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No Excuses

October 16, 2009 in Church with 0 Comments

Why don’t we have a website?

Why does our website suck?

Why aren’t we getting our content out into the world?

Why do the messages seem thrown together much of the time?

Why is the pastor constantly taking up a special offering?

Having spent the majority of my life in church, I’ve heard each of those questions asked dozens of times. Up until recently there were some good excuses (usually budget and/or time related), but no more! Over the past couple years several companies have come forward with solutions designed specifically with churches (and their budgets) in mind.

Clover
 Collision Media
 Updatable
It’s the 21st century – every church needs a website! Your website is your front door. No longer will potential visitors call your church for info. They want to know what they’re getting into before they visit, no strings attached. This isn’t just for newcomers to your area. Think of the unchurched people you know that are curious or seeking, but apprehensive about actually stepping foot in a church. And what about your members? As your church grows, your website (not a bulletin or announcements on IMAG screens) will serve as their information hub. And with Clover, Collision and Updatable, price and expertise are no longer issues. You can get a beautiful, functional website for under $1,000 and all three companies use browser-based editing, so if you can surf the web, you can edit your website. To be honest, the only thing worse than having no website is having an ugly website.

Podbean
 Livestream
 Ustream
A pastor friend of mine once said, “If your sermon is good enough to preach in church, it’s good enough to share online.” Up until a few years ago most churches were more concerned with CD’s, DVD’s or getting on TV (shudder). But now, with sites like Podbean, podcasting is easy. They offer free hosting and tiered pricing as well, if the free hosting isn’t good enough. And if you don’t like what they have to offer, just Google podcasting and you’ll get all sorts of hosts. If you aren’t already recording your services and are on a budget all you need to do is go to your local music store and but a stereo-to-USB converter (between $50 and $80), connect it to your FOH mixer and a computer and you’re set. Both Mac and Windows come with pre-loaded software for basic recording. And for those who want to stream live video, there is LiveStream and Ustream.

LifeChurch.tv Resources
 Planning Center
Every pastor I’ve known has told me that at one point or another, they weren’t as prepared for a particular sermon as they wanted to be. Life happens! We want our pastors to be human, but when they are we get mad at them for not being perfect. And every pastor I know has borrowed from other pastors, so don’t start acting super-spiritual. This is why Craig Groeschel and LifeChurch.tv give EVERYTHING away. From message outlines and graphics to videos of messages and worship services – whether you need a little inspiration or an entire service, it’s all FREE! And for the music and service programming departments there’s Planning Center. Now you can plan your services online and even post videos and music so that your musicians and tech team can practice on their own time so that no time is wasted at rehearsal.

Church Metrics
Need a cost-effective way to track attendance, salvations, baptisms, giving and more? Or maybe you’re tired of having to pay expensive software fees to do all of that, just to be told that for the latest version of said software, you need to upgrade your computers? Welcome to Church Metrics, by LifeChurch.tv. It’s web-based, so as long as you have an internet connection you’re good to go and this also means it works across all platforms (Mac, Windows, Linux, etc.). Best of all, as with other LifeChurch.tv resources, it’s FREE!

The Change Group
It takes money to operate a church. Some churches can afford to have a full time business administrator on staff to keep the church accountable. But what about church plants? Or young churches? And what about the churches that just aren’t good stewards of what they have been given? That’s where The Change Group comes in. For MUCH LESS than the cost of even a part time bookkeeper they handle everything a full time business admin/bookkeeper would, plus they offer professional consultation to help you squeeze the most out of every last cent.

MailChimp
 Tatango
Tired of sending monthly or quarterly newsletters through snailmail? Need a way to get announcements out to your members in case of an emergency? MailChimp and Tatango are here to help. MailChimp offers browser-based HTML email design, so you can send custom branded emails to keep people up to date with your church. Tatango is a text message service that allows you to send bulk text messages to your members. In addition, if you aren’t already using Facebook and Twitter, GET TO IT!!

A Christian Idol?

September 19, 2009 in Church, Jesus with 2 Comments

4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food. 6 Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live. 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Numbers 21:4-9

1 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).

2 Kings 18:1-4

When Hezekiah became king of Judah one of the first things he did was abolish idolatry and that included the bronze serpent Moses was instructed by God to make, because what had been a symbol of redemption had, over time, become an idol. People were more concerned with the object than what it had provided.

Many Christians are quick to point out things that could be idols for us in the 21st century: money, entertainment, success, sex, work, people…… the list could go on. Really, anything we put above God is an idol.

But one area we ignore is our own traditions.

People in church will argue over what music should be played, what you should wear, even what color the carpet should be!

So here’s a question: has the cross become an idol?

How many songs have you heard about the cross, instead of what Jesus did on the cross?

How many people wear a cross around their neck as if it were some good luck charm?

How many church buildings have a cross in their sanctuary or on top of their steeple for decoration?

I’m not saying that having a crucifix in your church or around your neck is wrong. It’s the why that makes it right or wrong.

So, have you made the cross an idol?

Random Questions

August 9, 2009 in Church with 30 Comments

When a pastor/speaker says something along the lines of, “I had another message prepared, but I really feel God leading me in a different direction, because someone needs to hear this.”, does it mean that God changed his mind on the message He gave to that speaker, or does it mean the speaker didn’t spend enough time seeking God’s will for that message?

I mean, if God is all-knowing, doesn’t He already know who will be in a particular service?

Another question: why is it that one worship leader/team has to do two or three “warm up” songs to get the congregation (and maybe themselves) pumped for worship, and then segueway into the slower stuff before God really even begins to move in the service, yet another worship leader/team can have a two song worship set and God is moving and people are in His presence from the first chord?

Lights, Camera, Action!

August 3, 2009 in Church, Tech with 21 Comments

I hate to sound like a broken record, but man! When it comes to camera work, editing, etc., North Point Community Church
and her satellites just have everyone else schooled.

I know, North Point didn’t get there overnight; but I’ve seen churches with the same or more resources to pull from and they still look like something I would see on the local Christian TV station at 2am. In addition, a lot of the techniques used at North Point aren’t rocket surgery – it’s just letting talented people do their thing and use the gifts God has given them.

But the real reason I admire North Point is they put it all out there for everyone to see. Successes, failures, etc., doesn’t matter. If other churches can learn from them, then it’s available, and usually for free.

Anyways, here is the video that is the finished product; for the full story behind the production of this spot (which was used in their 10B4 video announcements), click here.

North Point LIVE Interview from North Point Media on Vimeo.

North Point Online

July 28, 2009 in Church with 2 Comments

North Point Online launches August 16, 2009, live from Buckhead Church at 6:00 pm eastern (5:00 pm central). Steve Fee will be leading worship for the first service and Andy Stanley will be kicking off a new, four part series called Losing Your Religion. The bumper for the series looks awesome (as always with NP); hopefully they’ll make that available to the public to embed in blogs, Facebook, etc. soon.

Anyways, new promo video just released today.

Here’s the manly, Terminator version, as Andy called it.

Where's the Steeple?

July 27, 2009 in Church, Jesus with 3 Comments

Rolling Hills Baptist Church sells property to help community.

I’ve posted that link on Twitter several times but thought I should put it on here as well. It’s still messing me up.

This is the church BEING the church; realizing it’s not about a building or time frame, but about community with God, each other and the world.

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said “…on this rock I will build my church…”; later in Matthew 28:19 Jesus commands his disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”. In the original text, the word we translate as nations is the Greek word ethos, which can be interpreted as both bordered territories and ethnicities. I think too often we interpret that scripture as going to third-world countries, yet how many “nations” are represented in the United States alone? I’m all for sending missionaries to other countries, but if we interpret Matthew 28:19 literally doesn’t that imply we’re all missionaries? You may not be called to China, but what about your place of employment?

Another problem I’ve seen (and participated in, so I’m pointing the finger at myself) is so-called “outreach ministries”. Again, instead of being salt and light in our world, we convince a group of people in the local church that it’s their ministry to go into the community and “reach out”, which usually has nothing to do with serving or love. Shaun King (pastor of The Courageous Church in Atlanta, GA) posted something on his Facebook page that really intrigued me. His wife was getting her hair done and her stylist asked, “Does your church have an outreach ministry?”, to which Shaun’s wife replied, “No. Our church IS the outreach ministry.” That’s what Rolling Hills Baptist Church is doing; they’re (literally) putting their money where their mouth is by assisting those in their community who need something more important than an expensive building. Not that I’m against comfortable seats and concert level PA systems – I’m actually very much in support of all that. I believe Christ has called us to excellence in ministry. But when a church puts its WANTS and WISHES above the NEEDS of the community God called it to LOVE and SERVE, there is a problem.

Tony Morgan once asked, “If your church closed its doors tomorrow, would your community notice?” In the case of Rolling Hills I believe so, because their “church” isn’t about the building they meet in, it’s about people showing people the love of Christ.

Is 'Initial Evidence' Limited To One Expression?

July 14, 2009 in Church with 3 Comments

I grew up in a church that is part of a pentecostal denomination, so for years I heard not only the call to salvation, but also the call to be baptized in the Holy Spirit…… with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.

I’ve visited other churches which also make the claim that speaking in tongues is the only initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In fact, every pentecostal denomination I know of has put in their doctrine the belief that speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit (although the two largest pentecostal denominations are considering removing the limitations on initial evidence).

I DO NOT believe any spiritual gift is necessary for salvation (nor do I believe that water baptism is necessary for salvation), but I DO believe spiritual gifts are still available to Christians and that the Holy Spirit is still active in the world today, but my question is this: is speaking in tongues the only initial evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit? And why or why not?

James 2: Revenge of the Apostle

July 10, 2009 in Church with 0 Comments

Only kidding; there is a thread on my Facebook page where I was discussing James 2:1-9 and a friend wrote “James 2: Revenge of the Apostle” in reference to “Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen”.

On a serious note though, I was reading James 2 last night, and I’ve probably read James a couple hundred times over the course of my life, so I wasn’t expecting any new revelations. I’m sure many of you can quote James 2:10 or James 2:14-17, as those seem to be very popular. And I’ve heard many pastors speak on James 2:1-4…… but I’ve heard many sermons that end before reaching verse 9. So here is the complete passage (ESV):

“1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, You sit here in a good place, while you say to the poor man, You stand over there, or, Sit down at my feet, 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11 For he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Seems to me James 2:9 says that if you show partiality, you are sinning.

Just for fun, let’s see what other translations say (so no one can claim it’s limited to the ESV).

“But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.” KJV

“But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.” NIV & TNIV

“But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.” NLT

“But if you show servile regard (prejudice, favoritism) for people, you commit sin and are rebuked and convicted by the Law as violators and offenders.” AMP

“But if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule and stand convicted by it.” The Message

Looks like all the major Bible translations call favoritism sin.

Just got me thinking about some of the stuff I’ve witnessed first hand.

Freddie, Please

July 9, 2009 in Church, Culture, Jesus with 3 Comments

For those who haven’t seen my Twitter or Facebook stream the past few days, I purchased Derek Webb’s new album Stockholm Syndrome. Derek is one of the founding members of the popular CCM group Caedmon’s Call and a few years ago decided to branch out into a solo career. I’ve never really listened to Caedmon’s Call or his solo stuff, but I was intrigued so I figured I’d buy it. Especially considering it’s the first explicit release from Christian label INO.

Anyways, like most people, I do most of my listening while driving. So I burned the album to disc and popped it into the CD player this morning before heading to work. I’d already listened to some of the album at home, but driving to work it felt like Derek was giving me a kick in the teeth on two songs in particular – Freddie, Please and The Spirit vs. The Kick Drum.

Freddie, Please is blatantly directed at those who judge homosexuals (NOT homosexual behavior) and one line in particular really stood out to me:

“How could you do this to me?
How can you tell them you love me,
when you hate me?

After doing a little research I discovered this morning that the song is in reference to Fred Phelps, the pastor of Westboro Baptist Church. The guy who has become infamous for the “God hates fags” pickett signs and website and also for protesting soldiers’ funerals.

The other song, The Spirit vs. The Kick Drum is the one that really was a kick to the face. It’s in reference to a Rich Mullins quote where people would come up to Mullins after concerts and say, “Wow! The Holy Spirit really moved at that certain point in the song,” and Mullins would respond, “No actually, that’s where the kick drum and the bass came in.” Three lines in the song say all that needs to be said about the Christian subculture:

“I don’t want the Father; you know I want a vending machine.
I don’t want the Son; you know I want a jury of peers.
I don’t want the Spirit; you know I want a kickdrum.”

So, I can’t wait to get off work just so I can listen to more of the album.
StockholmSyndromeDerekWebb

Are You Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?

July 7, 2009 in Church, Jesus with 0 Comments

In my last post I wrote about how the Christian church in America is dividing itself by arguing over the little things and not focusing on the big picture, which is the fact that Jesus is the redeemer for ALL who choose to follow Him. I used the example of a quote from Tony Campolo where he said:

“I have three things I’d like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids dies of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don’t give a shit. What’s worse is that you’re more upset with the fact that I said ‘shit’ than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night.”

The sad thing is, Campolo is right. Unless it directly affects us, we don’t care. Think about it; there are several orginizations which offer the ability to sponsor children in 3rd world nations for around $30 a month. Yet how many of us do that? And don’t think I’m judging you; I’m just as guilty as the next person. But say you’re living paycheck to paycheck and literally cannot afford $30 a month (because that might be a tank of gas for you); can’t you at least show some compassion?

So this brings me to the supposedly controversial new song by Derek Webb called What Matters More.

I say supposedly controversial because the only reason it is considered to be controversial is Webb is a Christian artist (Caedmon’s Call). If he were not a top 40 CCM artist, the “Christian” community wouldn’t even know about this song. But maybe that’s why God gave this song to him instead of John Mayer or Kanye West, because coming from a Christian artist makes it hard for us Christians to ignore.

You say you always treat people like you like to be
I guess you love being hated for your sexuality
You love when people put words in your mouth
‘Bout what you believe, make you sound like a freak

‘Cause if you really believe what you say you believe
You wouldn’t be so damn reckless with the words you speak
Wouldn’t silently consent when the liars speak
Denyin’ all the dyin’ or the remedy

Tell me, brother, what matters more to you?
Tell me, sister, what matters more to you?

If I can tell what’s in your heart by what comes out of your mouth
Then it sure looks to me like being straight is all it’s about
It looks like being hated for all the wrong things
Like chasin’ the wind while the pendulum swings

‘Cause we can talk and debate until we’re blue in the face
About the language and tradition that he’s comin’ to save
Meanwhile we sit just like we don’t give a shit
About 50,000 people who are dyin’ today

Tell me, brother, what matters more to you?
Tell me, sister, what matters more to you?

The point of the song is pretty clear to me – instead of reaching out to those who are fighting HIV/AIDS, the Christian community has demonized homosexuals. In the book unChristian (authored and edited by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons), Shayne Wheeler of All Souls Fellowship contributed this:

“During the Alexandrian plague (third century), Christians risked their lives in caring for the sick, taking a posture of grace that said, ‘I am here for you. I may die, but you will not be alone.’ The church embodied the gospel and the message was not forgotten. In the 1980′s, the AIDS epidemic hit the gay community. Otherwise healthy men were dying and nobody knew why. The only link seemed to be their sexuality. The church had opportunity to again speak grace and instead spewed venom. Rather than showing compassion, we self-righteously proclaimed God’s judgment. The message came through loud and clear. It was the wrong message. And it was not forgotten.”

After sharing a personal story, Wheeler goes on by saying,

“The Bible is clear: homosexual practice is inconsistent with Christian discipleship. But there is not a special judgment for homosexuals, and there is not a special righteousness for heterosexuals. For all of us, our only hope for the fracture in our soul is the cross of Christ.”

In the same chapter Kinnaman and Lyons make a great point:

“It is one thing to be against homosexuality, to affirm that the Bible rejects the practice of same-sex lifestyles, but it is another to be against homosexuals, to let your disagreement with their behavior spill out in your feelings and words toward them as people.”

Yet how many of us have done just that?

Just the other day a friend of mine was looking at my Facebook page and noticed I am friends with someone who is openly gay. Their response – “You’re friends with ___________?”. I responded by asking “Well yeah; is there a reason I shouldn’t be?”. They responded with “Isn’t he gay?”.

Sad.

Back to the Derek Webb song; I think Derek is telling us we can continue to be part of the problem, or we can change and be part of the solution. Change doesn’t mean we stop preaching what the Bible says; change means we see a need, and despite our differences with those in need, we work to meet that need. Millions of people die every year as a result of HIV/AIDS; we can either do something about it, or we can continue to hide in our churches and talk about the “gay agenda”. Isn’t that what James 1:22 is all about; don’t just hear, but get off your butt and do?

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