Dedicated to helping the church in America find their purpose, define their mission and reach their community. Vol. 3
December 2014
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Editorial Giving To Your Community for Christmas
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Article A Theology of Hate
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No. 12
By Steve Hewitt
By Thom Schultz
Reviving the Small Church Christmas and the Small Church
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Cover Story How Does Your Church Minister to the Unchurched? By Steve Hewitt
By Michael Henderson Editor-in-Chief
Steve Hewitt - steve@ccmag.com
Staying Power Raw Emotions
Contributing Editors Thom Schultz Tim Kurtz David Murrow
By George Cannon
Copy Editor Gina Hewitt
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Church Hoppers Rather Fail
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No Longer Church As Usual A Change in the Building Plans
By Church Hoppers
Š Copyright 2014 by The American Church Magazine. All Rights Reserved Written materials submitted to The American Church Magazine become the property of The American Church Magazine upon receipt and may not necessarily be returned. The American Church Magazine reserves the right to make any changes to materials submitted for publication that are deemed necessary for editorial purposes. The content of this publication may not be copied in any way, shape or form without the express permission of The American Church Magazine. Views expressed in the articles and reviews printed within are not necessarily the views of the editor, publisher, or employees of Catholic Technology Magazine.
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Editorial
Giving To Your Community for Christmas I love all of the traditions of Christmas, the lights, the evergreen tree (representing life), the carols, the decorations and of course the gifts. I like to receive gifts, but I LOVE to give gifts. For me, the tradition of giving gifts is a reminder of the greatest gift God has ever given us, which is His Son! What is your church doing to “gift” your community? Most churches have special Christmas cantatas or a children’s program to tell the story of Christmas to those that attend. Frankly, in most cases, the only ones to attend are our own membership or close family members. There is a church near me that does a live nativity scene. They put up miniature buildings in their parking lot and for several nights have people dress up and they bring in some animals. You can walk through the parking lot and get a picture of what we traditionally think of when we think of the birth of Christ. I know of some small churches, or some small groups in larger churches that “adopt” a family and help by bringing in extra food or presents for the children. I love to be a part of these opportunities, and frankly THAT tells the real story of Christmas better than our cantatas or our nativity scenes. Christmas is about giving, and sharing the love of God. The American Church Magazine®
I would encourage you to do even more! Adopt your community for Christmas. Offer something to everyone. Take small gifts door to door. Or, offer some service or products to everyone that comes by your church. Or, encourage a gift drive to take gifts to those in the hospital, or those in nursing care. I know that many times we take up donations for food kitchens and such, but those in our communities don’t see this. To really celebrate Christmas, to really get the message of Christmas out to our immediate communities, find a way to reach out with a gift, service or ministry. And when you reach out with your gift, use this opportunity to let them know WHY you’re spreading this love, because you have received the greatest gift of all, Jesus. Together We Serve Him,
Steve Hewitt steve@ccmag.com
December 2014
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Cover Story
How Does Your Church Minister to the Unchurched? A series by Steve Hewitt
I
am a professional writer. I have written for over 25 years, and yet as I start this article I realize it is different from almost everything I have ever written. It will be personal. However, I feel the need to share since I know that most of our readers are either pastors or church leaders. I need to tell you a little story about what is going on in my life right now. In a way, I am unchurched at this moment. First, I resigned from pastoring the small church I had started in Lee’s Summit almost a year and a half ago. Second, I like to visit other churches and have done a lot of that in the last year. Third, we recently moved. My son purchased my home and our immediate family moved to Harrisonville, MO The American Church Magazine®
and we moved into a rental house. Our goal is to build our pastor retreat center on some land we purchased less than eight miles from where we live. We have visited several churches, met with the pastor and staff, attended a small group, but hadn’t settled in or joined a church. In the last six months I have been traveling around a bit speaking at conferences, etc., and just haven’t found a church home.
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The American Church Magazine速
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There is something else I need to share about what is going on right now in order for you to understand the question I state as the title of this article. About three years ago, a woman by the name of Tami attended the church in Lee’s Summit. Tami was in her mid 50’s, and worked six days a week, about 12 hour days, doing landscaping (manual labor). When she attended our church, we met her daughter, Ariel who was 14 at the time. Tami didn’t make a lot of money, and she was starting to have serious health issues as a result of making a career of working landscaping jobs. Her back was really hurting her, and, due to financing, we had helped move her more than once in a year’s span as she went from one apartment or trailer to another, trying to make ends meet and pay her rent. My wife became good friends with Tami. After moving her a couple of times, and understanding her physical problems, we wanted to help her start her own company, find a different line of work, etc., but eventually came to the conclusion that God wanted us to simply “adopt” Tami and her daughter. They moved in with us about two and a half years ago. We were able to get Tami on Medicaid and helper her to get the physical help she needed. She had a back surgery that took over six hours. The surgeon said it was one of the worst back injuries he had ever tried to fix, and it involved a six inch “cage” being inserted in her back. Tami’s daughter was 14 at the time they moved in with us, but she had been a latch-key child for several years. She was extremely shy. But in talking with her, she expressed a desire to be adopted, to finish school and allow us to help Tami in parenting her. Sorry for the long story, but all of this is important for you to understand what we are going through right now and to understand my question (the title). When the new “Affordable Care Act” went into effect, Tami was one of 360,000 people in Missouri that lost their Medicaid because our state didn’t opt into the plan that Obama and Congress had established. Because Tami’s daughter’s father died when she was just three month’s old, Tami’s only source of income after she was forced to quit work and have her back surgery is around $3,000 a year from Social Security. That is “too” much to receive Medicaid The American Church Magazine®
now in Missouri. So, as Tami has had physical issues, we have just had to pay for them out of pocket. However, about two months ago, Tami told us she was having a new physical problem and concern. She needed to have a mammogram (her first ever as a 55 year old woman). We took her to a doctor and had the tests. The results showed that she had an aggressive form of breast cancer. Within three days Tami was having problems breathing and we had to have her admitted to the hospital where they began to draw fluid from off her lung. After about a week she was well enough to have a MRI which showed that she had cancer in her lung as well as lymph nodes, in other words stage four breast cancer. She has been denied a PET scan so we don’t know if the cancer has spread to other parts of her body, but her doctor had her begin treatment immediately. From all of this I have been pondering several things. First, I have pastored churches for many years, and when I wasn’t a pastor, I have been an active member and served in several churches. However, as this disaster strikes our family, we are basically unchurched. Tami had been attending a church very regularly for the last nine months (a different one than my wife and I had visited a few times) but hadn’t “joined”. When she informed them of her situation and that she would be pretty weak and unable to attend, a few prayed for her at the church the last time she attended. I dropped the pastor of the church where my wife and I had attended a few times and told them our situation as well, and asked for prayer. But I never received a return email. I know that if I was an active member of a church, we would be swamped with food as other church members would want to minister to us, especially on Monday’s when we go to have Chemo. The last three weeks, we have been to hospital and doctor offices 11 of the last 15 business days, and some extra support would be fantastic. But I realize we aren’t members anywhere right now. But, in reflecting, it doesn’t change the fact that we could use someone to minister to our immediate needs. I am not writing this in the hopes that a local church will read it and adopt us, but rather in reflection of why and how we minister in our communities. When Jesus instructed us to feed
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the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, did he just mean those that were acknowledged and active members of our church? So, here is my really serious question! How could a church begin to provide support and ministry to families struggling with serious health issues like cancer, or financial issues like job loss, or marriages that are falling apart due to substance abuse or infidelity? Are we only able to help those within our congregations? Or, are we only “willing” to help those within our congregations? Last year I remember meeting with a pastor of a church that had been in decline. We talked to him about being “missional” to their community. He shared that they owned an older home across the street from the church and had started a clothing ministry from it. The pastor shared that within the last year they had provided free clothes to over 300 families from within their community. BUT, he also shared that they were going to close down the clothing ministry. Why? Because in the last year no families that they had ministered to had come to join their church. If you were a normal business, that would make sense. They were not seeing a tangible return on investment. But in light of our purpose and mission given to us by our Lord, are we to measure the success of ministry by such results. Do we maintain a ministry to help the sick, naked and hungry with the goal of a higher attendance or greater offering from those we ministered too? What are your ministry goals? And how would you, if you could, minister to those in your community that are unchurched? I do want to tell you of one way that greatly blessed us. As we took Tami in to the Cancer Center to learn about getting her chemo treatments, the nurse brought in a quilt. She said that a local church group made these for the cancer patients. There was a little sticker on the quilt that shared it had been provided by Woods Chapel United Methodist Church. The nurse told us that the women who made the quilt prayed over them during the process, praying that God would be with whomever it was that received it to help them through their cancer treatments. I can tell you that at the time, it caused me to cry, as it does now as I write about it. Knowing that someone cared and was praying for Tami, even though we would never meet The American Church Magazine®
the people that provided this ministry to us, touched our hearts and reminded us that God hadn’t forgotten Tami or our struggles. I have actually visited at Woods Chapel many years ago, but it is almost 40 miles from where we now live (but near the cancer treatment center we will be traveling to for the next six months). I won’t be visiting, nor joining, but I called one of their pastors to let him know how blessed we were by their ministry. I wonder how many other unchurched and even nonChristians are moved by their efforts to reach out and minister to strangers who are going through such a tragic time in their lives. So, I ask again, how does your church minister to the unchurched? I must tell you the truth, I prefer to be the one ministering to others, than being the one in need of ministry, but when it does happen and you are on the receiving end of ministry, it is powerful. I HOPE some of those reading this article will share what they have tried and what is working for them. Of course it doesn’t have to be an inspiring way to minister to cancer patients, but to minister to any in need in your community that are unchurched. How did you find them? How do you reach out to them? How to you minister to them? This is VITAL for the church today, and as Jesus reminds us, when we do so, we are doing so to Him. Please let me hear from you. We all need some inspiring ideas on how we can fulfill Christ’s commandment. Notes on Tami – Medicaid has now picked up Tami, after she was able to provide proof that her cancer was stage 4. She is responding to the chemo, although it is taking its toll on her since they are giving her a very aggressive treatment. After about six months, they plan to do surgery and then radiation. The doctors have been very frank with her that this is a very aggressive type of cancer, and it will most likely come back. But we believe that with God, nothing is impossible and ask you to pray for Tami, her daughter and my wife and myself as we go through this as a family.
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Article
A Theology of Hate By Thom Schultz
W
e love to hate. In fact, we’re known for it. We’ve garnered a reputation for who–or what–we hate. Research shows that today’s church is known more for what it hates–what it stands against–than for what it loves or affirms. The population perceives a church filled with disdain. For example, the top characteristic that the unchurched population attaches to Christians is a posture of being anti-homosexual. A Barna study revealed that 91 percent hold this perception of Christians. How is this reputation formed? Most of the Christians I know don’t seem like snarling, hateful people. Yet the reputation prevails. How can this be? I suspect this odor of hatred comes through in a couple of ways: topic fixation, and vocabulary. Topic fixation In workshops I’ll occasionally ask participants to list what the church is known to stand for The American Church Magazine®
and against. The “against” list is always longer. It seems we like to talk more frequently, more stridently, and more loudly about the sins and ills of our society–than we do about the spectacular love and grace of the Lord. When religious leaders have the opportunity to make news, the message often comes off as condemning a social trend, a political proposal, or a ballot initiative. For sure, we face many daunting and destructive elements in our world.
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But the predominate Christian agenda often accentuates condemnation and fear. Some Christian non-profit organizations have discovered that they can more readily stir up their donor base with fear and loathing than they can with hope and inspiration.
Such use of the word “hate” is not having the desired effect. Neither are other odious words in this debate. This includes some people on the other side of the debate. For instance, it’s not helpful to label conservative Christians as “homophobes.” I’ve asked Christian leaders what they hear when someone refers to them Vocabulary with that term. They say they hear hate. Hatred Many church folks hasten to point out that toward them. Disdainful name-calling does not their disdain is not aimed at individuals, but at build understanding or heal relationships. It conpeople’s bad behaviors. “We don’t hate anydemns. body,” they say. That may be true. But the probThe current conversation concentrates so lem comes through in the language, particularly much on hating sin. Little time is left to focus on with the use of a certain four-letter word: hate. the One who came to free us from that sin and Case in point: When it comes to the gay give us life. We often sum up his essence and debate, many people love to repeat the popular eternal purpose in that most familiar verse, John ditty, “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” They seem 3:16. And it’s the very next verse that underto think this will be a clarifying and redemptive scores Jesus’ true mission. John 3:17: “For God message. It’s not working out that way. I’ve asked did not send his Son into the world to condemn gay and lesbian individuals what they hear when the world, but to save the world through him.” someone says, “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” He showed us how to love. Not how to hate. They, unanimously, say they hear hate. Hatred toward them. Hate is the pungent and lingering odor.
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December 2014
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Reviving the Small Church
Christmas and the Small Church By Michael Henderson
O
k, it’s time for a confession. I am a Christmas elf. I love this season of the year; there are many reasons why; and I know I am not alone. Yes, I put up lights on the house and yes, I there is a manger scene, an angel, a star, and a cross in my front yard. It’s a great time to take advantage of the Christmas season and convey the truth Jesus brought in every possible way. The same holds true for your church. So what are some good ways your church can convey the message of Christ this Christmas season?
Consider your Visitors During this time the “C” & “E” Christians will come out; many on their own and some because they are invited. The temptation is to go all out and have a worship service that has all the bells and whistles. After all, you may never get another chance to reach them. Let me express a couple words of caution: • Impressing visitors with added amenities you cannot follow up on week after week is deceptive. Putting together a welcome team, special care teams, parking lot attendants, and ushers that really “Ush” and do it well may be very impressive, but if you cannot commit to making it a weekly happening then set it aside. Having said that, those things are excellent if they can become regular practice. If you know they are temporary then bypass them until they can become permanent. Instead, be yourself— The American Church Magazine®
be real—and let the Lord have His work. People need to know who you really are. • People do not change because of the “bling” that many churches display during the season. Although we can put together an impressive program, never forget it is the gospel message along with genuine acts of service and worship that prepare the heart for receiving the engrafted word. Consider the Relevance of your Message Remember, if you have visitors coming they will be at differing levels of spiritual maturity—some even lost and without hope. But remember as well, it is the Christmas story they are coming to hear. I have attended churches in the past that actually continued the book study they were currently going through on special emphasis holidays. The visitors could not grasp the message as well because they had not been present during preparatory
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They’re “spiritual but not religious.” They’re eager to talk about God, but done sitting through sermons. Want to reach young adults? Start a conversation. They’re looking to participate, not to be an audience. So let them ask hard questions. Grapple with tough stuff. Discover how God is reaching out to them. And Lifetree Café is all about conversation. Relaxing around tables, Lifetree participants hear inspiring stories, tell their own stories…and draw closer to God and each other. On college campuses, at coffee shops, and even in churches, life-changing conversations are underway. When you’re ready to connect, connect with us. We’ll help you provide tested, ready-to-go, hour-long guided conversations that let young adults experience God in a fresh, new way. Call 877-476-8703 or visit Discover.LifetreeCafe.com to learn more. “ D o i n g l i f e . D o i n g g o o d .”
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*Projected 2025 church attendance from George Barna’s Revolution
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teachings and introductions to the book. They also felt slighted. For instance: What does the nativity of Christ have to do with discovering spiritual gifts or the impressiveness of great men and women of faith? Take advantage of the season and recognize the expectation of the visitors. A few tips: Realize the world and in part, the church, has done a fair job of commercializing the Christmas season. Seek the Lord’s guidance and ask Him to lead you to the message that encompasses the holiday—one that would be the best fit for the types of visitors you will have coming. Remember as well that if you want the visitors to return do not use the pulpit as a weapon to condemn them but rather to show them hope. When visitors come on Christmas remember their expectations and remember to present the message of the season—Jesus. “…you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21b). Consider the Impact your Church can have During the holiday season your church can have a dramatic impact on visitors if you will follow the leading of the Lord. Instead of trying to impress the visitors with “who you are” choose instead to impress them with “what you have become” because of the Christ life. Be sure to point out why the season is so special and why it is important to understand the birth of Christ and the incarnation. Immanuel – “God with us” has a powerful meaning when it comes to relating how God became like us in order that He might be the perfect representation for us when it comes to matters of sin, temptation, spiritual intimacy, and special care. People need to know that Jesus is not a God who cannot be reached. Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. … Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:14-18 NKJV) The American Church Magazine®
The point is that people do not need to know as much about the nativity of Christ as much as why it was necessary. The impact your church can have by presenting a message that is relevant will have a huge impact in the days, weeks, or years to come. Bring a message that represents the real meaning of Christmas. Making Christmas Meaningful I was listening to the radio today and the announcer asked callers to share their earliest Christmas memory. I did not call but many images began to run through my mind like toys I received, family my parents visited, Christmas dinners, and huge snowfalls, etc. But as I filtered the memories through my mind I realized the earliest Christmas memory I had was on a Sunday evening in a Christmas Eve service that promised a special visit by the music minister dressed up as Santa. Before you get riled please hear me out. Not only did he bring treats but He also shared the true story of Christmas. It was the Christmas message that became buried in my heart at a young and impressionable age, so-much-so, that Christmas became more to me than Frosty the Snowman or Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer. To my young mind, Santa represented gifts and gift-giving and Jesus was the main gift of the Christmas season. The Christmas’ that would follow saw me yearafter-year spending careful hours sketching pictures of the Star of Bethlehem, the Three Wise Men, and the manger scene. That church wasn’t large and it wasn’t new; it didn’t have a lot of showy bling; but it did some things very well: it was caring; it was kind; and it gave off a warm spirit; but mostly it was faithful to the true meaning of Christmas. I will always remember it because it embedded within my mind my first Christmas memory. 45-plus years later, I get to travel back to the small town of Scammon, Kansas where I grew up and where that small Presbyterian church still exists that had left so many special memories in my heart – this time not just to drive by and reminisce but to give back to them something they had given to me so long ago…the message of Christmas. Hopefully, that message will get embedded in the memory of a special someone that may hear it’s true meaning for the first time—just like it did me! God Bless
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Staying Power
Raw Emotions By George Cannon
W
hen looking at the average size of a congregation in the United States, an interesting fact emerges. Surveys reflect that 80% of Protestant churches have an average attendance of 200 adults on a Sunday morning. This calls attention to the point that a significant number of pastors in North America serve in small churches. Yet, despite this, the pastoral culture of North American church does not reflect the ministry situation of most pastors. The books, conferences, denominational meetings, blogs, and podcasts are marketed toward pastors of multi-staffed large churches. Because small church pastors utilize these resources and attend these conferences, they usually experience a profound sense of isolation. Real Emotions In addition to this sense of loneliness, some strong emotions begin to emerge in small church pastors as they are immersed in the long established culture of large church ministry. Sadly, within the current culture, small church pastors can endure various negative experiences including: • Snubbing - A small church pastor is intentionally or unintentionally ignored by denominational or ministry leaders who appear to show favoritism to large church leaders. The American Church Magazine®
• Being forgotten - A former class mate who is pastoring a large church forgets who the small church pastor is. • Belittling - Speakers, denominational officials and others talk down to small church pastors as if they were lazy or lack sufficient ministry skills Reactions When coupled with the feelings of isolation, these negative experiences produce an environment in the pastor’s life that is ripe for emotional reactions. These emotional reactions manifest themselves in several ways.
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1. Jealousy The most obvious reaction on the part of small church pastors is the feeling of jealousy as he begins to want the ministry the large church pastor has. The small church pastor, wishing he could socialize with the “elite” like the large church pastor, covets speaking opportunities, salary, church size, recognition and influence. While the desire for these things seems harmless, in reality, they are simply the manifestations of jealousy. 2. Resentment Hand-in-hand with jealousy comes the feeling of resentment when the small church pastor begins to dislike others. He begrudges the large church pastor who appears to have “made it.” He resents being ignored by denominational leaders and feeling insignificant when attending conferences. Feelings of resentment are a reality in a small church pastor’s life. 3. Anger Unchecked resentment quickly transforms into anger. The pastor may become angry with his denomination or the pastoral culture geared toward large churches. The former school mate, who appears to forget the small church pastor, takes the role of an enemy. The anger manifests itself through both attitudes and actions. Ultimately, the pastor will find himself angry with God. 4. Critical Spirit One manifestation of anger in the small church pastor’s life is the emergence of a critical spirit. He finds the apparent faults in the lives and ministries of large church pastors and openly questions the decisions of denominational leaders. The latest negative news concerning celebrity pastors posted by the watch-bloggers becomes an amusement. Any new method that emerges in church ministry is openly criticizes. The pastor sees everything negatively. Collateral Damage While these reactions of the small church pastor seem harmless, they can result in serious damage to those close to the pastor. These reacThe American Church Magazine®
tions must be dealt with Biblically or they can inflict serious consequences on three significant areas in a pastor’s life. 1. Personal Negative reactions eventually begin to take their toll on a small church pastor himself and, somehow, he must cope with them. Coping mechanisms usually emerge in the form of destructive behaviors. Addictive behaviors develop as the pastor looks to food, porn, alcohol and even drugs for a means of escape. Slowly, the pastor embarks on a journey that ultimately destroys himself, his family and his ministry. 2. Family It is impossible for a pastor to compartmentalize his reactions towards the pastoral culture. His negative reactions will surface in his family relationships. He will respond with anger in his marriage and family life. As the pastor begins to criticize those who are closest to him, his critical spirit will rear its ugly head. He can begin to resent his family if he entertains thoughts that they are hindering his ministry success. 3. Church A pastor’s feelings of resentment will also spill over into the church itself as his perception concerning the church changes. He begins to see the church as a hindrance to his ministry success. Anger toward leadership of the church emerges when the the pastor’s ideas for ministry are not accepted. His reactions are manifested in board meetings and, ultimately, in the pulpit. Course of action Though the current pastoral ministry culture is not going to change, a small church pastor is not doomed to be dominated by his negative reactions to the current culture. He can choose to respond differently. 1. Confession The pastor needs to admit that he has an issue. He should confess his feelings of hurt and anger and acknowledge that his response has been wrong. Because the pastoral culture
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will not change, he has to take responsibility fo his negative reactions to that culture. 2. Released anger It is imperative that the pastor stops harboring his anger. He needs to begin by recognizing and addressing it. While it is okay to be angry, he cannot allow that anger to become bitterness. 3. Forgiveness The pastor should forgive the intentional and unintentional actions of denominational and ministry leaders toward him. 4. Prayer The pastor has to start praying for others and specifically pray for those that he is jealous of. It is important that he pray for those with whom he is angry, since prayer will help the pastor to change his negative attitudes for them. He should also pray for the pastoral culture to change in a way that is reflective of where 80% of churches are today.
The American Church Magazine®
5. Contentment Finally, the small church pastor needs to learn to be content with the church that he is pastoring. Feelings of jealousy and resentment do not easily emerge from a heart that has found contentment with one’s circumstances. Today’s pastoral culture is geared toward large church ministry and that reality is not changing. So, small church pastors will feel isolated. Thankfully, the culture does not have the power to determine the small church pastor’s response. He can successfully choose how he responds to the current culture by overcoming his jealousy and anger through confession, prayer and forgiveness. George Cannon has served as the pastor of the Curwensville Christian Church in rural Pennsylvania since 2001. george@curwensvillechristian.org
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Church Hoppers
Rather Fail By Church Hoppers
C
hurch’s ministers who are in failing churches are unsure what to do and many would “Rather Fail” than seek help. There are ambitious, as well as complacent ministers, who pray, try conferences, call friends, and challenge the people but the loss of attendance and finances continues to decline and still they seek no help. Responsibility is then shifted to God and everyone questions why he will not rescue the ministry. In the end, ministers shift into a “Holding Pattern” waiting for some miracle to happen. Maybe a tithing member will win the lottery or a catastrophic event will drive people back to the church. In church terms a “Holding Pattern” can be a frustrating course when it is defined as a circular pattern like a merry-go-round effect that makes the church feel they are going nowhere. When church leaders feel the effect they become reactive to everything and communicate to all involved that, “This is where God has us right now.” Ministers seek God’s plan by being patient, but the truth may be that the leader is indeciThe American Church Magazine®
sive. There is a fine line between being patient and being indecisive. Indecisiveness creeps into a leader’s life built on previous experiences and failures. Therefore, churches want to make sure God is leading them in a particular direction. How can your church get out of this “Holding Pattern” and move on with God’s purpose? Leaders are in search of answers and solutions so hopefully the Church Hoppers can provide insight to inform the ministries on how to take their next step. First the “Holding Pattern” drives ministers to other ministers or church conferences for answers. There is never anything wrong with this
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attempt but the true purpose must be addressed. Often a leaders purpose is to collect ideas that will enhance their own ministry but unknowingly in many cases it will sabotage it. Healthy ideas need to be born in a healthy system so that emotional sabotage does not take place down the road. Church congregations are tired of great ideas that are incorporated then lose its edginess in a few months. Ideas have a strong likelihood to fail when carried from another church where the idea was born out of another DNA. Solution: You can use another minister’s perspective to help understand what is missing and use the conferences to unite the ministry staff. But all successful churches get their ideas from the community they are serving; particularly, when the community research brings the greatest insight and reward. When a church was started there was a need that the founders saw giving them purpose to be there that was cultivated from the community itself. That DNA thread has history and still functions in the present community today, ministry leaders may have failed to embrace or even recognize it.
The American Church Magazine®
Second, the “Holding Pattern” drives ministers to rely so much on God that they become codependent. In the movie “Bruce Almighty,” the word’s from God, actor Morgan Freeman, “People want me to do everything for them but they have the power.” Co-dependence is very complex in regard to drugs, alcohol and even relationships but when a church becomes co-dependent on God it creates an apathetic ministry. Co-dependence on God does not come from a submissive will like many think. It is most often used as justification to do nothing. It is also used to justify the leaders’ lack of knowing or unwillingness to know what to do. Co-dependence on God keeps you “Delaying, Idling and Expiring” away due to the fear of following the command that He has already given. Please ponder what we are communicating here; we must remain dependent on God while we take action to carry out the will of God. Solution: Interdependence is a family system’s term issued in this case as balance between God and mankind to be mutually dependent on each other. It has nothing to do with whether or not God needs us but that God chooses to allow us
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to be a part of his plan and in it mankind has responsibility. Church leaders must decide to take responsibility for the command the church has been given especially in its place in the community because that is the people the church is to reach. Finally, the “Holding Pattern” creates ministers who do not want to expose themselves as being inadequate. Many ministers and congregations think that ministers are supposed to be experts in all ministry areas. The thinking creates an elephant in the room that figuratively says that the ministers should have answers and solutions for the systems, business and marketing of the church. The tragedy comes when ministers take on areas where they have little expertise. One example is when a lead minister tries to construct a church building with no experience in building a home structure or even more a doghouse. Mistakes are made and the consequence is detrimental to the ministry. Solution: Ministers need to ask for help from someone who works within the church’s DNA without trying to incorporate ideas or solutions that in the end the current system will destroy. Think about how many great ideas in ministry have failed time and time again with little explanation. Ideas must have a blueprint to be created and a blueprint must be used so the ideas can become a reality. A written blueprint is theory in portion but a closer step to the reality of creation because it is written out of the DNA.
Results: 1. You get to be the innovator of your ministry without trying to clone someone else’s. 2. Your strategy will be simple and too the point and can be followed by your people. 3. Your marketing is built around your DNA. The Church Hoppers challenge you to choose this day to move from ”Rather Fail” mentality and become the creation that the ministry was intended to be. In the end indecisiveness and indecision will cost your ministry far more than mistakes. The Church Hoppers purpose is to build balance in church and our mission is to do it through systems, business and marketing. Our passion to revitalize our world comes when the church begins to take her position in the community as a loving liaison to a loving God. Follow the Church Hoppers: Tweet: @churchhoppers, Facebook: Church Hoppers, and Web: churchhoppers.org
Church Hopper Pitch: When a church is in a “Holding Pattern” there is one benefit you have as a reader. Bring the Church Hoppers Coaching in to help build balance and re-vitalize your ministry. There are 3 things that the Church Hoppers can help you with as you move with God and prepare for what He has planned for your ministry. 1. The Church Hoppers will help you find, your DNA, who you are and what your purpose is in the community. 2. The Church Hoppers will help you create a strategy to engage your customer to do the work of the ministry. 3. The Church Hoppers will help you establish a marketing plan both internal and external. The American Church Magazine®
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No Longer Church As Usual
A Change in the Building Plans By Tim Kurtz
I
came across an interesting article in the December 4th issue of the Wall Street Journal. The article, entitled ‘Fewer Churches Are Going Up’ reminded me of what I had written in my book, No Longer Church As Usual. Even though I love and have been inspired by beautiful church buildings, I have come to understand WHO the church is. I have concluded that church buildings may be appealing but they are functionally inept. The Wall Street article was a stark reminder and confirmation that our love affair with church buildings is coming to an end. The church building, that was once an iconic visage of American church life has now become a symbol of a system that is declining. To be clear, our love for the Lord Jesus Christ is not declining. It is the man-made system we have encased Him in that is coming apart at the seams. The article cited several reasons for the decline in new church construction. They included: a drop in formal religious participation, changing donation habits, a shift away from the construction of massive mega-churches and, The American Church Magazine®
more broadly, a growing case for alternatives to the traditional house of worship. In the article I wrote in August of this year (The Church Tipping Point), I cited factors are converging that will shift the focus of ministry as we know it. These factors include: heightened communication through electronic media, the growing lack of loyalty to denominational structures, the blending of worship styles, time constraints, and personal independence. These factors are the foundation for a massive change in how ‘church’ is done, which in turn will impact where we meet. The handwriting was on the wall several years ago, and many of us failed to see the
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signs. Churches began to design their buildings to appeal to the baby boomer generation. They eliminated the stained-glass windows and religious symbols seen in traditional churches. The new buildings looked more like conference centers, than cathedrals. Suits, ties, and fancy dresses were replaced by casual dress. Instead of choir stands, the stage of many churches begin to resemble those found in theater production companies – complete with lighting, screens and special effects. Looking back, this was the beginning of our attempt to hold on to those who were losing interest in an old system. When you consider that the number of Americans who say they have never attended services rose to 25.3% in 2012, up from 9.3% in 1972, you can easily see the need for buildings is diminishing. Yet, dedicated religious facilities are found in every community, and most people still refer to them as the church. Most Christians give lip service to the fact that the church is a called out body of believers, but still identify themselves with a particular building. I hear people say, “The church is in me”, but use that phrase as an excuse not to GO TO church. In other words, in
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their minds they see the church as a place you GO TO rather than who they are. Let’s take a few moments to talk about money. This Wall Street article indicated that giving to religious organizations has flat lined. It stated that religious groups that took in half of all charitable contributions in 1990 now get less than a third amid a shift in generational giving habits. In other words, the church is competing with organizations that purport to be doing something, rather than maintaining something, and the religious systems are losing the battle. In my book, I shared my experiences with bank executives and their conservative views relating to lending to churches. The bottom line, to them the church building in general is a poor investment from a business standpoint. They are only used once or twice a week. The return on the cost per square foot did not make sense from a financial point of view. In addition most churches are “single use facilities”. That means they are designed for one purpose – church meetings. The income source from churches for loan repayment was unstable even in the best of conditions. Churches often relied heavily on contributions from its membership. If the membership became disgruntled, the income to the church could be jeopardized. So I return to my monthly mantra, the church as we know it is changing. Outside entities like the Wall Street are seeing the shift, but internally many in the church world have their heads in the sand. It is easy to use our clip and paste theology to attribute the decline in church attendance to “the great falling away” (2Thessalonians 2:3). I would suggest that the decline is a result of divine scrutiny. When you see people leave church systems, but still cling tightly to the Lord – that should give us pause to think. You see, the falling away mentioned in scripture will be those who give up on God – not church systems. The church that Jesus purchased with his blood, is not the sectarian denominational system we embrace today (Acts 20:28). It is that system that people are leaving. It is that system that people refuse to give their money to. It is that system that is struggling to survive. Wolfgang Simson wrote, today’s church is mostly obsessed with arranging repetitive, choreographed religious meetings to satisfy the needs of religious consumers called church mem-
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bers. In my book, I wrote that we have reduced Jesus to a product. We competitively tout our version of Christianity in an attempt to attract new converts. But now it appears our customers are out looking for alternatives – and our buildings are emptying out. So the focus in many churches has subtly shifted from winning souls to filling the pews. The competition intensifies through enticing methodologies. Churches now offer contemporary and traditional worship services in an attempt to attract more members. Recently, there is a video that went viral on YouTube showing a church where people were dancing during their service to raunchy secular music. The pastor tried to defend this by claiming his message had to appeal to various generations. Another bishop recently apologized for allowing one of his pastors to make hurtful remarks during his message at a conference. What were those hurtful marks? The pastor had preached against homosexuality, and several prominent people in the church were offended and threatened to leave the church. The list goes on and on. Now you probably expect for me to give a grand solution to this dilemma. The fact is, the existing church facilities will not disappear off of the American landscape. Existing buildings will be sold and resold – some to church organizations and others will be repurposed. I am sure there will be new buildings erected, too. Ironically, we are making the last payment this month on the building we have gathered in for the last 20 years. As you may know from my previous articles, we are transitioning into a network of New Testament styled churches that gather from house to house. We consider the building we have to be a training and resource center. We will provide the tools believers need to be effective in our community and region. Our goal is to use this building to provide resources for 120 or more gatherings in this region. Jesus is still building His church, His way in the 21st century. It is not being built as a brick and mortar facility. His church is not relying on programs and events. He is building His church with believers like you and me who are lively stones that become a spiritual house (1Peter 2:5); and built together for habitation of God (Ephesians 2:22); one body fitly joined together (Ephesians 4:16). Transition is tough and chalThe American Church Magazine®
lenging, but I look forward to seeing the church that He said He would build demonstrating His power in the earth. Now allow me to shift gears for a moment as I close… I want to thank all of those who have read my column No Longer Church As Usual each month in this wonderful American Church Magazine. I appreciate Steve Hewitt for allowing me the opportunity to express my views in this forum. I love the church of our Lord Jesus Christ, and want to see it become all that He intended. I look forward to writing more articles, and I pray you will be blessed, challenged, and inspired. My prayer is that as we set aside time to celebrate the birth of our Lord, and as we enter into a new year, I pray that God will open new opportunities to you and whatever work He has called you to. There is greatness in you! (1John 4:4) Blessings to you all… Website: www.ntcdonline.org Twitter: @timkurtz712
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