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.

It Blogging Project, Week 1 - Where did It come from?

Each week, I will try to post relevant points from each chapter, as well as publicly discuss and answer the questions for reflection found at the end of each chapter. Feel free to join in and discuss your views on It while we're at it. :)


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
  

Some application points in my own ministry:
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.

It - Book Blogging Project

By now, some of you may have heard of the book by Craig Groeschel, It. It is about this certain something that some churches have and some do not. We'll be exploring what exactly It is. Approximately once a week, I will be posting a chapter review. Also, I have a small GoogleGroup discussing each chapter as well. If you want in, email me at .

For now, if you have not read the book, here's some resources online:

Buy the Book - It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It

Buy the DVD - It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It

FREE - Sample chapter and video about It

FREE - 30 minute Podcast message by Craig (right click - save as)

FREE - Study Questions for Podcast (right click - save as suggested)

Book Review by BibleDude.net

Community Service vs Direct Gospel

Something has been plaguing me for some time now. How do we actually affect change in our communities? How do we actually share the Gospel? I’ve read two books on the matter: Bob Pierce: This One Thing I Do, by Franklin Graham and Jeanette Lockerbie, as well as Revolution In World Missions by K.P. Yohannan. Both take diverse views on the matter.

Bob Pierce’s whole mission was action. He flew from place to place, meeting needs. He founded World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse. His whole ministry revolved around doing good for others as a way to open the door to the Gospel. He would many times even risk his own money by writing a personal check from his own account, only to ask the board of his mission agency for approval for the funds afterwards – with no guarantee that he would get it. He even gave guitars to a Muslim school because they needed them. It didn't matter that they might be used for singing Islamic songs - it was a way in to open the door to otherwise closed hearts. He filled needs all over the world - whether or not they wanted to hear the Word. I'm reminded of the old phrase: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

K.P. Yohannan takes a different stance in his book. Here's an excerpt:

“What is the greatest need for people? Is it that they have their bellies filled? Is it that we give them a cup full of rice? No.... their greatest need is to know and be saved by the Living God! Give them the gospel of Jesus Christ and all their needs will be met!”

Throw Jesus at them and they will accept Him and suddenly everything they need will be taken care of. His stance, in one sentence. True, the whole gist of any mission should be the opportunity to share Jesus. If we meet needs all over the world without sharing our faith, we are merely doing community service - not evangelism. There is a bit of truth in making sure that people accept Christ. But what happens to those villages that we evangelize a few years after we up and leave? Are they still worshiping our risen Savior? Have they lapsed into their old ways because their status in life has not been bettered?

You're probably thinking that I'm just here to bash K.P.'s book. I'm not. I'm here to talk about one word: balance. There were two major commands that Christ gave while he was on this earth.

The First:

So love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second most important commandment is this: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."
(Mar 12:30-31)

The Second:

So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do everything I have commanded you. "And remember that I am always with you until the end of time."
(Mat 28:19-20)

Basically, evangelism comes down to the golden rule and the great commission. Bob Pierce followed the first, K.P. Yohannan the latter. Truth be told, they are inseparable. If we are to effectively reach people. There must be balance between meeting needs and making disciples. Christ did this throughout his recorded lifetime. He healed the sick, lame, and blind. He fed thousands with just a single meal. He met needs again and again, and it opened doors for the Gospel to be shared. In this life, we are to be His hands as feet, as well as His voice to the lost and hurting.

I urge every pastor, youth pastor, leader, or individual that wants to effectively evangelize. Balance it. Meet needs and share the Gospel. Not one, but both. And let God do the rest... ;-)

Servolution Group Blogging Project - Day 12

The following was posted as part of a group blogging project concerning Dino Rizzo’s book, Servolution. This, as well as the rest of the posts, can be found on bibledude.net.

 

So far we’ve talked about a lot. From the cost of a servolution (your time, among other things), staying on course (learning when to say no), and finding a need to fill (sometimes in your own backyard). This chapter is a call to pastors everywhere – don’t just get your people involved, but appreciate them for it!

 

Maybe you’ve experienced this – you give up a hard-earned Saturday morning to do some volunteer work with your church. You show up on time, if not early, and things are a mess. No one is really sure where you can serve, so you get tossed into a menial task you just don’t care for. You know that you could be more effective doing something else, but you just grit your teeth and say to yourself “it’s for the kingdom.”

 

As the work shift comes to a close, the leader seems preoccupied with making sure all materials loaned out get returned. You drive home, but stop at a fast food restaurant for lunch because it was either missing or coming late at the site.

 

Don’t mistake me for being bitter. Really, I’m not. I wish I could tell you that this story was fiction. It’s not (okay, maybe a little – it was a Sunday afternoon, not a Saturday morning). The key – making sure your volunteers go home with a big “thank you” feeling in their hearts.

 

Not all churches are like the one I mentioned. I’ve had the privilege of volunteering with my home church back in the US – LifeChurch.tv – and I must say that every time I served, no matter how small or large, someone always said “thank you.” I remember my last week at LifeChurch before moving to Indonesia. To my surprise, I opened the room where we kept the things we needed to serve, and WOW – it was decorated just like a birthday party – photos taken over the last year were printed and hung – there was even a cake! They threw a going away party, just for me. I will always remember how much I was appreciated serving as part of the team at LifeChurch.

 

But where does that leave you? Does that mean you have to do buy a cake every week and find a reason to celebrate? Maybe not. Start small. Dino outlined a few key points – great each one with a warm welcome, acknowledge their sacrifice of time and energy, don’t waste their time – make sure every serving opportunity is well planned, and thank each volunteer before they leave – thanking them for their specific contribution. He listed several other great ideas – ways of saying thank you publicly, for example, but these were the most personal. If people don’t get the one-on-one appreciation, they won’t care about the appreciation in front of the masses.

 

Dino listed a few other points about how everyone has something to offer, serving helps you overcome past hurt, and that there is a place for everyone. These are all true. It is also true that serving through tough times builds camaraderie.  Dino expounds on these points, and I recommend you take the time to read through the chapter in full. But without that feeling of being appreciated, volunteers will walk away. No matter how great the fit, the easiest way to lose volunteers is to forget a simple “thank you.”

 

Appreciation builds loyalty. Not just any kind – but the kind that multiplies. People naturally want to bring others to share in the appreciation. It happened in the early church. People were thanked and it gave them the endurance to face tough times. Most every letter Paul wrote ended in some variation of “I thank God for you and all the things you do.” Wow – he didn’t just say thank you – he got God involved! Its like he was saying “Thank you, God, for creating this person just the way they are! Thank you for the talents you gave them that they can use to serve you, God!” He was publicly thanking not only the person, but the creator of the person. That’s one heck of a thank you!

 

Take a moment now, and think about how you can thank those in your life. For pastors, this will be your congregation and volunteers. Business owners and managers: your staff. For others, let’s see who in our lives we can appreciate. Even if it’s just the clerk behind the gas station counter, let’s start saying “thank you.” When we do, we’ll see God open doors for sharing His love with others.

 

That said, THANK YOU for reading!   ;-)

 

Fiction vs. Non-Fiction

Hello and welcome to my blog!

One thing you will find about the posts to come = fiction vs. non-fiction. It hit me recently: I had just finished a fiction book by Ted Dekker that I quite enjoyed (I read it within 48 hours of beginning!). A few days later I picked up a non-fiction book on how to reach people by Craig Groeschel. It occurred to me – if I didn’t take what I was learning and actually apply it, the book is, in essence, another good fiction book.

Don’t get me wrong – I’ve been reading non-fiction books by the likes of John Maxwell and others for years – and applying the concepts in my life. The trick was that this time, I was reading about how to revamp a ministry to become more effective in reaching people. I wasn’t sure if I was in a position to make these changes in my church. The list of excuses goes on. The point is that you can take what you read here on this blog and just sit and enjoy it…. oooooooooooor you can stand up and apply it in your life. I can’t say everything I post is perfect – we are all fallen beings – but I will do everything I can to bring you relevant, useful, applicable posts.

Again, welcome to the blog, and let the non-fiction begin!