Hope vs. Vision

In my quest to move and re-think, I like to read.  I read blogs, I read books, I subscribe to e-mail lists, and follow those who think differently on Facebook or YouTube.  One recent addition to my list is the Verge Network.  The basic premise of the folks at Verge is that God's idea for the church was not that it be a place that we go, but that church is a community of people with the same mission.  While most churches would agree with those words, the ways we live and the ways we operate tell the truth about what we really believe the church is all about.

Anyway, signing up for their e-mail news letter has given me access to a huge list of free e-books, one of which is called ,Righteous Brood', by Hugh Halter.  The e-mail discussing this free resource was particularly intriguing to me, and the book is only about 62 adobe reader pages long, so I set aside my Andy Stanley reading, and dove in.

At just about the half way point, Mr. Halter (who I occasionally disagree with) said something that really caught my attention.  He was talking about the difference between Hope and Vision.  Hopes, he argues, are "just emotional wishes that we hold out for.  Vision on the other hand is designed to actually change the future... Vision is the ability to see what God wants and move people toward His desired goal in any situation"

I've been having a hard time with certain things in life, and I've been asked about certain situations, whether or not I have hope.  Honestly I tend toward pessimism. Hope is something I have to work at.  When 1st Corinthians 13 tells me that "love always hopes" I cringe a little and know I have lots of room to grow.  But this quote resonates with me, because what I lack in hope, I make up for in Vision.  I may be a pessimist when it comes to where things are, or where they will be if nothing changes, but I am always ready with ideas for how to make them different.

Personally I think it is hard to share hope, without sharing vision.  When you tell a sick person 'I hope you feel better,' it is no where near as comforting as when their doctor says, 'here is the plan for how we are going to take you from sick to healthy.' One offers an "emotional wish" the other is "designed to actually change the future".  Which one actually offers hope?

I think James talked about this in his epistle, when he said "if a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?"  Like empty words to an empty stomach is hope without vision.

So when we think of our kids, do we think, I hope they avoid tragedy, find a godly spouse, get a good job, settle into a safe neighborhood, find a good church etc.?  Do we step it up a notch and 'hope' they will take risks for God and make a difference in the world?  Or do we stop and think about how to make those things happen? Do we dare to ask God what his vision for our family is? Do we make the tough and uncomfortable choices that will result in those things becoming reality?

When we think of our churches, do we hope for unity, do we hope that people will act like a body, do we hope for more people to come to know Jesus, for lives to be changed, and the next generation to walk through the door? Or are we willing to come up with a vision that says, this is who we want to reach, this is how we plan to reach them, this is how we will disciple them, here are the steps that build faith, and here are some next steps each of us should be taking.

When we think of or marriages do we hope he will pick up his socks and she will make sure clean ones are mated? Do we hope for intimacy, for romance, for like-mindedness, and trust.  Or do we come up with a plan do build those things brick by brick, in sickness and in health, in riches and in poverty, for better or worse.

When I have vision I have hope.

Where there is no vision, people perish.

Thoughts on Spiritual Growth

I was recently asked, what steps I think lead to spiritual maturity.  I sent that response as an e-mail to the friend who asked, and figured it might make a good blog post.  After all I use this blog for things that I want to get feedback on and for things that I want to continually "rethink".  So please help me "re-think" any of this that needs to be refined.

As I see it, all spiritual growth results from one of the following: (please note that this list is not original it comes from Andy Stanley's book "Deep and Wide")  Practical Teaching, Private Disciplines, Personal Ministry, Providential Relationships, Pivotal Circumstances.

Practical Teaching:  Not just teaching, but teaching with "next steps".  A sermon that leaves you, not just more enlightened, but one that gives you practical ideas for how to be different because of what you've just heard. This kind of teaching can come from a stage, be heard over the radio (or Internet), or be found in the pages of a book.  It can be heard live with hundreds of people, or projected onto a video screen in a small group, or consumed privately.

 Private Disciplines: Reading the scripture, prayer, fasting, and giving.  All of these have the potential to grow our faith.

Personal Ministry:  Our bodies cannot be healthy simply by eating the right food, we have to pair diet with exercise for optimal health.  So it is with our spirit.  We have to be engaged in the unique ministry, the "good works" that Ephesians 2 says God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them.

Providential Relationships: This is where the body comes in.  We all need people in our lives that we can learn from, who can mentor us, who we can mentor.  There will be people in our lives that inspire us, and people who are negative examples.  We need people to spur us on toward love and good deeds, and to sharpen us, as iron sharpens iron.

Pivotal Circumstances: This is not one that the church can create, as much as it can shape our response.  I love the way Roger (our pastor) takes current events and give us a Christian/Biblical filter for them.  We will all have pivotal circumstances in our lives, death, divorce, injury, illness, financial troubles, and the like.  How we respond to these circumstances can impact our faith. Do we see tragic circumstances and decide that a loving God could not let such a thing happen, or do we see the evidence of God working all things for good?

These ideas are extremely well articulated in Andy Stanley's book "Deep and Wide", and while I've taken the "P's" (words in bold) from his book, these are ideas that I have been working to refine and articulate for years, which is why they resonate with me so deeply. 

I know you wanted my personal opinion, so the following ideas are strictly mine.  I think that as we look through scripture we can see the following pattern emerge for how God works in a life: He Planned for us, He created us, He pursued us, He makes us new, He equips us, He inspires us, He Works through us.  This pattern is similar to what we see in Romans 8:29-30.  As we try to do for others as Jesus did for us, I think we, as individuals or as a church, can follow the same pattern.

Plan: God foreknew us, before he did anything else.  We should take time to get to know who we want a ministry, or our entire church, to reach.  If a church wants to start a ministry that is going to help feed hungry people, shouldn't we get to know some hungry people and find out what they need?  Shouldn't we read everything we can about hunger and poverty, and shouldn't we study what is working to combat those needs?  Just an example... 

Create: God had his plan for salvation in place before he created us.  After his plan was in place, he set about putting into action.  This is of course a vital second step.  It is not enough to simply read, and study how to minister to a particular group, we must actually take action, and be doer's of what we have learned.

Pursue: Even God wasn't content to sit in heaven and let His creation speak for itself, He walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden, He took on flesh and became human, he whispered to Elijah, he made a covenant with Abraham, he met Paul on the road to Damascus.  Likewise, if we want to minister to people, we need to walk in their shoes, and become available to life life beside them, rather than simply program for them/to them/at them.  When children's ministry worked well in our church, it was because the volunteers were passionate about the kids and were not content to simply meet with them once a week, they followed up with home visits, and invited them into their own homes, took them out for ice cream, remembered their birthdays, and made their lives, (not just small slivers of their schedules) available.

Made New:  Okay, only God can do this, but we need to remember that all of the relationships and programs in the world don't matter if the person never sees past us to Jesus.  Keeping this on the list of our necessary steps, keeps us focused on the goal of making as certain as possibe that the person were are ministering too experiences the life transformation that Paul spoke of in 2nd Corinthians 5:17.  This is the midpoint in the timeline, the cornerstone, of all of any ministry. we long for that moment when someone will be made knew in Christ.

Equip: This is where I observe most churches having the most difficulty.  What do we do after someone is made knew in Christ?  It is as if we had a clear plan for how to get them into the kingdom, but don't know what do with them once they are in.  Really that's kinda backwards.  Being in the kingdom we should know what kingdom life looks like, but we seem confused...  I think this is because we tend look at salvation as the end goal, when in reality it is only the beginning.  We have this "okay God I got them this far, now they have the Holy Spirit, so you can take it from here..." attitude.  I also think that strategically equipping a whole church full of people is difficult because this is where our ministries tend to begin to overlap.  Instead of just being involved in the one thing or with the one person that moved them toward Christ, the new believer is now expected to be a part of the general church body, and the transition from the kiddie pool to the deep end is often overlooked.  This is makes strategy and unity between departments so critical.  This is why I love Andy Stanley's 5 P's from earlier. They are the steps that transform us from newborn faith to mature faith, a faith that will survive the scorching sun and the choking weeds.  We are equipped through Practical Teaching, Private disciplines, Personal Ministry, Providential Relationships, and Pivotal Circumstances. 

Inspire: As we experience different avenues of personal ministry, we have opportunities to see what work in the kingdom makes us come alive, and to move closer and closer to discovering out what those unique good works are that God created just us to do.  I fully believe that God has a specific, unique purpose for each of us, and that we have the privilege of finding out what it is.  The more faithful we are with the "5P's" listed above, the more He entrusts to us. Like the word says, "you have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things".  The goal is to have each Christian reach a place where as Paul said, "I am compelled to preach, woe to me if I do not preach the gospel" they can say "I am compelled to ____________, woe to me if I do not __________."

Use: Thus transformed, equipped and inspired, we can produce a crop yielding 30, 60 or 100 times what was sown.  This is the part where we are "God's fellow workers" and "Christ's Ambassadors". This is my definition of maturity.  Someone who knows what they are called to do, is passionate about doing it, and is always striving to do it better for the Glory of God.

Remember this was an e-mail to a friend, so I understand if the context is hazy for someone just joining the conversation.  Don't hesitate to ask lots of questions.

Radical by David Platt - Book Review

I have often wondered if Peter or Paul would be able to walk into our churches and recognize us as Christians.  I wonder if our religion has become so cultural, that we would be aberrant to our spiritual ancestors.  Usually when I pose these questions the conversation ends quickly and awkwardly.  Even if I find kindred spirits who are pondering these same questions, we end our discussions feeling overwhelmed, with no idea how to begin taking our faith back from the religious institutional mentality that has become so pervasive.  Even "be the change you want to see" is difficult, because when you have looked at the world through a certain pair of eyes for so long, it is hard to even see the problem, let alone articulate it.

I've been praying about this a lot lately.  Wondering just what to do.  Turns out I have a lot of growing up to do before I can be a part of the solution.  I just finished reading a book called “Radical” by David Platt.  The tag line is, “Taking back your faith from the American dream”.  The basic premise is that our culture has infiltrated our faith, to the point that we now want God to help us accomplish our goals, rather than desperately seeking to be saved from our own desires, and transformed into a new creature, and most of us don't even know the difference.

Platt, a pastor himself, compares his experiences with the church in countries where Christians are persecuted, to what we see in the pews here in the States, as he begs us to ask which would be more pleasing to the one we call Lord.  He challenges us with the stories of missionary heroes of the past and the unsung heroes of today, who are living out their faith in ‘radical’ ways.  More than that, he sites scripture after scripture each of which sharply contrasts our cultural religion with Biblical Christianity.  I love looking at the Bibliography at the end and seeing that it is 80% Scripture references.

In many ways I think this book should be required reading for new believers, as it gives a beautiful description of the heart of God, the role of the Christian, the history of the faith, and practical steps to becoming who God commands us to be.  While I believe the book would be great for new believers, after 30 years as a christian and 10 years in ministry, I was extremely challenged, because Platt's goal is to challenge our basic understanding of what it means to be a Christian. In what feels like a modern retelling of Hebrews 11, Platt connects us to modern examples of the same faith found in that beautiful chapter.  The effect is one that brings the faith out of history and into our present reality, making it accessible to every believer, not just those who have been through formal training.  Because of this, the book is idea for aligning your focus with what it really means to be a Christian.

The book ends with 5 specific challenges to help you shift from cultural Christianity, to Biblical Christianity.  While some of them are very basic on the surface, the combined result of all 5 is nothing short of Radical.

I'd tell you what they are, but you need Platt's build up, he step by step, logical, Biblical outline of what it means to be a Christian, and why some of our most basic assumptions about scripture are just plain unscriptural.  Don't read this book unless you are willing to finish it, willing to be offended, and willing to move outside your comfort zone into a faith that will really transform you and the world around you.

After reading the book I realize that I have been arrogant.  I have bestowed upon myself a level of maturity, that I am far from grasping.  I finished the book broken, and in need of serious change.  I am desperately hoping that some of my friends will read this book and commit to the same steps, hold me accountable, and journey with me.  If you've read the book or want a copy, let me know.  I'd gladly buy you the book if you promise to read it and tell me how it challenges you.

Controversial II

I recently shared a post from Carey Nieuwhof. You can read it here.  He is someone who challenges me to think outside of my 'box' all the time. 

Because his post was, in my mind, so controversial, I asked for feedback, and since I don't get a lot of that here on the blog (not complaining just stating a fact) I put it out on facebook and via e-mail. 

Here is the gist of some of the responses I got:

~ LOVE IT!  I have seen so many ideas go to committee to die, let leaders lead!.
~ Everything in moderation, spend too much time trying to build consensus you'll never do anything, but if you never slow down long enough to think through your ideas with others, then you'll burn a lot of bridges and make some really bad decisions.
~ Lots and lots of verses from Proverbs about how success comes from seeking wise counsel.
~ If leaders don't make sure that absolutely everyone is on board with every the idea, they will destroy the church, the author is wrong, dangerously wrong!

I got a good range of answers!  Exactly what I was hoping for.

One trusted advisor pointed me to Hans Finzel's book, "The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make", specifically the chapter on making room for "Mavericks"  (I just happened to have a copy, and being home from work because I was sick yesterday I had plenty of time to read!) In this chapter Finzel talks about the life cycle of organizations.  They tend to follow the life cycle of humans, not able to do much when they first start out, really awkward teenage years where they struggle to define themselves, vibrant adult life full of accomplishments, and a slow decline before eventually dying (or just decomposing).  Finzel says that in the graying years, organizations need "Mavericks", people who defy convention, (and consensus) and are willing to buck the system enough to make it vibrant again.  Effectively they take the organization back to it's adolescent stage, re-introduce it to the awkwardness of trying to define its identity.  The organization then has 2 options.  Change or continue the slide toward irrelevance.

Finzel cautions that you pay careful attention to the difference between a Maverick (Someone who has the goals of your organization at heart, just very different ideas about how to accomplish those goals) and a Malcontent (someone who just doesn't like what you are doing, or thinks their own personal way is the only way or wants to re-define your mission).  He recommends evaluating the ideas of Mavericks, based on the objectives of the organization.  Do they want to completely change your mission? If so, best to ignore their advice.  Is their thinking completely different from the way you've always done things, but their passion is for the same mission you've always had? Maybe you need to give them room to grow.   

Finzel concludes by saying that, "The best way to take the wind out of the sails of a visionary is to send their ideas to committee." Which is I believe the very same point Carey is trying to make.

So here is my take:
Don't kill ideas by sending them to committee. Instead, have standards (a measuring consistent measuring stick) for evaluating suggestions so that you can keep the good ones and filter out the bad ones!

Here is a sample set of standards:
1. Is it Biblical (if not, don't waste your time)
2. Is it in keeping with the mission of our organization (if you are running a nursing home ministry and someone wants to allocate resources to open a preschool, they may have come to the wrong place.)
3. Does the person presenting the idea demonstrate the following:
  a. Experience (Maybe not the 5 decades of experience you have, but have they done some time in the trenches?  after all you can't lead until you've learned to follow.)
  b. Research (if someone is reading everything they can get their hands on about the topic, they are far more credible than people who won't show up to a meeting or read a book)
  c. Passion (Please don't confuse passion with how loudly they speak! instead ask yourself, "Do they live the ministry they want your organization to be a part of?"  )
  d. A willingness to seek and take advice (if they won't listen to the Proverbs and won't take advice, they they can't be trusted with leadership. True leadership requires a submissive, servant's heart)
  e. Willingness to work within the current system. (or do they refuse to volunteer until they get their way?)


What would you add to or subtract from the list?

Stop Reading My Blog and Go Read This.

About a year ago I read a book co-authored by a Pastor named Carey Nieuwhof entitled, "Parenting Beyond your Capacity".  I found his book to be excellent and  gave copies to a few close friends and to some parents at church.  All reviews have been positive.

This past year at the Orange Conference I heard him speak about local church leadership and structure, and was stunned by the simple yet effective ideas he shared.  So as I thought I'd look him up and see if he had any books on the subject.  What I found instead was his blog.  careynieuwhof.com.  I highly recommend it.

Zombies Football and the Gospel

Thursday I posted an excerpt from a book by Reggie Joiner.  Today I finished that book...  The basic premise is 10 "game changing" ideas.  Let me quickly run through them for you.  Some of the thoughts are very challenging so whether you are intrigued by what you read here, or disturbed, I urge you to read the book.

1. The Gospel is Messy.  Never settle for a version of faith that doesn't take risks.  The point is "there is a growing frustration with churches who do not respond passionately to a broken world."  A messy gospel could compel your church to: a) Love those who don't share your beliefs and values. b) Become missionaries to diverse cultures. c) Show compassion to broken and hurting people. d) Create new ways to share your message. e) Re imagine how you live as the church. f) Change the way you influence the next generation. g) Collaborate with leaders who are different.

2. 98118 The most diverse zip code in the US.  6 square miles, home to 40,000 people speaking 59 different languages.  "People are embracing diversity and rejecting those who show signs of intolerance." 1 Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord, always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and respect".  The goal is not to get people to trust me so that they will hear me, but to love people in such a way that they will ask me.  What people feel save to ask may be determined by how much they know you care about them.

3. Sundays are for Football.  Re imagine ways the church can influence active communities.  how do we take the gospel to the people instead of waiting for them to come to the gospel. Statistically 25% of Americans treat Sunday like a Holy Day, the other 75% treat it like a holiday. "if you build it they will come" worked in field of dreams, but for 75% of people in the US, it simply doesn't work.  How will we "GO" and make disciples?

4. They Blew up Walnut Grove.  We must wake up to the reality of today's complicated family (and stop trying to make everyone fit the mold of 'Little House on the Prarie' type families.)  Every family is broken.  Those who go to church and those tho don't.  Those who are married and those who aren't. Those who believe like you and those that don't.  All families need Hope!  That's why the church is so important, why the gospel is so powerful.  Most people only know the church by what is on our billboards & picket signs, or which side of a political issue we take. Families need to know there's a better story, God's story, but Christian leaders need to discovery new ways to respond to the complicated issues facing this generation of families.

5. Zombies are Easy to Lead.  Too many Christian leaders treat people like they should mindlessly follow us (like zombies), instead of treating the people that we lead like they are made in the image of God.  Leaders are being called to model a new standard of authenticity and empathy.  The people I lead want me to 1. Care about their future (not just my own) 2. Value their talents (they have gifts I don't) 3. Respect their ideas (it isn't my way or the highway) 4. Make good decisions (for the benefit of the mission we are on together) and 5. Do something that matters (they want to be a part of something meaningful, not just a part of something)

6. Improv or Die.  Collaborate to discover the best solutions. Improv acting groups have 2 basic principles 1. 'no' is an automatic dead end.  'yes' always leads to possibilities.  2. Make your partner look good.  Stop thinking in silos, or in terms of experts, and start thinking, how can we work together to make this as excellent as possible.  Scripture makes it clear that the Body needs every part, every gift, to function properly.  We have to lead the way we want to operate, using a variety of gifts and experiences.

7. Wine will be Cheaper than Gas. The economy is a game changer for churches, not just families.  As budgets tighten we may have to stop throwing money at problems or ministries, and learn to rely on other things God has given us, like time and talents.  Being short on finances forces us to innovate.  Maybe this means giving people new places to serve by having them do job's they'd do in their own home, but your church pays people to do, like mow the law, or shovel snow.  Maybe it means spending more time thinking about what you will teach than which curriculum you will buy.  Maybe it means encouraging people to life debt free lives, or helping them see how the church uses their money in whole new ways.  Figure out what it means for your ministry.

8. The Cloud is Here.  Social media has given us an ability to communicate anytime anywhere.  More people own phones than own toothbrushes.  If we are not making time to connect with people where people are connecting, then we will loose the chance to connect with people anywhere.  As leaders we can use the cloud to cue parents, mobilize teens, rally volunteers, inspire kids, enlist support, and start a conversation...

9. Third Place Still Wins.  (as in a place other than home and work) Make it easy for someone to experience community.  The church is uniquely posed to offer a place for face to face connections.  Starbucks has thrived during this economic downturn, not because they are selling a luxury item in a recession, but because they offer a place for face to face connections in a world of social media.  The church can and should become a place that people turn for genuine community.  Social media is actually increasing the value of being physically present in order to connect.  Christian community doesn't exist simply for the sake of community, it exists as a means for building authentic faith.  To do this we have to stop asking what we can do for people and start asking how we can invite them to be the church.

10. Everybody knows Harry (Potter that is). Everyone connects with compelling stories be it Harry, Frodo, or Luke Skywalker.  We've all watched movies, heard speakers or read books that really made us think, and we've all experienced the ones that made us fight to stay awake.  It wasn't the quantity of truth they were giving us, that made the difference it was the way they engaged our imagination.  In our media saturated world everyone has access to information (truth) what they lack is a context through which to apply those truths to their life.  By focusing on how we communicate truth, we can provide them with a context, that will make them See, make them Care, and make them Hope.  As leaders we are called to unveil the greatest story ever told in away that invites a generation to the wonder, discovery and passion of the very character of God.

I highly recommend the book.  If you are feeling dissatisfied with the way religion operates, and longing for something more meaningful, this book would be a great spring board for the conversations that will help you move and rethink.  You can buy it here: http://secure.rethinkgroup.org/store4/product.php?productid=1264&cat=&page=1