Another Perspective

A good friend of mine is going through some struggles with our church. He's been pretty deep into a leadership role. That's often where pain and frustration happens at church. When you get "behind the curtain" and start dealing with all the real people involved in leadership. I was always cautious never to let a new Christian into a position of leadership at my church. The deeper you get the more dangerous it can be to your faith!

So my friend has discovered this book that's been out a few years now titled, "So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore". It's written by a couple of pastors under a single pseudonym. Because of my history in the church and my avid search for a better way to do church, I'm going to be reading the book with him. I'll be blogging about the thoughts I have on it.

I invite you to consider reading it, too. If you do, I'd love it if you would comment here and let me know what you think. I also found a website with a lot of podcasts by these two guys. I don't know if I'll have time to listen to these, but some of the topics are just interesting enough that I might.

Anyway, the overall frustration with the way church is done in Western culture is spawning a lot of interesting conversations. It's irritating to traditionalists but I think this is important as the church continues through it's new reformation.

Cowardly Lion

Sorry for the delay in getting to this third of three posts on the Wizard of Oz theme. The Cowardly Lion lacked courage. Although he was born to be King of the Jungle, his lack of courage caused him to hide in fear rather than claiming his rightful place. When it came to intimidating young girls he was all roar and bluster at first but quickly dissolved to tears at the first challenge.

How is it the Church, the Bride of Christ, has become such a pitiful laughingstock in the U.S.? It seems increasingly that church is most often the place where women gather and men occasionally stop by. How have we missed the truth that we are children of the King? We have been declared co-heirs with Christ. That makes us royalty. But like the Cowardly Lion we choose not to live in that reality.

How can the church better communicate to all those who follow Christ the nature of their true identity? How do we overcome the lies and help Christians live fully convinced of their God-given place? The answer isn't in better sermons or more inspirational worship services. I'm convinced that confidence comes from experience. The church must provide opportunities for people to experience the reality of being children of the King. In my opinion this means regular and challenging opportunities to serve others. Service to others has the power to change lives.

When given the challenge to attack the fortress of the wicked witch the Lion rose to the occasion and his life was changed. Ain't it the truth, ain't it the truth!

Scarecrow

Okay, so I wasn't intending to do a little mini-series on Dorothy's three traveling companions. But this morning I woke up with another thought on the struggles of the Christian church in America that could be illustrated with the Scarecrow. And, yes, a Cowardly Lion analogy has also come to mind...but you'll have to wait for that one.

The Scarecrow lacked a brain. Or, at least he thought he did. I won't go down the rabbit trail of how you can think you don't have a brain if you don't have a brain. Anyway, one of my frustrations with the church in America for decades now has been the utter Biblical illiteracy of the people in the seats. In a country with such an immense educational system and a Sunday School system in most denominations that is very well developed, why do we have so many people who are so ignorant when it comes to the Word of God? What has the church done to "teach" people that reading the Bible isn't a matter of life and death?

In my humble opinion we've inadvertently communicated that Biblical knowledge is the bailiwick of the pastors. No need for you to dig deep into scripture because there's someone who's taking care of that as their full time job. It's so ingrained in our culture now that even when pastors, in sheer frustration, beg, plead and cajole their people to read the Bible only a handful actually do. Bible classes are poorly attended and those who do come still aren't really digging into scripture like it was the best meal they'd ever experienced.

I'm convinced that until people become intimately familiar with the Bible itself...not books about the Bible, or study courses, or Christian fiction but the actual Bible...we'll continue to hear the theological equivalent of "if I only had a brain" from those who call themselves Christians.

Tin Man

Just a few days ago I returned from Scotland where I attended the British Open golf tournament. Now I'm visiting locations for our community service events on the East coast. I've had a lot of time in planes and cars. Inevitably my mind turns to the church. Sometimes it's personal...like why did I leave church work and should I go back to it. Sometimes it's reflections on what the church does and why.

Over the last couple of weeks I've finished the book Wicked upon which the smash Broadway musical was based. There's a surprising bit of conversation in the book about religion and belief. There's very little about the tin man.

But the story of the tin man is that he didn't have a heart. Have you ever felt empty inside? Purposeless? Today I got to thinking about the role the church plays in dealing with this. Did you know that scripture tells us that the role of church leadership is to equip the saints for ministry? Then I got to thinking that in most churches the leadership hoards the ministry instead of equipping others and giving it away. I finally put the two together. Maybe all those people in the seats on Sundays who are listless and unmotivated aren't being equipped for ministry. Maybe they lack the heart because no one in leadership is uncovering, nurturing and encouraging the gifts God's given them. Maybe we in church leadership aren't following Biblical counsel and are cheating all those people out of the chance of living full and fulfilling lives.

Maybe we're holding on to the tin man's heart and it's time to give it back to him.

Frustrating As Always

Had the chance today to read another persons review of a dying church that I've been trying to help. Pretty much the same assessment as I've had. The church isn't welcoming, the services are muddled and confusing, the music is poorly done and...this is my addition...the pastor really doesn't care.

How can anyone take money from people to lead a congregation and truly not care about what happens to the church and still sleep at night? I truly don't get it. He seems like a nice guy, but the reality of what he's doing is devastating this church. But he keeps cashing the checks. Worse, the church keeps paying his salary and benefits.

I don't know what's worst of all, a congregation that won't hold their pastor accountable or a pastor who seriously couldn't care less the church he leads is going down the toilet.

P.S. I'm headed out of the country for a week so won't be posting, most likely.

The King is Dead

In case you hadn't noticed, Michael Jackson, The King of Pop died suddenly at the age of 50 on June 25th. I thought I'd mention it because you may have missed the worldwide media frenzy, the tweets that temporarily shutdown Twitter or the overwhelming surge in sales of anything having to do with Jacko.

I'm fifty myself born just nine days before Michael in August of 1958. I really enjoy his music and thought he was a very special talent. My daughter is crazy about him which her 20 something friends don't really get. I get it because my friends didn't get it when the death of Elvis rocked my world in 1977. But this post isn't about Michael or Elvis. It's about a world that worships and idolizes frail, broken, sinful human beings. We keep looking for the divine in other human beings. It's a natural urge we humans have because we know there's something better than ourselves. Our Creator built it into us to look for Him.

But while nearly all the world was trying to catch a last glimpse of the greatness of Michael Jackson, thousands of people across the U.S. were truly reflecting the glory of the true King, Jesus Christ. If you're hungry for the divine and you want to see what people filled with the Holy Spirit look like, I invite you to take a look at any of the Workcamps or Weeks of Hope happening right now across the country.

Young men and women are giving up a part of their summers and a substantial amount of money to help elderly, disabled and disadvantaged people they've never met in communities they've never been to before. They're sleeping on classroom floors, eating cafeteria food and working in rain, heat and humidity. All of this because they're followers of Jesus Christ. Bit by bit, little by little they're changing lives and making a world of difference. Just tonight some of them are being so deeply affected by the experience that it's redirecting their lives.

I doubt any of these people will get a gigantic memorial service at Staples Center when their lives come to an end. But if you're looking for the truly divine skip the pop icons and take a look at people living out their faith with genuine passion and commitment. That's the church at her best and you'll never find better.

The Real Thing

In just a couple of hours I'll board a plane for Utah. Next week I'm leading a Workcamp for my company serving the Ute Nation in northern Utah. It's the highlight of my year to be able to work with Christian teens making a real difference in the lives of people in need.

One of the things I like most about this work is that we're not doing street theater or handing out tracts. We're actually impacting the lives of people by meeting their basic needs. That kind of thinking really upsets a lot of people who believe the most basic need is eternal salvation. In my experience people who don't have secure shelter, sufficient food or a bed to sleep in aren't much impressed with your concern for their eternity. When you help people because you love Jesus it may make them curious to know this same Jesus...or it may not. That's not really the point.

We help because Christ calls us to the task. We demonstrate love to these people and expect nothing in return. We put our faith into action, not as a recruitment tool or a sales gimmick, but out of genuine concern for the least of these. At the end of the day I'm more concerned about lives touched than a salvation body count. It's all about motivation and I truly believe people can tell the difference.

A Departure

For all my readers who have their own blogs or websites I just wanted to take a moment and let you know about an amazing free advertising service I found. It really is free and you'll have the opportunity to drive traffic to your website or blog. And if you're serious about sharing your thoughts with the world, as I am, you really should check it out.

When Hollywood Gets it Right

I'm up late watching Sister Act on TBS. There's a lot to admire in this movie. The underlying theme of a church being revitalized by a woman from the "outside" is very moving. It also reveals the prevailing world view that many Christians isolate themselves hiding from the real world behind walls and prayer.

It's an older movie, but that opinion is still strong in our culture. Church doesn't really have anything to do with real life. We Christians are responsible for some of that perception. In my experience organized religion, as a rule, takes so very long to catch-up with the culture. Centuries ago the church was the cultural center of the world. All the best art, music, literature and more came directly from the church. Some of the finest beer in the world is brewed in monasteries.

I believe the reflective, prayerful, holy life can, in fact coexist and even more, effectively interact with the culture. We can get outside the walls and make a huge difference in the neighborhoods right around us. And beyond.

It doesn't just happen in the movies. And today it's more urgent than ever that we find a way make a real impact in the name of Jesus.

Helping No One

Today I was once again reminded why I started this blog in the first place. There are just so many churches out there being led by people who lack leadership skills. Granted, leading is hard. Leaders have to rally the troops. Leaders have to exercise discipline, both personally and corporately. Leaders must confront individual wrongdoing for the sake of the integrity of the larger ministry.

There are far too many people in church leadership (pastors) who lack the requisite skills to deal head-on with uncomfortable situations. Fear of offending folks or causing people to leave the church ends up crippling a pastor's ability to accomplish good ministry. We settle for mediocre, or worse, as long as no feathers are ruffled.

The truth is that when a pastor refuses to confront blatant misbehavior and allows people to continue as if nothing was out of order no one is helped. The person engaged in reckless and destructive behavior is enabled. People affected by the behavior are wounded. People watching the behavior and lack of any action are confused. Eventually the whole mess collapses while people claim there was nothing they could do.

Good leaders take action that is appropriate, timely and well considered. Rarely will you find difficult situations going unaddressed in a healthy church.

Praise for a Friend

One of my best friends from college is the senior pastor of a church in Illinois. I stopped by to visit him today as we headed back to Colorado following my mother-in-law's funeral. I have to say I'm consistently impressed with his church and the way in which he's leading.

The church is developing new locations with new formats and my friend, Mark, is raising up pastoral leadership from within the congregation. No fewer than three men are currently pursuing ordination while they lead ministries within the church. They've developed a cool little coffee shop area on the main floor, they have an awesome video producer (who also happens to have come out of my youth ministry) and so much more. They put on a clinic for people in the neighborhood offering simple exams, and more.

There's a dynamism to the place and I credit pastoral leadership for this. He's casting a big vision for how this church can truly make a difference. It's hard work and it pushes the comfort level of staff and members alike. But real ministry is seldom easy. It's fun to visit places where they're mostly getting it right.

Moving to the Front of the Room

I haven't blogged in a bit because my Mother-in-Law died last Friday and my wife and I are on an unexpected trip to Chicago. It's been an interesting few days as we've navigated through the traditional rituals surrounding death in this culture.

As strong believers in Jesus Christ both my wife and I find this to be a time of great joy as her mother was struggling with dementia and has been steadily losing her capacity to remember anything for the last few years. Her sudden and unexpected death from a perforated bowel was such a blessing and a release from the slow death from Alzheimer's that we were expecting. That and our certain knowledge that she's been released from this temporal life of pain to an eternal life of freedom in God's amazing presence made for more celebration than mourning.

Lots of people...even fellow Christians...don't quite get that. How can you be okay with the death of a parent? The simple truth is that none of us gets out of this existence alive, physically anyway. We will all die. It struck me more this time than any other, that we're all moving to the front of the room. (For those who've not attended any funerals, the front of the room is occupied by the dead body in the casket!)

If scripture is true, those who truly know Jesus are actually longing for the day when they get to the front of the room. There's an anxious longing to be shed of this body and to get on with eternity free from the pain and oppression of sin we experience here.

I wonder if the church were doing a better job of expressing the joy, peace and freedom that is ours both in this life and in the life after this one if there wouldn't be more people excited about moving to the front of the room. If we were really living out the incredible life Jesus accomplished for us on the cross there might be more celebrating and less mourning when our faithful loved ones make the transition from this life to the next. Churches should be full of people living out the victorious life regardless of physical circumstances and eagerly awaiting their turn at the front of the room. Since that's not usually the case, I'm left to wonder...yet again...if those who lead our churches are doing all they can to help us fully grasp this truth.

A New Season of Hope

It's that time of year again. The time when I get the chance to gather with nearly 100 college aged young men and women preparing to serve as Group Workcamp and Week of Hope staff in locations all across the country. These dedicated Christians will facilitate life-changing mission trips for over 21,000 teens and their adult leaders. Putting faith into action as they coordinate lodging, supplies, programs and more all focused on connecting people to Jesus.

Hundreds of homes will be repaired. Thousands of lives will be touched. Ministries, non-profits and social agencies will be flush with volunteers moved to action by their faith. All this work and the impact it will make is being accomplished by around 1300 church youth groups. With similar organizations doing the same type of work the number of churches involved in this kind of domestic mission is probably over 5000. This gives me hope as we engage young people in actively living their faith. Now imagine doubling or tripling that number! Then imagine that it wasn't just for a week or just in the summer.

There are so many great things happening and great opportunities for the church to truly make a difference in this American culture. At this time of year I am always most hopeful that the Spirit's fire will spread and the church will rise to it's holy calling to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Spirituality or Christianity

With this post I am almost certainly going to offend someone. In a recent post I asked for people to let me know about ministries they considered radically effective so that I could highlight them. For the record the near-silence in response did not inspire a great deal of hope in me. Either no one is reading this blog or those who are reading have no knowledge of a radically effective church.

It was near silence because the one response I did get was from my youngest sister's fiancee. He's a really great guy and I'm thrilled for my sister and him as they plan their wedding. They're great together and lots of fun to hang out with. The church he encouraged me to look into is Mile Hi Church in Denver. When I checked it out I found a church that is certainly steeped in spirituality. It's not a Christian church but it claims a membership of over 20,000 people. If you dig into their pages you'll find that they have a great respect for Jesus and even declare his divinity...in the same way that all of us are divine. I'm not sure how they deal with Jesus' declaration, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me." Herein lies the problem.

We are all spiritual beings. We are all hard wired by our Creator to know that something bigger than us exists. Most seek this "higher power" and the truth of God's existence is reflected in every religion on the face of the earth. But when we embrace all expressions of faith as equally valid we render none of them valid...including Christianity. Since each world religion presents a worldview and a view of humanity that contain elements that are diametrically opposed to the other world religions it simply cannot be true that all of them are right.

Now, most of us hate conflict and rancor. The declaration of Christ that he is Lord and the only path to the Father is problematic for many people. It makes Christianity seem exclusive when it's not. Christ's death on the cross paid the price for the sin of all humankind that has separated us from our Creator. The Christian Church is open to everyone and should reflect the love and acceptance of Jesus to all people regardless of color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else.

Pay close attention here. The Christian Church does not, can not and should not accept all belief systems, wrong thinking, sinful behavior masquerading as lifestyle choices, or any of the myriad of mistaken thoughts and ideologies embraced by spiritually seeking people. We love the people and confront untruth with truth. Mile Hi Church seems to be a place that happily embraces truth, untruth, half-truth, sin, rebellion and ignorance all the while calling it enlightenment. And many, many people flock to have their ears tickled by this.

I write this blog for the sole purpose of challenging the Christian Church to wake-up, get real with both speaking the truth of Jesus and sharing the love of Jesus without reservation, without limits and without fear. Radically effective churches find a way to be fully engaged in their communities with every member of those communities while standing firmly rooted in the truth of scripture. The whole truth embraced unapologetically. That will upset some. So be it.

Check Out the Resources --->

The links on the right side of the page includes some things I thought might be helpful. If you're looking for ideas to grow your church attendance, there's a link for that. If you're struggling financially and looking for a Christian based resource to get out of debt, there's a link for that. If you find help here, I'd love to know about it.

A Summer in the Park

This isn't what you think. Two Rivers Church in Des Moines, Iowa has a great program during the summer. They show up at one of the most dangerous city parks that's off the beaten path and have a weekly cookout. They also run a Vacation Bible School program with the help from other churches like Rechurch where our daughter attends. These are the sorts of things that radically effective churches do. Where's the most dangerous city park in your town?

Looking for Great Examples

I realize I've invested a lot of time on this blog exposing the weaknesses and poor performance of the Christian Church. There's no shortage of excellent examples to support these criticisms. There are also great things Christians do in our world. Some of them do it with their churches and some do it in spite of their churches!

I'm looking for stories of churches getting it right. If you know a church that's truly, radically effective (see my earlier post for the definition) I'd love to highlight them here. I'm working to drive more traffic to this blog and hope to become a strong voice encouraging the church to do much better than it's ever done.

Additionally, if you're looking for an effective church to join eventually we can build a network of churches around the country and let you know where they are. That's an ambitious goal, but I don't want to just rail against what the church is doing wrong but, as my subtitle says, reimagine how it could be.

Please share your applause for churches getting it right!

Another Radically Effective Ministry

I'll start with a disclaimer here. This ministry started out of Saddleback Church, the wildly successful and groundbreaking ministry launched by Rick Warren. One of the great benefits of being a megachurch is that so many people find that reason enough to take you seriously. The various ministries of your church can become their own brands. Such has happened at Saddleback with Simply Youth Ministry and with the ministry I'm highlighting today, Celebrate Recovery.

This amazing ministry anchored in the traditional 12 steps of recovery has exploded around the world and is helping millions of people deal with their addictions. In Celebrate Recovery language, their hurts, habits and hangups. This ministry is now planted in churches and is reaching communities of people who might never have otherwise set foot in a church. That's another mark of radical effectiveness, do ministry for people whether they join your church or not.

If you're interested in learning more about recovery from addictions check out Recovering Life, my musings on the process of recovery.

Speaking of Doing It Right

A Church here in Loveland, Colorado sponsors a day of service every spring. This year over 1300 people repaired over 100 homes in a single day. This is the kind of thing that makes a community impact. They call it Project One and it got the attention of the local press making front page news. Radically effective churches do these sorts of things.

Laundromats

This friend of mine who heads up an incredible charity and is one of my most cherished mentors had this brilliant idea. As with most ideas it's stunning in its simplicity. In response to the desire of some in a Bible class he teaches to put their faith into action he proposed this concept. Laundromats.

Often the people who go to laundromats are in transitional housing or in a transitional place in their lives. He suggested going on Sunday morning because the people who are in the laundromat on Sunday morning are most likely the target audience of the church...the unchurched. Bring along a pot of coffee, a box of doughnuts and rolls of quarters. When people come in to do their laundry you jump up and offer to buy, placing quarters in the machine. Then go back and sit down.

Naturally the person will be curious and ask why you did that. Your simple response is "because I love Jesus." That's all. When it's time to dry the clothes you pay again. Offer coffee and doughnuts to the person and any of their children. If they want to talk, engage in conversation. But let them start it.

The next week show up again. After a few weeks you'll start to get to know the regulars. Soon, you can tell them you're out of quarters but you have a washer and dryer at home they can use for free and their kids, if any, can play and watch TV at your house. Over time this kind of service will make a difference in these people's lives and they'll be open to hearing about this Jesus who you follow. Even if they never become that curious you still serve because you love Jesus.

What did I tell you? Brilliant, simple, powerful.