Some highlights from the chapter:Some churches seem to grow when they have It. Some churches lose It and shrink. Fancy lights, cameras, and projectors don't give a church It. Some churches get It, lose It, and sometimes get It back. Some churches have ministries within them that have It, while other ministries in the same church don't. To quote Craig:
- The good news: if you don't have It, you can get It.
- The bad news: if you have It, you can lose It
1. I have worked hard to make sure that my youth group has all the stuff it needs: sound system, projector, decent instruments for worship. I set up a (now defunct) blog. I tried to make sure the youth room looked cool and inviting. Yet it doesn't seem to grow. Growth has only been incremental. Truth is, it is proportionally in line with the number of people at my church. If we just got down to basics - truly leading people to Christ, while leading people into the church - It-ness would take care of itself. Fancy tools give a wow factor - but not an It factor.
2. I know of a church that had It - and lost It. I don't feel right publishing the name of the church - but I can recall a time of growth - there were people constantly visiting - always somebody new. Sometimes they would stay, other times they would not. The church never grew over 100 people. I left the church and I heard that six months later, it closed its doors for good. What happened? The church moved. It got so focused on paying the bills for the new facility, that the focus shifted from reaching the people in that city to reaching into the pockets of the people in that city. Maybe that's not what happened - I'm just a third party viewer, unable to read the minds of those involved. From what I can tell, though, that was what caused the church to lose It.
3. If there has ever been a ministry that does have It, it would be - well - LifeChurch.tv - man! I know it seems like the easy answer - especially because the pastor is the one that wrote this book. From the first week I attended - I knew that it was my new church home. It was an absolute blast being a part of the team there. I think that was a big key in the It-ness - everyone felt like they were a part of a greater whole - everyone had a part to play in the people coming to Christ. Within a year, we had to renovate the facility in order to nearly double the capacity of the auditorium. When I was a part of It, I realize I was both a raving fan, as well as a dedicated worker. All the while, we were appreciated for the part we had to play.
So is that It? I think we've barely scratched the surface on It. Stay tuned for next week's topic: "Some have It, some lack It."
If you don't have It yet, maybe you can find It in It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It.
Posts
I think I know the church that you talk of in #2. I would agree that the focus shifted and that was part of loosing It.
ReplyDeleteI would also say that the minister that was in charge of the church held a tight reign. Because of that other people could not contribute to It and he became the sole source for It.
When one person is the only one who can hear from God, then It is not there.
Dude... great thoughts from this book! I appreciate how you shared varying experiences and how you felt when being a part of something bigger than yourself... great stuff dude!
ReplyDelete