Much has been written about the need for churches to move beyond consumer based approaches to ministry and mission. Philip Nation, Director of Adult Ministry Publishing at LifeWay Christian Resources, recently suggested three different ways to name transition from a consumer approach to a missional one: From window shoppers to community, From gym membership to covenant, and From consumer-shaped bazaar to mission-shaped community. So What? Sometimes it is quite difficult Read More …
Discipleship
Your Church Can’t Ignore (#1131)
Carey Nieuwhof, lead pastor of Connexus Community Church, recently shared a list of cultural trends of significance to churches. His list includes: online as the new default, the death of checks, and declining trust in authority and institutions. So What? Churches cannot live in bubbles. Local congregations must be aware of and adapt to cultural norms insofar as how people live. If people can't experience your church online, are expected to give financially Read More …
Boring Church (#1125)
Anonymous blog posts rarely interest me. Thom Turner recently published an anonymous entry on his Everyday Liturgy blog that is an exception to that rule: "The Boring Church that Loves Jesus." The writer is an active member of a local congregation, and wants that body to thrive. In considering why her/his own church experience is boring, the writer concludes: "It’s boring because the worshipers seem bored." So What? In most congregations more people participate in worship than in any Read More …
Christians Can’t (#1122)
Mark Sandlin, minister at Vandalia Presbyterian Church (Greensboro, NC) and co-founder of The Christian Left, recently shared his list of ten things people can't do while following Jesus. His list includes: exclude people, make money more important than God (and the children of God), and use the church to hurt people. So What? As one who follows the way of Jesus I find Sandlin's three "thou shalt not" statements to be on target. Consider the list of three Read More …
Don’t Lie to Kids (#1118)
Geoffrey Holsclaw, affiliate professor of theology at Northern Seminary, recently blogged about what he deems the biggest lie often told to children: sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you. Regarding this reality of the saying, Holsclaw writes: A broken bone will heal in a couple weeks, but a broken spirit can last a lifetime. Don’t we all know people wounded and scarred by words (ugly, failure, worthless, unwanted), living out of those lies as if they were Read More …
Things Jesus Didn’t Say (#1117)
Last weekend I found my way to Jim Palmer's list of "15 Things Jesus Didn't Say." Three items on his list really resonated with me: I have come to bring you a new religion; By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have correct theology; and If anyone would come after me, let him disparage all other religions and their followers. So What? For the last several years I have been seeking to follow the way of Jesus. Often I find well meaning Christians who lose Read More …
Do You Like Church? (#1116)
Scott Cochrane, Vice President- International of the Willow Creek Association, recently blogged about what he understands to be the most awkward question any church leader can be asked: do you like church? So What? I think every prospective member of a board, committee, or work group within a congregation should be asked this awkward yet important question. If the answer is "not really, but" would that disqualify someone from serving in a leadership role in your congregation? Read More …
Speaking Christian (#1114)
Tripp Crosby and Tyler Stanton created a two minute video, Shoot Christians Say, that offers a humorous look at just how out of hand and awkward Christian-speak can be. If you have been a part of any faith community that utilized contemporary Christian religious language you will catch on quickly. So What? When people of faith rely on insider language and contemporary religious buzzwords, it confuses newcomers and often adds unnecessary complexity. Take a few minutes and Read More …
Future Church: Another Perspective (#1111)
Carey Nieuwhof, lead pastor of Connexus Community Church, recently shared his thoughts on how the church will evolve over the next decade. Nieuwhof identified 11 traits that he believes will be common among those congregations that have a significant impact over the next ten years: The ability to say no Outsider focus Quick decision making Flexibility A willingness to embrace smaller to become bigger A quicker, lighter footprint Valuing online relationships as real Read More …
Build Great Things (#1110)
Eric Dye, editor-in-chief for ChurchMag and Finding Justice, recently applied the words of Google's CEO to the church. In his keynote address at I/O earlier this month, Larry Page said: "We should be building great things that don’t exist.” Dye, in turn suggests that the church must embrace these prophetic words as it seeks to innovate for a new era. So What? Imagine a church that seeks to build great things that don't yet exist. Imagine your church embracing Read More …