Revitalize Your Church

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today -- It's already tomorrow in Australia. -- Charles Schultz

Minong is a small village about 20 miles northeast Hayward. Several families from that area travel the half hour or so to go to church with us. Just a few months ago, Faith Nazarene Church (one of only three in the town), closed up. The Catholics and Lutherans are the only ones left now. Minong is like Garrison Keillor's Wobegon, where you're either "Catholic, Lutheran or weird." But now, Minong had lost their weird church -- and there ought to be at least one weird church in every community! The empty church sat on the corner -- a symbol of shattered hopes and dreams. (much like the old stump from my previous post.) We have a small group that meets in Minong. They are one of the best groups in our church -- full of faith, laughter, and deep fellowship. I have met with them a few times, asking the question, "What is God doing in Minong, and how can we join Him?" Last week, together, we dared to do something crazy -- something deliciously weird! We held a ca...

Here is a fascinating article by Marlis McCollum, of the Alban Institute: Congregation Size: What the Research Tells Us It speaks of church demographics -- and the strengths and challenges of small vs. large congregations.

In his novel, The Diary of a Country Priest, the hero brings his life to a close with the following prayer: "Dear God, I give all to You, willingly. But I don't know how to give, I just let you take. The best is to remain quiet. Because, though I may not know how to give, You know how to take. . . Yet I would have wished to be, once, just once, magnificently generous to You." In a moment of candor, Bernano once said, "Of all the people I have ever known, the boy I used to be was most important."

Here's a great article by my friend, Alan Nelson, on Leading and Managing Your Ministry. Excellent insights here for pastors! (Alan's wife, Nancy, and I were ordained at the same time. ) Managers need leaders and leaders need managers!

Today, we held our regular schedule of three worship services -- 8:20, 9:40 and 11:00. Just over 300 people attended -- which is less than half of our normal Sunday morning crowd. Still, for one Sunday we were bigger than Willow Creek.

Yesterday, I was the WRLS Radio Mystery Santa. Listeners received clues throughout the day, and the one who correctly identified me received the Grand Prize of over $1000 from the Hayward Community Credit Union. Pandora Larson, figured me out on this clue: "He is a confessed history buff." Only in a small town. . . Good for Pandora! I like playing that kind of Santa.

Barna's new book, Revolution , has sure hit a nerve! He lets church dropouts off the hook! My friend, Keith Drury, goes so far as to call it heresy. That's perhaps an overstatement. As a pastor, I've had to deal with dropouts on a regular basis. Even good folks who love Jesus, attend small groups, read the Bible, are active intercessors -- for some reason or another, choose not to attend church on Sunday morning. That's not ideal, certainly, but it's a fact of life. How should pastors handle folks like that? Love them back! Encourage them. Bless them. Serve them. Cheer them up. Don't marginalize them. Don't write them off. I've found it doesn't help my cause a bit to berate, belittle, or de-Christianize them. I'd rather work with them. Often, there is some small issue that needs resolution -- and if guided by a loving shepherd, they usually make their way back into the Sunday morning fold. Barna's book doesn't really he...

Pinky was a little slave girl -- only nine years old when her mother died. To lose your mother at such a young age is terrible -- but being a slave child made it even worse. Pinky would not go to the home of loving relatives. Neither she nor her loved ones had any voice in her future whatsovever. She was considered "property". Pinky's owner decided to sell her on the slave market. He figured he might get up to $900 for her. It just so happened that Henry Ward Beecher, a pastor from New York was visiting in town and heard of Pinky's plight. He approached the slave owner and asked if, perhaps, he could take Pinky back home with him. "I'm sure the kind people of Plymouth Church would be happy to provide a loving home for her.", he said. "Not on your life!" declared Pinky's owner. "I could get $900 for this girl! I'll tell you what, give me the $900 and she's yours." Rev. Beecher did not have $900 -- but her persuaded the owne...

When the saintly John Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, was on his deathbed, a friend came to comfort him, singing "Now, I Have Found The Ground Wherein." (A Zinzendorf hymn, translated by John Wesley.) One beautiful stanza concludes with, "While Jesus' blood through earth and skies, Mercy, free, boundless mercy cries." To this, his face brightened and he replied with a smile, "Boundless! Boundless! Boundless!"

Board meetings tend to produce a lot of extra paper that you'll glance over once, and never read again. What is a good board member to do? Don't waste the opportunity!! Make A Paper Airplane! It will liven things up, and possibly even shorten the meeting!

“If we were meeting here three years from today – and you were to look back over those three years to today, what has to have happened during that period, both personally and professionally, for you to feel happy about your progress?” -- Bob Buford

Adam was hanging around the Garden of Eden feeling very lonely. So, God asked him, " What's wrong with you?" Adam said he didn't have anyone to talk to. God said that He was going to make Adam a companion and that it would be a woman. He said, "This pretty lady will gather food for you, she will cook for you, and when you discover clothing, she will wash it for you. She will always agree with every decision you make and she will not nag you, and will always be the first to admit she was wrong when you've had a disagreement. She will praise you! She will bear your children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them . She will NEVER have a headache and will freely give you love and passion whenever you need it." Adam asked God, "What will a woman like this cost?" God replied, "An arm and a leg." Then Adam asked, "What can I get for a rib?" (sent to me by a friend)

"Heaven only knows what led a volunteer fire department in the Baltimore countryside to put up a sign advertising 'Holiday Trees.' Would any Buddhists in the neighborhood not buy them otherwise?" - Editorial page, Wall Street Journal

A Wyoming cowboy was once asked what was the greatest lesson he learned from his experiences of ranching. "The Herefords taught me one of life's most important lessons," he replied. "We used to breed cattle for a living, but the winter storms would come and kill 'em off. It would take a terrible toll on the herd. "Time and time again, after a cold winter storm, we'd find most of our cattle piled up against the fences, dead as doornails! "They would turn their backs to the icy wind, and slowly drift downward until the fences stopped them. There, they just piled up and died." "But the Herefords were different than that," he continued. "They would head straight into the wind and slowly walk the other way until they came to the upper boundary fence where they stood, facing the storm. "We always found our Herefords alive and well. They saved their hides by facing the storm!" When the storms of life are raging, our natural in...

Lord, help me not to be the kind of person our cat thinks I am.

My friend, Lisa Johnson, recently shared a breakthrough she and her friends had at their small group. It has to do with the Proverbs 31 Woman. Lisa writes: Let me start by saying that I never really liked the Proverbs 31 Woman; in fact, I will go so far as to say I actually resented her. Every time I read Proverbs 31, I was drawn to the conclusion that I was so very far from God's expectations of a godly woman. I didn't even come close to measuring up. How many of us have been reminded of her on Mother's Day, whether she be mentioned in a card, or sermon. (No offense!) Talk about pouring salt in an already wounded self image! No, Proverbs 31 Woman and I were not friends, but I did admire her, and longed to be like her. In study today, we read aloud Proverbs 31, and put each "quality" in today's language/world. MUCH to my surprise, I found that I am more like her than I thought! (Except for the servant girls... where, oh where are MY servant girls???!!!) I don...

Lisa Johnson, sent a follow up to her original e-mail on Proverbs 31. This is really good too: Greetings! I have had a few more observations about Proverbs 31 Woman today, and I would like to share them with you. In my previous letter, I commented... okay,whined, about not having any servant girls. You will not believe what I found in my house today. Servant girls! I am surrounded by them! Let me introduce them to you... Ms. Wilma Washer and her fellow employee Miss Debbie Dryer (No trips to the river for me!) Miss Dolly Dishwasher (she even retrieves her own water AND heats it up!) Ms. Mary Microwave (Wow... is she ever quick on her feet!) Miss Farrah Furnace (I never have to worry about stoking the fire... even throughout the night!) Ms. Hannah Hot Water Heater (How nice to have hot water on a moments notice. She'll even fill my tub!) Miss Olivia Oven and her helper Susie Stovetop (What a team they are. No trips to the woodpile in the early dawn!) As you can see, I am bles...

My friend (and District Superintendent) Dan Bickel , sent me an e-mail today that included these wonderful, inspiring quotes. I thought I'd pass them along to you! “If you really want to do something you’ll find a way; if you don’t you’ll find an excuse.” “No dream comes true until you wake up and go to work on it.” “Courage is not the absence of fear; but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” Ambrose Redmoon And this one is good, too: “God, make me the person my dog thinks I am.”

Jan Zeh hit the nail on the head when she wrote this article for Newsweek . It's about mining the "Golden Years." I have found that there are two different kinds of retirees in my church: The first group consists of those who have basically "retired from life." They fish, putz around the house, and talk about politics. I'm always happy to see them on Sunday, but they don't volunteer for much. After all, they're retired! The second group is the greatest work force in our church! Bill, for instance, is a retired exec from IBM. He devotes his days to ministry -- helping those in need. Nickie leads a small group, and our flower ministry. Don heads up our ushers and greeters. As I am writing this, a group of 15 senior citizens are meeting for a Bible Study in the room next door. They are the best volunteers in the congregation: vibrant! enthusiastic! alive! American Health Magazine reported a study from the University of Michigan, which concluded that reg...

My friend and co-worker, Heath Davis, sent me this beautiful prayer yesterday. It captures the spirit of Advent in a beautiful way. O Jesus Christ,your mother and father were excluded by all who they sought shelter with on the night you were born. You came into this world as a marginalized person, part of the “they” who were being counted by those in power for their own ends. This Advent, open our eyes to see how many of your children are still in similar situations. Open our minds to understand their struggles; open our hearts and help us begin the journey to worship you by practicing inclusion. Guide us in the dark night to your Light, which shines for all. Amen.

I have some friends who have dropped out of church. As I've visited with them about it, they've informed me that they are protesting the entire "American church culture." They are not alone in this assessment. George Barna , in his new book, Revolution , seems to say the same thing. He doesn't put it out there quite as strongly as my disillusioned friends -- but he has to sell books to pastors. In many ways, I can relate with what they're saying. The church in America is like a sleeping giant. Or, as in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, a giant that has been petrified. Just think what could happen, if the giant would be resurrected from the long sleep! The church in America has the resouces and volunteer power to totally transform the entire society -- to feed the hungry, to clothe the poor, to rehabilitate the wayward, to meet the deepest needs of society. In the power of God, The Church Could Change the World! Yet, that's not the way it generally w...

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader ." --John Quincy Adams

These are negative people. Nothing is ever good enough for them. In the church. I call these people graveyard Christians. They have lost the joy of the Lord and are just biding their time until death. You may have some of these people in your family. Interject positivism. Change the discussion. If that doesn’t work, carry a survival kit. It can contain things you like to do such as a hobby, a book or pictures to look through. When the Grinch starts their downward spiral, simply go sit somewhere else and occupy your mind with something that won’t pull you down. Misery loves company; but, if you don’t give toxic people an audience, they will have to move on or be quiet. -- Travis Plumlee

O Lord and Master of my life, give me not a spirit of sloth, of despondency, of lust or of vain talking; but bestow on me thy servant a spirit of chastity, of humility, of patience and love. You, O Lord and King, grant to me to see my own errors and not to judge my brother, for blessed art thou unto ages of ages. -- St. Ephrem , the desert father (He wrote a bunch of Christmas hymns too -- but he rambles. Too much time in the desert methinks!)

Every pastor is called to have a Shepherd's heart. Pastors are primarily spiritual guides -- not CEO's. Even if a church grows beyond the ability of the pastor's "shepherding ability" (which is about 200 people), the ethos of of the shepherd must still be maintained. Too many pastors want to be bosses rather than shepherds, but the fact is, 8 out of 10 will never pastor a church over 200. Particularly in the smaller congregation, the pastor is expected to fulfill the pastoral role. Of course, I believe in visionary leadership, effective outreach strategies and cutting edge ministry programming. These, however, cannot substitute for loving the people. Rick Warren, Bill Hybels and John Maxwell are excellent resources for leadership and outreach. We must go elsewhere, however, to find good models for pastoral care in a smaller faith community (Eugene Peterson is once such model, I think.) A lot of times, when a pastor says "I'm a rancher", or "...

Now, this is an interesting idea: Pastor Marries Dog Couple. I suppose you could say it was a case of puppy love at first sight -- but I'm afraid their relationship will go to the dogs.

The past is a nice place to visit from time to time -- but it's a terrible place to live. Sometimes, we see a television show or visit a museum exhibit showing life a couple hundred years ago. Perhaps, you've thought, "Those were the good old days! I wish we could go back and live like that." I don't think you really do. A couple hundred years ago the life expectancy was 38 years, the average work week was 72 hours, and the median annual income was $300. Cholera, typhiod and yellow fever were common. For instance, one out of five people in Philadelphia in 1793 died from these diseases. Many women died in childbirth, and the flu also claimed the lives of many. Almost every home experienced the sorrow of losing a child. No indoor plumbing, no refrigerators, no microwaves, no soft mattresses, no electric heat, no lights, no cars, no tv, no computers, no recorded music, no tupperware, no soft drinks, no cheeseburgers. Everybody milked their own cows! Nah -- you wouldn...

Here's a great article from Pastors.com by Wayne Goodall, entitled " Why Great Men Fall -- and How to Prevent Yourself from Falling." An insightful article -- and a good reminder to stay close to the Savior. I've seen too many good friends in the ministry fall by the wayside. God, protect us.

The Law of the Turtle : You will make no progress unless you stick your neck out! You can't live in fear of what people think. As Rick Warren says, "When youre small, they'll dismiss you. When you're growing, theyl'l criticize you. When you're large, theyll resent you ." So -- Who Cares what "They" think anyway? There are three kinds of people in the world: Those who MAKE things happen, Those who WATCH things happen, and those who WONDER WHAT HAPPENED!

Let us suppose that there are two sorts of existences -- one seen, the other unseen. . . The seen is the changing, the unseen is the unchanging. -- Socrates

This morning was really hard. I conducted the funeral for three month old, Kaylee Zopp, who died Sunday morning of SIDS. I've officiated at a couple hundred funerals -- and this was one of the hardest I've ever done. It seemed so surreal -- so wrong -- to have a tiny little casket with a tiny infant in the front of our church. She was such a precious little baby. Speaking for her service took just about all the strength I could muster. Usually, funerals are reserved for folks who have lived a long time. Usually the grandchildren weep. This time, the grandparents were the ones in deep sorrow. I spoke mostly from Isaiah 40 -- keying in on verse 11: He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart. . ." I also shared the words of Cynthia Clawson's song, "When You Can't Trace His Hand, Trust His Heart." GOD is Too wise to be mistaken. GOD is too good to be unkind S o, When you don't understand And Wh...

My friend, Dan Reiland, wrote a great article for Senior Pastors about managing church staff. It is dealing primarily with paid pastoral staff -- but there is also an excellent sidebar regarding volunteer staff. Dan's the Executive Pastor at Crossroads Community Church near Atlanta -- and we've been friends for a long time -- all the way back to when he directed High School Camp, and I was a counselor. His article is good, because it reminds us of the importance of good leadership. A congregation will never grow beyond its leaders. (At least, not healthy growth.) I am thankful to have a staff of Eagles! My staff is a lot like Moses' -- they've been known to both part seas and destroy pestilence. I lean on them a lot!

We do not want merely to see beauty.... We want something else which can hardly be put into words--to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it .- C.S. Lewis

The ordinary man has always cared more for truth than for consistency. If he saw two truths that seemed to contradict each other, he would take the two truths and the contradiction along with them. His spiritual sight is stereoscopic, like his physical sight, he sees two different pictures at once and yet sees all the better for that. It is exactly this balance of apparent contradictions that has been the whole buoyancy of the healthy man. The whole secret of mysticism is that man can understand everything by the help of what he does not understand. The morbid logician seeks to make everything lucid, and succeeds in making everything mysterious. The mystic allows one thing to be mysterious, and everything else becomes clear. From Orthodoxy , by G. K. Chesterton (circa 1900)

Steve Hawks, Brigham Young University prof, lost 50 pounds and kept it off for five years with a No Diet Diet! He calls it the "intuitive plan" -- and he listens to his body. Whatever his body craves, that's what he eats. Eat when you're hungry. Stop eating when you're not hungry anymore. This is the same basic idea promoted by Gwen Shamblin, of the Weigh Down Worskshop. Weigh Down was one of the most successful programs in our church a few years ago -- until Gwen went weird , denied the Trinity and stuff like that. So -- do you have to deny the Trinity to have a diet that works? And what about the "Full Gospel" folks?

Wendell Berry, the Kentucky naturalist and poet, holds a special place in my heart. With dozens of "administrative" and "relational" monkeys clamouring around in my mind, I needed to set my heart at peace. I sat down and read Berry's poem, The Peace of Wild Things . It soothed and quieted my soul, and the birds began to sing again.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not clarity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. One day a preacher waxed eloquent. After the sermon, someone remarked, "My, wasn't that deep?" "Nah," came the reply, "Just muddy!"

"Darn Pigeons!"

"Half the harm that is done in the world," said the poet, T.S. Eliot , "is done by people who want to feel important. They do not mean to harm. There are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves." I've discovered that most of the time, people mean well. Even when they speak or behave in troubling ways that makes us wonder -- they mean well. It's best to give the benefit of the doubt whenever possible. Yet, at the same time, it is also beneficial for us to examine our motives, and try to understand more deeply how our behavior effects others. Sometimes, winning the argument loses the fight. A marriage counselor once asked a distraught husband, "Do you want to be happy, or do you want to be right?" After a frustrating conversation one day, I thought, "What he said spoke so loud, I couldn't understand a word he meant!" Perhaps, the best path is mapped out by St. Francis of Assisi , who prayed: Lord, make me an instru...

I'm still learning to lead. I find that as our church has grown, I've been challenged to grow personally, as well. There have been four major "leadership transitions" during our church's growth, which required me to think and stretch to a new level. 1. When we transitioned past 100. The central issues here were survival, outreach, and programming. I had to start a lot of activities. Key question: What are we going to do? 2. When we transitioned past 200. The central issues here were adding a second staff member,multiple services, small groups and facilities. Key question: How do we multiply ministry opportunities? 3. When we transitioned past 400. The central issues here were multiple staff, developing a "large church" mindset, and leadership development. Key question: How do we multiply leaders? 4. Now we are transitioning past 600 -- and I'm trying to identify the central issues. I believe they have something to do with focus, ministry a...

Leaders are not the ones with irrefutable answers, but the ones who can support others and help them ask the right questions. Leaders do as much listening as talking. As visions are sought, leaders keep the conversation alive and active in the congregation, allowing the vision to be shaped by past history, current practice, and future opportunities and call. -- Gil Rendle, Leading Change in the Congregation (Alban Institute)