Why I Don’t Want You to Attend Church Anymore

November 29, 2017

A Travel Guide for Life, Faith and Relationships!

There’s a lot of talk nowadays about how the church in the United States is dead or dying. People point to all sorts of objective statistics or subjective opinions about why. You might imagine how I, as a pastor, find this of interest, and why I’ve invested a great deal of my time in researching this issue.

Frankly, the church has changed dramatically in the last 50 years or so. I grew up in the church. All my Sunday mornings, Sunday nights and Wednesday nights were spent at church. Add to that events like Royal Rangers, youth group, choir practice and a potluck or two every month, and you can see how central the church was to my life.

Nobody played youth sports on Sunday. (I wasn’t even allowed to ride my bike on Sunday.)

No one would think of staying home from a church meeting to watch TV (not even football).

If the doors were open, we were there. End of story.

And here’s the thing: That was normal. Most of America went to church, and if you were an evangelical, you attended a lot. An awful lot (and sometimes it truly was awful).

I’m grateful for my heritage. The church provided a place to make friends that did influence me. However, few of those who attended church impressed me with their godly character (myself included).

Church was a building.

Church was an event.

Church was a religious and social activity.

And attending church was more of a habit than a way of life.

Church was something I did. Something I showed up to on a regular basis. Something I attended, but not something that profoundly affected me at home, at school or in the community I lived in.

Sadly, church attendance did very little for me or for anybody else as far as I could see. That may seem harsh or overstated. But my religious experiences and activities didn’t do much to change my heart or the way I lived.

It seemed to me, growing up as a church attender, that too many—far too many—were good at being self-righteous white-washed tombs and not so good at being like Jesus Monday through Saturday.

Maybe you can relate; maybe not. But here’s my point: No one should just attend church. Instead, we should be the church.

God doesn’t want us to be religious but truly righteous. He doesn’t want consumers but contributors. Jesus didn’t call us to just attend a church building once a week. He challenged us to become a force that changes our world.

So, please don’t show up for church meetings, sing a few songs, listen to some guy or gal talk, drop a few bucks in the offering, glad-hand a few people, and then leave as if that were church.

It’s not.

Sitting in your seat (and you do have a spot that’s yours), consuming some more “spiritual” food, and even clapping a bit doesn’t make you an effective disciple or follower of Jesus.

5 Reasons to Raise Up Staff Members From Within Your Church

Chuck Lawless

November 29, 2017

I’ve mentioned in previous posts the growing trend to hire church staff members from within the church. Here are some reasons to get on board with this trend…and a few cautions against it.

Why you should hire staff from within:

You likely know them better than outside hires. They’re already one of your church family.
They already know your church better than outside hires will. They won’t need to spend nearly as much time learning your congregation.
They probably already buy into your church’s vision. They’ve continued to be a part of your church because they believe in the vision.
Their learning curve won’t be as steep as outsiders. That includes learning simple things like members’ names, the church’s history and the church structure.
Moving expenses are usually less for inside hires. Needless to say, that’s because they already live in the area.

Why you should be cautious about hiring from within:

Some churches are less diligent about vetting people they hire from within. Too often, that decision leads to unexpected trouble down the road.
You may discover you don’t really know them at all. The true colors of a church member might become apparent when he or she becomes a staff member. The best volunteers don’t always make the best staff members.
Inside hires are often less open to getting additional training if needed. Why should they sacrifice to get more training if they’re already accepted and hired?
They often bring their own baggage in current church relationships. That is, they bring to the table their own history with current church members. When that’s already negative, it’s hard to overcome.
They’re sometimes so connected to church members that any necessary reprimands or removals are more difficult to do. That’s especially the case when extended family members are part of the church.

What would you add to these lists?

This article originally appeared here.

How to Pastor in the Age of Sexual Abuse Accusations

Megan Briggs

November 29, 2017

America awoke this morning to the latest disturbing chapter of an unfolding sexual assault saga. When Harvey Weinstein was accused several weeks ago, it was like a dam breaking.

As church leaders, sometimes we can be tempted to hide in our sanctuaries and avoid following all the twists and turns of the news, but one thing is certain: This is not something the church can afford to ignore. Nor should we, given the calling we have to reach the lost, to assist the downtrodden, and to help sinners come to repentance and forgiveness.

Every Corner of Society

Over the successive weeks following the Weinstein allegations, more and more women found the courage to speak out about violence they suffered—whether that violence came at the hand of a politician, Hollywood high-roller or church leader.

On November 29, 2017, viewers of NBC’s Today learned that the co-host of the show, Matt Lauer, had been fired in response to “a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.” The visibly shocked co-host of the Today show, Savannah Guthrie, read a statement from NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack announcing Lauer’s termination.

Guthrie called the ongoing sexual assault disclosures a “reckoning” that is “long overdue, and it must result in workplaces where all women—all people—feel safe and respected.”

Sobering Responsibility for Pastors

We would be foolish to think this reckoning will not (and has not) come to the church. In fact, if we trust in the truth of Scripture, we would be wise to remember that judgment should begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). All of us, regardless of our position, will be held accountable for our actions—and lack of action. Indeed, those of us in positions of leadership should be particularly sober in these moments, knowing that “we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1).

It is an incredible blow when sexual assault occurs in the church, but it is even more devastating when the church creates an atmosphere that covers up that abuse. As leaders, we are responsible for the culture that flourishes under our leadership. Like Guthrie admonished, may we create cultures where all people, including women, “feel safe and respected.”

Act Now

Pastor, there are a lot of things you can do to make your church culture a safe place for all people. This is a perfect time to think about the procedures you have in place (or don’t yet have in place) to prevent and/or respond to sexual abuse.

Pray – the conversations you are about to have are most likely not going to be easy. Sexual assault is a topic many people have experience with. People are wounded in this area, whether they realize it or not. If you’re not wounded yourself, you may be the exception. You are going to need the help of the Holy Spirit to get you through this. You are also going to need God’s wisdom.
Ask the women on your staff if they feel safe and respected – This is a great place to start. Your staff are more likely than your congregants to come to you with issues. Listen to them. Work with them to implement changes they may request. Don’t direct the conversation. Listen.
Have a sexual harassment policy in place – Does your staff know how to respond to sexual harassment and abuse accusations? For instance, if a parent comes to a volunteer on your children’s ministry team with an accusation, does that person know how to respond? Another thing to consider is what to do if a member of your staff is accused of sexual harassment or assault. Is that person put on leave immediately while you investigate? How do you treat the accuser? The accused? How do you investigate? These are all questions your staff and volunteers should know the answers to.
Address the issue from the pulpit – The unfortunate reality is that given the fallen nature of your staff and members of your congregation, someone has either been the victim of sexual assault or has committed sexual assault. It doesn’t matter if you feel like you know everyone in your congregation really well. Scripture tells us we are all capable of committing horrific sins and also falling prey to horrific sins. We cannot be naive about this. You need to condemn sexual assault without question or caveat in your sermons. Additionally, people need to know they can look to the church for help.
If you don’t have the capacity to help people, outsource – When you address sexual assault from the pulpit, people are probably going to respond. If your prayer or counseling team cannot handle the need, you need to find a reputable counseling practice to recommend. And then your team members need to know when and how to hand off.

The Reckoning Applies to Inaction

Although it’s uncomfortable and hard, we have to remember that we will be judged by what we didn’t do as well as what we did. Edmund Burke said it best: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” The temptation to ignore warning signs, to avoid difficult conversations and to sidestep the work of finding qualified counselors to help victims is our biggest threat right now. Please pastor, do the work. Ask your staff to help you.

You probably don’t need to be reminded, but we’ll do it anyway: You have a difficult job. It’s not easy leading people, and it’s certainly not easy leading people during hard and controversial times. Fortunately, you have the wisdom of God to lean into. Please don’t neglect to consult your strongest ally as you wade into these conversations with your people.

What other ideas do you have? We’d love to hear what your church is doing to address the issue of sexual abuse in the comments.

For additional help from ChurchLeaders, check out the following:

9 Anti-Abuse Practices Your Church Needs to Adopt

How to Protect Kids From Sexual Abuse in Your Church

Overcoming the Scars of Sexual Abuse

Dan Allender: Ministry That Heals Wounded Hearts

5 Ways to See Families Create Christmas Memories at Your Church

Dale Hudson

November 28, 2017

Christmas offers churches a great opportunity to help families create spiritual memories. It’s one of the key times during the year when families are actively looking for ways to do this.

Are you ready to maximize this opportunity to impact families? Here are five ways you can see families create Christmas memories at your church.

#1 – Family photo spots. Families love to take pictures. Especially during Christmas. Be intentional about creating photo spots and you can be sure families will use them. This can be as simple as a backdrop with a sign that says “Family photo spot.” Here are a few other helpful tips for enhancing your family photo spot.

Have some props available that families can put on or hold for the picture. An example would be an empty photo frame they can hold in front of themselves or some Christmas hats they can put on.

Have a volunteer stationed there to take the pictures for the families. The families will want to use their own camera, but it’s great to have someone there to take the picture so they can all be in it.

Have your ministry logo or name in the picture. One thing you can be sure of: The families will post the picture they take on social media (which is another reason you want them to use their camera). Placing your ministry logo, name or website in the background or on the props will help spread the word that your church loves families.

#2 – Memorable moment in the service. Families love to worship together at Christmas. Plan one or more special moments in the service where families make a spiritual memory together. This could be something as simple as lighting candles together.

#3 – Family Advent calendar. Provide families with a family advent calendar. Each day have a simple activity or moment that families do together. An example would be reading Luke 2 together or singing Silent Night together or watching a short Christmas video together on YouTube.

#4 – Live nativity. A live nativity is a great way to help families make Christmas memories together. You may have families in your church who can provide animals for this or check with some local farmers. Have the nativity available for families before and after your Christmas services.

#5 – Family Christmas craft/activity area. Another great way to help families create Christmas memories is to have activity/craft centers set up where families can make crafts or do simple activities together before or after your Christmas services. Here are a few ideas for this.

Gingerbread houses. If you have the budget for it, you can provide the supplies for families to make gingerbread houses together.

Christmas cookie decorating. Have icing, sprinkles, etc. available for families to decorate their cookies.

Christmas ornaments. Purchase some simple wooden ornaments and have markers, glue, glitter and other supplies available for families to make their own family ornament. This is another great opportunity to have your ministry name or logo pre-printed somewhere on the ornament. You can be sure, the kids will take the ornament home and hang it on their tree for years to come if they help make it.

Make a Christmas card for a soldier, fireman, policeman, shut-in, etc. Have supplies available for families to make a card that will be delivered to one of the above.

Your turn. What are some ideas for helping families make Christmas memories at church?

This article originally appeared here.

Helping Women Heal from Deep and Painful Secrets

Michelle Reyes

November 28, 2017

There are many women in desperate need of emotional healing.

Not too long ago, I was sitting at my dinner table across from a young woman who had a deep and painful secret. When she was little, she’d been sexually assaulted by a male relative and had never told a soul. Now, about to graduate college, the pains of her past felt too hard to bear.

“You need to tell your story,” I said.

Helping Women with Emotional Healing

This was not the first time I had mentored a woman in such a circumstance. As a pastor’s wife and German professor, I have talked to many, many women suffering from unspeakable atrocities—rape, physical abuse, forced abortions and more. When we talk, I do three things:

I hear their stories. I show them Christ. I teach them to see and (re)write their stories through a Christ-centered lens.

Christian women should never underestimate the power of storytelling. Why? Because storytelling performs a variety of functions. It’s therapeutic. It’s a way for women to feel known and understood. It’s emotional healing. And most importantly, it’s biblical.

Consider this…

God values women.

In the creation story itself, we see God bestow His divine image, stamp and worth on not just man but on woman too. The Bible says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’” (Genesis 1:27). Later in Scripture, God calls women His daughters, “formed,” “made” and “created for His glory” (Psalm 139:13-16; Isaiah 43:6-7; Matthew 19:4). God loves women dearly and cares for each one of us.

This is such an important starting point when counseling abused women. It is the very first thing and the most important truth they need to hear. There is no doubt that these women feel incredibly unloved and devalued, and they will never open up about their story unless we can first reflect God’s love of them.

God cares for every woman’s experience.

There is something meaningful about sharing in a historical sisterhood of pain, loss and redemption. When women feel like no one else has gone through what they have, loneliness and shame inevitably follow. This is why it is so important to show them the trials and tribulations of women in the Bible. From the infertility of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1 to the unnamed concubine who is raped and then murdered in Judges 19, we can paint a picture of female suffering throughout history. But more importantly, this shows women how God has always remained sovereign, just and loving through terrible ordeals. For in those stories, we also see God bring the wicked due punishment and heal the hearts of broken, hurting women.

Ultimately, God hears the cry of a vulnerable woman and acts to defend her (Psalm 68:5) and seek her justice (Deuteronomy 24:17-22). I reiterate these truths over and over to any woman I counsel. I tell her these truths, so she may be confidant her sorrows are important, that I care about her because God cares about her and that she can come to Christ to find healing.

After a woman starts to embrace these truths—and this may only happen after several talks—I then encourage her to share her story.

Women in pain need to find freedom in Christ; learning to share their stories is a huge part of that journey toward emotional healing.

The format is open, and I encourage women to be creative. They can write a poem, a short story or a longer piece. It’s up to them.

5 Common Reasons Leaders Stop Leading

Thom Rainer

November 28, 2017

I am having an amazing time reading through the book of Joshua. My pastor (who happens to be my son, Jess) is also preaching through the early chapters of the book in our church.

I just can’t seem to get enough of Joshua. Among the many reasons Joshua is my favorite biblical character other than Jesus is his uncanny leadership. For example, in Joshua 1, he transitions from becoming Moses’ servant to becoming the leader of Israel. It’s an amazing thing to read.

Joshua was one incredible leader.

We have many incredible leaders in our churches today. But, perhaps more often than we admit, some church leaders stop leading. I have spoken with hundreds, probably thousands, of them over the years. I hear common themes of why they put their leadership in neutral. Here are the five most common reasons:

They are weary of conflict and criticism. These leaders have died the death of a thousand cuts. They know when they provide real leadership, the critics and naysayers will come out of the woodwork. Some of the leaders have lost their jobs because they led. They thus move into a defensive posture.
They don’t know how to lead. Joshua had the mentorship of Moses for a generation. He was instructed. He was prepared. He was ready. Many of our church leaders know their Bible. They know theology. But they have never been trained or mentored to lead.
They overreact to autocratic leadership. We all know examples of when the pastor became a dictator instead of a leader. Sadly, that reality takes place in some churches on a regular basis. So some pastors decide they will never be a dictator. That’s good. But some pastors take it to an extreme and fail to exert leadership at all. That’s bad.
They don’t have people speaking into their lives on a regular basis. Any good leader seeks the counsel and wisdom of others. Unfortunately, pastors can become loners as they live on the islands of their own ministries. A few years ago, I began a ministry called Church Answers that provides a place for pastors and other church leaders to speak into one another’s lives in a safe place. It has been transformational for many of them.
They always seek consensus. I want to be careful with my words here. It is wise to see input and counsel. It is a good thing to listen to some outside voices. But every leadership decision ultimately needs a leader deciding. We can’t always lead by committees, consensus or critics. It is cliché to say “The buck stops here,” but the buck does have to stop somewhere.

When leaders fail to lead, a leadership vacuum follows. And any vacuum will be filled. It might be filled with a culture that turns inwardly looking after its own needs. It can be filled by disparate, divergent and disagreeing voices. The people of Israel certainly went through that period: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him” (Judges 21:25). Or the vacuum can be filled with individuals or groups who insert themselves for their own power and agenda.

Some church leaders view leadership as an endeavor to be delegated to others. Such is a path toward an inward focus, competing groups, disharmony, muddled direction and overall frustration.

It’s basic. Church leaders must lead.

This article originally appeared here.

Perhaps the Hardest Thing a Pastor Will Ever Do

Joe McKeever

November 28, 2017

Speak to the current moral dilemma facing the country (or dividing your community) without making matters worse.

That has to be one of the most difficult minefields a pastor ever has to tread.

One misstep and he’s a goner.

Twenty years ago, it was President Clinton’s infidelity that was dividing the country. In the same decade it was the O.J. Simpson trial. These days, the issue is sexual harassment (or any of its various manifestations: sexual molestation, intimidation, assault, etc.) by men in positions of power.

A man—always a man—runs for prominent public office and someone stands up and says, “He attacked me.” Or, molested me. Touched me inappropriately. Took advantage of me. Raped me.

The media flocks to the accuser and stories are written. Sleuths check out her story and some corroborate it while others trot out family members who say she is a chronic liar or family members of the accused to say they’ve never known him to do anything like that.

Then, next step. Other women step up and say, “He treated me the same way.”

Quickly, the matter becomes page one across the country. Leading the nightly news. Fueling talk shows. Dividing everyone on Facebook. Splitting families.

Defenders are enraged. Supporters of the accusers are offended by the way their friends have accommodated themselves to the culture and forgotten Jesus’ call to defend the helpless and bless the children.

So, the poor pastor decides this matter must be addressed in next Sunday’s sermon. What is he to do?

What in the world is he to do? How can he speak to this business without taking sides? And if he takes sides—either side—what good will he do? And what price will he pay?

How can he speak to the controversial issue of the day without further dividing his congregation? That’s our question today.

First, there are two mistakes a pastor can make…

First: Fail to mention the controversy at all. This will confirm to many in the congregation the irrelevance of the pulpit, that pastors do not live in the real world.

Second: Assume that your congregation is all of one mind on this and take a firm stand on one side or the other. In the more liberal churches (sorry for the label, but the reader will understand), the pastor may assume everyone is energized by the accusations of the women and agree the accused should go away quietly. In the more conservative churches (i.e., conservative in doctrine, practice and politics), the pastor might assume everyone is angry at the accusers and supportive of the man. Both assumptions would be in great error.

Almost no congregation is monolithic (all of one kind). Even in the most conservative of churches, there will be Bible-believers who are more socially liberal. Also, there will be women in almost any church who were victimized but kept silent, and while they will never speak up and identify themselves, they will forever lose confidence in a pastor who is quick to brand the accusers as liars.

The poor pastor. What is he to do?

I’ll take a stab at answering that.

One. Let the pastor spend much time on his knees asking the Father that very question.

This means a willingness to do anything the Lord says. Otherwise, there’s no point in asking.

Continue

Keeping Your Family Focused on Christ During the Christmas Rush

Andy Blanks

November 28, 2017

So it’s Christmas! It’s a time for joy & celebration, family & faith…

…and three white elephant parties, two cookie exchanges, six performances of the Christmas special, nine band/choir concerts, the staff party, plus trying to squeeze in a little Christmas shopping and battling the crowds.

The holidays are inherently busy for everyone, but it seems like for those of us in the ministry, it gets taken to a “whole-nutha” level!

A few years ago, we found ourselves miserable at Christmas because of all the commitments we had and we couldn’t see leading our family down that path. So we started changing some things during the holidays. Our goal was to make sure our household was focusing on worship and one another more than we were the Christmas dramas and cookie parties.

Here’s what we did to make this happen.

We started family advent.

Observing Advent can be done a lot of different ways. For us, starting five days before Christmas we spend time each night reading Scripture related to the coming of Christ, lighting the candle, and singing a Christmas carol together. We have five people in our household, so each of us takes a night and we conclude on Christmas day before any ‘festivities’ begin. In the midst of our busy-ness, this helps keep us grounded and focused the last few hurried days before Christmas.

We instituted a “one gift per family member” rule.

We decided if it took longer to open gifts than it did to worship, something was out of whack. And with five people in our household (plus grandparents, who we also asked to join the gift-giving limit), there’s still an abundance. We also set a general price guideline to help everyone stay in budget AND enable us to give to other ministries during the holidays the way we wanted to. (The grandparents wouldn’t cop to the $ limit, though!)

We protect our time.

We try to calendar one weekend in December that’s completely off limits. We say no to everything that weekend (except mandatory school things). There’s no reason for this except that if we don’t do it, every waking minute is scheduled. On more than one occasion, we’ve found ourselves decorating for the holidays, finishing Christmas cards or wrapping gifts that weekend because they were our only days at home the entire month of December!!

We go “E” with our gift lists.

My 16-year-old gave us this idea, and we love it. During the year as he hears us say, “Oh I’d love to have that,” or, “Isn’t that thing awesome?” he makes a note of it on his iPod Touch. He never has to ask us what we want for Christmas. Hence, the focus isn’t quite so much on gift giving as we go through the litany of items we might like to get. It happens in the background. Plus, the gifts are usually a complete surprise. We love it!

We changed the location of our tree.

It’s a small thing, for sure. But we moved our Christmas tree from the main area of our house. Instead, we make the nativity scene the central decoration of Christmas. That way the “main thing” feels like the main thing!

It’s a tough reality for those of us in ministry, but it’s a reality nonetheless: If you let it, doing church work around Christmas can take most of your family’s focus away from celebrating Christ together. We decided we didn’t want our family to lose the focus and meaning of this sacred holiday. So, we’re intentional about it. Our calendar won’t rule us this Christmas!

Be intentional about leading your family in worship during the holidays. They’re your most important congregation!

5 Ways Churches That Want to Break the 1,000 Barrier Stay Personal & Relational

Rich Birch

November 28, 2017

The only people who like big churches are pastors.

One of the paradoxes that churches face as they grow beyond 1,000 in attendance is that they actually need to act more like a small church in some ways. The “competition” of large and growing churches is actually much smaller churches where people are “known” by others. Your church is going to need to find new ways to ensure people feel connected to your church if you are wanting to grow beyond the 1,000 barrier.

People stick and stay at your church because they find community and care there. They find a sense of “home” and relationship. They may be attracted by the great teaching, fantastic kids programs and amazing music; but they will only stay if they find relationships with real people to help them stay connected. Ultimately, they need to find friends who they recognize at the church. There are a number of ways your church can work in, in order to ensure people perceive your church as relationally connecting people. You need to be seen as a warm and caring community long before people will find an actual community. (This is true of all churches regardless of their size.)

On the journey of growing your church to this size, you probably went through a phase where you needed to “play bigger”…do things that larger churches do in order to instill confidence in people to invite their friends. Ironically, as you grow, you actually need to dial back some of those things because your size can work against you reaching people. If people perceive that you’re just obsessed with being bigger they will be turned off. Here are five ways to ensure your church is staying personal and relational as you grow:

Avoid generic@ Email Addresses

Stop using those generic email inbox accounts. Let people know that there are real live people who answer the emails at your churches, and you’re not a faceless organization. When you use those generic email addresses you are subtly communicating to your people that your team is untouchable and unreachable. The sorts of addresses we’re talking about are:

info@
office@
hello@
team@

Managing email is a lot of work, yes. Often leaders are overwhelmed by how many inbound emails they receive. The “generic” email account is an attempt to stem that tide and deal with requests by a group of people. Rather than doing that, have a team manage your leader’s email inboxes. People from your church will understand when they email a team member of your church and that email is passed onto another person who helps solve their problem. When done well, that contact makes your people feel special—not ignored or treated like a number.

Continue

Five Reasons Why Millennials Do Not Want to Be Pastors or Staff in Established Churches

Thom Rainer

November 28, 2017

Not all Millennials are averse to serving in leadership roles in established churches. But many of them are. And our churches are approaching a tipping point where many are unable to attract Millennial members or leaders. It will likely soon be a crisis.

What is it about established churches that push away Millennials? Let’s examine that question first, and then let’s look at some possible solutions.

1. Millennials perceive established churches to have values that are entrenched in non-missional traditions. Millennials have values that focus on community, cooperation and service to others. They see established churches as barriers to those values, institutions that are more concerned about maintaining the status quo than making a missional difference.
2. They perceive that much time in established churches is wasted catering to members’ personal preferences. For a number of Millennials, the established church feels more like a religious country club rather than an outwardly-focused organization. Budgets, ministries and activities seem to be focused on preferences of members rather than reaching out to others.
3. Many established churches are denominationally loyal; but many Millennials see denominations as antiquated organizations. If a church is affiliated with a denomination, this younger generation views both the church and the denomination as anachronisms. They don’t see either as effective or relevant.
4. Millennials don’t see established churches as community-centric. The men and women of this generation typically have a heart for their community. Many have become key to the revitalization of urban communities and other locales. But they see most established churches with a minimal focus at best on the community in which they are located.
5. Millennials see church planting as a far superior alternative. To use a well-worn phrase, they would rather have babies than raise the dead. They see futility in wasting precious resources of people, time and money on churches that will not likely budge or change.

As a reminder, the Millennials are almost 80 million in number. While Christians comprise only about 15 percent of this generation, they still are an influential force in our churches. And, to this generation’s credit and defense, many of their concerns are valid.

But here is a dose of reality. There are about 350,000 established churches in America alone. They represent untold resources of people and time, not to mention billions of dollars in property. It would be a shame to abandon those churches at such a pivotal time in our world.

My plea to Millennials is not to abandon established churches. Not all of them are as bad as many think. Consider yourself to be a part of the solution.

Above all, look at these churches as mission fields just as you would a ministry in a distant continent. We need Millennials in established churches. Your present and future leadership is vital. Granted, church revitalization is messy and not easy. It is often slow, methodical and frustrating.

But God loves the members of established churches just as He loves the members of new works. Prayerfully consider, my Millennial friends, if God might be calling you to this ministry. It might just become the mission field where you can make a huge difference.

Trust in the God of the Harvest

Robby Gallaty

November 27, 2017

The Apostle Paul, in Colossians 1:10, says his hope for his audience is “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.” Having a thorough knowledge of the Word of God, even having it hidden in your heart, will cause some peculiar things to happen: You will discover that you will begin thinking and acting differently. You will handle conflict and hardship with a level of grace you never thought you could display.

God’s Word: The Instrument for Change

When the Word of God gets into you, it changes you: It produces fruit others are able to see. Your understanding of Scripture is not shown by how well you can quote verses or engage in theological discussion—it is displayed through your walk with God.

God produces fruit through us when we plant ourselves in an environment for growth. It’s not a matter of achievement with our own hands and through our own strength. What’s important is what you allow God to produce in you. Ministry is something that is received, not something that is achieved; it is a gift to us, not our gift to God.

Jesus would agree with that statement. He says in John 15:4–5, “Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.”

Paul echoes this sentiment in two passages. First, in Ephesians 2:8–10 he states, “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” Second, Paul states in Philippians 2:12–13, “Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.”

It is God who works in you! You do not walk in your power, and you do not produce ministry by your own hands. Martin Luther asks and answers poignant questions with clarity in regards to this sometimes difficult issue in the lyrics to his hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”:

Did we in our own strength confide

Our striving would be losing,

Were not the right Man on our side,

The Man of God’s own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is He.

Lord Sabaoth His name,

From age to age the same.

And He must win the battle.

Faithfulness to Fruitfulness

Faithfulness to God leads to fruitfulness, which is handy since he is the one who plants us, sustains us, waters us, prunes us and shines on us. None of the fruit you produce is produced on your own, for you cannot produce any fruit. God alone can produce fruit in you. So be faithful in the vineyard or ministry in which you are planted, for God brings the harvest.

The above is an excerpt from Bearing Fruit: What Happens When God’s People Grow. You can learn more about the book on our website. You can also download a FREE copy of Chapter 1.

This article originally appeared here.

6 Dirty Secrets About Multisite Churches That (Almost) No One Is Talking About

Rich Birch

November 27, 2017

Is your church considering going multisite? It would seem like every church leader I talk with is wrestling with this approach on reaching new communities. Studies have shown that basically all growing churches are either already multisite churches or are actively looking into becoming one.

I’ve been a practitioner of this approach to church since the early 2000s. I can still remember having conversations with Greg Ligon from the Leadership Network many years ago and him telling me about nearly a dozen other churches that were doing something like what we were doing at The Meeting House—launching this dispersed approach to church. At that time, it seemed crazy to me that there were that many other churches trying out this approach; little did I know that in just over a decade, the multisite revolution would jump to 1,000 multisite churches and impact the lives of millions of people.

What to Know About Multisite Churches

As an unabashed fan of this approach to reaching more people, I do have a confession to make. There are aspects of being a multisite church that aren’t as great on the inside as they look on the outside. There are some dirty secrets within this movement that I want you to be fully aware of if you are considering launching a new campus. Or maybe you already have a few campuses and something just doesn’t feel right.

Eighty-Five Percent of Multisite Churches Aren’t Launching More Than Two Locations.

Leadership Network has been at the heart of fueling this movement. They’ve done a number of great studies and books that have been cornerstone to this movement’s development. In fact, in a lot of ways, they deserve the credit for helping codify how this movement understands and talks about itself…a critical aspect of disseminating ideas. They’ve done a number of landmark studies into the dynamics of this movement that you should check out. In their most recent study, it was found that 85 percent of multisite churches don’t get two locations beyond their original location. The vast majority of multisite churches simply aren’t moving beyond three locations in totality.

Why?

It could be that the movement is still too young and this number is likely to rise over time. It could be that there is something built into the complexity of four-plus locations that is slowing down the churches’ abilities to go there.

Having talked with dozens and dozens of leaders of multisite churches over the years, I’m convinced about the problem: Most multisite churches launch campuses as opposed to launching a system for launching campuses. They think about how they extend themselves into a location or two, but don’t put enough creative thought into building a culture and approach that gets the church into the rhythm of launching regularly.

I had the honor of being a part of The Meeting House as this fantastic church launched its first six locations. After launching out the first location we set the audacious goal of launching one campus every year for five years! We had no idea what we were doing when we set that target, but it did impel us to think about building a system for sustainable launches rather than a single location. All these years later, this church has 19 locations and is actively looking to launch more in the future.

Finding Campus Pastors Is Really (Really!) Hard.

Over the years, I’ve had a number of whispered conversations with multisite church leaders at many conferences about this secret. Every once and while I talk with a senior leader on the phone who admits they are really struggling with this fact.

Finding, training, releasing, rewarding and, ultimately, retaining campus pastors is an incredibly difficult task.

We’ve suffered over the years with cute sayings about this role in an attempt to define it. Among the things we led ourselves to believe about what these leaders need to be includes…

Face with the place…
A big dawg leader!
Bleed the vision out one arm and the community with another…

When I think back about the most personally painful aspects of leading within the multisite movement, a lot of it has to do with managing campus pastor relationships.

Dear Teenager: Life Is Hard, and God Is With You

Dawson Cooper

November 27, 2017

Dear Teenager,

I hope this isn’t too blunt or really, perhaps, too obvious: Life hurts.

But surely you know this by now? Have you been excluded from a dinner with friends, only to see it posted later on Instagram? Have you not made a team for which you worked hard to make? Have you had a parent disappoint you? Has an illness affected you or your family? Have you struggled under the pressure to perform at school and to uphold your reputation?

When I think of what I want you to know, I want you to know that Jesus is in it all. He is with you in all of it. There isn’t a place that the Lord your God cannot reach, does not know and does not desire to redeem.

When it hurts, it’s hard to imagine a God who is really in the hard places of life. But this isn’t about the “why.” This is about the “who.” Whether or not we understand why life is hard, understanding the Who can bring more comfort than any kind platitude from a friend.

The God who created the universe, strung the stars across the sky, told the oceans to stop at the shore, formed your parts in the womb, who went so far to save His people that He gave His only Son for you, who sent His Holy Spirit to be within you, that God—He is in it all.

Jesus teaches his followers in Matthew 6:26 saying, “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” If He feeds the birds, we can trust him to feed His people.

Throughout scripture we read story after story of God’s faithfulness and presence with His people. He clothes Adam and Eve after they disobey Him in the Garden of Eden; He parts the Red Sea for Moses; He chooses a simple shepherd named David to save his people from the Philistines and then be King; He sends Jesus to pay the price for our sins; and Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to dwell within those who believe in Him.

In the Psalms, David writes, “For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness.” When we look throughout scripture, God’s steadfast love, his faithfulness is truly before our very eyes. This does not mean, however, that those people were without pain or hurt. They, like us, lived in a broken world. The many examples of God’s faithfulness remind us that God was present, caring for his flock while orchestrating sin, misdeeds and missteps into a redemptive story.

Where has God been faithful to you in the past? Where has he cared for you? Put that in front of your eyes, and remember it. See where God walked with you in the good and the bad. When we remember, we gain strength, through God’s faithful work that has already begun in our lives, to move through the hard parts of life with Him. As Paul writes in Philippians, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

This article originally appeared here.

Protecting Girls in a #MeToo World

Sam Luce

November 27, 2017

If you aren’t familiar with the #MeToo, head over to Twitter and read some of the tweets posted by famous women, known women and women no one really knows. Their stories are gut-wrenching. I read through a few feeds of evangelical women I deeply respect and tears came to my eyes because of the pervasiveness of abuse and the destructive power of sin in our world. As a father of two beautiful girls, I don’t want this for them. As a father, it is my responsibility to protect them, love them and model to them how men should treat them. As repulsive as the whole Wienstine thing is I pray that good will come from it, that women will speak up and the culture of abuse will be dealt a severe blow.

Our country has spent the last 60 years preaching and worshiping the god of sexual fulfillment at all costs, and we are starting to see the devastating legacy of our unrestrained sexual ethic. We see it in the dissolution of the family, in the celebration of every kind of personal pleasure without a thought as to the effect our actions will have on the people we love most and even broader society. This is not a new problem but is rather an indication as to how far our country has slipped from the Christian values that used to guide and define us. In Roman times when Christianity was in its infancy, one of the unique things about Christians was their sexual ethics and their high view of women and children. Tim Challies describes Roman culture in such a way that it sounds like the picture that is being painted of the celebrity Hollywood subculture specifically and of American culture increasingly.

Rome was a culture of extreme promiscuity and inequality. Those who had power—male citizens—were able to express their sexuality by taking who and what they wanted. Their culture’s brand of sexual morality was exemplified in the Caesars who, one after the other, “were living icons of immorality and cruelty,” using sex as a means of domination and self-gratification.

Yet this system, evil as it looks to our eyes, was accepted and even celebrated by Rome. It was foundational to Roman culture. To be a good Roman citizen a man needed to participate in it, or at least not protest against it. To be loyal to Rome, one had to be loyal to the morality of Rome. To the Romans, the biblical view “would have been seen as disruptive to the social fabric and demeaning of the Roman ideal of masculinity.” What we consider odious and exploitive, they considered necessary and good.

So seeing that our culture is slipping further and further into the sex-crazed pagan practices Christianity opposed, How do we raise our kids and protect our daughters from a sick culture that objectifies women?

Fathers model to your girls how a man should act by how you treat them, their mom and other women you encounter.
Teach them respect is given but trust is earned. I believe personally that women are created by God and deserve respect because they are image bearers. I also believe scripture is clear women respond to men (Eph. 5), but I believe scripture is also clear that respect is not deserved nor should be demanded by men. A women’s respect for a man should be earned by his sacrificial love for her (Eph 5).
Teach them to speak up and speak out. The intimidation of women in any place, home, work or church should not be tolerated. It must be called out every time we see it.
Teach them their worth is tied to their identity in Christ not their worth to others. I am not a social anthropologist but broadly speaking women seem to derive their worth more often from what people think about them, men from what they create or do. Women are continually told through media their worth is primarily in their looks. Teach your girls over and over again that their comfort in life and death is that they belong to God. They are his. Teach them being pretty is not as important as being loved. When they realize that they have been loved by God, when that moves to the core of who they are, they will cease to look to others to affirm them. Our girls need to know that they are beautiful because they are loved, not that they are loved when they are beautiful. Helping your kids find their identity primarily in Christ doesn’t protect them from abuse physically; it does protect them from abuse psychologically and it does prepare them if or when it does happen. The apostle Paul’s view of suffering was comprehensive. It was tied to the past work of Christ understanding that he came to redeem what we know through our experience to be a broken world. It also looks forward to the hope that we have in heaven. That one day Christ will come back and make all the sad things in this world untrue. It recognizes injustice and points to our ultimate Judge, Christ. It recognizes our need and points to Christ who justifies the ungodly. We have to help our kids:
1. love others as they have been loved in Christ.
2. See themselves as sinners in need of a savior.
3. As being loved by a pure holy God in such a way that the things in this life don’t break them because Jesus is their goal, their prize and their joy.I have counseled many victims of abuse in 20 years of pastoral ministry and it breaks my heart to hear their stories. My job is to listen, lament and point them to Jesus. What every kid, every human, needs most is to be known by God. I love how Tim Keller puts it: “The great and central basis of Christian assurance is not how much our hearts are set on God, but how unshakably His heart is set on us. And if we begin to grasp that we are ‘known by God,’ we won’t seek to bolster our self-image or standing before Him through our works. We won’t worship any idol—we will love Him, the One who knows us and loves us still.”
Teach your sons that women are four-dimensional not one-dimensional. Parents, teach your boys that pornography destroys. It takes a woman made in the image and likeness of God and reduces her to a one-dimensional object. The rise of sex robots is a byproduct of men who see women as a one-dimensional tool that was created for their own pleasure. Every woman filmed naked is some man’s daughter and is precious. Teach your sons that pornography degrades women and devalues God’s creation.

We can’t prevent sinful things from taking place in a sin-soaked world but we must speak out and do all we can to prevent the coarsening of society and the denigration of women. The early church was known for their radical sexual ethic. This hasn’t been the case in the American church but must be for us to be the salt and light we claim to be. For all the women who #MeToo is a present reality, we weep with you. May the coming generations know nothing of the pain so many women have unjustly experienced.

This article originally appeared here.

5 Common Reasons Church Leaders Stop Leading

Thom Rainer

November 27, 2017

Understanding the difficulty of leading people makes me appreciate one of Israel’s early leaders. That is why I am having an amazing time reading through the book of Joshua. My pastor (who happens to be my son, Jess) is also preaching through the early chapters of the book in our church.

I just can’t seem to get enough of Joshua. Among the many reasons Joshua is my favorite biblical character other than Jesus is his uncanny leadership. For example, in Joshua 1, he transitions from becoming Moses’ servant to becoming the leader of Israel. It’s an amazing thing to read.

Joshua was one incredible leader.

Leading People Is Difficult

We have many incredible leaders in our churches today. But, perhaps more often than we admit, some church leaders stop leading. I have spoken with hundreds, probably thousands, of them over the years. I hear common themes of why they put their leadership in neutral and stop leading people. Here are the five most common reasons:

1. They are weary of conflict and criticism.

These leaders have died the death of a thousand cuts. They know when they provide real leadership, the critics and naysayers will come out of the woodwork. Some of the leaders have lost their jobs because they led. They thus move into a defensive posture.

2. They don’t know how to lead.

Joshua had the mentorship of Moses for a generation. He was instructed. He was prepared. He was ready. Many of our church leaders know their Bible. They know theology. But they have never been trained or mentored to lead.

3. They overreact to autocratic leadership.

We all know examples of when the pastor became a dictator instead of a leader. Sadly, that reality takes place in some churches on a regular basis. So some pastors decide they will never be a dictator. That’s good. But some pastors take it to an extreme and fail to exert leadership at all. That’s bad.

4. They don’t have people speaking into their lives on a regular basis.

Any good leader seeks the counsel and wisdom of others. Unfortunately, pastors can become loners as they live on the islands of their own ministries. A few years ago, I began a ministry called Church Answers that provides a place for pastors and other church leaders to speak into one another’s lives in a safe place. It has been transformational for many of them.

5. They always seek consensus.

I want to be careful with my words here. It is wise to seek input and counsel. It is a good thing to listen to some outside voices. But every leadership decision ultimately needs a leader deciding. We can’t always lead by committees, consensus or critics. It is cliché to say, “The buck stops here,” but the buck does have to stop somewhere.

When leaders fail to lead, a leadership vacuum follows. And any vacuum will be filled. It might be filled with a culture that turns inwardly looking after its own needs. It can be filled by disparate, divergent and disagreeing voices. The people of Israel certainly went through that period: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him” (Judges 21:25). Or the vacuum can be filled with individuals or groups who insert themselves for their own power and agenda.

Some church leaders view leadership as an endeavor to be delegated to others. Such is a path toward an inward focus, competing groups, disharmony, muddled direction and overall frustration.

It’s basic. Church leaders must lead.

This article originally appeared here.

Memorize the Mind of God

David Mathis

November 27, 2017

You’ve heard the pitch for Scripture memory a thousand times. You’re persuaded the benefits would be incalculable and that there may be no better use of your time than to hide God’s word in your heart and store it away for future use. But you’ve tried your hand at it again and again, and just never got the magic working.

Perhaps it brought back some sentiment you couldn’t shake from rote memorization in grade school, or eventually you threw up your hands and blamed it on a bad memory. You knew it would be wonderful to have a store of Scripture treasured up or an arsenal of weapons stockpiled for the Spirit’s use. But if it was all oriented on saving up for some uncertain future time and had little to do with today, you likely didn’t feel much urgency about it.

But maybe the breakthrough could come with some simple change in perspective. What if Scripture memory really was about today? At least for a minute, forget decades from now; throw aside the litany of daily reviews of previously memorized texts; abandon the mentality of building the store and stocking the pile, at least as the driving motivation. Instead, focus on the present. Scripture memory, at its best, is about feeding your soul today and mapping your life and mind onto the very life and mind of God.

Mold Your Mind for Today

It’s all well and good to store up bright treasures and sharp weapons for future use, but if you’re cut from the cloth I am, you find it all too easy to put it off when every today seems to already have enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34).

When we learn the Scriptures by heart, we’re not just memorizing ancient, enduringly relevant texts, but we’re listening to and learning the voice of our Creator and Redeemer himself. When we memorize lines from the Bible, we are shaping our minds in the moment to mimic the structure and mindset of the mind of God.

Good theology forms our minds in a general way to think God’s thoughts after him. But memorized Scripture molds our minds, with as much specificity as is humanly possible, to mimic the folds and creases in the mind of God. Theology gets us to the ballpark; memorized Scripture, into the clubhouse.

And so Bible memory not only prepares us for the someday-maybes when we use a memorized verse in counseling or witnessing or fighting sin, but it contributes powerfully in the present to making us the kind of person who walks in the Spirit today. It contributes right now to your being “renewed in the spirit of your minds” (Ephesians 4:23). Not only is it then accessible to us for future decision-making and temptation-battling in varying contexts, but the very act of memorizing Scripture, as we understand and engage with the meaning of the text, changes our minds in the present to make us the kind of people who “discern what is the will of God.”

Memorizing God’s words today, then, is not just a deposit into an account for tomorrow, but assets working for us right now.

Gender-Neutral God? Church of Sweden’s New Guidelines for Clergy

Bob Ditmer

November 27, 2017

The Church of Sweden is in damage control mode after reports that it is instructing its clergy to stop calling God ‘He’ or ‘the Lord’ in an effort to crack down on gendered language. One church spokesman called the reports “fake news” saying the language change in the denomination’s 31-year-old handbook was only a suggestion.

CRITICS SAY GENDER-NEUTRAL LANGUAGE IS NOT BIBLICAL

News of the change was met with a mountain of criticism. Christer Pahlmblad, associate professor of theology at Sweden’s Lund University, lambasted the language, telling Kristeligt Dagblad “You cannot replace 2,000 years of theology” and that the move toward gender-neutral language was “undermining the doctrine of the Trinity and the community with the other Christian churches.”

Critics say the guidelines contradict both the Holy Bible and the Holy Trinity, the latter which refers to God as “the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

“So Jesus said, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me,’” reads John 8:28 (NASB).

THESE WERE ONLY “SUGGESTIONS”

In its clarification, Sofija Pedersen Videke, head of the Church’s service of worship committee, said they were only looking for variation in how clergy refer to God. They supplied three alternatives for the words to use at the start of worship services, including one which is gender-neutral: “In the name of the Father and Son, and the Holy Spirit,” “In the name of God, the Father and Son, and the Holy Spirit”, and “In the name of the triune God”.

In spite of the fake news label, the change does appear to be in keeping with the direction of the church’s leader, Archbishop Antje Jackelen who was elected in 2013 on a progressive platform. She championed the decision and said that the Church of Sweden had discussed having more “inclusive language” since 1986, according to Mirage News.

GODSELF?

The use of gender-neutral words to identify God is not unique to the Church of Sweden. There is a similar movement in the US, especially in mainstream seminaries.

The divinity schools at Duke and Vanderbilt Universities have instructed their professors to use more inclusive language as a way to “mitigate sexism” because of the belief that masculine pronouns “have served as a cornerstone of the patriarchy.”

And it’s not just university professors that the schools are hoping to influence. Duke’s guidelines for students, faculty, administrators, and staff offers several suggestions for replacing “God” including “Godself” as in “God knew Godself to be great.”

The issue is also a longstanding area of debate for Bible publishers that bubbled to the surface again last June. The Southern Baptist Convention, a long time critic of gender neutrality in the Bible, came out with the Holman Christian Standard Bible. In reporting on the release, The Atlantic wrote that the new offering contained many gender-neutral phrases that the SBC had previously condemned.

The article drew quick reaction from the SBC and many conservative pastors who said the Atlantic was confusing “gender-neutral” with “gender-inclusive.” Trevin Wax, Bible and Reference Publisher for Holman Bibles, told the Atlantic, “It uses male pronouns for God, for pastors, and in places where it’s obviously male—and it uses male and female, where that’s what the author intended.”

What Bible translation controversies and this latest controversy with the Swedish church point to is an ongoing debate over how we should refer to God and our culture’s increasing desire to be gender-neutral.

NFL Player to Hometown Churches: What Are the Needs of the Youth?

Brian Smith

November 27, 2017

Josh Norman, a cornerback for the Washington Redskins, has a pretty simple—though hardly easy—job: Shadow the opposing team’s best receiver and prevent him from ever catching a pass.

For a man whose job description in the NFL encourages words like “breakup,” “prevent,” “shutdown,” and “erase,” Josh Norman seems to be doing the exact opposite in his life off the field. The ad was not self promoting. It did not even wish his hometown friends and family a Happy Thanksgiving. The purpose, like his job description in the NFL, was simple: to bless others because he has been blessed. In a letter reminiscent of Paul’s to the early church, Norman addressed the ad in his local hometown newspaper “To the Shepherds of the Churches of Greenwood, SC.”

“Your persistent prayers and devotion to the people of your congregation, to whom God has given you stewardship over has not gone unnoticed. For the need of the people in the church and community you serve is always above rapport. This season, God has laid it on my heart as a servant of the crown to reach out and touch every church in Greenwood, SC with my tithes and offering of love and peace. It is my wish that everyone in your place of worship be touched by this blessing that I’ve been blessed by and now giving unto you.

I request that every church send me back a letter stating the concerns of the church and the needs of the youth. I can’t fulfill the entire list, but I am going to do my very best with what God has blessed me with to uphold the needs and standards of your church. If you would send the letter to address: 21300 Redskins Park Drive Ashburn, VA 20147. I also ask if your letters could be delivered no later than December 12th. I will read through each one and get back to you all respectfully. I truly thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being that beacon of hope to look up to and strive for greatness in your teachings and vessels on earth to reach our Father who is in heaven.”

“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13.”

Although the entire ad encouraged me, one particular statement resonated deeply: “I can’t fulfill the entire list, but I am going to do my very best with what God has blessed me with to uphold the needs and standards of your church.”

I love that statement because there is a challenge in it for me. And you. Am I doing my very best with what God has given me to uphold the needs of the church?

What if every Christian in the NFL took a similar approach? What if every Christian in professional sports did the same? What if—and this may be a little too crazy—every Christian, period, had a similar posture? What might it look like to love God and bless others with the resources He’s given us in our local church community—our primary job description as a Christian? That is what happens when we understand that our primary job description—as a Christian—is to love God and love others with what has been entrusted to us.

The local church is God’s primary plan to reach the world. There is nothing wrong with starting our own foundations and being involved in parachurch ministries. But if it comes at the expense—and neglect—of funneling resources to the church, we are probably misunderstanding one of our job descriptions as Christ followers.

Josh Norman should not need high praise and affirmation for simply being obedient to the Lord with his finances, but I will do it anyways. Bravo Josh! Thanks for modeling what it looks like to be a good steward of God’s resources that He gave to you.

May you continue to use your skills to lock down the opposition on the field and your resources to open up opportunities for the Church off the field.

This article originally appeared here.

Out of the Box Small Groups

Allen White

November 26, 2017

Pretty curriculum boxes appear to be the new hot thing in small group ministry. Don’t get me wrong. They are nice. It looks like Christmas! This tool is a great draw for potential group leaders.

Our church did something similar back in 2004. We had overbought curriculum for the Fall series. I bought gift bags and tissue paper at the dollar store and added the curriculum. No coffee. No bookmarks. No snacks. To be honest, the tissue paper was debatable. I think we made 31 bags. Why 31? Because that’s the number of flavors at Baskin Robbins. No, we had 31 sets of curriculum left after the HOST homes were recruited.

People were invited to grab a bag, gather their friends and start a group. Those bags went fast. In fact, we had to stop offering them after our second service. They were gone.

The dynamic of group formation had changed in our church forever. No longer were people excited about joining groups. They wanted to start their own group. (You can read more of this story in Chapter 1 of Exponential Groups: Unleashing Your Church’s Potential. Download the chapter here.)

Launching dozens to hundreds to thousands of new groups is pretty easy in the first six weeks. But, once you have the low hanging fruit, things are a little more uphill from there. Now, you could continue to offer a new box or bag of curriculum every quarter. It can also seem like you’re making progress, since your numbers are up and to the right. In many cases, however, you aren’t adding groups. You’re churning them. (Read more about Disposable Groups.) If only a colorful box could make a small group ministry strong.

1. Perpetual Newbie Syndrome

One of the great benefits to the group in a box is that anyone can do it. This method will create a ton of new groups in a very short period of time. I am a big fan of momentum. Get people out of their pews and into their neighborhoods. Launch an army of new small group leaders (or whatever you want to call them). I am with you.

Groups, however, cannot live by pretty boxes alone. In a recent conversation with a pastor I first met six years ago, I was disheartened to learn that their group launches were keeping their leaders at the level of perpetual newbies. Many of the leaders had started six years ago and took a “box” every time it was offered. But, their leadership had never grown beyond the box. Now their group involvement was declining.

There is a time to delay leadership requirements and extensive training. This helps to get people who never imagined being a leader actually leading. But, there is also a time when leaders need to grow up. Requirements need to reappear. Extensive training should be offered.

If groups are only assimilating year after year after year, they become truly handicapped. What helped the groups to start will not help the groups to grow. Where are the disciples? Where are the leaders? Perpetual newbie syndrome doesn’t get the groups there.

Diapers are great when your kids are small. They’re not so great when they’re six years old.

2. Coach in a Box.

I’ve seen many small group ministries get into trouble because there is no structure to support their growth. If you launch groups well, you will very quickly overwhelm any kind of coaching structure you have (or don’t have). This was the case when we doubled our groups in one day. Our inadequate coaching structure couldn’t handle the new growth. Quite a few groups ended up unnecessarily as casualties. We simply weren’t ready for that kind of growth.

It’s easy to assume that one small group pastor or director or a small coaching team can accommodate the wave of growth that’s ahead. This does not work. If the new leaders are not supported from when they first commit to leading, many of the groups will never start. The new leaders will become discouraged or overwhelmed. With no one to turn to or only a “phone a friend,” many groups will end before they’ve begun.

We all know that leading a group is as easy as inviting a few friends and providing some refreshment. We also know that it’s not that easy. Soon we discover that a few of our friends have problems. Some have needs beyond the ability of the leader. They could call the pastor, but if the leaders of your 300 new groups (or 30 or 3,000) all call the pastor, what’s your life going to be like?

Before you distribute a single box for a new group, have a coach in place for that group. It may be all hands on deck with your established leaders. A caring person who is available to coach a new leader will determine the group’s success or failure.

Continue

5 Elements of a Great Worship Service

Don Chapman

November 26, 2017

God does what He does when He wants to. There’s no special formula to create a worship atmosphere. But with a humble heart, consider these ideas that will encourage an attitude of worship in the hearts of your people:

1. Pray.

This goes without saying, but how often do we get so caught up in the job of worship leading that we forget why we do what we do? Pray as you plan, pray as you perform. Pray that God will reveal Himself to the hearts of His people. Ever hear the saying “work like it all depends on you and pray like it all depends on God”? I think that motto is fitting here. What good is all the work we do as worship leaders if the Lord isn’t in it? Why bother?

Ever had a Sunday when everything went like clockwork and the congregation yawned? Conversely, have you ever had things go completely wrong in your service, only to have God show up? (I think He does this to teach us that it’s all about Him, not us!) This isn’t an excuse to be lazy… I believe in working and planning ahead to avoid a glitch that might distract the congregation.

2. On a foundation of familiarity, throw in something different.

If you generally begin your music with uptempo songs, try starting once in a while with a ballad. This throws the congregation—they get a little antsy during a starting ballad, and seem to release their pent up energy when the upbeat songs kick in.

If your worship palette is mainly an electric-guitar driven band, change it up occasionally by going acoustic one Sunday, or better yet—throw in an unusual instrument. Remember when the beautiful worship song “Be the Centre” was all the rage (was this 10 years ago?!)? I was playing at a hipster church at the time and, like the original recording, opened the song by playing a tin whistle. The electric guitarist was so outraged he almost quit (for you see, in churches like this, EVERY song in EVERY set on EVERY Sunday MUST be electric-guitar driven!). The congregation loved it and several months later at a church picnic a burly, Joe-the-Plumber-type said to me, “Hey, aren’t you the guy who played that flute thing?” I thought, Oh no, he’s going to punch me or something! He continued, “I LOVED that! Why don’t you play it again?” The lesson here is to not let the tail (or electric guitarist) wag the dog—if you’re in this type of church your congregation is probably desperately yearning for some musical variety.

3. Longer, heartfelt prayer.

I remember once when a woman on the praise team prayed a touching, spontaneous prayer in the middle of our praise set that gripped the congregation. I quietly played the keyboard while she prayed, transitioning into the key of the next song that was coming up.

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