as a public, must put pressure on those in health care to create new systems and plans that real people can afford. We must put pressure on doctors and hospitals to bring costs down.

Realistically, the best health policy would be to allow the public to pay out of pocket for standard office visits, and reserve health insurance for major medical needs such as heart attacks, cancer, accidents, etc. This essentially resets the medical scene to more how it was 30 years ago.

But, we can't stop there. We must become diligent to a) keep health care in the private sector, and b) to shop around for the best deals, being very vocal about what we like and don't like.

Friends, this is health care that works. Letting the free market decide always works. It's always efficient, which is something we can NEVER say about government.

And, now for the elephant in the room. Elephants are the animal that has the best memory of all the animal kingdom. We need to become elephant-like with our congressional representatives and senators. Many have been in office too long. They no longer think like you or I. They need to be returned home during the next election cycle, never to return to Washington D.C. as a lawmaker.

Power is a very addictive substance, and too many of our current lawmakers have become addicts in need of the recovery program of being voted out of office. In recent years, Congress has had terrible approval ratings, yet the public has always thought their personal congressman or woman was one of the best, so they re-elected them time and time again while blaming the others for the problems.

So, let's get elephant-like. We need to remember the names of the violators of our freedoms in Congress and the White House. And, when 2010 comes around, and 2012 after it, begin voting out those who have violated our trust.

Lastly, I have one more thing to say to those of us who are upset over the way our government has been abusing it's power. We have come under great fire lately for the loud and angry tones we have carried in public discussions. I believe that on one hand it has been appropriate for our leaders to know how upset we are at their poor decisions, but now is the time for a different approach on our part. Now that we have our leaders' attention, we need to engage them in polite, intelligent, well-thought out discussions. If we're going to argue points in the health care bill, we need to know what we're talking about. We cannot rely on third party information. We must take the high road, and we must be credible.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

First Day of Class: Part Two of Eleven

Most people who have attended the same church for more than a couple of years have likely forgotten how uncomfortable they felt the first time there, especially if they didn't have a church background to begin with. One of the more uncertain elements in any service is the order of the service. Today, I provide some practical tips to making your order of service easier for the visitor.

Many church have complicated orders of service. So complicated, in fact, that the order has to be printed in the bulletin. It might look something like this:

Welcome
Congregational Song
Congregational Song
Prayer
Responsive Reading
Offering
Special Music
Congregational Song
Prayer
Preaching
Invitation
Benediction
Congregational Song

That's pretty complicated, and for most folks rather unnecessary. One of the best things I've seen churches do is to simplify the order of service and drop some of the formality. What do I mean? Well, I'm all for having a service planned out, so everything flows smoothly, but when you break up a major segment of the worship service out of it's flow for something different, then return to it, you kill your momentum. In the example above, the prayer, responsive reading, and offering are all out of place. You can keep them, but breaking the music up like that makes for some very awkward moments in any church.

Don't believe me? Try inserting some of that in the preaching part of the service. That's right. You can't. It breaks up the flow of the message.

So, simplify your order of service. Make it easy for everyone to follow, and keep it flowing smoothly. Want to print it? Go ahead. Just be sure your 3rd grader can understand it. If they can, then you can be sure your visitors can as well, and they'll love you for it.

What are your thoughts on the order of service? Any other suggestions?

Monday, August 17, 2009

First Day of Class: Part One of Eleven

This week, another school year begins for my family. My oldest enters a new level, a new school with new friends (and some old), new teachers and new responsibilities. My middle son enters Kindergarten in a brand new school building. He'll make some new friends, experience a bunch of firsts and all the ups and downs of being in school.

I'm excited for my boys. I was one of the rare ones who actually enjoyed school. I'm a bit of a nerd, and learning new things always draws me in. But, when I was in school, I was rather shy, so making new friends wasn't my strong suit. I imagine it's that way with most kids who experience a bunch of new things all at once.

It kind of reminds me of what newcomers experience when they first come to church. Everything is new to them, and a bit weird. They don't understand all the procedures. They don't know what it means to raise hands in worship. They don't know when to stand or sit. They don't know the order of service. They don't know what tithing is. They don't know the dress code. They don't know that hymnals go by song number instead of page number. They rely on page number to find Leviticus rather than knowing right where to turn. They don't know where the restrooms are, or where the kids area is located. They aren't aware of any check-in procedures for their kids.

Essentially, newcomers to your church are like children going to a new school for the first time. Do you remember how uncomfortable you or your kids were on that first day of school? That's exactly how newcomers feel.

So, those of us in the church need to think like first timers when we plan out our services, our procedures, our building layout, etc. Uncomfortable kids have to keep going back. Eventually, they get comfortable. Uncomfortable church attendees will rely heavily on that first experience to help them decide on a return visit. First impressions really are lasting impressions.

Over the next few weeks, I will be looking at ways churches can make their houses of worship more inviting and comfortable. Before we get started, one thing you will notice is that I will never mention changing the message of the Gospel. NEVER. What you will get are some practical tidbits that every church should consider.

Feel free to drop thoughts and suggestions on each topic.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Times Change and Methods Change

On my way into the office this morning it occurred to me that we are probably just a few years away from a major change in our vehicles. I was driving along with my ipod plugged into the system and it dawned on me that within a few years, this little, portable, hand-held device would soon cause a great change in the stereo systems in our vehicles.

If you have an ipod, zune, or any other such player, you've no doubt experienced what makes these music and video players so great -- you can take them anywhere, and listen at any time. The demand for the plug-and-play features of an ipod have led car manufacturers to install ports in their vehicles, so you can plug in your portable music devices and keep the music playing.

With this current wave of technology moving through the automobile, it's just a matter of time before a big change comes. So, prepare yourself to say "so long" to the CD player. Yes, that's right. The ipod has pretty much made the standard CD player obsolite. Don't believe me? Then, tell me where the cassette player is in your new car. You can't. It's been phased out.

I remember the excitement I had when my wife and I got a multi-disc CD player with a new van we bought. It was wonderful to put six CDs into the player and listen to what you wanted on those discs without having to pop one out and put a new one in.

Then came the ipod. Today, we don't use that CD changer. In fact, the only thing in it is one Adventures in Odyssey CD. The roughly 60-70 songs it once could hold have been replaced by an ipod that can hold thousands of tunes (although mine currently contains about 720 songs, a couple of Chronicles of Narnia audiobooks and 23 podcasts). So, now our CD player is pretty much obsolite.

Oh, and by the way, CDs are giving way to Internet downloads, so they'll be gone in a decade. By then, of course, we'll be talking about the replacement to the ipod, which is already seeing a bit of a phase out.

So, where am I going with this? Well, times change. As the clock ticks away, delivery methods for the things we enjoy change. Most times, change brings improvement. The transition period may not be the most enjoyable thing in the world, but the end results can be wonderful. But, with the change, we find a way to keep the basic parts the same. For instance, as music delivery methods change, the music we love will likely be found in the new methods. (Ex: classic songs on vinyl albums end up on greatest hits cds that later end up as Internet downloads for your ipod)

I use these examples, because one of the great debates raging in the American church today surrounds changing methods. About every two or three generations, the church in America has made a major shift in the way that it delivers the Gospel message. Most of the shifts have occurred in music styles, but preaching and community action methods have also changed.

Each shift has always brought great resistance, and understandably so. The passing generations get comfortable with what used to be new to them. There's nothing wrong with that, because that style of church met their spiritual needs. But, they are reluctant to let that go when future generations come along needing something new.

It's a repeating cycle, and no one is really wrong for wanting their preference. But, just like music delivery has changed over the years, the way church is done must also change in order to reach future generations. That will mean that older generations may have to sacrifice their preferences so the Gospel can reach new people. That will also mean that older generations may have to give up control to the new people, so they can reach even more people.

Likewise, my generation would do themselves a huge favor, and be ready to give up our preferences when the next generation says, "why don't we try doing church this way."

The times change. The methods change. But, the message stays the same.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Leadership Summit Recap: Harvey Carey Part 2

Yesterday, I wrote some thoughts about Harvey Carey, who I saw at last week's Leadership Summit, hosted by Willow Creek Association. Today, I continue with some of the thoughts I picked up from Harvey during his session then, and a follow up webinar held yesterday by Willow Creek.

To refresh your memory, Harvey left a well-paid staff position at a large church in Chicago to start Citadel of Faith Covenant Church in Detroit. The church sits in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country. Because of the poverty, the neighborhood is filled with crack houses and violence. The church has taken upon itself the duty to change their neighborhood for Jesus, and the incorporate some out-of-the-box ideas that are worthy of our attention.

  • When you are attacked for the cause of Christ, you're on the right track.
  • When leaders realize it's their duty to equip the church, they become ferocious to equip.
  • Members must take ownership of the work. You cannot let them off the hook.
  • Harvey was the only full time staff member for a long time. This forced the church to rely on volunteers.
  • God has called us to play the game, not to huddle. By this, we're not supposed to just hear the Word or give lip service to issues. We're supposed to get involved.
  • Most leaders have the paralysis of analysis. They think too much.
  • We tend to put a cap on what we can do based on our budgets.
  • One random Sunday per quarter, Citadel of Faith replaces their church service with community service.
  • To get people on board with the neighborhood outreach, they start new people off with just praying in the church parking lot. After that, they expand outside of the church property. This helps ease any tension or internal fear a person might have for outreach.
  • Citadel of Faith built into it's core the idea of "what do we do with this?"
  • They operate on the Four R's: Reverencing God, Raising Christians, Reaching People & Releasing Leaders.
  • The dynamics of small groups in suburban areas verses urban areas are completely different. In urban settings, meeting places are hard to come by, parking is very limited, so the urban church must try different things. For Citadel, their primary discipleship tool is Sunday School, because the church has the only space in the neighborhood to adequately facilite it.
  • Their strategy for shutting down crack houses consists of getting a group of men from the church to camp out across the street from the drug dealer. The men will pray and worship God in song until the location shuts down.
  • There is danger involved, and each man going camping knows the danger.
  • Every church in every location can tackle the problems in their community. They may not be crack houses, but there are pockets of trouble that the church should address.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Leadership Summit Recap: Harvey Carey

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend Willow Creek's Leadership Summit. One of the more captivating speakers from that event was Harvey Carey. Harvey pastors Citadel of Faith Covenant Church, a congregation of 650 in Detroit, Michigan. What makes Harvey's work intriguing to me is that he left an associate pastor position at a church that paid him a six-figure salary, and an offer to double that salary to stay there. Harvey gave that up in order to move to one of the poorest zip codes in the nation, so he could follow God's vision of starting an intercultural church there.

Personally, I love to see inter-racial/intercultural churches. It's been said that Sunday mornings in America are the most segregated times of the week. Each race goes to churches where the majority of folks are from the same race. In some locations, this can't be helped if the general population is nearly 100% in favor of a particular racial background. But, the segregated worship service is common in areas where the racial mix is more evenly distributed.

No matter the house of worship, the doors should always be welcoming to people from different racial backgrounds. In fact, a well-balanced congregation will reap huge benefits, since people of different cultures are able to bring with them new ideas that you or I hadn't considered before. Additionally, a multi-racial church becomes much closer to the walk Jesus walked, and the example of the first churches. Consider that in the early churches, Christianity broke down ethnic, political, cultural and status barriers. It would've been common to see a slave worshipping alongside a Roman centurion in the early church. And, neither would've thought anything about it. They both shared in the joy of salvation through Jesus Christ.

That being said, one of the things that Harvey told us that really ripped my heart was a story of a meeting he had with nine other black pastors in the Detroit area. They informed him that they didn't like the fact that he had white folks coming to his church. They didn't want white people moving back into the neighborhood, and so they told Harvey they would be praying that he would fail. Astonishing!

Perry Noble, from NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina, recently pointed out in a message that if you aren't on God's team, you're on the other team...Satan's. In Luke 16:13, Jesus says, "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other." Friends, lets ensure that our hearts and minds are fully on God's team.

Tomorrow, I'll talk a little more about what I learned from Harvey's teaching. What are your thoughts on multi-ethnic congregations?

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Just Not Doing It

I wanted to follow up on yesterday's post about living out our faith by doing what the Bible says rather than just hearing it. In more than one place, scripture instructs us to take what we hear on Sunday and put it to use. We're not supposed to just soak it all in and that be it, we're also supposed to use that instruction and do something with it.

James 2:14-20 says:
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have
works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and
lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed
and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is
that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me
your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is
useless?

Those are some pretty strong words for those of us who like to take the easy road with our communities. In our world today, many Christians and their churches have taken the easy road of talking of caring for the congregation and the community. But, that's just giving lip service to the problem, not hands and feet.

Yesterday, we focused on James' words in chapter one where he spoke of doing something with what we hear in church, not just taking it all in and doing nothing.

That reminds me of a message I heard Herbert Cooper, a pastor from Oklahoma City, preach one time. He was speaking on a similar topic of Christians sitting in churches each week, wanting to be fed. They want to go deeper, and want more of the word. They go to services Sunday morning, and evening, Wednesday night and any time the doors are open for service. They take all this teaching in, but then never do anything with it. He described them as constipated Christians.

A constipated Christian is someone who has a lot of input of God's word, but little to no output. Eventually, they get cranky and irritable, largely because the Holy Spirit is convicting them, but they refuse to do what God's word says.

Friends, as a Christian, there aren't many things more freeing and liberating than living out God's word through helping people in need. I challenge you and your church to do something to end poverty, disease and the other ails of this world. And, do it in the name of Jesus, so that He gets the glory.

Will it be easy? No. God never promised us that the Christian life would be easy. In fact, he told us it would be difficult. But, we should never shy away from a challenge, because of the difficulty. We should tackle these big problems in our world by teaming up with other Christians and churches around the globe. As The Church (that's all of us as Christians), we can band together through our local churches to tackle the problems our world faces -- the problems Jesus told us to tackle -- one problem at a time.

That being said, I encourage you to not wait any longer. Get started today. Don't know where to begin? Ask a church in your area that is actively involved in meeting community needs. Join them in their effort, and learn what you can from them. Then, work with another church or organization. It's not so important that you get all the steps right, or have the perfect plan. The Bible simply instructs us to "do." So, get out there and start doing whatever God is leading you to do. Just do something.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Just Do It

Nike gets credit for one of the world's most famous slogans, but the concept behind those three words didn't begin there. I wonder if the marketers behind the "Just Do It" ad campaign didn't glean a little insight from the Bible for their inspiration. Specifically, from the book of James.

While the Bible is full of great instruction for us, James 1:22 is probably the pivotal instruction to make the rest of it work. Without this one sentence, Christianity would've likely ended up as a religion that sounded good on paper, but one that no one actually lived.

James 1:22 simply says that we shouldn't just listen to and read the word of God, but we also need to do what it says. We need to take it in, and then live it out.

Sadly, one doesn't have to look very far to see the results of believers who take it all in, but never do anything with what they learn from scripture or in church. One of the biggest complaints the world has against Christians and the church is that very few actually follow the teachings of Jesus. The world sees all the problems that exist: poverty, AIDS, disease, etc., but the one force that should be working to end these problems seems more concerned with internal affairs.

I can't speak to the churches around the world, only to the ones here in America. Since history has a tendency to repeat itself, I imagine the issues of the American church are not new. In fact, they are probably the very thing that James was addressing when he penned verses 22-25.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Leadership Summit that the Willow Creek Association puts on every year. A constistant theme was that too many churches sit idle while the world suffers with poverty and sickness, the very things Jesus told us to take care of.

I'm afraid that American Christians have gotten too comfortable letting government and para-church organizations handle these issues. It has become too easy to just let lawmakers set funding levels and try to pass legislation to end poverty. (NOTE: Government does nothing well, and we still have poverty worldwide as proof). It has become too easy to let organizations like Compassion International, the Christian Childrens Fund, Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity take our money and do the work.

In return, the American church has mostly become nothing more than a giant clubhouse where people can go to avoid the people Jesus told us to have compassion on. We have found it too easy to pay someone else to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and to solve all those problems.

Sure, many of us just aren't equipped with the means to go to Africa, Asia or the other parts of the world. But, for most of us, that mission field is in our own back yard. Our own cities and neighborhoods are filled with people who need help. They don't need a handout, they need someone to show God's love to them. They need someone to have compassion on them. They need someone who can help empower them to overcome their situation.

Whether you choose to help the poor, sick and orphans in your neighborhood or around the world, the important thing is that you DO SOMETHING. Romans 2:13, James 2:14-20, Matthew 7:21, Matthew 7:24-27, Luke 8:21 and John 13:17 all reference this. Live out your faith by what you do, and you will see a world transformed by the power of God.

Friday, August 7, 2009

The Leadership Summit 2009

I've spent the past two days at Willow Creek's Leadership Summit 2009. It's been an incredible conference, and I expect I'll be blogging some of what I've learned in the next few days. Until then, visit Tony Morgan's website for his notes from the two day conference.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Discipline

I had to discipline one of my sons the other night. It wasn't a pleasant experience, but a necessary one. I won't go into the details -- the who, what, where, when, etc. Let's just say that a stubborn, defiant streak had to come to an end.

My son refused to do a simple task he was told to do. He threw a tantrum. He flopped on the floor. He back-talked. He earned his discipline. And, at the time, he didn't think it was very fair. He tried to cut deals. He tried to turn and run away. He wanted to avoid the task and the discipline.

It's interesting that this pattern of behavior doesn't seem to change as we grow into adulthood. We all still have defiant streaks in us. We want to do things our way, and anyone who would challenge us might just receive an adult-sized tantrum.

As I was dealing with my son, God brought it to my attention that some days, I'm just like that. I allow a certain sin pattern into my life, and I don't want God telling me what to do. Being a Christian, I know that if I persist, I will eventually leave God no choice but to discipline me.

God's methods of discipline vary greatly depending on the person and the situation. But, His discipline is perfect, and if we submit to Him we will come out ahead in the long run.

See, just like I try to correct poor patterns of behavior in my children, God does the same with His children.

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has great designs for his people. A fabulous master plan that we get to be a part of. Sadly, sin interrupts our involvement in that plan. God doesn't change. His master plan doesn't change. But, when sin fills our lives, it short circuits, or better yet, it cuts the connection between us and God. We effectively prevent God's plan in our lives when we sin.

Enter discipline. Proverbs 3:11-12 tells us, "My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights."

How's that truth for you? God sets out to correct us, because he cares deeply for us. He wants us to have a relationship with Him, not be cut off by the sin in our lives. So, He corrects us in order to bring us back to Him.

The writer of Hebrews adds to these thoughts. Did you catch verse 10? God's discipline is ALWAYS good for us. Sure, it's not any fun to be disciplined, especially by God. But, He does it to fulfill the last part of verse 10 -- so we can share in his holiness.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Power Vacuums: Part Two of Two

Yesterday I opened this discussion on power vacuums inside organizations that are created when an influential person leaves and a line of succession has not been put into place. (And, no, we're not talking about what you clean your floors with.)

As is the case with vacuums, even in nature, something or someone will always move into the vacuum to fill it. For an unprepared organization, this is not a good thing. When your mission and your very existance depends greatly on the influence of your leadership, having a power vacuum opens the door for the wrong people to fill the void.

I recall this very thing happening in an organization I was a part of for a number of years. We had a family who was very involved with the organization, and very influential. Sadly, their influence was built around negative things, like threats and intimidation. The average person in the organization was fearful of this family. So, it was a favorable thing to anticipate their departure.

That departure came in a very short, very volitile sequence of events that left the organization with a power vacuum that no one in leadership anticipated. Because of this family's heavy involvement, many activities and positions were left vacant when they resigned. Now, most were filled with others in the company, but not the most important one. The position of influence was left hanging out there like a carrot for any horse willing to grab it. And, that's exactly what happened.

In fact, the influence vacuum was filled by someone on the leadership team who before this point had been rather soft spoken. As it turned out, this individual had merely been intimidated. With the previous power brokers gone, this person stepped forward to claim the power vacuum, and in the end, became as difficult to deal with as the first group.

I point all this out to say that in leadership, we have to be aware of where the influence is in our organization, and be prepared for the days that influence leaves, creating a power vacuum. That applies to both good and bad influences in your organization. If you don't react to fill, block or eliminate the vacuum, someone will always fill it for you. If your success depends on having the right leaders and influencers in the right places, you can't afford to ignore vacuums and let nature take it's course.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Power Vacuums: Part One of Two

Anyone who's spent a great deal of time in leadership has probably encountered the great sucking sound of a "power vacuum." For those wondering, this isn't an Oreck.

A power vacuum in leadership is created when someone very influential leaves the organization without a successor lined up. The loss of that leadership leaves a huge hole that has to be filled. When someone eludes to "big shoes to fill," they're likely referring to a power vacuum, whether they realize it or not.

When a power vacuum exists, the organization tends to stumble. If the company had been a smooth running train, a power vacuum can cause it to cough and sputter until that vacuum is filled.

In your workplace, if a valuable member of the office leaves, someone has to learn their job and pick up the slack. In leadership, that slack is amplified by the amount of influence of the exiting person.

Those in charge of organizations would do well to have plans in place for succession should a valued leader depart. This applies to Fortune 500 companies all way down to churches. Anywhere leadership is required, a plan of succession should also be in place to prevent power vacuums.

If the organization is healthy, the vacuum can immediately be filled with someone who will keep the train moving smoothly along the track. Let a vacuum persist, and eventually the company will jump the tracks and be derailed. In fact, I would contend that even a poorly planned succession can lead to derailment. For long term success, power vacuums cannot be allowed to exist. If they do, they must be filled properly, but quickly.

Tomorrow, I take a different twist on the power vacuum -- the nightmare power vacuum. Here's a clue: it isn't a good experience.