Back to emergent generations for a day or so. I named the title these misnomers upon which our social networking sites are sometimes called to point something out quickly. Not every generation understands our new found way to connect to friends. Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are closer to being social experiments than actual social interactions. Now comes the time to raise the more pertinent topics surrounding these.
The current church model for outreach is broken. Most churches believe if we send out items through the Postal Service, it has the best chance to reach someone. Some churches even believe that this and a marquee is as far as they should go. For other churches it is a huge step to send out a monthly newsletter by email. The church is resistant to embrace new technologies and has been skeptical like this for the two millenniums since Jesus ascended into heaven. The church as a whole has always been seeking to shut down technical advances that they don't immediately see a way to use for their good, or that may be used wrong.
Some people think that social networking sites are "of the devil" because they are only subject to bad publicity. NBC's show, To Catch a Predator, spends an hour showing four or five cases in which MySpace has been exploited to target younger children. Because of this, some people never see that the world is really a good thing, we just don't spend an hour talking about the millions of people that have a MySpace that this never happens too. Let's think back to 1439 when Johannes Gutenberg first used movable type printing. For history buffs, you know the first book printed with this was the Holy Bible. Looking at this it established a great way to print faster and more accurate than ever before. This meant that the Bible could have many more published and move out into people's world quicker than ever before.
What if the church would have shut Gutenberg down simply because it had the potential to one day be used to print PlayBoy. All of the sudden, this great invention that can be used to print thousands of bibles, would have never existed. The church needs to embrace the internet and use it to their advantage. Sure, the internet has evil uses, but it's not going anywhere no matter how much we imagine it's not there.
So, why doesn't every church go out right now and create a MySpace and a Facebook page. Have their ministers create Twitters so they can be kept up with. The church will then have this new in to a generation that is unlike any other. They will see some differences but can also keep up to date on what's happening and how people feel. It allows for the web 2.0 to let churches get feedback and interact with members and others outside the church like never before. I feel this will greatly impact church's missions to people in the emergent generation. That is what we need to do. We can't convince everyone to come in the church doors without first meeting them in the middle to find out more about what they like. So, lets go to them, through social networking sites.
I'll continue more on differences between our generation and others before and explain more on why social networking sites are truly going to be the way to reach others on Monday. I don't want to make you wait that long but I just set up the new format so I don't want to break it so early. But let's go and be out there, revamping the approach.
God bless,
Gann
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Best Kept Secret
Hey,
Today I am listening to my iPod in my truck. As it is randomly shuffling I suddenly have my idea for today's blog. The name of the song is Best Kept Secret and is off Skillet's album Invincible. This is before they went heavy, headbanging rock and when they were more techno. Here is the song and music video.
The first time I heard this was at the Xtreme Conference in Gatlinburg where Skillet played live. When I first heard it I was shocked and disgusted with the song. I thought that they were glorifying the fact that we are not spreading the gospel to people. I simply thought that bragging about Jesus being the best kept secret was silly and exactly opposite of what we should be doing. After the conference I just went back to normal and forgot completely about the song and its lack of appeal toward me.
A few weeks back I was stocking up on my Skillet collection after I purchased their newest album Awake. I found this song, but had a new appreciation for it. Here are the lyrics from the song.
I began to realize that they were pointing out a tragic thing. We have Jesus and like to keep him a secret. However, he is so great that we need to let it out. They say "I can't keep this all to myself" and they believe it is too great to be held inside. We need to go out there and show Jesus off to the world. So, unlike I thought, they aren't glorifying it but they are actually trying to fix that.
So the thought this time is to fix this. Let's take Jesus from the best kept secret to the best thing widely known.
God bless,
Gann
Today I am listening to my iPod in my truck. As it is randomly shuffling I suddenly have my idea for today's blog. The name of the song is Best Kept Secret and is off Skillet's album Invincible. This is before they went heavy, headbanging rock and when they were more techno. Here is the song and music video.
The first time I heard this was at the Xtreme Conference in Gatlinburg where Skillet played live. When I first heard it I was shocked and disgusted with the song. I thought that they were glorifying the fact that we are not spreading the gospel to people. I simply thought that bragging about Jesus being the best kept secret was silly and exactly opposite of what we should be doing. After the conference I just went back to normal and forgot completely about the song and its lack of appeal toward me.
A few weeks back I was stocking up on my Skillet collection after I purchased their newest album Awake. I found this song, but had a new appreciation for it. Here are the lyrics from the song.
Shrouded in proof, You're the mystery
You're the truth that lives within the world we see
You're the hand that holds destiny
And I can't pretend I don't know
And I can't leave it alone (yeah,yeah)
Chorus:
You're the best kept secret in my generation
The best kept secret of all time
You're the best kept secret in my generation
And I found you out
Your the hope over the centuries
You're the cosmic force that rules the galaxies
You're the evidence that demands our belief
And I can't live for myself
I can't keep this all to myself (yeh, yeah)
I began to realize that they were pointing out a tragic thing. We have Jesus and like to keep him a secret. However, he is so great that we need to let it out. They say "I can't keep this all to myself" and they believe it is too great to be held inside. We need to go out there and show Jesus off to the world. So, unlike I thought, they aren't glorifying it but they are actually trying to fix that.
So the thought this time is to fix this. Let's take Jesus from the best kept secret to the best thing widely known.
God bless,
Gann
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
It's a Good Thing I Go To Church
Hey guys,
I'll jump right in with a little back story. I was at work and this lady was talking to me. She runs through the dictionary of four letter words and talks awful about somebody. Then she drops the line "It's a good thing I go to church, or else this would be bad." I was slightly appalled at this statement. I then soon realized this would make a great blog topic, even if it is a little shorter than the last few.
Why do we do this? I think it is because we have sunk into a checklist mentality. We sometimes feel that we can just fall into a simple routine of going to church on Sunday and all is good for this week. Some people will even say, "I feel bad, I didn't go to church today." It's really not about being the church person that shows up every Sunday.
Here is where we need to change. Let's focus on how we live our lives. We need to stop focusing on checking off whether we go to church, if we give our tithes, and if we can pray the longer, more elaborate prayer. We need to focus on the love and caring of people out there in the world. So, let us all take our checklist that we are told to live by in our societal church, and crumble it up and throw it in a trash can. Let us join together, Jesus is the way, lets show him in the way we leave. Being saved is not a get out of jail free card to do whatever we want. You should want to live different and be influenced by the Holy Spirit.
So, I pray that throughout your day tomorrow and days beyond that you show Jesus' love. Don't settle for just going to church and then living how you want too the rest of the time. Don't go "Booty, God, Booty" as Jon Acuff puts it in his Stuff Christians Like blog. So, let's stop capping our God time with worldly activities and live how we are supposed too, or at least try.
God bless,
Gann
I'll jump right in with a little back story. I was at work and this lady was talking to me. She runs through the dictionary of four letter words and talks awful about somebody. Then she drops the line "It's a good thing I go to church, or else this would be bad." I was slightly appalled at this statement. I then soon realized this would make a great blog topic, even if it is a little shorter than the last few.
Why do we do this? I think it is because we have sunk into a checklist mentality. We sometimes feel that we can just fall into a simple routine of going to church on Sunday and all is good for this week. Some people will even say, "I feel bad, I didn't go to church today." It's really not about being the church person that shows up every Sunday.
Here is where we need to change. Let's focus on how we live our lives. We need to stop focusing on checking off whether we go to church, if we give our tithes, and if we can pray the longer, more elaborate prayer. We need to focus on the love and caring of people out there in the world. So, let us all take our checklist that we are told to live by in our societal church, and crumble it up and throw it in a trash can. Let us join together, Jesus is the way, lets show him in the way we leave. Being saved is not a get out of jail free card to do whatever we want. You should want to live different and be influenced by the Holy Spirit.
So, I pray that throughout your day tomorrow and days beyond that you show Jesus' love. Don't settle for just going to church and then living how you want too the rest of the time. Don't go "Booty, God, Booty" as Jon Acuff puts it in his Stuff Christians Like blog. So, let's stop capping our God time with worldly activities and live how we are supposed too, or at least try.
God bless,
Gann
Monday, October 26, 2009
Look Outside the Middle 102
Hey guys,
After week 1, I have learned a lot and decided a somewhat new idea to the format of this blog. I don't want to overwhelm people and try to remain flexible. As always, I am open to input and will be willing to add a 103 when I feel some changes might be needed. So let me know what you think and always feel free to comment and get involved on my blog.
Monday through Thursday - Daily Dose
These are just my common thoughts of what I feel being spoken to about. This will match the themes previously seen in the blogs. They will be more serious and contain the majority of the heavier subjects. This is where I will maintain my thoughts on more of the church today and interpretations and ideas.
Fridays - Fun Fridays
Everyone needs a break from serious. That is what these days are for. Fridays are just meant to be more fun and exciting. A lot more fun and satirically put rather than the seriousness of what most will be. There will still be a truth in there and a good part, just much more lighthearted.
Saturdays - Short Saturdays
Saturday will be more short day. Most likely a short thought followed by a question for you to answer. I am just opening this up as an easy day so if someone only reads on weekdays they can catch up easily. It also lets people that follow to get involved and join in on the blog. I might even open up questions like, "What themes would you like to see covered?"
Sundays - Scriptural Sundays
This will be my soapbox day. This is where I will bring in a scripture verse and explain or emphasize something in it. You can see that with my armor of God post. I am somewhat sad to just succumb to the societal, we need to be church people on Sunday, but I feel it may be the best day.
Out of this my prayer for everyone is to be open. Be open to suggestions and other people's ideas. If you need advice, ask for it. If something you do doesn't work, find out why. So I am open to any suggestions you guys might have.
God bless,
Gann
views.perspectives@gmail.com
After week 1, I have learned a lot and decided a somewhat new idea to the format of this blog. I don't want to overwhelm people and try to remain flexible. As always, I am open to input and will be willing to add a 103 when I feel some changes might be needed. So let me know what you think and always feel free to comment and get involved on my blog.
Monday through Thursday - Daily Dose
These are just my common thoughts of what I feel being spoken to about. This will match the themes previously seen in the blogs. They will be more serious and contain the majority of the heavier subjects. This is where I will maintain my thoughts on more of the church today and interpretations and ideas.
Fridays - Fun Fridays
Everyone needs a break from serious. That is what these days are for. Fridays are just meant to be more fun and exciting. A lot more fun and satirically put rather than the seriousness of what most will be. There will still be a truth in there and a good part, just much more lighthearted.
Saturdays - Short Saturdays
Saturday will be more short day. Most likely a short thought followed by a question for you to answer. I am just opening this up as an easy day so if someone only reads on weekdays they can catch up easily. It also lets people that follow to get involved and join in on the blog. I might even open up questions like, "What themes would you like to see covered?"
Sundays - Scriptural Sundays
This will be my soapbox day. This is where I will bring in a scripture verse and explain or emphasize something in it. You can see that with my armor of God post. I am somewhat sad to just succumb to the societal, we need to be church people on Sunday, but I feel it may be the best day.
Out of this my prayer for everyone is to be open. Be open to suggestions and other people's ideas. If you need advice, ask for it. If something you do doesn't work, find out why. So I am open to any suggestions you guys might have.
God bless,
Gann
views.perspectives@gmail.com
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Armor of God
Hey guys,
It's been a rather long day so I'll keep it short but try to maintain the same level of content you're hopefully expecting. Tonight, at the homeless ministry at our church I gave a short talk on the armor of God and decided that it was a worthy topic for the blog of the day too. Today, as I will on most Sunday's I will attempt to take a scripture reference and use it. I'll kinda explain my ideas for formatting tomorrow.
I am just going to briefly hit on the armor in this verse.
So I pray that you will equip yourself with the armor. The world is a battlefield, and you are fighting the war for Christ. You need to always be suited with your armor to be safe and to prevent Satan's attacks from being tragic. I pray that we can all suit up in our armor and take this war to the streets. There are people out there that need Jesus that we can only reach if we have our full armor on and take chances. Please, put on your armor and get on the front lines. We need soldier's of Christ.
God bless,
Gann
It's been a rather long day so I'll keep it short but try to maintain the same level of content you're hopefully expecting. Tonight, at the homeless ministry at our church I gave a short talk on the armor of God and decided that it was a worthy topic for the blog of the day too. Today, as I will on most Sunday's I will attempt to take a scripture reference and use it. I'll kinda explain my ideas for formatting tomorrow.
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
-Ephesians 6:10-18
I am just going to briefly hit on the armor in this verse.
- Belt of Truth
- Breastplate of Righteousness
- Feet Fitted with the Readiness
- Shield of Faith
- Sword of the Spirit
- Helmet of Salvation
So I pray that you will equip yourself with the armor. The world is a battlefield, and you are fighting the war for Christ. You need to always be suited with your armor to be safe and to prevent Satan's attacks from being tragic. I pray that we can all suit up in our armor and take this war to the streets. There are people out there that need Jesus that we can only reach if we have our full armor on and take chances. Please, put on your armor and get on the front lines. We need soldier's of Christ.
God bless,
Gann
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Interactivity Time
Ok, in the spirit of keeping everything from getting to regular and not getting systematic I am trying yet another format. This one depends on your help and I will do this periodically and may even use what you say as an idea for a blog. So I will call this question time to gather your input.
Today's question is simple but still hard. There is no wrong answer but still requires thought. Now that I have built it up, today's question is "What is your favorite bible verse?"
I'd have to say I like alot of verses. However, my favorite is probably 1 John 5:12. It's just a great verse that sums everything up really quick. So what is yours and why?
God bless,
Gann
Today's question is simple but still hard. There is no wrong answer but still requires thought. Now that I have built it up, today's question is "What is your favorite bible verse?"
I'd have to say I like alot of verses. However, my favorite is probably 1 John 5:12. It's just a great verse that sums everything up really quick. So what is yours and why?
God bless,
Gann
Friday, October 23, 2009
Power of Prayer
Now, in spirit of flexibility and not sinking into complacency, there is a little different format today. I forgot to mention some days we will mix it up and I may ask for your input and see what you think about something. I may respond to a comment. However, today, I saw a video that I think needs to be watched and viewed as a great thing. Here is the link, take 7 minutes and watch this video.
Click Here
Now just a short little commentary. This woman is amazing and is an example to all of us. She was in a dire situaion and turned to God. What happened though, was she had an oppurtunity to minister and pray with this man that was willing to shoot her just moments ago. She says she felt the spirit of God with her. Why did she do it? She wanted to save this man's life. She was worried that this young man was going to throw away his life and cared and loved for him. This is incredible and is truly what the church in America needs to see. She cared and loved for this man that had a gun in her face while its hard for us to pray with our neighbors that we have block parties with and see all the time.
I would also like to just point out that no one came in and that God moved in this place. They were there for 40 minutes with no one coming into the store or the phone ringing. Think about how God moved to bring them in. I think God used her to speak to this young man and now he knows someone cares about him. He also now has found his mom that he tells Angela that he doesn't know where she is. This man's armed robbery helped him to actually see God's love. This lady has truly showed that Christians have not shown enough of their love to people in need.
The other point from this video is that sometimes, even though you seem you are helping, you might be the one getting helped. She says that this moment brought back the religion she had lost and it had touched her. She not only saw God work in this man but God moved in her too. She, in the process of showing God's love, found God's love more. It's incredible how the Lord speaks to us. This video just truly showed and reinforced my inital thought to write about today, and that is that the Lord moves in mysterious ways.
I will end with some of Angela's thoughts. I am going to exerpt a few statements. She says "Maybe the Lord will use him in jail... It's pitiful these young men feel they have nothing... the Christians need to let people know and open their hearts..." So, I pray that you will see this and open your heart and love others how Christ has loved us. Her showing of Christian love has now opened doors to tell so many people and now she is able to go on national television to talk about God's love. I will end the same way Robin ends the interview."We just need to turn to the Lord."
God bless with Christ's love,
Gann
Click Here
Now just a short little commentary. This woman is amazing and is an example to all of us. She was in a dire situaion and turned to God. What happened though, was she had an oppurtunity to minister and pray with this man that was willing to shoot her just moments ago. She says she felt the spirit of God with her. Why did she do it? She wanted to save this man's life. She was worried that this young man was going to throw away his life and cared and loved for him. This is incredible and is truly what the church in America needs to see. She cared and loved for this man that had a gun in her face while its hard for us to pray with our neighbors that we have block parties with and see all the time.
I would also like to just point out that no one came in and that God moved in this place. They were there for 40 minutes with no one coming into the store or the phone ringing. Think about how God moved to bring them in. I think God used her to speak to this young man and now he knows someone cares about him. He also now has found his mom that he tells Angela that he doesn't know where she is. This man's armed robbery helped him to actually see God's love. This lady has truly showed that Christians have not shown enough of their love to people in need.
The other point from this video is that sometimes, even though you seem you are helping, you might be the one getting helped. She says that this moment brought back the religion she had lost and it had touched her. She not only saw God work in this man but God moved in her too. She, in the process of showing God's love, found God's love more. It's incredible how the Lord speaks to us. This video just truly showed and reinforced my inital thought to write about today, and that is that the Lord moves in mysterious ways.
I will end with some of Angela's thoughts. I am going to exerpt a few statements. She says "Maybe the Lord will use him in jail... It's pitiful these young men feel they have nothing... the Christians need to let people know and open their hearts..." So, I pray that you will see this and open your heart and love others how Christ has loved us. Her showing of Christian love has now opened doors to tell so many people and now she is able to go on national television to talk about God's love. I will end the same way Robin ends the interview."We just need to turn to the Lord."
God bless with Christ's love,
Gann
Thursday, October 22, 2009
What Are We Really Communicating?
Ok, so I began today with one thought in mind but had it completely changed as God spoke to me over something I saw today. But have no fear because I will come back to my original post in due time. However, this was startling when you take a step back from the Christian culture I have been discussing.
Today, as I am driving in my truck, I drive by this parked van in a parking spot. I notice a bumper sticker on the back of this van. The bumper sticker reads "Jesus is coming, RUE?" This totally did not click with me, so I did what anybody that was interested would do. I googled it. Come to find out the E was red on the bumper sticker, which in hindsight is correct. So here is what that bumper sticker says, "Jesus is come, R (are) U (you) E (red E - READY)?" That is definitely not close to anything I could figure out. This precludes something that has been started by us as Christians.
If you are reading this and you have a "red E" bumper sticker, I am in no way claiming that it is wrong to have that. What I am saying is you have succumbed to the new era of Christian merchandise lines. Everything from apparel to bumper stickers has started this. "What is it?", you ask. It is this new method of releasing things that requires a Christian inside knowledge to understand. What do I mean? Think about the Christian fish. I wish I had a number for how many people had these little silver medallions on the back of their cars. However, what is the purpose of these items? When we have items that others outside of our faith do not understand, we aren't really outreaching to them. The problem has become that we want to show off our faith, but not be too bold. In doing this we figure out ways to show our faith to the point where other Christians will see our strong shows but non-Christians will not be offended or really understand what is going on.
These are not the only examples. I found a site with many of these at this site. All of these show how we have more and more become dependant on these shows of faith. I am in no way saying they are bad. I am also not saying that you should have the entire Romans Road put on back of your car with a vinyl overlay. What I think would be the right choice would be to find a happy medium.
Some of these shirts are good. They have an underlying meaning but still shows your faith to everyone. These kind of shirts (such as the Jesus died for myspace in heaven) allow you to demonstrate a love for Jesus while leaving a little open. It leaves the possibility for someone to come to you and ask, "How did he do that?" My only prayer is that whatever you do decide is you method of outreach in the sense of Jesus merchandise, I want us to be able to share His love and passion for others. Let's not get caught up in the "Jesus is my homeboy" style and remember that we don't want to overly dumb it down. Let's remember that this is the same person that went on that cross and died for our sins.
Please help me in this message. Before you get some "Jesus merch," think about the impact you can have with that. Mark 4:1-9 tells us about the sower of seeds. Jesus tells us to sow our seeds on the fertile ground but to spread them everywhere. I believe that if we can use all possible resources than we are increasing the seeds we sow, and as Jesus said, that will increase our chances of finding soft hearts and open souls. So I encourage you to use you "Jesus merch" to be a light unto this world and to truly scatter seeds more than you are already. Your shirt may introduce and idea that someone else gets to explain, as long as the person on the other end can understand the message and see Jesus in your life.
God Bless,
Gann
Today, as I am driving in my truck, I drive by this parked van in a parking spot. I notice a bumper sticker on the back of this van. The bumper sticker reads "Jesus is coming, RUE?" This totally did not click with me, so I did what anybody that was interested would do. I googled it. Come to find out the E was red on the bumper sticker, which in hindsight is correct. So here is what that bumper sticker says, "Jesus is come, R (are) U (you) E (red E - READY)?" That is definitely not close to anything I could figure out. This precludes something that has been started by us as Christians.
If you are reading this and you have a "red E" bumper sticker, I am in no way claiming that it is wrong to have that. What I am saying is you have succumbed to the new era of Christian merchandise lines. Everything from apparel to bumper stickers has started this. "What is it?", you ask. It is this new method of releasing things that requires a Christian inside knowledge to understand. What do I mean? Think about the Christian fish. I wish I had a number for how many people had these little silver medallions on the back of their cars. However, what is the purpose of these items? When we have items that others outside of our faith do not understand, we aren't really outreaching to them. The problem has become that we want to show off our faith, but not be too bold. In doing this we figure out ways to show our faith to the point where other Christians will see our strong shows but non-Christians will not be offended or really understand what is going on.
These are not the only examples. I found a site with many of these at this site. All of these show how we have more and more become dependant on these shows of faith. I am in no way saying they are bad. I am also not saying that you should have the entire Romans Road put on back of your car with a vinyl overlay. What I think would be the right choice would be to find a happy medium.
Some of these shirts are good. They have an underlying meaning but still shows your faith to everyone. These kind of shirts (such as the Jesus died for myspace in heaven) allow you to demonstrate a love for Jesus while leaving a little open. It leaves the possibility for someone to come to you and ask, "How did he do that?" My only prayer is that whatever you do decide is you method of outreach in the sense of Jesus merchandise, I want us to be able to share His love and passion for others. Let's not get caught up in the "Jesus is my homeboy" style and remember that we don't want to overly dumb it down. Let's remember that this is the same person that went on that cross and died for our sins.
Please help me in this message. Before you get some "Jesus merch," think about the impact you can have with that. Mark 4:1-9 tells us about the sower of seeds. Jesus tells us to sow our seeds on the fertile ground but to spread them everywhere. I believe that if we can use all possible resources than we are increasing the seeds we sow, and as Jesus said, that will increase our chances of finding soft hearts and open souls. So I encourage you to use you "Jesus merch" to be a light unto this world and to truly scatter seeds more than you are already. Your shirt may introduce and idea that someone else gets to explain, as long as the person on the other end can understand the message and see Jesus in your life.
God Bless,
Gann
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Back to the Basics
So far I am managing to wrangle my borderline ADD into getting to this every night. Which is good because day 3 is here. This is a sort of a build on last night and a focus on what the church is doing wrong right now. Then there is a possible solution to the problem. I refuse to call it the right answer because there is always a better answer. This is worth considering.
As I did last night I will start with a little analogy-type story. When I was in middle school I played basketball and baseball. In both of these there are periods where you go through a slump. For those not sports savvy, this is a period of time when you either can't make simple shots or hit the ball (depending on the sport). In this slump period your coach can tell you one thing. They always tell you to go back to the basics. If it is basketball, you take out everything "fancy" and extraneous in your shooting motion and take it back to how you learned. In baseball you just focus on making contact and hitting the ball to find your groove before you can go back to swinging for the fences. Even professional athletes go back to the basics and just have to work through their slumps. Seattle Mariners RF Ichiro Suzuki says "When I am in a slump, I ask myself for advice." He knows you just have to go back and find a rythym so that you can work your way out.
I give you this story to say this. The church in America is in a slump. If you don't believe this, I will refer back to the statistic that 80% of churches are NOT growing. When churches aren't growing, they aren't doing something right. So what should the church do in this kind of slump? Well, I think we should go back to the basics. By the basics, I mean the church that does it right in Acts after Jesus ascends into heaven. This Church was the body, it was all based on relationships. There was no hierarchy, just people that were on fire for God. This point in time was the most explosive time of growth in the history of the church. The incredible thing is that this new "religion" of Christianity, then known as "the Way" branched out of a slumping religion. A religion that people had lost it's fervor for.
I am not suggesting we branch off and create a new religion. I am actually a proponent of the exact opposite. Let's take a look at the church from Acts. This church was built on relationships. It began as several small groups of people who would fellowship together and come together in a large group for corporate worship. They all felt comfortable with their faith and would go out and tell people of their faith. They would want to show people this new found Saviour who is the risen King. They wrote letters of encouragment to each other. They all functioned together as the Body of Christ. Church as it should be, all working together for Christ. So, why today, can we have churches on the same street that argue and won't come together to do the work of God? Why do we have denominations of Christianity that believe the same Holy Bible, the same God, the same Risen Saviour, and the same principles; but remain seperate because of a few issues based on Biblical interpretation that have very little effect on the goal of reaching people. Why in this Church does the Body not show love for one another as Christ loves us?
I think the problem today is that the Church in America is on its way back to the Church in Acts. The technological age has allowed for churches in different states and even countries to become interconnected in a web of sharing, loving, and community like never before. Now a church in Australia can have a band with great music that a band in Atlanta, Georgia can hear and within days, play for their congregation. Now, most of you are probably thinking, "Why is this a problem?" It is a problem because to get there, the church has taken a detour by the church of the days of Jesus. The legalistic church, the focus on elite, and the hierarchy is becoming prevalent in churches that are not part of this new "modern thinking" of a body of Churches to represent the Body of Christ.
The church today suffers from modern-day Sanhedrin and Pharisees. The Sanhedrin was a Jewish council of religous leaders. They determined the legalistic side of their religion. They were the "knowledgable" and were refered to for all knowledge. These could be likened to some of our commitees that are made up of a select few people that have power over everything in the church. Many churches may have everything from how the money is spent to how our services are run on Sundays. They would encompass the jobs of the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees. These are the people that flaunt their Christianity and feel they are better than you because they go to a better church or they are a better Christian. I am here to say that no one is a better person. "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 NIV). These modern-day Sanhedrin run the church and determine how it goes. They have ornate prayers that are planned and constructed, instead of heartfelt and meaningful. These people judge others based on their opinions of right and wrong and they determine if you are worthy to hear the Word of God and the good news.
Well, Jesus told us to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) not just the ones we determine are worthy. Just to complete this history lesson, the Sanhedrin are the ones who plotted with Judas and tried Jesus under a shroud of secrecy. They then charged Him as guilty in a rigged trial of their people leading to His crucifixion.
So as I leave you with this post into your day, my prayer for you is to seperate yourself for the church culture that feels that they are better because they are the "RIGHT" church. Love others as Christ has loved you. Work with other Christians as you should for you are the Body of Christ and as the Body we need to work together. Show God's love through your actions and words. Most of all I pray that you can see the wrongs that have become so prevalent in our "church models" and stand up and fix these wrongs. If one part of the church is in a slump, we are all in a slump. I pray that we can come out of this slump together in hard work as we go back to the basics.
God Bless,
Gann
views.perspectives@gmail.com
P.S. For those out there that want, this blog does have the ability for RSS feeds. Also, I plan to add a Twitter account and Facebook page solely for this blog within the coming week. Just pray for me and this blog and that it will touch others out there. Thank you all.
As I did last night I will start with a little analogy-type story. When I was in middle school I played basketball and baseball. In both of these there are periods where you go through a slump. For those not sports savvy, this is a period of time when you either can't make simple shots or hit the ball (depending on the sport). In this slump period your coach can tell you one thing. They always tell you to go back to the basics. If it is basketball, you take out everything "fancy" and extraneous in your shooting motion and take it back to how you learned. In baseball you just focus on making contact and hitting the ball to find your groove before you can go back to swinging for the fences. Even professional athletes go back to the basics and just have to work through their slumps. Seattle Mariners RF Ichiro Suzuki says "When I am in a slump, I ask myself for advice." He knows you just have to go back and find a rythym so that you can work your way out.
I give you this story to say this. The church in America is in a slump. If you don't believe this, I will refer back to the statistic that 80% of churches are NOT growing. When churches aren't growing, they aren't doing something right. So what should the church do in this kind of slump? Well, I think we should go back to the basics. By the basics, I mean the church that does it right in Acts after Jesus ascends into heaven. This Church was the body, it was all based on relationships. There was no hierarchy, just people that were on fire for God. This point in time was the most explosive time of growth in the history of the church. The incredible thing is that this new "religion" of Christianity, then known as "the Way" branched out of a slumping religion. A religion that people had lost it's fervor for.
I am not suggesting we branch off and create a new religion. I am actually a proponent of the exact opposite. Let's take a look at the church from Acts. This church was built on relationships. It began as several small groups of people who would fellowship together and come together in a large group for corporate worship. They all felt comfortable with their faith and would go out and tell people of their faith. They would want to show people this new found Saviour who is the risen King. They wrote letters of encouragment to each other. They all functioned together as the Body of Christ. Church as it should be, all working together for Christ. So, why today, can we have churches on the same street that argue and won't come together to do the work of God? Why do we have denominations of Christianity that believe the same Holy Bible, the same God, the same Risen Saviour, and the same principles; but remain seperate because of a few issues based on Biblical interpretation that have very little effect on the goal of reaching people. Why in this Church does the Body not show love for one another as Christ loves us?
I think the problem today is that the Church in America is on its way back to the Church in Acts. The technological age has allowed for churches in different states and even countries to become interconnected in a web of sharing, loving, and community like never before. Now a church in Australia can have a band with great music that a band in Atlanta, Georgia can hear and within days, play for their congregation. Now, most of you are probably thinking, "Why is this a problem?" It is a problem because to get there, the church has taken a detour by the church of the days of Jesus. The legalistic church, the focus on elite, and the hierarchy is becoming prevalent in churches that are not part of this new "modern thinking" of a body of Churches to represent the Body of Christ.
The church today suffers from modern-day Sanhedrin and Pharisees. The Sanhedrin was a Jewish council of religous leaders. They determined the legalistic side of their religion. They were the "knowledgable" and were refered to for all knowledge. These could be likened to some of our commitees that are made up of a select few people that have power over everything in the church. Many churches may have everything from how the money is spent to how our services are run on Sundays. They would encompass the jobs of the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees. These are the people that flaunt their Christianity and feel they are better than you because they go to a better church or they are a better Christian. I am here to say that no one is a better person. "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 NIV). These modern-day Sanhedrin run the church and determine how it goes. They have ornate prayers that are planned and constructed, instead of heartfelt and meaningful. These people judge others based on their opinions of right and wrong and they determine if you are worthy to hear the Word of God and the good news.
Well, Jesus told us to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) not just the ones we determine are worthy. Just to complete this history lesson, the Sanhedrin are the ones who plotted with Judas and tried Jesus under a shroud of secrecy. They then charged Him as guilty in a rigged trial of their people leading to His crucifixion.
So as I leave you with this post into your day, my prayer for you is to seperate yourself for the church culture that feels that they are better because they are the "RIGHT" church. Love others as Christ has loved you. Work with other Christians as you should for you are the Body of Christ and as the Body we need to work together. Show God's love through your actions and words. Most of all I pray that you can see the wrongs that have become so prevalent in our "church models" and stand up and fix these wrongs. If one part of the church is in a slump, we are all in a slump. I pray that we can come out of this slump together in hard work as we go back to the basics.
God Bless,
Gann
views.perspectives@gmail.com
P.S. For those out there that want, this blog does have the ability for RSS feeds. Also, I plan to add a Twitter account and Facebook page solely for this blog within the coming week. Just pray for me and this blog and that it will touch others out there. Thank you all.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Why Emerging Generations Aren't Emergent in the Church
Welcome back,
Day 2, Follower 1, been a wild ride. Today is simply a response to several things I saw today combined with some recent reading I have been doing and some visions of future churches I have seen. Todays is going to focus on the "Emerging Generations" as Dan Kimball puts it in his book, They Like Jesus but Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations . The emerging generation for the purpose of today will be 18-25 while still realizing it applies to the rest of the "emerging generation" (26-35).
I will start with a short story of something I witnessed today. I was let out of biology class a little early today. As I walked out the side exit into the courtyard, I see lots of commotion happening between the college mall and the english building. In this commons area courtyard I see everything from a basketball hoop to a rock wall. I then see that there is free food over next to the entrance to the college mall (basically the student union building). I walked over because, "If it's free, it's me." I see this elderly gentleman standing there with a box. Not really knowing what he has I move closer. I assumed this to be important as he was standing at the juncture where the most people would pass throughout the day. I walk up and see him passing out NKJV Bibles for the Gideons.
Now, this made me think and totally diverted what I had originally planned for today and I could feel God speaking about this. Why do we have to have a 60+ year old man handing out bibles on a college campus? Where have the youth of our culture fallen astray in their willingness to share their belief? I stood there for 10 or 15 minutes just watching as I saw numerous people accept his little green books of the New Testament. I just now wish I knew what happened afterwards. We have this man who is confident enough to stand here on a college campus and hand people, who most in our church community would consider "lost heathens," the word of God. All the while in a suit and tie. I am not saying the is the most effective outreach technique but it is one none the less. It is an attempt, and it is refreshing to see at least someone care about our generation.
Now to the point in the title. Our generation of 18-35 is being swept into a category most churches classify as "single adults 1." There is little outreach focused toward this age group. I was confronted after a meeting tonight and told it was refreshing to see a youth (church word for 25 and below) that could stand up for what is right and think for themself. I was greatly appreciative for this but the thing about our new generation is that they do think for themselves. This is why we need a new outreach strategy. Our current strategy is outdated and needs tweaking. We need to focus on the important things. Jesus is becoming an icon in the world, people don't have problems with Jesus, they have problems with churches. These churches need to realize we need to come together as THE Church. When we do this we are unstoppable for we are the Bride of Christ. We should love and show compassion to all in this world while avoiding the sad state of sucked into a Christian life of complacency. This will work for all generations but will help out much better for the new generation.
One more story. I was at work one day discussing religion and faith with a coworker. He was 18 at the time and was demonstrating incredible knowledge of the Bible. He told me he read the Bible and understood it and liked Christianity but didn't know which one was right (refering to denominations). I had already been considering denominations but this was a light to me. Individual churches are to concerned with small doctrinal issues that mean very little if anything in the big scheme of things. This is why my prayer for the church in America is to go back to the basics. I believe we are on our way and I pray that you will pray for the church in this process. The statistic says that 80% of churches in America are plateaued or declining. This means somebody is doing it right. If those churches can grow and incorporate the generations from all across the spectrum, WHY CAN'T WE? So as my prayer for you is that you will do some digging in your life to see if you have become focused on looking like a Christian with your Christian friends, music, and t-shirts. I hope not, I hope you have become focused on being a Christian with your Christan views, outreach, and love for others. When all else fails those non-Christian friends of yours will look to you in times of need and give you the oppurtunity to share the Good News or the Gospel with them. You must build these relationships first and then focus on presenting them when the time is right. Don't evangelize people because you feel you need to check a conversion box. Tell them about your Holy Father and His Son so that they can find Him and His love for themselves and enjoy eternal life with Him.
If you truly do love a brother you will share. This means invest in those you know but don't really talk too, help those in need, love those who need love. I pray for you and me that we will do this together and take the church in America from a Sunday group of interconnected church friends to an everyday group of loving and compassionate friends from all walks of life.
God Bless,
Gann
Day 2, Follower 1, been a wild ride. Today is simply a response to several things I saw today combined with some recent reading I have been doing and some visions of future churches I have seen. Todays is going to focus on the "Emerging Generations" as Dan Kimball puts it in his book, They Like Jesus but Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations . The emerging generation for the purpose of today will be 18-25 while still realizing it applies to the rest of the "emerging generation" (26-35).
I will start with a short story of something I witnessed today. I was let out of biology class a little early today. As I walked out the side exit into the courtyard, I see lots of commotion happening between the college mall and the english building. In this commons area courtyard I see everything from a basketball hoop to a rock wall. I then see that there is free food over next to the entrance to the college mall (basically the student union building). I walked over because, "If it's free, it's me." I see this elderly gentleman standing there with a box. Not really knowing what he has I move closer. I assumed this to be important as he was standing at the juncture where the most people would pass throughout the day. I walk up and see him passing out NKJV Bibles for the Gideons.
Now, this made me think and totally diverted what I had originally planned for today and I could feel God speaking about this. Why do we have to have a 60+ year old man handing out bibles on a college campus? Where have the youth of our culture fallen astray in their willingness to share their belief? I stood there for 10 or 15 minutes just watching as I saw numerous people accept his little green books of the New Testament. I just now wish I knew what happened afterwards. We have this man who is confident enough to stand here on a college campus and hand people, who most in our church community would consider "lost heathens," the word of God. All the while in a suit and tie. I am not saying the is the most effective outreach technique but it is one none the less. It is an attempt, and it is refreshing to see at least someone care about our generation.
Now to the point in the title. Our generation of 18-35 is being swept into a category most churches classify as "single adults 1." There is little outreach focused toward this age group. I was confronted after a meeting tonight and told it was refreshing to see a youth (church word for 25 and below) that could stand up for what is right and think for themself. I was greatly appreciative for this but the thing about our new generation is that they do think for themselves. This is why we need a new outreach strategy. Our current strategy is outdated and needs tweaking. We need to focus on the important things. Jesus is becoming an icon in the world, people don't have problems with Jesus, they have problems with churches. These churches need to realize we need to come together as THE Church. When we do this we are unstoppable for we are the Bride of Christ. We should love and show compassion to all in this world while avoiding the sad state of sucked into a Christian life of complacency. This will work for all generations but will help out much better for the new generation.
One more story. I was at work one day discussing religion and faith with a coworker. He was 18 at the time and was demonstrating incredible knowledge of the Bible. He told me he read the Bible and understood it and liked Christianity but didn't know which one was right (refering to denominations). I had already been considering denominations but this was a light to me. Individual churches are to concerned with small doctrinal issues that mean very little if anything in the big scheme of things. This is why my prayer for the church in America is to go back to the basics. I believe we are on our way and I pray that you will pray for the church in this process. The statistic says that 80% of churches in America are plateaued or declining. This means somebody is doing it right. If those churches can grow and incorporate the generations from all across the spectrum, WHY CAN'T WE? So as my prayer for you is that you will do some digging in your life to see if you have become focused on looking like a Christian with your Christian friends, music, and t-shirts. I hope not, I hope you have become focused on being a Christian with your Christan views, outreach, and love for others. When all else fails those non-Christian friends of yours will look to you in times of need and give you the oppurtunity to share the Good News or the Gospel with them. You must build these relationships first and then focus on presenting them when the time is right. Don't evangelize people because you feel you need to check a conversion box. Tell them about your Holy Father and His Son so that they can find Him and His love for themselves and enjoy eternal life with Him.
If you truly do love a brother you will share. This means invest in those you know but don't really talk too, help those in need, love those who need love. I pray for you and me that we will do this together and take the church in America from a Sunday group of interconnected church friends to an everyday group of loving and compassionate friends from all walks of life.
God Bless,
Gann
Monday, October 19, 2009
Views from the Middle 101
Hey Guys,
Welcome to my blog. This is just an introduction so you have an idea of what this is about and where this is coming from. A little information about me first. I am a freshman in college at the ripe old age of 18. I am a Christian in a somewhat inner battle of denominations. I guess that makes me nondenominational with a leaning toward Baptist.
The purpose of this blog is multifunctional. Simplistically put I am talking from the middle (DUH!). At 18 I am legally an adult but technically a teenager. It is amazing what you see from this point. By this I am mostly refering to the Church and its relation to the world and even the Christians in it.
This blog is in no way a final say or a guarantee but rather a viewpoint from me, an observer. I don't expect you to agree with everything I say. Somedays I may even ask a question or your opinion. This will start off unorganized and rather sporadic just to keep it interesting (and because it reflects me). It will be daily so you can get your read for the day and I will back up serious claims with scriptural references (typically NIV or NCV). I hope you enjoy this blog that will be a different view on Christianity and its relation to society. As a disclaimer, I will note some posts will be sarcastic and borderline satirical in nature, this is not meant to be offensive but rather just to get you thinking.
If at any point you have any suggestions, concerns, or ideas; feel free to let me know at views.perspectives@gmail.com . This will be my account for blog related information and I wil check it fairly regularly. Please get involved and post so I can get your feedback and stand up for what you believe. I would hate to be the only one doing the talking here and would love to see open discussions.
Enjoy,
-Gann
Welcome to my blog. This is just an introduction so you have an idea of what this is about and where this is coming from. A little information about me first. I am a freshman in college at the ripe old age of 18. I am a Christian in a somewhat inner battle of denominations. I guess that makes me nondenominational with a leaning toward Baptist.
The purpose of this blog is multifunctional. Simplistically put I am talking from the middle (DUH!). At 18 I am legally an adult but technically a teenager. It is amazing what you see from this point. By this I am mostly refering to the Church and its relation to the world and even the Christians in it.
This blog is in no way a final say or a guarantee but rather a viewpoint from me, an observer. I don't expect you to agree with everything I say. Somedays I may even ask a question or your opinion. This will start off unorganized and rather sporadic just to keep it interesting (and because it reflects me). It will be daily so you can get your read for the day and I will back up serious claims with scriptural references (typically NIV or NCV). I hope you enjoy this blog that will be a different view on Christianity and its relation to society. As a disclaimer, I will note some posts will be sarcastic and borderline satirical in nature, this is not meant to be offensive but rather just to get you thinking.
If at any point you have any suggestions, concerns, or ideas; feel free to let me know at views.perspectives@gmail.com . This will be my account for blog related information and I wil check it fairly regularly. Please get involved and post so I can get your feedback and stand up for what you believe. I would hate to be the only one doing the talking here and would love to see open discussions.
Enjoy,
-Gann
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)