Laying It All Out

Seth Godin writes,

"The problem with putting it all on the line is that it might not work out.  The problem with not putting it all on the line is that it will never (ever) change for the better. Not much of a choice, I think. No risk, no art. No art, no reward." 

Does your church put it all on the line?  If not, why not?  Why do we allow fear to cripple us when we serve the Christ who has overcome the world? 

What would your church look like if you laid it all on the line?  What would your marriage look like if you laid it all on the line?  How would you parent your children if you laid it out on the line?

No risk, no art.  No art, no reward. 

High risk- high reward.

Church- let's go all out.  Let's lay it all out on the line for Jesus. Let's allow God to use us for something great!

Church Plant Boot Camp Pt. 2

What is the purpose of planting churches?

Generally speaking, churches are to make disciples.  Churches are to be the Body of Christ in the world.  Churches are to reflect God's love.

Curiously, in the curriculum for the Boot Camp was this statement,

"Church planting is about one thing- Putting People in Seats."

I posted this on my twitter feed and some comments came in regarding the above statement.  I wanted to spend a little time talking about this.

• I don't feel like the presenters have made the case that we plant churches to get people in seats.
• In fact, one of the presenters Top Ten Mistakes New Church Pastors Make states, "Pursuing the Great Commission to the Peril of Ignoring the Great Commandment."  We were told to be a lover of God trying to plant a church rather than a church planter trying to love God. 
• In a sense, it is more difficult to make disciples or share the Gospel if we do not get people in the seats.  Our worship services are not to be Holy Huddles, but we are to reach out and invite others in.  However- weekly worship services are not the only place where disciples can be made.  We must be willing to go outside the church walls and build relationship with those who do not know Christ.

While I don't think the presenters really mean putting butts in seats is the most important task of church planting, I wish the above statement did not appear in the material.  Much of what is wrong in the church growth movement is the importance that is placed on getting butts in the seats (and dollars in the offering plate).  The emphasis for the church planter is to develop and missionary heart and love for the lost and to live incarnationally among them- inviting them to encounter the transformational love and grace of Jesus Christ.

How We Do Ministry

We had our first Church Council meeting last week at Hope UMC and I started the meeting off with a document of how I hope and desire to do ministry at Hope. You could say that these are my ministry values. There are likely a few ideas that I will add later, but I wanted to share them with you.

1. Prayerfully- We can do nothing without covering it in prayer. As a leader, I am challenging you and myself to be committed to praying for our church, our leaders, our community, and our world on a daily basis. “Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

"God does nothing except in response to believing prayer." John Wesley

"No learning can make up for the failure to pray. No earnestness, no diligence, no study, no gifts will supply its lack." E.M. Bounds

2. Excellence- In everything that we do as a community, we must give our very best. We should not settle for a half baked plan, idea, event, or worship service. We need to strive for excellence in every facet of ministry. Excellence is an attractive quality!

3. Passionately- Our faith is caught as much as it is taught. In all we do, we will seek to do it with passion because we are passionately in love with God because of the salvation we’ve received through Jesus Christ. Why would anyone want to be part of something that we are not passionate about?

4. Innovation- The world around us is constantly changing through innovation. As a church, we will strive to be innovative in everything that we do. We have the life changing love of Jesus Christ to share and we should be looking for new ways to share it. We will not give into the temptation to say, “We’ve never done it that way before.” Money is not an issue when it comes to innovation as creativity is heightened when resources are few.

5. Evaluation- We will be constantly evaluating all our ministries, events, and outreaches to see if they are fulfilling their purpose. In order to achieve excellence, we must be willing to examine the effectiveness of what we are doing. This will require an open heart to receive evaluation and a gentle spirit in giving it.

6. Vision- We will be working on refining, defining, and discerning God’s vision for Hope Church. This vision will guide who we are as a Church and where we spent our energy and resources. Once a vision is established, we will remain focused on the vision.

7. Accountability- We are a community connected by our relationship with God. We are a community who is striving to walk in the light- to live as Jesus lived. We will create an atmosphere of encouragement and accountability in our personal walk with God- and in the ways our church communicates our faith. At all times, we will seek to choose words that build up rather than tear down. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

8. Freedom to Fail- certainly we don’t want to fail, and will not plan to fail, but we will be free to try new adventures without the fear of failure because we know that even if we fail, we will learn more about ourselves, our church, our faith, and our God. We will not allow a fear of failure to paralyze us from action.

Your comments and thoughts?  What would you add to the list for your ministry values?

Leadership Lessons From Shark Week- Pt. 2

In yesterday's post, I spoke a little about how a shark cannot swim backwards- they can only go forward- or where their eyes are looking.  This brings up the great question for your church, business, and personal life of, "Where are you looking?"  Where is your focus, because you may be moving forward- but if your not looking at the right object you could still be heading in the wrong direction.

It comes down to vision.

What is the vision of your church?  Vision helps the church (and the people of make up the church) know where we are looking.  If we are called to be a church that serves the poor, we may not be looking at starting a Christian school because it may conflict with our vision (But if you believe it works- go for it!).  Or you may be called as a church to reach out to the unchurched, unmarried young adults in your community.  Knowing your calling, or having vision, makes it easier to move forward as a church.  It makes it more unlikely that you'll be pull in multiple directions.

The question, "Where are you looking" should hopefully be answered with "Jesus."  That sounds rather simplistic, but there are plenty of times when churches and individuals do have their eyes focused on Jesus.  With Jesus in our sights, the body can become a movement as we seek to share the love and grace of God in our communities.

Keep moving forward with your eyes on Jesus!

What is your church's vision?  Who are you called to?  How does that vision keep your leadership focused?

Leadership Lessons From Shark Week- Pt. 1

Since it is Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, and since there is nothing else compelling on TV right now, Andrea and I have been watching some of the shark programming at night.  We are both filled with a bit of awe because of the shark (amazing creatures) and the craziness of people who study them (like getting into a cage with a shark. 

During one of last night's shows, the scientist/shark observers were attempting to lure a shark into clear cylinder to see how the shark would respond...and most importantly whether or not the shark could swim backwards.  After the shark tried moving through the cylinder a few times with no success, the shark essentially folded itself in half to get out of the cylinder.  It was amazing to see. 

So I've learned two things about sharks this week.

• Sharks must always keep moving.  When they stop moving they begin to die.
• Sharks can only go forwards, not backwards.

That sounds like a great lesson for us as Christians and as the Church. 

As the Church, we are a living breathing organism.  The Church is to be on the move- filled with purpose.  We must know who we are and what God calls us to do in our congregations and in our communities.  The Church is not designed to take a break, stop growing, or stop making an impact on the community.  The Church is designed to be a dynamic presence in the world because of Jesus Christ.

The Shark teaches us about forward motion rather than moving backwards.  How many times in our church meetings have you heard "That's not the way we've done it before?" or "Why can't our music program be like we had back in the day?"  This is backwards motion talk.  The speaker wants to recreate the past without taking into consideration the changes that have taken place to get to the present.  There are better, more forward motion questions that we should be asking as a church, like...

• Who are we called to minister to?
• How are we going to best share the gospel in our community?
• How is God calling us to grow as a Church?
• What unique gifts and talents do we possess as a Church and how can they be used to share the Good News of Jesus Christ?
• Does our giving reflect the ways in which God is calling us today (and tomorrow)?

As the shark can only move forward, the Church of Jesus Christ has a mission to fulfill- that the kingdom of God would be revealed here on earth.  May you be blessed this shark week as you move forward for the kingdom.

Coming tomorrow...pt. 2

6 Improvements for the 2011 Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference

Before beginning, I need to give credit to Josh Hale as he made a similar post regarding the Texas Annual Conference (Read post here).  His thoughts have helped to formalize some of my own thoughts in thinking about the Pen-Del 2010 Conference. 

This is my third year attending annual conference- and I had the most fun this year out of any.  This is likely due to being a little better connected to other pastors and laity who were there.  There is a bit of a learning curve for navigating through the ins and outs of annual conference (like how to beat everyone to the cafeteria!)

1.  Think Through our Worship Experiences:  This was one of the biggest complainst I heard from other clergy.  During our Celebration of Ministry, it was an hour or so of standing and sitting.  There was no continuity.  Rather than interspersing songs throughout the service- an extended opening and closing set would have flowed better. 

Our Ordination Service is another matter.  There is no better place to sing the hymns of the faith than with a gathering of clergy.  They sing like they mean it (hopefully we do!)!  Ordination was upstaged by songs that the clergy did not know.  There was much murmering where I was sitting during the songs as we mumbled our way through the lines. Once the candidates were ordained, we were to sing a verse or two from a song- but because it was one that very few knew- we just started clapping again. 

2.  Laptop Bar:  I have to give credit to Josh Hale for this one!  I was thankful there was wifi in the Fitzgerald Center as it made it easier to check email and tweet during the conference.  I had hoped to do some more posting about conference, but my laptop battery is not great.  There was no where to charge or plug in your laptop in the Fitzgerald Center.  Having a place to use the laptops and charge them would have been great for those of us who want to get information out- and who take notes and process that informaton electronically.

3. Has Anyone Heard of Twitter?  I counted only 3 people regularly using the pdcon hashtag during conference. 2 clergy and one lay member(there were 2 others who used it once or twice, bringing the total up to 5).  Really? 5 people who use Twitter during conference?  Are we that far behind as a conference and in our churches in using social media to connect with our congregations and with each other?  At Conference, Bishop Peggy Johnson said that churches need to utilze all the technological tools of the 21st century to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It looks like we have a ways to go for that!  Maybe for 2011, we can double or triple the number of clergy/laity using Twitter and other means to connect.  (Thanks to Rick Vance for distributing the Pen-Del hastag...you can follow Rick at @pendelconferenc)

4. Young Clergy Gathering/Networking:  My wife, Andrea, had to stay home for conference this year.  So when it ended each night, I stood there wondering what I was going to do for the next three hours until I would fall asleep.  There are not too many of us "young clergy" under 40 in the conference...but we should be connecting more than we are.  I will personally take it upon myself to be more proactive in this area next year.  It would have been great to go get something to eat some place after evening worship.

5.  Modeling New Ministry Tools:  Ok, so this is just a different name for Josh Hale's "Social Media Training Session."  In light of the Bishop's pronouncment of how churches and leaders should use social media to spread the gospel, it would probably help many people to know what Twitter is and how to use it (especially in light of how few people use it in our conference).  But we also have to have leaders who use it.  I looked around twitter some and not one of our District Superintendents or Bishop uses Twitter from what I could research.  Our conference facebook page hasn't had a post in almost a year!  As for blogs...well, you probably get the picture. 

6.  Streaming Video:  We already have cameras putting video up on the screens...couldn't we screen Conference for those back home who are interested in what goes on..whether business or worship.  If we are concerned that no one will be interested...what does that say about what we do at Annual Conference?

I could probably bring up some other improvements for next year, but this is a good starting place.  It will be 2011 next year and our Annual Conference still looks too much like 1985 (at best).  As I hope to have a long ministry in the conference, I look forward to the changes that will take place in the future as we gather to worship, to support one another, and to do the business of the church.

Transitions

May is a month of transitions.  Most places in the country are going from spring into summer.  Schools are quickly headed for summer break.  College students are coming home and looking for jobs.  Transitions are all around us- and happening all the time.  Here are a few transitions I've been working on or thinking through the last few weeks.

• Our confirmation students were confirmed on Pentecost Sunday.  While I do not teach confirmation (our youth pastor does that), I have taught the class and believe it can be a very important opportunity for a teenager to experience some transition in their faith.  If you think about teens and church, confirmation is the first of many transitions that will happen over the next 10 years or so- meaning that confirmation can set the tone and foundation for a solid spiritual life.  This is an important time for a seventh grader (even if they are unaware of it!)
• Our high school students graduated a week ago and are now preparing to head to college.  This is such an important time as most of the major decisions about who we will be as individuals will be made during our college years.  It's when we put into practice the "theories" our parents, pastors, and mentors have taught us- or when we feel there is a better way than we've been taught.  This is a time when we solidify our identity, our career, how we will spend our money, develop or deny our faith identity and maybe even get married.
• Our church does a senior adventure trip right after graduation.  It's a time to celebrate our graduates and all they've accomplished as well as transitioning them into our college age ministry. I really believe that college is a dynamic time to grow in our faith and I want to see more churches intentionally reaching out to college students.
• By the way, this year's Senior Adventure Trip went caving, explored Baltimore, went to the National Aquarium, saw the Orioles beat the Oakland Athletics, enjoyed a day at the beach, watched the Blue Angels, camped, and saw the LOST series finale! It was an action packed four days!

I'm also in the process of transitioning in ministry as I prepare to leave Avenue Church and step into leadership at Hope UMC.  It's scary, exciting, and bittersweet all at the same time.  There are so many people to thank at Avenue who have invested in me, prayed for me, and encouraged me- yet so little time to say thanks. (How about we golf everyday up to June 30th...if I have 3 other people with me each day, I might get through my list! And play some amazing golf!)  There are so many amazing people at Avenue- and it's these same people who God is going to use at the church goes through a transition as well.

Book Review: Church In The Making

I just finished reading Ben Arment's book, Church In The Making: What Makes or Breaks a New Church Before It Starts?  If you're a church leader, you should probably know who Ben Arment is.  He has been a church planter and most recently has been gathering innovative leaders to share their thoughts and insights at events like The Whiteboard Sessions, STORY, and Dream Year.  You can see Ben's heart for equipping leaders in these ministries and in his book.

The first section of Church In The Making is called "Good Ground" and Ben uses the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-9 as an illustration of how some church plants are planted in fertile soil and some in rocky (and oppressive) soil.  Ben writes that the spiritual receptivity of the area where the church will be planted has everything to do with the success of the church.  Churches can be planted in "rocky soil" but will face more resistance and difficulties. 

The second section of the book, called "Rolling Rocks" was especially insightful as Arment wrote on creating momentum in a new church.  What was interesting was that he said that people and communities rarely care about a new church, but they care about relationships.  It is strategic then for church leaders to consider the human network that they find themselves part of and see where momentum can be gained. 

The final section is called "Deep Roots" and focuses on creating a leadership team that can carry the vision further than the pastor alone.  One way that deep roots are established is by doing something that no one else is doing.  Churches should find a niche, a focus and strive to do that with excellence in communicating the gospel.  A church should create an identity and purpose that they are unapologetic about- and will not compromise on.  That might mean that some people leave the church, but everyone has to get on board with the vision.  Likewise, if an activity or ministry does not help promote the vision, it should be pruned so that time, energy and finances can be put elsewhere.

While this book is geared towards church planters- it has some application for churches that have an established history.  We must consider that spiritual receptivity of our communities.  When Avenue Church launched our 9:30 worship gathering 7 years ago, we had been cultivating the soil of our church and our community for almost 8 months leading up to the launch.  On our first Sunday, when we expected 40-50 people, we had 90 and the service is regularly attended by 200-250 people.  This service is also doing something that no one else was doing in Milford at the time- which contributed to it's success.

I think that Pastors in the United Methodist Church could take more time to think about our social networks and how to leverage them.  Yes, it is difficult to do so in the UMC when you itinerate, but our churches are filled with people who have connections and networks throughout our communities.  Leaders and Pastors must learn how to tap into these networks in order to share the gospel.  It also means that as UM Pastors move into a community, that building relationships should be a very high priority.

Ben Arment's Church In The Making really energized me about church leadership and the possibilities of what God wants to do through the Church.  This book will be very high on my reading list for our church leadership- as it asks a lot of really good questions that most (all?) churches need to wrestle with.

Have you read the bok? What do you think?  Does your church do a good job of using social networks to spread the gospel?  What is creating momentum in your church? Leave your thoughts below in the comments!

To My Friends At Avenue Church

It was nine years ago yesterday that Andrea and I first came to Milford.  While we feel pretty young now, we came to Milford at the ripe age of 22.  We felt a real sense of call in coming to Milford- which if you've never been near Milford, you would have to have a sense of call to come!  Never did we consider that we would still be at Avenue nine years later and able to look back at everything that God has done at Avenue Church.

Avenue has really been a home for Andrea and myself.  We have been at Avenue for all but 6 months of our married life together (10 years in December!).  Abbie feels as comfortable at Avenue Church as she does in our own home.

A week or so ago, I was presented with an opportunity to pastor a congregation in Dover, Delaware.  Hope UMC is a six year old church start located in the heart of Dover, on the campus of Wesley College.  As I felt called to come to Avenue nine years ago, I believe that God has been preparing us to be in ministry up in Dover.  After meeting with the team at Hope and spending time in prayer, I believe that God is going to do great things at Hope.  I have accepted the reappointment offer and will become the pastor at Hope UMC effective July 1, 2010.

I know that over the next few weeks that I will go through many emotions as I consider my time at Avenue.  You may too.  But the one thing that I know for sure is that God holds all things in His hands.  While it is bittersweet to leave what has become our church home, I am excited about what the future holds.  I am also excited for Avenue Church because this is really an opportunity for Avenue to refine it's vision and receive a new pastor with new gifts who can help the church the grow in new ways.

Thanks, Avenue family, for the memories, the opportunities, your friendship and your prayers!  I'm looking forward to our next few weeks together.

Should Churches Celebrate Mother's Day?

There was an interesting sidebar in the current issue of Christianity Today asking some Christian leaders as to whether or not Christians/Churches should celebrate Mother's Day (link goes to article on CT's website).  Our church does some sort of Mother's Day recognition.  It changes every year, but the conversation around the issue is interesting to consider.   The comments in the magazine ranged from those who believe we should, such as Sally Morganthaler-

"Absolutely, we should celebrate motherhood.  The fifth commandment establishes parenthood as a holy calling. But, it also makes good sense to acknowledge "cultural rhythms"- like certain secular holidays- liturgically, to recognize there is no place God isn't."

There is the moderate view of author and pastor Trevin Wax (Click on his link to read his post about Mother's Day),

"We shold want to honor mothers.  But because this has become a consumerist holiday (like Valentine's Day), we should consider deeper issues about how we order our time and make sure we aren't simply catering to the whims of our consumerist culture."

Author Caryn Rivadeneira says,

"It's great to acknowledge it.  But there is the 'cult of the family,' where motherhood tends to get so elevated in churches that it's above all else.  Sometimes that's the knee-jerk treatment, to make it the highest and holiest of callings for women.  That's a problem."

Finally, the view of William Willimon, Bishop in the United Methodist Church,

"One of the biggest threats to theology today is not fundamentalism; it's sentimentalism.  Mother's Day apppears just another occasion to say, "Christianity is feeling something mushy in your heart." We all get sentimental about our mothers."

From the standpoint of the Church, I wonder if maybe we make too big of a deal out of Mother's Day.  Certainly, I am thankful for my mother and all that she did for me.  I am amazed by my wife, Andrea, in how she is a great mother.  Looking around the church and our communities, Mother's Day can be a day of sorrow and loneliness too.

• I spoke with a seminary classmate- who is studying for an M.Div. and a leader in the church.  She told me last week that she experienced four late term miscarriages and was never able to have children.  As a Christian leader- she said it was extremely difficult to attend worship on Mother's Day.
• As I looked around Church on Sunday- there are other women who are unable to have children- or maybe never married- or lost their children through some tragedy.  I wonder as we elevate the role of mother in our churches if that feels like a slap in the face to those without children.
• I'm curious how Mother's Day feels for a child of any age whose Mother was a lousy example of a mother.  Maybe she was abusive or detatched emotionally.  Mother's Day then causes the child to think about what he/she never had in a mother.
• When it comes to worship, many Mother's Day sermon become speeches about the virtues of motherhood rather than a proclamation of the Good News of Jesus.  Many Mother's Day sermon could be given at a civic organization without offending anyone because the emphasis is on mother's rather than God's redemptive work through Jesus Christ.

I have to admit that I am more in the camp of Caryn Rivadeneira and Will Willamon that churches should be careful how we elevate Mother's Day or any other special day.  The focus of the church is to be about the worship of God.  Our times of worship as a community are about praising God for what God has done in our lives through Jesus Christ- not about sentimentalism about our mothers.  We need to make sure our worship is decidely Christian and not some cultural. 

How does your church celebrate/recognize Mother's Day?  Do we make too big of a deal about it? Not big enough?  Talk it out in the comments below!

An Invitation to Community

I began a series yesterday where we will preach through the book of 1 John.  I led a bible study last fall on the book and really found it engaging.  Aparently, John Wesley called 1 John the "deepest part of the Holy Scriptures" for John's ability to blend deep theological thinking with simple/plain words. 

Yesterday, I focused on 1 John 1:3 where John says, "We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us." As John writes to his churches- he is concerned about  community- the unity of his flock around the person of Jesus Christ.  John begins the letter by proclaiming what he has seen, heard, touched, and experienced during his time with Jesus.  When we get to verse three John says that he proclaims the Word of life so that you may have fellowship with us.

Evangelism can be such a polarizing word, mostly because of the bad forms of evangelism that many of us have experienced over the years.  Some are put of by it because we live in a pluralistic, tolerant society where we don't want to offend anyone by sharing our beliefs.  John says, we share what we have experienced (evangelism) to invite people into fellowship- fellowship with the church community and with the community of God (Trinity).  For John, evangelism is more than just the forgiveness of our sins or fire insurance from hell.  Evangelism is about inviting people outside of community into community.  As Christians, we are called to go out into the world to invite people into this lifegiving community.

The thing with sharing our faith is that there is really no way around it in the Bible.  As much as we might try and rationalize sharing our faith- we are called to do so in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).  It's also true that if we do not invite people into community with God- we are intentionally excluding them.  We are also withholding the opportunity to experience God's life in this lifetime and the hope of life everlasting to come!

How are you doing with inviting people into community?  What are some creative ways that you or your church is inviting people into community with God and God's church?

A Radical Minimum Standard

I've been guilty from time to time of trying to figure out what is the least I can do and get by.  In college, sometimes it was what is the least amount of reading I can do and still get the grade I desire.  This mindset often follows us to our workplaces and our families as the minimum becomes the standard or status quo for what is acceptable. 

This happens in our faith as well. 

I am guilty of sometimes seeking the minimum standard for "getting by" with my faith.  If I treated my marriage like I sometimes treat my relationships with God- I would most like be divorced by now! I can go for days with little conversation with God because I am self-centered.  Or I put a minimal amount of time or intentionality in sharing my faith outside of Sunday morning.  Or maybe I've become comfortable with my material possessions and they are starting to possess me.

I finished reading (again) Erwin McManus' An Unstoppable Force.  In the final chapter of the book, he talks about a radical minimum standard for believers.  The radical minimum standard is giving our hearts completely to God and going wherever God leads us.  That is what it means to be a disciple...to be a Christian.  And this minimum standard is not for the spiritually elite- pastors, missionaries, and uber-spiritual laity- it is the standard for the entire body.

It is a shame in many of our churches that we are more of an institution or club than we are a movement of God.  We have come to a place where we pay our dues (offering), take part in the major club gatherings (Christmas and Easter), we may even attend weekly meetings if they end on time (worship service) and complain about any new changes the club might make (new worship service, too many new people, etc.).  Instead, we are called to be a body that is living...an organism that is passionately working together to bring about God's kingdom here on earth.  A body that works to bring about justice in their community and world.  A body that exemplifies Jesus Christ- God in Flesh- in every facet of our lives.  We are not called to be an institution, club or even a religion.  We are called to be a movement of people- the body of Christ who die to themselves everyday in order that Christ might live through us.  We are a movement with the purpose of bringing the expansion of the kingdom in everything that we do.

That is the Radical Minimum Standard of our Faith.

My Thoughts on Craig Groeschel's Thoughts on the UMC- Pt. 4

In Craig Groeshel's fourth blog on the United Methodist Church, he tackled our apportionment system.  Apportionments are part of the United Methodist Church's connectionalism.  Each church gives from their own budget/income to pay for the conference/jurisdictional/global iniatives of the Methodist Church.  This money supports ministry on a local, regional and global level.  Part of this money also supports the pension fund of the UMC (I believe).  I'll be quite honest, I have little grasp on how apportionments are decided.  What I do know is that they can have a large impact on both large and small churches. (Read More Below)

My Thoughts on Craig Groeschel's Thoughts on the UMC- Part 3

In his blogs on the UMC last week (pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6) Craig Groeschel focused his third posting on the ordination process of the United Methodist Church.  Here is a piece of what he wrote...

"As I continue to think about the future of the United Methodist Church, I’m hopeful that the UMC (and other mainline denominational churches) will attract and retain more young leaders.
To do so effectively would take many fundamental changes. One might include re-evaluating the ordination process. When I was a UMC pastor, I was an un-ordained “local pastor” for three years, spent four years in seminary (while serving full time at a church) and had two more years before I’d become fully ordained as an elder."

Groeschel goes on to say that many young leaders want to "get in the game" without the denominational hurdles to clear.  I have to admit, I agree with Groeschel 100% on this one.  I started my process towards ordination in 2004 when I was 25 (I'll be 32 later this year).  I have been in seminary for 4 years with one more year to go.  Hopefully I can be commissioned in 2011 and get ordained by 2013.  If that is how it works out, I will have been in this process for 9 years! Does it take 9 years to affirm that someone is gifted, called, and equipped for ministry?

It's been a struggle of mine to see other churches who have pastors in the early 20's leading the helm and impementing the vision that God has given them for the church and community.  Even if I was reappointed this year- six years would have passed from when I started this journey and I would just begin to be able to try out some of the skills and vision that God has placed in my heart. (As an associate, some of those have to simmer on the back burner for a while!)

I can think of Jon Weece (Southland Christian Church outside Lexington, KY) or Steven Furtick from Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC as examples of pastors who are leading large churches and doing many creative things- yet began their leadership in the church in their late 20's.  No, I'm not aspiring to becoming a mega-church pastor- but to bring out the point that they were placed in a position where they could lead and influence even though they were/are younger.  Had they been in the United Methodist Church- they might have left after seeing all the hurdles that must be cleared.

Some thoughts-

1. While I affirm seminary (and have enjoyed it), God does not need well educated people to bring about His Kingdom.  Do we need seminary to be a pastor?  If the UMC decides we need it- does one really have to graduate before they can become "ordained"?
2. Wouldn't the UMC be better equipped for the future if it cleared the pathway for younger pastors to be put in positions of influence to win over the emerging generations for Christ?
3. Does the length of the current process lend itself to creating effective pastors? Or is it more likely to lead to discouragement?

What are you thoughts on the ordination process?  Are you in it?  What is your experience?  If you could change something, what would it be?

My Thoughts on Craig Groeschel's Thoughts on the UMC- Part 2

The second area that Craig Groeschel lent his thoughts on the United Methodist Church to was in the itinerancy.  In the UMC- the Bishop and Cabinet can move a pastor when they feel the time is right.  We pray that they are hearing from God in these moves!  The itinerancy has worked in the UMC.  Back in the 1800's Cicuit Riders criss-crossed the continent to preach and celebrate the sacraments.  During this time, the Methodist Church grew by leaps and bounds. 

I was recently in St. George's United Methodist Church in Philadelphia.  This is one of the earliest Methodist Churches in America.  In the front of the sanctuary is a list of the pastors who have served at the church.  For the longest time- every year there is a new name of the pastor serving the church. I can remember growing up in the Methodist Church that we came to expect that our Pastor would get moved every 3-5 years. 

While I have yet to itinerate (I've been a lay hire for 5 years and appointed to the same church as a student pastor for the past 4 years), I have my own feelings about the system as a whole.  The first being- while I may have my doubts and concerns about itinerating, right now in the Methodist Church it is the system that I, and many others, have to live with.  I have made a commitment to the Church and to itinerate.  With that in mind- I do have some thoughts...

1. How do you build vision, goals, respect, and trust for ministry when you don't know when you could be moved?  When I itinerate, do I have three years in a particular location to do what I am called to do?  Or do I have 10?  When I was in youth ministry, it took me 3 years or so to really get a grasp of the culture, the town, the leaders and be able to cast a vision that moved the ministry ahead. 
2. If you're in a church whose pastor gets moved often- how do you build trust with your congregation.  Once I was appointed to Avenue- I immediately began getting people saying things like, "I know the Bishop is going to move you," or "How much longer do you think you'll be in Milford?"  (I'd like to think that was because they liked me!!!)
3. When it comes to my family (especially my daughter- who didn't agree, like my wife, to pursue ministry as a family- she was born into it), how will itinerating affect her growth and development as a person.  When she has to change schools, how will she make friends, etc.?

I think the itinerant system in the United Methodist Church is the ultimate leap of faith.  As a Pastor in the UMC, I have to trust that God will send me to a church where my gifts are a good fit. 

Your turn- What are the strengths of the itinerant system? Other weaknesses?  Has itinerating turned out to be a blessing in disguise?  What other options could we have in the UMC?

My Thoughts on Craig Groeschel's Thoughts on the UMC- Pt. 1

Throughout last week, Craig Groeschel- Pastor at Lifechurch.tv wrote a blog engaging some issues and thoughts on the United Methodist Church.  You can read through his post here.  Groeschel began his ministry in the United Methodist Church before becoming a church planter.  It was interesting to read through some of his thoughts- and read the comments from others both in and out of the UMC.  This week, I want to put some of my thoughts down on the topics that Groeschel writes about. The first thing that Craig wrote about was Financial Resources.

Craig brought up the Rethink Church advertising campaign that the United Methodist Church recently spent $20 million dollars on.  He suggested that rather than spending the $20 million on a advertising campaign that $20,000 could be given to 1000 new church plants.  Groeschel wrote that starting a new church is easier than revitalizing an old one. 

I really felt strong about the money the UMC spent on an advertising campaign.  I thought it was a waste of money.  (Kind of the like the Census Bureau creating a Super Bowl Ad- why is the government paying for a commercial??)  $20 million dollars could have been spent more effectively- whether putting it into new church starts as Groeschel suggested or by injecting it into leadership training for annual conferences and clergy in the four areas of focus of the Rethink Church campaign (Growing congregations, becoming leaders in the world, addressing poverty and fighting disease).  I personally have seen little to nothing happen in our local church or conference around this theme of Rethinking Church- or the four focus areas. 

That said, there are areas where more inertia could be created within the United Methodist Church.  First, is the Nothing But Nets campaign.  I have seen the campaign referenced in numerous places in the media and otherwise.  The campaign provides nets for people in high-risk areas of malaria.  This is the kind of ministry that young adults who are unchurch or nominally churched can get involved in.  The Nothing But Nets campaign could be a "door" for people to enter the UMC rather than a commercial.  This campaign and others (debt relief, anti-sex trafficking, HIV/AIDS ministries) are the places where we can "be the church" rather than attending a church.

What do you think?  Do you like spending $20 million on an advertising campaign?  How could the denomination do a better job of 'being the Church?"   

Haiti Fatigue

News reports out this week say that the death toll from the earthquakes in Haiti have risen to 230,000.  It's hard to imagine a quarter of a million people dying in just a few short seconds (and the days to follow).  Coupled with the earthquake/tsunami of 2004 which killed another 230,000 people- that's 500,000 people dead from two natural disasters.  It's remarkable to consider the pain, suffering, and death that can happen in a matter of moments.

That's why a conversation I had this week caught me a little off guard.  I was visiting an older gentleman when he said that he was tired of all the coverage of the earthquake in Haiti.  He went on to explain that there were better ways that our churches and charitable organizations could spend their money.  He didn't feel that the American Church had a responsibility to continue to send much needed supplies to Haiti for a long duration of time. 

Are we, as Americans (or American Christians) already at the point of Haiti Fatigue?  Have we become de-sensitized by the coverage and have lowered our concern for our brothers and sisters there?  Are we in danger of becoming compacent in the ways in which we are called by God to care for our brothers and sisters in Haiti- and places around the world where future crisis affects?

One of the problems is that we live in a microwave or fast food society.  We are used to instant results and generally do not have the patience for something long-term.  Hurricane Katrina could be a case in point.  Our Church (Avenue United Methodist Church) first went down to Mississippi shortly after Katrina to help with the rebuilding.  We have sense been back seveal times.  Our returning teams share stories from homeowners that Churches are the only people who are coming to help finish the rebuilding process.  While much has been rebuilt- there is still much to do- and it will continue to take several more years.

I cannot imagine someone trying to put an estimate on how long it will take to recover from the earthquake in Haiti. What can be said is that it will take many, many years for the infrastructure to be rebuilt. 

This man's comments made me think of something else.  A comment I often hear in the Church is that we need to focus our efforts in our own communities rather than going abroad for service.  There is truth in being engaged in our local communities.  This is a both/and rather then either/or.  We must be willing to consider just where our communities begin and where they end.  As the internet has made the world a small place with E-mail/Facebook/Twitter- it has become increasingly easier to be connected with individuals and communities in places such as Haiti or Iran. 

In Luke 10, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Likely, you know the account.  A man is beaten, stripped and left for dead on the side of the road.  A Priest and a Levite come near and pass by along the other side of the road- ignoring the needs of the man.  Finally, a despised Samaritan comes along, picks the man left for dead up, and cares for him.  Jesus tells this parable in response to a "expert of the law" who asked "Who is my neighbor?" 

As we consider what has happened in Haiti, we must ask ourselves this same question- "Who is my neighbor?"  Are our neighbors only the people who live around us?  Or are our neighbors around the world?  Do our neighbors look like us or do they come in every shape, size, color, and race?  It is clear that the book of Genesis makes the case that we are one family- the human family.  As family we are to care for one another at all times.

So how do we avoid Haiti Fatigue?

1.  Commit to the Long Haul- Haiti is going to need food, water, workers and money for a long time.  A one time $10 donation helps for sure, but the people of Haiti need the global church to mobelize until the project is complete.  Our individual churches can commit to help the people of Haiti for the long haul.  Keep things fresh by sending a team to Haiti- or by inviting someone who has been there to speak first hand about the aftermath.

2.  Pray for Haiti- It's hard to forget about anyone if we are truly praying for them.  Prayer will soften our hearts for the people of Haiti and whoever God calls us to pray for.  Through prayer- we ask God to break our hearts for the people of Haiti and that the Holy Spirit will move us to do everything we can for the people there and in our own communities.

Are you suffering from Haiti Fatigue?  What are you, or your church, doing to keep Haiti fresh in your hearts and minds?

Mighty In Prayer

I think it was Dr. Budd at Asbury College that first introduced me to E.M. Bounds.  Each class, Dr. Budd would read a selection from one of Bounds books on prayer- which he wrote at least eight.  Bounds was known for getting up everyday at 4:00 a.m. to study the Bible, pray, and write.  I've had a collection of Bounds books for awhile and thought I would begin reading them again as part of my own personal study time.

Let me make a confession here...I am terrible at prayer. 

I don't know what it is, but I have a hard time spending an extended period of time in prayer.  My mind wanders.  I want to get up and move around.  But I have been working on it the last several months to become more disciplined at it.

In the book, Power Through Prayer, Bounds writes something that is incredibly important.  Many church leaders flock to conferences on church growth, read books on church growth, or want to keep up with the latest trends for growth and communicating the gospel.  To an extent, that describes me.  I want to learn new ways to effectively communicate the gospel.  But list to these words...

"What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men [leaders] whom the Holy Spirit can use- men [leaders] of prayer, men [leaders] mighty in prayer."

I am sure that in my ministry, I have sacrificed prayer in pursuit of a quicker method or a more efficient way.  I am guilty of trying to learn something new rather than coming before the throne of God in prayer.  Now, there is nothing wrong with new methods- but I think Bounds is correct, the church needs leaders who are mighty in prayer.  Leaders to whom the Holy Spirit can mold and shape to have a powerful influence for the kingdom.

As we turn towars 2010, let us cultivate a deep, vibrant prayer life.  Whether we are called to minister in the Church, our offices, our families, or our schools, let us seek to become mighty in prayer.

Reflections from Sunday's Worship

It's 8:00 a.m.  Abbie is still in bed as she is sick this morning.  While I wait for her to wake up, I thought I would evaluate the 9:30 worship service where I preached.  If you read my previous post, you have a general idea of what I preached on.  In Advent week number 2, the lectionary focused on John the Baptist and his preparations for the coming Messiah.  So here are a couple of thoughts on the service.

Order of Worship-  I changed the order of worship around some this week.  It accomplished what I hoped it would (change of pace, more space for the sermon/communion). 

Environment-  I had my friend, Joe, bring in all sorts of construction signs and barrels to place throughout the sanctuary and hallway.  One of our high school students, David, dressed as a construction flagger and directed traffic in the hallway with his Stop/Slow sign.  All he needed was a lunchbag to look truly authentic.  The signs really piqued people's interest in what was going on that morning. 

When I came out for the sermon (I was hiding in the back room), I had on an orange safety vest and a hard had.  With my dark jeans and a tie, I said that I was the project foreman.  While it felt a little strange preaching in a hard hat- it couldn't have been stranger than John Wesley preaching on top of his father's grave stone!

Heat-  We have an old water boiler heat system.  And for some reason, it kicked out overnight and the sanctuary was really cold at 8:00 (even colder when I arrived at 6:45 a.m.).  When the boiler was reset, heat started pouring in- and it did not stop!  Our system tries to get the room to 68 degrees as fast as possible.  Which means that it's kicking out 80-85 degree's of heat.  It would take both hands to count the number of people I could see falling asleep at various times during the service- which may have been better than sweating as badly as I was because of the heat!

There are plans to replace this system in the relative near future.  I will be quite happy to have a trustworthy system in place so we don't have Sunday's like that.  No heat might have been better!

If you were able to attend the service, I'd love to hear your feedback!  As a staff, we're always looking to improve what we do.

Doing Church on Purpose

At Avenue, we're in the midst of our Stewardship Campaign with a series titled: "Living Under the Blessing Tree."  After two weeks, the feedback has been really positive as we stress generosity in all we do.  The messages for the last two weeks have been spot on.  I had the privilege of preaching during the first week which focused on Paul giving thanks for the church at Philippi at the beginning of the book of Philippians.  This week, the message came from Mark 2:1-12.  This is the passage of the four friends who dig through the roof of a home to lower their paralytic friend down to see Jesus.  Of course, when he gets lower, Jesus first forgives the paralytic of his sins, which causes a stir among the scribes.  So, Jesus continues to completely heal the man.  Everyone was amazed.

As I listened to the message, I considered some of the implications of the text for the Church.  Our pastor encouraged us that each committee, team, meeting, group within the church should regularly ask this questions: 

"How will what we do tonight in this meeting/group/study/worship service/etc. help someone get close to Jesus?"

That's really the million dollar question for us.  By asking this question, it helps us to refine our focus as we gather for council/leadership meetings.  It refines what we do in youth ministry or our music ministries.  This question holds us accountable to who and what God has called us to be.  Just as the four friends worked to get the paralytic man to Jesus, how will what we do in our churches help others get to Jesus?

Now, some might say that everything we do in the Church is intended to bring people to Jesus.  That might be the hope, but sometimes we do it without any intentionality or purpose.  If our meeting has a printed agenda- the purpose of that meeting should be typed at the top, taking into consideration about how the outcome of the meeting will help bring someone closer to Jesus. 

There is a warning to the church here in Mark 2:1-12 as well.  It is heart warming to see these four friends overcome obstacles to get the paralytic man to Jesus....but who were the obstacles?  They were the scribes, religious leaders, and others gathered to hear the message of Jesus.  In essence, they were the Church!  The gathering of people had become so focus on what was happening inside the house (Jesus teaching), that they were not aware of the needs right around them.

I read once from Erwin McManus that as a church, we have become content to look in the mirror when we should be looking out the window.  We (the church) can run into the trap of being so inwardly focused that we miss out on the needs of our community just outside our doors.  If the crowd that had gathered in Mark 2:1-12 had seen the four friends and the paralytic man, they could have made a path to Jesus and helped bring someone closer to Jesus. 

Are we, as a Church, so inwardly focused that we are keeping others from getting to Jesus?  Do we take time to stop and consider how our staff meeting, leadership team meeting, etc. are designed to bring people closer to Jesus?  Are we intentional about it? My prayer is that as Christians, church leaders, and teachers that we would do all we can to help people experience the love and grace of God through Jesus Christ.