Ed Stetzer left us with this memorable challenge at the Verge Conference:
It’s time we get off our blessed assurance and do something for Jesus.
Stetzer went on to emphatically challenge us with, “When we do for people what God called them to do, everyone get’s hurt and the mission of God gets hindered.” Stetzer believes the system of church in the west rewards pastors for meeting the needs of people in a co-dependent relationship. A co-dependency fed by the people’s need to be taken care of and the pastor’s need to be valued.
A recent survey of 7000 churches by Stetzer revealed less than 50% of church attendees are actively engaged in the ministry. He states, “Disciples don’t just know, they do. Something is broken.”
David Gibbons, a large church pastor and noted author, agrees with Stetzer and challenged his church to step up and own the ministry efforts. He suggested we’ve settled on a civil religion that was simply affirming our family’s values. There’s no longer any adventure, journey, or quest. He challenged if they weren’t suffering for the cause of Christ they shouldn’t be at peace.
The challenge cost him 33% of his congregation including long term friends. He is crushed and unsure where to go from here.
If you mean “what will keep things just as they are?” then the answer is nobody will. It’s over.
And if you mean “who will maintain that handy place where we get encouraged on weekends, have our weddings and funerals, hang with friends and get some advice when life’s confusing for our convenient 2-3% tithe?” then the answer is still nobody will.
We need to get past this old idea of saving, because the status quo is leaving the building, and quickly.
The churches thriving in this storm have learned that getting past a James 3:16 spirit (where selfish ambition is…confusion…and every evil work) is just as important as getting to a John 3:16 one (whoever believes in Him will not perish). They’ve learned that unchallenged congregations become “stalled and dissatisfied.” And they’ve learned that those congregations deteriorate into myopic consumers, simply devouring the the ministry’s services and the hope of the staff as well.
I grabbed lunch yesterday with Danny Curry and Dave Wood, two pastors who have a healthy church of 1,600 that’s growing 10% a year in spite of the cultural and economic headwinds. It’s fantastic talking with guys like this. They seriously challenge people beyond their selfish ambition and into a fullness in Christ.
I asked how they measured fullness and they quickly replied, “Selflessly showing up wherever God is at work!”
Now that’s exponential impact that could save something.
“Teens are looking for more than a holding tank with pizza,” said Ed Stetzer. “They look for a church that teaches them how to live life.”
Even though they may hesitate to acknowledge it, teens do want insight and guidance when it comes to dealing with challenges. In a recent Bible study at Purdue University, I asked a group of college guys what they perceive as key barriers to reaching their goals in life. Their top three concerns were:
Their ability to be a strong spiritual leader in their home
Their ability to provide financially
Personal discernment
The group also agreed that a church that helped guide their everyday life decisions was a vital resource.
Stetzer, a researcher with Lifeway, recently discovered that adult relationships were a key to keeping 18-22 year olds connected to church. Even though up to 70% of 18-22 year olds drift away from church, a real connection with multiple adults dramatically reduced that drift.
The Purdue group agreed. They want insight and somebody to walk with them in life. And if us older men are willing to invest in them, they will hang around and walk with us.
Why do you think adults aren’t connecting better when the youth express such interest?
Al Hirsch, author of The Shaping Of Things To Come and The Forgotten Ways, estimates that only 40% of the US population can be reached with the prevailing church models of today (mega church, multi site, small groups, etc).
Of course 40% does represent 120 million Americans who are open to a church model built around corporate weekend worship and small groups.However, it is possible for the prevailing church models and leaders to reach out with incarnational ministry to the other 180 million people that will likely never attend church as we know it.
Christ exemplified this incarnational approach through His time spent with the scorned Samaritan woman at the well. And when he saw Zachaus in a tree, that wee little dreaded tax collector, and invited himself to Zachaus’ home. Many will be reached only by a similar one-on-one connection.
Forward thinking church leaders are currently exploring ways to develop this one-on-one passion for those inside and outside their congregations. It can no longer simply be the work of the pastor and staff to connect and lead others to a fully devoted walk with Christ. It will take us all to reach the other 180 million.
Do you think we church members are up to the challenge?
Kevin Miller at Christianity Today shared how teachers who are “with it” teach 1 1/2 years of content in a given year, versus the 1/2 year’s worth of content from poor-quality teachers. That’s a 300% increase in effectiveness year after year! We’re all teachers with our own unique classrooms. Imagine the impact of a 300% improvement at your school, business, ministry, or home.
Teachers who get it have a quality called “withitness.” This is the ability to be perceptually and cognitively aware of what’s occurring around you at all times. Teachers who were aware of what was occurring during class (behavior, work, etc.) and who made their awareness apparent to their students, had high work involvement and low misbehavior from their students (Wolfgang, 2004).
So people who are with it simply possess withitness…the capacity to perceive the needs and concerns of others with accuracy and care.
It has little to do with being hip and everything to do with loving your neighbor.
A woman in Massachusetts received over twenty “get out and vote” calls today. One was reportedly from Obama himself. Another lady left a message on Democrat candidate Martha Coakley’s Facebook page stating that she hopes Martha is killed. It has gotten very ugly out East!
It brought to mind a recent Bible study on the book of James. I’ve read that book multiple times but never really noticed verse 3:16. In it James says:
“Where envying and selfish ambition are…there is confusion…and every evil work.”
Theologian Thomas Aquinas said of envy, “Charity rejoices in our neighbor’s good, while envy grieves over it.”
Important food for thought. Sadly, there will be much grieving tonight.
There is a noticeable buzz in both offices this week! Activity is picking up and we are rolling in 2010. Thanks for everyone’s hard work – you’re a great team!
That was the last line in today’s weekly update to the Aspen team. Its remarkable really, even though unemployment is over 10% giving to some churches has grown this year. And they can’t put off expansion any longer as their numbers are growing as well. What is it that allows them to succeed in tough times?
There’s been a lot of criticism about this country’s financial markets, politics, and morality over the last decade. But Peggy Noonan recently pointed out in the Wall Street Journal a far more corrosive problem,
We’ve lost focus on our mission.
In the institutional world Wall Street lost it’s focus and became bonus driven. Congress lost it’s focus and became more partisan (and pork happy) than ever. The unions lost their focus and killed GM. And many churches lost their focus as they became overly concerned with attendance, buildings, and cash.
But these growing churches stay focused on their core mission to: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…” They focus on “Christ”, creating authentic “Connections” among the congregation, and engaging everyone in selfless “Causes”.
And as they do their numbers and generosity grows. Even in 2009!
Jim Collins, author of “Good To Great,” shares this analogy:
You are a bus driver. The bus, your organization, is at a standstill, and it’s your job to get it going. You have to decide where you’re going, how you’re going to get there, and who’s going with you.
Most people assume that great bus drivers (leaders) immediately start the journey by announcing to the people on the bus where they’re going—by setting a new direction or by articulating a fresh, compelling vision.
In fact, leaders of great organizations start not with “where” but with “who.” They start by getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats. And they stick with that discipline—first the people, then the direction—no matter how dire the circumstances.
Great leaders understand three simple truths. First, if you begin with “who,” you can more easily adapt to a fast-changing world. Second, if you have the right people on your bus, you don’t need to worry about motivating them. And third, if you have the wrong people on the bus, nothing else matters.
Great vision with mediocre people still produces mediocre results.
Is it any surprise that the top five hiring skills are (on a 5-point scale):
How does a child born blind and crippled become a remarkable piano player as well as a member of the Louisville Cardinal’s marching band?
Life is filled with disappointment. However, when a door closes another is always opened. Patrick Henry Hughes said this about his disabilities, “They’re not disabilities at all…but abilities.”
Check out this video of a very special father and son who searched for the open doors and discovered a very special life together.
I recently read that we learn wisdom three ways: 1. by reflection, which is noblest; 2. by imitation, which is easiest; 3. by experience, which is the bitterest. I’ve always aspired to nobility so here’s my reflection on lessons learned from 2009:
We need a deeply anchored faith when culture and values are shifting rapidly…seek quiet time often.
Social networking makes our lives very transparent, we must walk our talk.
Young people are growing up in a different world than boomers but still covet their insight and affection.
Without face time with close friends we’re all unhealthy.
Markets can disappear overnight…keep learning and stay flexible.
We are only as secure as the value we can create for others.
Don’t waste a crisis…change creates a remarkable opportunity to reinvent.
I’m vulnerable when I struggle to see hope. It seems that’s where many of us were last fall.
We must not let society and technology stifle our imagination or creativity.
Americans still value their independence and hope for a better life.
Mainline churches continue to shrink while mega churches continue to grow.
People engage where there is hope…in spite of the economy, giving to churches increased.
The best and brightest young church leaders want to plant their own church.
People are envisioning and engaging in ministry far beyond the walls of their church.
I’d appreciate hearing your reflections from last year.
The Christmas holidays remind us that there is something more to life. And no matter how discouraging the year may have been, through our faith and our families we can begin all over again. William Saroyan, an American writer, tells how our families help us do so:
Of course if you like your kids, if you love them from the moment they begin, you yourself begin all over again, in them, with them, and so there is something more to the world again.
To build on our own family connections, we pulled together the H10 group several years ago. The group includes myself, two sons, and three son-in-laws. Hebrews chapter 10 (H10) defines our purpose:
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
We try to meet several times a year to inspire each other to be Daniels in our time, and Christmas always provides a special chance to connect. Here are a few take-a-ways this year:
Never let the things that matter most be at the mercy of the things that matter least.
In this demanding environment, we must work extra hard at guarding daily quiet time and time with our wives and families.
The internet and social networking are good but must not crowd out what matters most. We must shut it off at a disciplined time each night.
It all begins with faith and…We must never let the undeniable be at the mercy of the unexplainable.
Theme #3: Biblical literacy is low and will remain so.
Barna’s findings related to Bible knowledge and application indicate that little progress, if any, is being made toward becoming more biblically literate.
Barna notes, “Bible reading has become the religious equivalent of sound-bite journalism. When people read from the Bible they typically open it without much regard for the context, and consider only the primary thought or feeling that the passage provided. If they are comfortable with it, they accept it; otherwise, they deem it interesting but irrelevant to their life, and move on.”
Some of the survey-based results that led Barna to his conclusions included:
Just half of all self-identified Christians firmly believe that the principles the Bible teaches are totally accurate.
Only 27% of adults are confident that Satan exists.
Only 4% believe that poverty is an issue that is primarily the responsibility of the Church.
Theme #4: We have little understanding of or interest in spiritual maturity.
Barna concludes, “Our studies this year showed that almost 90% of senior pastors asserted that spiritual immaturity is one of the most serious problems facing the Church. But few pastors have gone so far as to give their congregants a specific written statement of how they define spiritual maturity, how it might be measured, the strategy for facilitating such maturity, or what scriptural passages are most helpful in describing and fostering maturity. Overall, less than 10% of pastors said they were completely satisfied with how they assess the spiritual condition of their congregation.
“Not surprisingly,” Barna continued, “our research found that a majority of churchgoing adults are uncertain as to what their church would define as a ‘healthy, spiritually mature follower of Christ’ and they were no more likely to have personally developed a clear notion of such a life. In other words, as we examine the discipleship landscape, what we see is what we get – and what we will keep getting for some time.”
George Barna may be the most respected Christian researcher in the US. Here’s his year-end review of Christianity in America, synthesized from thousands of interviews and numerous research projects in 2009:
Theme #1: Americans are more interested in faith and spirituality than Christianity.
Faith remains a hot topic these days. And nearly everyone has something to say about God, religion, faith, morality, and beliefs. But as the fundamental values and assumptions of our nation continue to shift, so do our ideas about faith and spirituality.
Barna shares, “Ultimately, in a culture where people are busy, distracted, confused and trying to keep it all together, there is less loyalty to a faith brand than to self. The purpose of faith, for most Americans, is not so much to discover truth or to relate to a loving, praiseworthy deity as it is to become happy, successful, comfortable and secure. For a growing percentage of citizens, their sense of spirituality, more than Christianity, facilitates those outcomes.”
Some of the related survey results Barna cited from this year’s studies included:
Just 50% of adults contend that Christianity is still the automatic faith of choice in the US
Nearly 90% agreed either strongly or somewhat that their religious faith is very important in their life
74% said their faith is becoming more important in their life
Half of all adults argue that a growing number of people they know are tired of having the same church experience
Theme #2: Faith is now individual and customized.
“Now that we are comfortable with the idea of being spiritual as opposed to devoutly Christian,” Barna pointed out, “Americans typically draw from a broad treasury of moral, spiritual and ethical sources of thought to concoct a uniquely personal brand of faith. Feeling freed from the boundaries established by the Christian faith, and immersed in a postmodern society which revels in participation, personal expression, satisfying relationships, and authentic experiences, we become our own unchallenged spiritual authorities, defining truth and reality as we see fit.”
45% of all adults say they are willing to try a new church or even a new form of church
71% say they will develop their own slate of religious beliefs rather than accept a package of beliefs promoted by a church or denomination
75% of adults believe that God is motivating them and others to connect with Him through different means and experiences than were common in the past
Only 34% believe in absolute moral truth
Later this week:
Theme #3: Biblical literacy is low and will remain so.
Theme #4: We have little understanding of or interest in spiritual maturity.
With 9/11 to kick it off and an ugly recession to close it out, Time magazine recently called this the “Decade From Hell.” Despite all this, I just had a Jimmy Stewart Wonderful Life moment today.
I scheduled lunch with Chris, an employee I hired out of college in 1988. He worked for us as a construction manager for 16 years before taking a similar job at Purdue University.
I hadn’t seen Chris since he left, so I was anxious to connect again. After the pleasantries, he shared how in five short years he had become the senior construction manager at this top-30 university. With a sincerity that words just can’t express, he shared how the lessons of honesty, transparency, trust, fairness, and diligence that he learned from our team were the keys to his surprising success.
Yes, this decade has been ugly, but today Chris taught me to look beyond those temporal disappointments to see how God can use each of us to make a permanent difference. If you’re not sure He is, you should watch the old Jimmy Stewart movie again. As you gather with family and friends, it will remind you that we all matter and it truly is a wonderful life.
Last Saturday a sobbing, middle aged lady showed up at our door. She was frightened, cold, and painfully hunched over a cane she had used to hobble the three hundred yards to our home. In the four years I’ve lived here we’d never met.
Once we got her warmed up she regained her composure and shared how she had fallen, aggravated a painful back injury, and was lonely and afraid in her home. She couldn’t get ahold of her husband and had nowhere else to turn…no familiar neighbors, no kids, and no friends.
She was bright and held multiple degrees, including a doctorate. She was tough enough to hold the rank of Colonel in the US Army and had traveled the world, risking her life as a security expert. But loneliness was too much and had almost broken her.
Bottles of germ killer are everywhere these days to protect us from H1N1. But loneliness is our unseen epidemic, inflicting far more damage. It erodes our ability to handle stress and in turn maintain important relationships and productive lives.
With 17% of Americans moving each year in today’s global world, we rarely have grandparents and cousins living close by. Add to that the internet and our hundreds of TV channels that have us holed up like refugees and we rarely connect deeply with others around the “town square” as we once did. We walk alone.
This further explains, as I mentioned last week, why adults are now the biggest group of users on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, even though our kids pioneered both. We seem to be longing again for those social connections that provide identity and security.
The church should help people simplify their lives so they can rebuild those connections. What’s working for you?
In Austin with Al Hirsch learning how to create Christian movements like the one that grew the Chinese church to 120M....1 day ago
Frances Chan just finished at Verge. The spirit is so strong the 3000 young people stay quietly seated hoping it won't fade away...special....3 days ago
Heading for the Verge Conference in Austin. Hoping to stretch my thinking about Missional/incarnational ministry....4 days ago
Ed Stetzer left us with this memorable challenge at the Verge Conference:
