It Blogging Project, Week 2 - Who has It, & Bringing It into Focus

My, my it's been ages. The school I teach at has been in full swing, and all my extra blogging time has been taken up by lesson planning. I think things have leveled out and I'll be back to blogging consistently once more. Sorry for the delay. To make up for lost time, I'll be reviewing two chapters today.

Chapter 2: Some People Have It, Some Lack It

Highlights from the chapter: Craig basically recalls two wildly different experiences that he had when visiting two wildly different churches. One was the fanciest, most ornate cathedral-looking churches he could find. The church just looked holy. The second looked more like a warehouse. The experiences were not what he expected, though. The fancy cathedral church was filled with, what he described as, "the living dead." It was near-empty. He went there looking for God, and left hungry. The second was the exact opposite. A few new-found friends dragged him to the warehouse church, and he was amazed. The church was filled with people - and with expectancy. The pastor shared a message that impacted Craig so much that he remembers parts of the message to this day. What is the point? Facilities don't matter. People matter. The second church lived and thrived on people sharing, loving, inviting, caring for, and ministering to, people. People had It, wanted It, and shared It. To quote Craig:

• Beautiful buildings, cool environments and the right technology aren't necessary to have It.
• A person fully surrendered to Christ gets It. And once a person has It, he can't keep It to himself.
  

Chapter 2: Some People Have It, Some Lack It

The problem with It is that It is hard to identify. It is not only found in one type of church. It is not a model or system that can be copied. It does not come from having certain tools, materials, or decor. It doesn't come from having thousands of followers on Twitter or Facebook. Craig makes a good point of telling what It is not. The hard part was trying to quantify It. He came up with this: a rare combination of the following in God's people -

• Passion for his presence
• A deep craving to reach the lost
• Sincere integrity
• Spirit-filled faith
• Down-to-earth humility
• Brokenness

I'd like to add one more thing he didn't mention: it's not just in one person. If there is only one person displaying these traits in a church (say for example the leader), but the staff and followers are not, the church will only appear to have It. For there to be a real It movement - not just one, but many, need to hop on and drive It into the hearts of the people around them. Craig's closing notes for the chapter:

• It is not a model, system, or a result of programs. You can't purchase It. It can't be copied. Not everyone will get It.
• It can't be learned. Even though It can't be taught, It can be caught.
  

Some application points in my own ministry:
1. I have tried focusing on what brings It. I tried revamping a youth ministry by adding a glitzy sound system and projector. I played DVDs for both worship and sermons. I pushed to have a sound system in the youth room so we could have that real feel of having a "complete" facility. I was wrong. There was added excitement for a while. That much is true. And it is true that the facility can now be used for several other things throughout the week. But it didn't bring my youth group It.

2. When people have It, they live, breathe, talk, sleep, walk, eat, It. It is in the core of their being. They are defined by It. Someone once said "Light yourself on fire, and the world will come to watch you burn." Excitement is contagious. Expectation is contagious. Those who have It share these with those around them. We shouldn't be living with fake excitement - that's hype. On the flip side, we shouldn't just be dull and complacent. Our expectation should set us out - set us apart from the world. It is then that people notice It.

More to come soon!

If you don't have It yet, maybe you can find It in It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It.