Monthly Archives: April 2009
Providing a Second-Rate Worship Experience
My favorite line from chapter 3 of Ten Stupid Things That Keep Churches From Growing is: ”At Seacoast Church, nothing gets announced if it impacts less than 25 percent of the audience. If sister busybody’s quilting bee is canceling its Thursday meeting because of sister blabbermouth’s goiter operation, they can just call each other.” That’s just funny.
In this chapter Geoff Surratt looks at the worship experience and the importance of making the Sunday celebration worthy of our God. In this chapter Geoff lays out 10 sort of easy ways to improve your weekend experience.
Geoff lists, “Ask the hard questions” first, and this is (to me) the most important. The others will all be easier to tackle with these questions answered. Some of the hard questions to ask are: “What is the purpose of having a service every morning?” and “Who are we trying to reach?” Without answering those questions, issues of music, technology, creativity, preaching, and atmosphere become much more difficult to address.
Another thing Geoff suggests is to see your service through the eyes of a first-time attender. He invites readers to “imagine walking into your church for the first time.” Seeing how we do things through fresh eyes might change how we do some things, or how we say some things. Soliciting new attendee feedback, a perspective from another church, or even using a secret shopper service can help you get a read on what it is like to be a guest at your church.
Without specifically mentioning the book, Geoff references The Big Idea which was written by the team at Community Christian Church. He says, “A great exercise to streamline your weekend service is to sit down with a team immediately following Sunday morning and analyze everything that was said and done. What was the one thing we wanted people to walk away with this weekend?” Many times at church we receive so many different messages, it would be impossible to remember them all, and in the end we forget all of them.
I experienced this last Sunday at my church. I remember hearing about a men’s ministry breakfast, a volunteer fair, needing nursery workers, sign up to join small groups, and a new multi-site campus possibility. I had to sit and think to try and remember what book of the Bible was even talked about (Philemon). I remember that the sermon was titled “Runaway Love,” but cannot recall any takeaways (I probably should have taken notes). Regardless, there were so many things to remember, i forgot one of the most important things.
What advice do you have to offer that will help others avoid providing a second-rate worship experience?
Ten Stupid Things That Keep Churches From Growing is available in print or as an eBook wherever books are sold.
Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, ChristianBook.com
family man
a couple weeks ago kate and i watched the movie - marley and me#mce_temp_url#. we had both read the book and had a dog with a mind of his own for 5 years. the story is of a couple who gets a dog who is the worst dog in the world, and the (mis)adventures they have as their family grows. one thing the movie really harped on was that john grogan (the main character and narrator) was reluctantly a family man. he seemed envious of his friend who traveled the world covering flashy news stories, while he wrote a successful column and raised a family.
we have just been given a recent addition to our little fann clann, luke (or as i like to call him, sweet baby lou). an i gotta tell you, i absolutely love being a family guy. i love being married, love having kids and love being domestic. i have no regrets having a family. the funny thing to me is that john grogan and his wife planned having kids, and kate and i were not. we thought that it would be the two of us. both of our boys were oops babies, and they are the best oops in the world.
the best parenting advice i’ve ever gotten is that focusing on your marriage is the most important thing. don’t let your kids slide ahead of your wife in regards to importance. what about you? what’s the single best piece of parenting advice your given or been given?
questions from the divine commodity blog tour
yesterday skye jethani visited a host of different blogs talking about consumerism, christians and the church. each blog asked him a question, and he responded to each one. below is a list of the participating blogs and their questions. please visit the blogs to see their posts and skye’s answer to their questions. and if you have a question for skye regarding the divine commodity, visit the divine commodity facebook group and post it up there, or visit his blog.
Out of Ur – no question, but a book excerpt is up
Flowerdust.net- For those of us who have read The Divine Commodity, we know you’re not being divisive or writing about “what’s wrong” with the church. We know that it’s a book that explores the culture of modern-day faith and Biblical context and wisdom.
Why should a pastor read this book? How can those of us who aren’t pastors graciously help communicate the message of The Divine Commodity without coming off like we have an agenda?
Stuff Christians Like -In your book you unfold a beautiful picture of Van Gogh’s faith, something that largely, if not entirely, was missed by believers that lived in his generation. Who are we in danger of missing today? What artists, are worshipping and pointing us back to an unbelievably imaginative God, and going wholly unnoticed in our generation?
Mark D Roberts -I would like to ask you to talk about the relationship between your book and the recent Newsweek cover story on “The End of Christian America.” I can think of several interesting connections, but rather than asking about these, I’d rather give you free reign to comment on how you see The Divine Commodity relating to state of Christianity in America, and especially its purportedly waning influence.
Ben Arment -You wrote about the move among churches from collaboration to competition. I totally see this. In fact, the very churches that advocate cooperation seem to be the most ruthless at gobbling up “market share.” How do we get back from here?
Church Relevance -How can a church best avoid becoming a victim of consumer culture?
Bob Hyatt -So, what do you say to the pastor or Christian leader who decides to embrace consumer-driven ideas and principles for ministry because they “work?”
Cole-Slaw -Skye, what is the most extreme example of consumer-oriented Christianity you have seen or heard about?
The Forgotten Ways -Are you hopeful that we can recover an authentic discipleship ethos in the church given our enculturation by consumerism?
Reclaiming the Mission -how can pastors take advantage of this economic upheaval to forge a new post consumer post American way of being church-mission in the world?
Shaun Groves -What message does God have through The Divine Commodity for church leaders and the rest of us who are fretting over the dwindling size and influence of the American church?
Frank Viola -Skye, suppose that the leadership team of a local church of 100 committed members comes to you and asks, “We want to *fully* unleash the imagination inherent in the members of our congregation to express Jesus Christ in creative and effective ways, and we are willing to do ANYTHING you prescribe to accomplish this goal, no matter how drastic or radical it may be.” What would you tell them?
The Gospel-Driven Church -What specific advice would you give the churchgoer who is growing more disillusioned by the moment with the deadening consumerism of his or her church? The closest you come to prescription in the book is saying it is about personal transformation as seed-planting, but imagine someone is telling you personally that their church has lost all sense of the gospel and discipleship in community and that they don’t know what to do about it. What would you say to them?
Lee Coate -One, is the church responsible and even able to “set culture” as opposed to responding to it or attempting to remain relevant with it? (This question is based on the angst that many younger “professional” (pastors) Christians have expressed to me regarding their desire to see the church setting the pace in culture as opposed to merely reacting to it. Do you believe this is the churches calling and if so, is it actually possible? After experiencing the Religious Right, I’m not sure I want the church dictating government and/or the culture. In our conversations, art and music are usually mentioned as a way in which the church can regain the leading voice in culture.
Take Your Vitamin Z -Imagine you are talking to a new church planter. What are some practical things that you could communicate to him that boil down what you have learned in the process of writing your book that could help him guard against building a consumer church?
Staying Focused -In your book, you talk about the need to relearn the lost art of friendship (page 103). Coming from an introvert who finds Facebook and Twitter great tools to aid me in keeping up with people, can you please explain what the lost art of friendship is and how we would go about relearning it? Also, I’ve noticed that people from other cultures can spend hours and days sitting and sharing together. Is this required in this lost art?
Preaching Today -In The Divine Commodity, you explore how rampant consumerism has invaded the church. On a more specific level, how have you seen consumerism affect preaching, and how might today’s preacher remedy any wrongs?
Off the Agenda -What do you say to the Christian leader who favors applying consumer-driven principles to ministry because they “work?”
suffering: self-denial or self-centered
in working with skye jethani and his book, the divine commodity, i have found him to be one of the most thoughtful articulate people i’ve had the pleasure of knowing. his book has proven to be one that i keep coming back to as well. consumerism cannot be fixed in 7 easy steps. it is something that must be consciously dealt with on daily (if not more so) basis. in the book, skye offers spiritual disciplines to combat our tendencies toward consumerism.
today is a blog tour for skye and all over the interwebs (see full list of other blogs participating below). the premise is a blogger asks skye a question from or about his book and skye answers it. then readers of said blog(s) comment and skye will be checking and answering any follow-up questions that may arise.
You speak of suffering as being transformative releasing our desires and following in the steps of Jesus. When we do suffer many people are looking for comfort or others to help them, and might not lead to self-denial, but self-centeredness. How would you suggest we think outwardly instead of inwardly in the midst of our suffering?
This is an interesting paradox of our faith. We are called by Christ to bear one another’s burdens and to seek to alleviate the suffering of others, but when faced with trails and sufferings ourselves we are to meet them with joy and following willingly in the footsteps of Christ. Consider Jesus’ own earthly life. Virtually everywhere he went he healed those suffering from both physical and social ailments, but he himself embraced suffering and hardship.
One of the most vivid examples of these two elements of Jesus’ life side-by-side is when he’s hanging on the cross and sees his mother and John below (John 19:26-27). Although suffering terribly, he still cares for his grieving mother by commanding John to “adopt” her into his home and care for her as his own mother. Even at the pinnacle of his pain, Jesus still finds the capacity to alleviate the pain of others.
I saw this in my grandfather when he was dying from leukemia many years ago. The disease caused him to lose his eyesight. While in the hospital, he spent time meeting with other blind patients undergoing treatment. He always saw himself as existing for the benefit of others, even in his pain.
As the Apostle Paul says, “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” I believe he’s acknowledging that while we live upon this earth our purpose, like Christ’s, is to be a servant—to be an agent of his kingdom wherever we are. While in our pain and suffering we should be praying not merely for God to deliver us, and that is certainly a legitimate prayer, but we should also be asking him to illuminate the ways he wants us to use our circumstances to bless others. But apart from this sense of calling, this divine impulse, we are likely to turn inward and allow our pain to become an excuse for narcissism.
please visit the other blogs participating in the tour!
Out of Ur (OutofUr.com)
Flowerdust.net (http://www.flowerdust.net/)
Stuff Christians Like (http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/)
Ragamuffin Soul (www.ragamuffinsoul.com)
Monday Morning Insight (http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/)
Mark D Roberts (http://www.markdroberts.com/)
Ben Arment (www.benarment.com)
Church Relevance (http://churchrelevance.com/)
Bob Franquiz (http://bobfranquiz.typepad.com/)
Bob Hyatt (http://bobhyatt.typepad.com/)
Cole-Slaw (http://cole-slaw.blogspot.com/)
The Forgotten Ways (www.theforgottenways.org)
Reclaiming the Mission (http://www.reclaimingthemission.com/)
Shaun Groves (http://www.shaungroves.com/shlog)
Frank Viola (www.frankviola.wordpress.com/)
The Gospel-Driven Church (http://www.gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot.com/)
Christina Meyer (http://w2christina.blogspot.com/)
Lee Coate (http://leecoate.wordpress.com/)
Preaching Today (http://blog.preachingtoday.com/)
Gathering In Light (http://gatheringinlight.com/)
Off the Agenda (http://blog.BuildingChurchLeaders.com)
Take Your Vitamin Z (www.takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com)
Staying Focused (http://kimmartinezstayingfocused.wordpress.com/)
burning out in ministry
i got a copy of rev magazine in my box today and as i paged through it i saw a page devoted to burnout in women’s minsitry. it listed some of the top reasons women burnout in ministry, but these can be applicable to men and women alike:
- lack of communication
- not enough delegation
- unclear vision
- mixed up priorities
- lack of encouragement
the page also offers 5 ways to “burn-proof” your minsitry. the first one was to pray. in reading anne jackson’s book, mad church disease: overcoming the burnout epidemic as well as wayne cordeiro’s leading on empty, prayer is vital to your life as not only a minister, but a christian. obvious, right? well, maybe i’m alone on this, but when i am overcommitted, misunderstood, de-energized, and have clouded vision, prayer is forgotten about.
in reality, all else should be forgotten about. wayne cordeiro says “i needed God to quiet every voice but his own.” when i communicate well and often with kate, we click. when i don’t, we don’t just not click, we break. anne jackson says in mad church disease,
“God knows us even more intimately than our spouces do. and he designed us to express our deepest thoughts and longings to him…when we break away from prayer, whether we consciously realize it or not, we’re also breaking away from our natural design to talk and listen to our Creator. and without that line of communication flowing in both directions, we’ll begin to burn out.”
take some extra time to pray today, allow that line of communication flow between you and your Maker. and just like with your spouse, you don’t even have to always be saying something to communicate. just be with Him.
blog tour for the divine commodity
Skye Jethani, Managing Editor of Leadership Journal and author of the new book, The Divine Commodity, will be visiting over 20 blogs this Thursday, 16 April to talk about his book, and consumerism’s effect on Christianity.
In the book, Skye interacts with both consumerisms’ grip on American culture as well as the artwork and life of Vincent van Gogh and connects the two. In the end, Skye offers a way to break free of the grip of consumerism by practicing several spiritual disciplines.
Please visit this blog and the others linked below to read Skye’s answer to some great questions. Also, post your comments and questions as well to the respective blogs, as Skye will also be interacting with commenter’s on each blog. For more about The Divine Commodity, visit Skye’s blog (SkyeJethani.com). Here is a list of the blogs involved this Thursday:
Out of Ur (OutofUr.com)
Flowerdust.net (http://www.flowerdust.net/)
Stuff Christians Like (http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/)
Ragamuffin Soul (www.ragamuffinsoul.com)
Monday Morning Insight (http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/)
Mark D Roberts (http://www.markdroberts.com/)
Ben Arment (www.benarment.com)
Church Relevance (http://churchrelevance.com/)
Bob Franquiz (http://bobfranquiz.typepad.com/)
Bob Hyatt (http://bobhyatt.typepad.com/)
Cole-Slaw (http://cole-slaw.blogspot.com/)
The Forgotten Ways (www.theforgottenways.org)
Reclaiming the Mission (http://www.reclaimingthemission.com/)
Shaun Groves (http://www.shaungroves.com/shlog)
Frank Viola (www.frankviola.wordpress.com/)
The Gospel-Driven Church (http://www.gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot.com/)
Christina Meyer (http://w2christina.blogspot.com/)
Lee Coate (http://leecoate.wordpress.com/)
Preaching Today (http://blog.preachingtoday.com/)
Gathering In Light (http://gatheringinlight.com/)
Off the Agenda (http://blog.BuildingChurchLeaders.com)
Take Your Vitamin Z (www.takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com)
Staying Focused (http://kimmartinezstayingfocused.wordpress.com/)
ZonderFann (http://zonderfann.com/)
my story of establishing the wrong role
the second chapter of ten stupid things is one that i wish i had (wow has it been that long) 7 years ago. for as long as i could remember i wanted (and felt called) to be in the ministry. my wife and i had been married a whole 6 months and visited a little church in northern california. from the beginning, kate did not want to go. i chalked it up to the church was far away from her family, and she was a little scared. i was pumped that a church had interest in me – my first paid ministry position!
i distinctly remember sitting in one of my favorite places in the world – the schaumberg lou malnati’s pizzeria (THE best pizza, no exceptions), and i was trying to convince a tearful young wife that this was the right thing to do. long story short, i should have known then what the right thing to do was.
i didn’t have the first clue what i was doing, and my marriage almost paid the price for it. i was the youth guy and kids had no boundaries, and parents treated kate as if she were on staff. two stories will illustrate this:
1. our second house while there (for 18 months) we were evicted from because the kids were over nearly every day of the week. now, granted the landlady was a bit overprotective about the place, but i did not set boundaries on when kate and i were to be left alone. geoff calls this “playing the minsitry card” in the chapter. (basically saying that your wife needs to suck it up because i am doing “the Lord’s work”).
2. one night about 11pm kate and i were laying in bed after having just turned off the lights. i thought i heard something, but dismissed it. then i saw two figures enter our bedroom. being the man i am, i pulled the covers up and screamed like a 6 year old girl (seriously). in the end it was just two seniors playing a game, and having broken into the house through the window.
in the end, we left the church after 18 months because i finally got it through my head that my marriage was more important than my ministry, and we resigned and came back to the midwest. since then i would like to say that i have always put kate ahead of everything except for my relationship with God, but that wouldn’t be true…though i do believe that i am light years ahead of where i was in california.
establishing the wrong role for the pastors family
ten stupid things that keep churches from growing, chapter 2: establishing the wrong role for the pastors family. geoff looks at what not to do regarding your family, and specifically in your marriage. After sharing how he tested his marriage within the contexts of ministry, geoff shares 5 ways you can destroy your family:
- playing the ministry card: “honey, God has called me to ministry – what else can i do? o know that being a pastor’s wife is tough, but i can’t say no to God.”
- leading with the queen of hearts: making your wife the most available volunteer in the church
- trumping family time with ministry: “it’s surprising how often listening to the call of God seems to lead to ignoring the cries of the pastor’s own family.
- tipping the family’s hand to the congregation: using your last fight with your wife as the next sermon illustration, and other no-nos.
- betting the family’s future: not making decisions together when it comes to life and minsitry
in the rest of the chapter, geoff writes about how to fix what has been done, and avoid what could be done. he finishes with a profile of chris hodges from church of the highlands and an iq test (these iq tests finishe out each chapter). here is that test for you to take:
take the following iq test, then ask your spouse to read the chapter and take test. finally, hire a babysitter and go out for a quiet evening together to compare notes from the quiz and to plan next steps to continue building or to begin rebuilding your marriage.
- how would you describe your spouce’s role in your ministry?
- she works in the area of her gifting
- she fills whatever role is most needed in the church
- she isn’t really involved in the ministry at the church
- she resents the ministry
- how would your spouse answer this question: “how is the church impacting you and our family?”
- how do your children feel about your ministry? how do they feel toward the church?
- are you regularly building into your marriage and family? when was the last time you surprised your wife with a weekend away from the church? how long has it been since you loaded up the minivan and went camping with the family?
- is there another couple in ministry outside of your church with whom you can connect for fellowship and mentoring? would it be beneficial to talk with a christian counselor about your marriage?
