What the World Needs Now... Part 1

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach!!!

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone.

Lately I have been in a very different place in life. Due to work I have been unable to go to church for the past 6months or so. In most circles I would be considered a 'backslider'. I have been told my priorities aren't in order, among other things. But despite it all, I have had a growing hunger for God and for the things of God. Having spent 15 years of my life dedicated to God and the church, being at and participating in every opportunity that would arise, I have seen something very strange being on the 'Outside' for once.

Something to ponder - http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/08/27/almost.christian/index.html

I read this article a week ago, and it really hit home to some things I have been seeing in the church for years. I have seen it in different denominations and sects, watching it dilute that which I have dedicated a major chunk of my life to. I am done! I am ready to pin the truth to every door of every "Church" that proclaims Christianity.

I know I am speaking very generally, so let me expound a bit...


For years, growing up and leading in the church, I have heard leader after leader speak on the importance of soul winning and the importance of bringing people to Christ. The Mantra of "Each one Reach one" has been ringing in my ears for as long as I can remember. I have heard countless sermons on evangelism, and on the need to reach the lost as well as countless debates on the way to reach the lost. I have seen person after person put on this air of "God put me on this earth to save you" that it has caused countless number of people to be turned off by the idea of God.

Please bear with me, as I am not saying that soul winning is a bad thing, in fact it is A biblical theology. Not only in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) spoken to the disciples in Galilee, but also referenced throughout the bible in places like Jude 1:23 where we are instructed for some to "Snatch them from the fire and save them".
What I am seeing however, is the truth, and our mission has been skewed away from truth, and showing People Christ, to one of either putting ourselves in a place where we are elevated above those "WE" are trying to save, or to that of being a bestest friend and having a church party sleepover.

This is all really a big deal to me. Why? Because I have dedicated my life to study God's word as well as to help lead people in the way I believe the Bible instructs. I see churches every day that say "It's not our responsibility to feed you every day".

Now, I can say I sort-of agree with this statement, in the cases ONLY when the church is and has been teaching them to feed themselves. I have heard this for years in Children's and Youth ministries, and now that the leaders are over churches the mentality has continued.

This is as foolish as saying to your three year old... "I will feed you breakfast today, but you are on your own the rest of the week". HOW INSANE!!! Even taking the biblical analogy of sheep and a shepherd, the shepherd's RESPONSIBILITY is to lead the sheep to a place where they can feed, and protect them along the way. Granted, it is not the shepherds responsibility to feed the sheep, or make them eat. In the same way if you put food in front of your three year old... if they are hungry, I guarantee they will eat.

Unfortunately, it seems as a LARGE number of churches think it is perfectly natural and ok to expect their flock to feed themselves, while only providing the sustenance you would provide to a newborn, with NO teaching/training in how to eat, or what to eat. NO WONDER there are so many in the church swayed by sensationalism!!! That's also why there is such a large number of church goers who base their view on church solely on how "Good" the music is, whether or not the singer is "Professional sounding" or how catchy the back drop and intro videos are.... Here's the deal... If I want entertainment, I am going to go see a movie!

The Responsibility of the Ministers (pastors, teachers, evangelists, prophets, apostles) is, and I quote, Eph 4:11-16 NASB "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love."

WOAH!!!!! Hold On... read that again...
...to the building up of the body of christ UNTIL ... to a MATURE Man/Woman... AS A RESULT...
Result? you mean there is to be a result from the 5 fold ministry gifts? The RESULT should be to NO Longer to be children...

Ok, I have to stop here for a second... No Longer Children.... well that sounds to me like there has GOT to be some way of taking a child, and helping them to BECOME NOT a child... hmmmmmmm ..... Feeding them icecream for breakfast, gummy bears for lunch and a bit-o-oreo's for dinner?? BY NO MEANS!!!! It is by feeding them healthy food AT THE SAME TIME teaching them HOW to make right decisions. Just like a child, however, this is not a simple process, but attained over time... that means you/we need to be constantly teaching, training, and instructing them on the right way to walk/learn/etc./etc.

I understand, that there are a lot of misconceptions in the church on the responsibility of the church, but when you have people leading that only want to feel good, what you get is the same issue a lot of modern parents get... The Parent(church) wants to be a friend, so they are very leniant and easy going while the child becomes dissobediant and lawless because they have no guidance.

HEY PARENTS>>> 3 Year olds do NOT need to be "Reasoned" with... they need INSTRUCTION, and DISCIPLINE!!!!!!!!!! (Same thing goes for you 'church leaders')
Now I will also say that YES the church, in the past, has taken this too far and as a result created a lot of BAD Church experiences (think hellfire-and-brimstone, or i'm better than you because I wear crosses hanging off from every possible point of my person). This happened for the same reason as what is happening now... those in charge, were NOT operating out of love, and a sense of leading/teaching people into the fullness of God, but into their own ideals of how the outward should look/sound/etc. This is Also NOT the purpose of the 5 fold Ministry Gifts!

Now on this note, I am going to have to take a break.... I have a LOT to say, and unfortunately too much work to do to be able to say it all in one setting.... BUT check back! This is weighing heavily on me, so I will post more soon!

And, if you want to comment... Please feel free, but I ask this

1. If you are on facebook reading this... go to soylentgreenroom.blogspot.com to post a comment as I don't get onto facebook enough to see any comments
2. Remember... This is not finished. I ask you not assume I am saying/not saying something you don't agree with if my thoughts aren't full. I don't mind comments, I just think there is no purpose for "Flamebaiting" on this blog [;o) Just saying!
3. Please do not think I am talking about you! If I have a specific issue with you, I will let you know. If you do things referenced in this blog, it is purely coincidence. Think about it, and if you feel you need to change do so. Otherwise... don't! I am not trying to change anyone here, just trying to give a broader perspective I think has been missing in the church at large for a while now.
4. If you are offended... well.... as my wife says... "Put your big girl panties on" and deal with it. No offence is meant, so if you are offended, well... it's your own issue [;o) Love ya!!

I Hope you are tremendously blessed and I will post again soon!

The Power of the Servant

Here lately I have been working on a night of appreciation for all of our volunteers at the church. One thing I have realized more and more, is that volunteers have more power than they realize, because they are a unified group.

let me explain.
Take any organization that utilizes volunteers as a part of its infrastructure.... like for instance.... a church. On any given Sunday, who do people (either guests, or regular attenders) talk with the most? Who do they spend the most time with? The pastor? Well maybe one or two people get to dominate the pastors time, but what about everyone else??
Let's say, for example, that the newly formed "Federation of planets" has upset some distant planet of cockroach like inhabitants... and let's say they have just produced a new form of biological weapon targeting the DNA of people who serve as volunteers... and let's say that they are so outraged by the comments made from the "Federation" in relation to them and a particular kind of motel that you can check into, but can't check out, that they decide to use said weapon on us. (if you are still with me, then you are either really curious as to how I could possibly end this, or totally A.D.D., in either case, I salute you )
So here we are, No volunteers... now what?? What does the church on Sunday morning look like??
Could you imagine a pastor trying to hand out bulletins, turn on the sound system, start coffee, lead worship, run overheads, preach, watch the kids, change dirty diapers, read a story to the toddlers, all in an hour and a half???
Now I know that there may be some who read this that say... Hey, When i started the church that's pretty much what I did... and to that I say... YEP... but not for long. You see in order to have a thriving ministry that is effective, it requires a lot of people. As the ministry grows, so does the number needed to make things happen at any given time. Setup, Tear-down, Counseling, Life Groups, Children, Youth, Sound / AV, Toilet Plunging.... you name it! Point is that WE (as in pastors) NEED People, without the volunteers, our job would be impossible. SO having said that, and with the power vested in me by Life Community Church, I say
THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!!! You all ROCK!

Weekend In Review! (for Tim B.)

This weekend at LifeCC Was AWESOME!!!
Just to recap (For those that were not there, or out of town... say in the mountains of western NC or something like that)

Sunday Morning (this morning) was a GREAT Success. Everyone was there ready to go with smiles on! Worship was good, and the teaching this week by Dick Teed (listen online)was RIGHT On Target and Much needed for today!
Thanks to all who made it and all who served today. Such a joy to be a part of a team that works, worships, and plays together!!! YOU GUYS ROCK!!

out

Growing - The Conclusion part4

To Wrap up this particular discussion, I want to recap a few questions asked

1. What does a "Healthy" church Look Like?
2. What does a "Growing Church" look like?
3. What does an "Effective" church look like?

In MY opinion, knowing that's all it ever is (an opinion)

A Healthy church is one that is always pointing people to Christ. Looks for opportunities to serve within their means and genuinely wants people to come to know Christ, their motivation for ministry is NOT the numbers, the bottom dollar, or how "Everyone Else" is doing it, but based on the call of God for that particular ministry.

A Growing Church, is typically defined by the numbers, and allot of emphasis is spent on parking, and crowd control if you will in relation to just moving the large numbers through the system. Most systems in this type of church seem to be focused on the event and not necessarily the people.... just by virtue of numbers there will always be a large crowd at any event... Although these are not all bad things, where it can be bad is when "The Event" is all there is.

An Effective church is one that has a mission, a purpose and a goal and will accomplish that weather or not anyone shows up to help. These types of churches are generally characterized by their Programs, and their focus on a few direct projects.

So what does it all mean here???

What type of church are you?? what type of church are we??

Ultimately I think it is important to constantly evaluate and find a balance between all three types of churches

I want us to be a Healthy, Growing, and Effective church!!! And that's what we are!!!!!

I'm just sayin!!!

[;o)

Still Growing....... part 3

As I continue, since my last post I have had no less than 5 conversations specifically surrounding this topic. I am amazed at how much emphasis is on this topic, and how little true direction can be found in the bible regarding church growth.
Let me expound on a few things if I could.
The bible says in Psalm 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.
It also says in Acts 2:47
Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
Act 2:47 ...praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Unless I'm wrong, which, you know, I'm not... The focus throughout the word of God was never on the number of people.... instead the focus was on the heart of the people and their actions toward others....
a few examples -

1. David and Goliath, the masses against the children of Israel, saved by one man with a heart toward God
2. Isaiah (1:13) Phophesied, the incense of the children of Israel was an abomination to God, because their HEARTS weren't there
3. Never once did Jesus ask peter if he had met His "Fish" quota, nor how many "Fish" he had caught

These are just a few other examples.... many many more, but I won't continue, because - even though God didn't expressly talk about numbers doesn't mean that we are foolish if we do! We are each responsible for what God has given us, to some it is a multitude, to others it's just a few loaves and a couple of fish. The important thing is that we are pointing others to the important thing----- GOD and Him Alone.

So what does that mean????

To take my clues from (yet again) the "WORD" - "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.

How many talents have you/I been given, and what are we going to do with it? Add to it, do the best we can with what we got? or do we look at the person that has more talents and strive to be like them???

Last thought for now (I will have more later) Romans 9:21 - does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

Growing Boy .... part 2

Yesterday, I left you with this thought;

How good, or how healthy you are has absolutely NOTHING to do with what tools you have to work with, or how much of something you have.

To continue.....

Over the last couple of years, I have been faced with numerous personal, and professional questions related to church growth. I had a friend of mine state "You cannot have an effective, relational church with more than 1000 people". This has always bothered me. I have never been one to focus on the numbers in church, but have always liked and wanted to be a part of a large thriving church.... which is where this blog comes from. As I have been searching, watching and asking.... a couple of questions have come to my mind

1. What does a "Healthy" church Look Like?
2. What does a "Growing Church" look like?
3. What does an "Effective" church look like?

I have spent a lot of time talking with friends in ministry about the differences in different churches and their individual ministry styles. Most of the discussion revolves around the juxtaposition of the "Seeker" (SE) and "Spirit-Led"(SL) church models. I have always been apart of the "Spirit-Led" model. One of the most talked about points, which I will expound on, is the issue of "The Numbers" i.e, how many people are attending the church in question.

I have heard ministers in the "SL" model talk about numbers from the perspective of ... "It's not about the numbers.... but how effective you are at ministry that counts"
At the same time ministries from the "SE" model say "We are healthy, and therefore can reach more people effectively"

Please be aware, that Our church, though leaning more toward the "SL" side of ministry, is still growing very well, and is no way the reason I am discussing this topic

Let me start by saying this..... Bigger doesn't mean better, nor does smaller mean more "Relational".

As I look at this discussion, I see that it is more or less like debating the health benefits of Pepsi vs. a piece of chocolate cake.... pointless. Ministry is and should be about one thing and one thing ONLY. Bringing people to a better understanding of Christ! How do you do that??? The options are endless, but that is not what this particular blog is about.

I think it's time the church stop looking at numbers to justify how well they are doing, and look at the heart of the ministry....
Are people coming to a better understanding of Christ?? YES?? Then you are doing well!!! The rest is just details.
But while I am on it, let's talk about the details for a moment.

1. Size - Say you aren't growing in numbers.... does that mean you have stagnated? well maybe... but I think a better question to ask would be.... why aren't people coming? your particular theology? Style? "Relational-ness" or lack thereof? If you can seriously ask these questions... and hear the answer (Weather or not you agree with it) I believe it will speak volumes as to your health as a ministry and effectiveness.

At the same time... If you are growing in leaps and bounds, are you healthy??
well... again, I think the same questions need to be asked.... Just because people are flocking to you, doesn't necessarily mean you are healthy.... you may just be more popular! Why are people flocking? Because you have a great band, great theology? or because it is easy and non-confrontational? or because it feels good??

No matter what size you are, or what state of growth, you need to ask these type of questions so you can really know if you are healthy. Growing up, I was a BIG Kid, and it wasn't till later in life I found out I was NOT Healthy... just big! Now I am trying to get healthy

That's all for today.... more to follow

Let Em have another piece of cake... he's a growing boy!

I used to LOVE going to grandma and grandpa's house when I was a kid. It was phrases like "He's a Growing Boy" that would allow me to indulge and get pretty much whatever I wanted out of my grandparents. Unfortunately, it also led to the whole overweight and food allergy problem. Not that it was their (or anyone but mine) fault.... but what I was learning was that Growth was based on getting. I remember getting ready to go into the sixth grade. My sister had been playing the flute for two years, and I wanted to join the band.... My parents didn't have much money at the time, so they gave me a trumpet that had been sitting in storage for about 20 years.

Before I go too far, let me tell you about this trumpet..... When I got the trumpet, I remember the first thing I noticed was the smell. It was fairly pungent and had sort of an acrid overtone.... later I was to learn that is what happens when you mix brass and mold-- ie not pretty! The tuning slide had not been moved or oiled in at least the 20 years it had been sitting around, and had magically welded itself in place (Something else i learned WAS possible without a welder). The case was brown with a brown leather trim on the edges and the inside looked like orange velvet (that used to be red). I was NEVER Prouder in my LIFE!!! This was MY trumpet.... I had my own instrument, and was beginning to walk down the path to be my own person, with my own unique identity (and a crappy fallin apart trumpet that you couldn't tune if your life depended on it.... luckily we didn't live in jersey and weren't related to the mafia... but I digress).

I began the sixth grade ready to succeed with the words of my parents ringing in my ears.... "We give him 2 weeks and he will quit". What motivation! They weren't expecting me to fail, but up till that point in life, I hadn't showed real interest in much of anything.Let me tell you though... I was PROUD of my trumpet! I began band learning all I needed to know to succeed. Everyone else in the band was in the same place as I was... just beginning.... most of the other kids had rental horns, or hand me downs..... until...... DUN DUN Dahhhh (Dramatic music).... HERBIE!
Herbie, was a good friend, we hung out and goofed around in class. When He started in band he was playing the rented horn.... not a big deal. We were all learning the basics, technique, what it means to have "Tone" etc.etc. I was rapidly excelling and at this point in the game, I had learned how to tune my trumpet just by how I played (I had no other options unfortunately) and was doing very well. Ended up in first chair by the end of the first semester, and stayed there till I stopped taking band in the 11th grade. About halfway through the first year, Herbie came into class with an unusually large grin on his face.... something had changed..... he put his case down, and put on white gloves.....?????? What???? We were all confused, thinking he may have just joined a cult..... opened up his case and pulled out his trumpet...... WOW!!!! A Bright light hit us all and nearly blinded us in the glory that was Herbie's SILVER Trumpet!!!!!

Now This was not just any silver trumpet.... but a BACH Stradivarius.... $1500 piece or shiny trumpet! I just KNEW that at that moment... I had lost first chair... Herbie just won! He had the prettiest trumpet I had ever seen.... not only did all of his valves and slides work, and work well, but I had NEVER seen a trumpet without a dent. He even had a little leather valve guard.... man he had it all!!! I would had been jealous, but I was so confused as to how it was possible to have such a machine! Then Herbie began to play........

Herbie, if you happen across this post, please don't think ill of me.....

Herbie wasn't first chair, but at the same time Herbie wasn't last chair either. I think the guy that was last chair didn't even come to the school.... we always saw him on days there was a special event or field trip.... and I think he was 35 repeating the 6th grade.... not sure though. Herbie sat next to that guy. He was usually 3rd or 4th trumpet, and at one point when there was a lice epidemic going around I think Herbie made it all the way up to second chair next to me. As he began to play, I was amazed yet again. I didn't know that it was possible for a trumpet so beautiful that it brought a tear to your eye just looking at it, could sound so bad that it would make a goose fly north for the winter just to put itself out of its misery!!!

(This is the part of the blog where I get to the point)
I learned a very valuable lesson that day.... How good you are has absolutely NOTHING to do with what tools you have to work with, or how much of something you have. This is something that I wish I had to put to practice a bit more growing up... but a good revelation none-the-less.
This lesson has come full circle in the last few years, to be one of the most powerfull guiding line for my life and ministry... in my next post, I will go into more detail as to how and why.... but for now I leave you with this....

How good, or how healthy you are has absolutely NOTHING to do with what tools you have to work with, or how much of something you have.

The Wilmington Milestone

This past week, Tim Blevins and myself had the opportunity to go spend a little time at PC3.
Without going into too much detail, let me just say, I was overwhelmed when I walked into their new sanctuary.

You see, I have lived in this town for many years, and most of my ministry experience and expectations have been built around this town. At my last church, when it was younger I spent a lot of time learning about church growth, and planning, and being a part of vision-casting sessions... and durring it all, I had this sense that there must be more. There MUST be a way to have a church over 1000 people that is thriving, growing and healthy. This week, I realized that PC3 has Broken the mold!

Sure there are other churches that have more than 1000 total members, but MOST of them are based on a doctrinal draw...

PC3 started from scratch, and this weekend are having the first service in their own building!

All I have to say is

GREAT JOB PC3!!!! You guys have set a standard for wilmington, that will hopefully NEVER go back!!

I am so thrilled to be in a town that can and will support such a thriving ministry!

The Process

So for the last couple of months, I have been walking out my new role as Connections Pastor here at LifeCC.

Here's the update

1. I am amazed every day, how much God likes to stretch me. some evenings I get home and squish into the recliner and feel like Mr. Incredible after getting hit by a boulder and re-solidifying--- I wouldn't change it for the world!
2. I find out every day just how much I don't know and how much I have to learn about people and what makes them tick.
3. People like green T-Shirts
4. Guests to a church all have their own language and expectations... if you can meet them at the door and say "We are trying to meet your expectations"(or communicate to your expectations) at the front door, they will be generally more at ease the rest of the time(till you bring out the bag of snakes.... just kidding... SERIOUSLY!).
5. You can "Lead" culture - The past couple of Sundays with the new T-shirts, I have seen more of a buzz created for relationship... last week we had quite a few "Core" people gone and you could see the buzz kept going, the relationships were still active and being formed with guests!! AWESOME!!!
6. I need to Blog More!

Based on #6, I will attempt to chronicle our process, and my growth as we get better at our processes and flow, and bring people closer to God, and each other!!

Questions I've never asked

I am on a journey. I have recently begun a new process at the church of moving into a role that would oversee and facilitate the visitors and newcomers getting integrated into the church.

My vision is to create a dynamic process in the church that will facilitate loving, energetic, and fully involved ministry for the whole body. A place where people can release the dreams God has given them and get new dreams if they've never had them!

I want this ministry to be so well run and smooth that it would be a model for other churches to use to integrate people into their individual ministries.

Having said all of that here are some questions that I have never asked, but should be asked... and answered.

1. How do I (or you, or a new visitor/guest) feel valued in church/ministry... what does that look like from a healthy perspective?
2. How is Church "Worth" my Time and Energy
3. What are My expectations out of church
4. What "Should Be" my/your/others expectations out of Church?


Just a starting place, but I would LOVE to hear anyone else's oppinions on these questions...

Any Takers???