If you think big churches water down the Gospel…

25 05 2008

go here and listen or watch this:

http://www.northpointministries.org/player/player.jsp?occurrenceID=297

Did you watch it? All of it? Okay, now that we have that little squabble that churches like to bicker over out of the way, let’s get down to bigger issues. Jesus was attractional. Even to those who didn’t know him or necessarily agree with all he said. What are we doing to make our churches that way? When people visit us on Sunday are we making them jump through hoops they don’t understand (i.e. with our language, dress, rituals, etc.)? And, what are we doing to get out of our buildings, programs, etc. to actually intersect with the lives of those He’s put around us?

Thanks for bringing it today Andy! One of my new all-time favorites.


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Thank you veterans and those serving now!

23 05 2008

Thanks to all of you who have served this country in the military and military support roles. I know Memorial Day is a time when it comes to mind for us, but what you do has enriched every day for us as Americans. We have something special here and your service has protected it and brought hope to millions around the world. It’s not always pretty and war is messy, but I cannot imagine the state of the world today without a strong America defending its founding principles and reaching out to expand them.

You’re the best and I’m grateful to you. Have a great Memorial Day.


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The responsibility that comes with our “tribe”

21 05 2008

Read a little bit more of “UnChristian” over lunch today. (I know, I know. Shouldn’t I be through with that book by now. Do I still read by putting my finger under the line I’m reading like when I was a kid? ;-) Actually, it’s just wrestling with reading 4-5 books at a time.)

Loved the implications that came from one excerpt noting American society today and how Christians can still exert influence:

In thinking through how God wants to use his people, consider one of the most fascinating phenomena of our society: America is fragmenting into diverse subcultures. The “mainstream” experience, if there ever was such a thing, has now surrendered virtually all of its gravitational pull. These days most Americans take their cues from a unique subculture, deriving meaning, values, heroes, self-expression, identity, and viewpoints form a unique segment of society.

Though we frequently wish for the perceived shared American identity that nostalgia says was strongest during the 50’s, we, in the Church, have to deal in present reality. During times of crisis, i.e. 9/11, there’s probably a strong sense of shared national identity, but in the day-to-day experience for Americans, we’re usually more defined by the certain subculture or “tribe” we belong to than a collective moral mindset. (Tribe examples would be occupation, “I’m a scientist, consultant, student, etc.”, or seasons of life, “I’m in my 30’s, 40’s, I’m an empty-nester, etc”, or especially in America, our socioeconomic status.)

The challenge is, that being our nature - to group up with others that share our beliefs, experiences, etc. - that we as Christians fight against our tendency to create our own Church tribe or subculture (sounding familiar?) and separate ourselves from others who don’t ascribe to our beliefs. It’s natural to do so. It’s just that our tribe isn’t afforded that luxury.

In becoming Christian we can’t join the tribe and then expect people in other tribes to have to move towards us before we accept them. Everybody else can do that, but we can’t. We have to go out and plant ourselves in their realm, while still maintaining our main identity in who Christ has called us to be. So, be smart! If you’re a Christian AND a scientist, consultant, student, etc. recognize where God has planted you, and fight against the natural inertia to just move towards your huddle of Christian friends.

I could write a book on this, but it’s already been done - Ch. 6 of UnChristian. ;-)


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Helping the Colwells

14 05 2008

Thankfully, many of you seemed to lay eyes on my post about our friend, Michael Colwell, who lost his battle with cancer about a week ago. This family deserves every bit of our thoughts, prayers and support. Michael left behind his wife and two little boys, ages 4 and 3, and as much as we all miss MC, we all think constantly at how they must feel.

Michael was first diagnosed in his 20’s, and sadly, had not even really considered life insurance before. Of course, that became a “pre-existing condition” and he was unable to get any life insurance with that black mark. We are rallying to support them, but I just wanted to expand the audience for anyone who would like to help Jen and the boys in practical ways as they continue on without their husband and dad.

A tax-deductible memorial fund has been set up to help the Colwells. Here’s the pertinent info:

Helping Hands Ministries (make payable to)
Account #63045
P.O. Box 337
Tallulah Falls, GA 30573

Be sure to note Account #63045 in the memo line.

Thanks for any contribution you’d like to make.


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Don’t depend on feel alone. Measure how you’re doing.

13 05 2008

We can talk about ministry models all day, and I think a variety of models is healthy for the Church because each of us reaches people in the unique way they might have been searching for God or the way we were gifted to reach them. As long as it’s founded in the Truth, I say Sunday School - go for it! Emergent - go for it! Small groups - go for it!

We do a great, though sad, job of tearing each other down in the Church world, arguing over models, whether or not someone’s watered down the Gospel, megachurch and pastor as CEO is heretical, etc., but one thing you can’t argue with is fruit. (I mean really, have you ever tried to reason with a pear? There’s no swaying those things! :-) )

So, my thought for the day is how do you know you’re actually being effective? What can you point to? Do you have a system? What does it produce?

Certainly, there are moments in worship sets, in sermons, in community work, etc. where you absolutely feel the Spirit and know God is at work in hearts in your midst. But, how do you know that your contribution at your church is resulting in fruit?

One of my favorite things about being around here is that we’re very intentional about trying to set the table through environments (Foyer, Living Room, Kitchen) where God can do what only God can do, and then we measure like heck whether or not those environments are producing results. Not to manipulate anyone, or pat ourselves on the back or to report big numbers (we’re non-denominational so we don’t even have anyone to report those numbers to anyway!). But, we want to know, “Are we being effective with the resources God’s entrusted to us and are we seeing life change because of our environments?” We could depend on feel, especially on Sundays which are always a high moment, but we pressed on past the feel of things to measure whatever we could measure. As they say, “what gets measured gets managed”. Meaning you’re intentional and people are responsible about it.

We’ve centered on 3 key measurables:

  1. Baptisms - Cool to see 10-15 per month at each campus getting baptized. That’s just adult baptisms too. The number of people making decisions for Christ is even higher.
  2. Starting Point Orientation Attendance - We have a 10-week small group environment for what we describe as “seekers, starters and returners”. It’s one of the few things that we regularly include in announcements, and we have orientations after services at least twice a month. This is a brief 30-minute intro/Q & A. We measure how many people attend. If we see a declining trend, it means we’re not reaching enough new people and/or we’re not casting enough vision for it.
  3. Percent of Attendance in Small Groups - Our threshold is at least 60% in groups. If we fall below that number, we know we have something to talk about. Rather than focus on the number in rows on Sunday, our main measure is how many people are in circles during the week. We consistently see life change fostered and cemented by doing life together in small groups. And I love that we’ve set big, audacious goals that can’t be met without God. We are driving towards 5,000 Groups with 50,000 people in them by 2010 across all our campuses and partners. We’re nearing 30,000 currently. Who knows if we’ll make it, but wow! to think what God can do in the process.

I know this can sound mechanical to some, but I swear we’re only concerned with people moving towards God and ultimately living lives that reflect an understanding of what He’s done for them. It’s not the numbers. It’s the process and intentionality to measure it and be accountable. What’s going on in your church?


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Be Courageous!

12 05 2008

I just had a conversation in the hallway with a guy who’s been trying to help a church change from a traditional Sunday School model. Their elders had approached him about trying to help them get more “North Point-like”, but at the end of the day, they really couldn’t commit to small groups and small groups only - it would anger too many of their Sunday School folks.

Again, you probably know from the tone of this blog, I’m not condemning traditional methods (I grew up and was saved in a Southern Baptist church), but I wonder how grieved, or maybe even peeved, God must be by how many of His people run church:

  1. Like it’s theirs. Little clue: it’s not. It’s His.
  2. Out of fear, i.e. “What if we lose people?”

Traditional does not equal bad. I’d argue just be excellent about whatever model you run. I just hate hearing it over and over again about church leaders who know their churches need to change, but on the brink of those needed changes, they shrink back at the last minute for fear of instituting too much change. North Point is not THE way, but it definitely is A way of reaching the demographic that has left and is leaving the Church the fastest, 18-34 yr olds. Our median age at North Point is 33. At our Buckhead campus it’s 31.

When we just hang on to our way of doing church because it’s the one we grew up in or the way the elder, financial heavy hitters want it to stay, we miss out on REACHING that key demographic. And guess what, we’re all going to die off and where is the Church going to be?

I’m just imploring all of you at whatever level of influence God has given you in the Church to remember how God pursued you. Our churches have to reflect that heart and so reaching people has to be more than an evangelistic series or high-attendance Sunday.

Be courageous! If you’re afraid the people with resources will leave your church, remember whose it is to begin with - God’s and boy, can He provide! And, you were not given a spirit of fear, remember! Now, go out and push the envelope. Have a nice day! :-)


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A Goodbye None of Us Wanted to Say

9 05 2008

We held a memorial service today for Michael Colwell, MC as we all knew him around the office. Michael fought a courageous battle against cancer for the last few years. It was first discovered as skin cancer, but it moved into his blood stream. A couple of years ago he had some lymph nodes removed and was cancer free for a good while, but it showed up again a few months ago and moved relentlessly against his body. MC was 31 years old and leaves his wife and two small boys behind.

Throughout all of this, I never once heard MC complain about the hand he’d been dealt. The guy just continually amazed me. I remember a conversation we had over a year ago. I asked him how he was dealing with all of this - the uncertainty, the treatment and side effects, etc. I’ll never forget Michael’s response, “Tank, all I know is that I’m alive today and I’m grateful for that. I’m not going to let what I can’t control ruin the time I have.” That was Michael in a nutshell - always positive.

One other story about MC. Michael went to Clemson, where he received his first Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (his other was a Master’s in Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary). Being a UNC grad myself, Michael and I traded lots of good-natured barbs when our teams met. He always enjoyed the football matchups, while I held the upper-hand in basketball. Well, if you remember this year’s basketball meetings between Clemson and UNC, they both were led by Clemson by large margins until Carolina forced them into overtime, where they won both. The meeting in Chapel Hill was frustratingly close to historic for MC. Clemson led by as many as 23 in the second half. Surely this was the year Clemson would end their 0- for 53 stretch against Carolina in Chapel Hill. Yep, Clemson has never beaten Carolina in basketball in Chapel Hill. Well, sure enough the Heels came back and got it into overtime, where they won. I couldn’t help but watch and wonder about the roller coaster of emotions for MC as he watched.

The next day I came in the office and walked over to MC’s cube. We just started laughing and I said, “Come here dude” and gave him a big ol’ hug. Every memory I have of Michael is positive. I love that.

By the way, you may not have known Michael, but over 300,000 of you have already been affected by him. You see Michael wrote the groups curriculum and discussion questions that supplement Andy’s DVDs and online sermons. A brilliant and humble guy. He poured himself out, aspiring only to glorify God. MC, you are deeply missed by all of us. Thanks for loving your wife, your boys, and your God with all you had. You took the life God gave you and lived every moment of it.


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Favorite part of Drive ‘08

6 05 2008

Our staff is in the midst of a lot of long days serving and hosting over 2300 people at Drive ‘08.  Aside from my allergies kicking in full force over last weekend and making me sound like Barry White Jr., I love what happens when so many people eager to make church more about God and less about playing religion converge in one place.  It gives me a lot of hope for how the Church could be affected over the next few decades.

The days are really long for us on the staff side, but when it’s all over, I actually miss it.  Not just the encouragement I get from the attendees and their passion, but it’s a real joy serving with our staff during this time.  It always reminds me of the health around this place.  I really look forward to spending long hours with others on our staff.   There’s actually joy in it.  Hmm, think of that.  Church staff + long hours = joy.  I’m so thankful for that.


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