Newpring and Unleash

I went to the Unleash 09 Conference this year.  Without a doubt, this was the best conference that I have been to.  As soon as we pulled into the parking lot things that made an impression on me were:

• The happy-to-do-it volunteers.  I think there were 500 of them.  Every one of these people smiled and waved to every vehicle pulling in that I could see. 
• There was a mob volunteers who hootin-n-hollerin with everyone that came in.  These people were located at the entrance.  They gave directions to where you needed to go.  They spoke to everyone that I could see. 
• It was a Thursday.  I wondered how many of these people gave up a vacation day from work to help at this event on behalf of their church?  I can’t even get people to come to church on Sunday consistently; and like it. 
• I know that these volunteers have been coached that what they do is important.  And, that they must make everyone feel welcomed; it works! 

Pastor Perry Noble was straight forward in each main session.  This conference was not the type that has someone come in to do some group counseling.  Instead, Perry challenged everyone to weather whatever storm they were facing and go hard for Jesus.  Let me share some thoughts about Perry Noble:

• As much as I would like to, out of jealousy, I can’t deny that God is using him.  I see it! 
• He had a breakout session for Senior Pastors only.  This was conducted the right way.  Pastors were able to ask questions and he answered every one.  He did this graciously.
• Every pastor wanted to know how he did it.  Pastor Noble was careful to point to the mission of spreading the Gospel.  In other words, sharing Christ is the difference. 
• He is straight forward about salvation through Jesus Christ alone.  This is not a liberal preacher.  He fears for people who are lost because they will go to Hell if they do not give their lives to Jesus Christ.  Preachers and churches everywhere would do well to be burdened in this way. 

For those seeking the formula for church growth.  And, I suspect that is why most churches and pastors showed up to this conference.  They want to know how to get to where Newspring is; and is going. 

• Preach Jesus Christ!  He is Savior, Lord, He will be Judge, He is coming back soon, He is Healer, Miracle Man, He is All that we need.
• Terms that were called a fad: Contemporary, Emergent, Missional, and etc. He believes these will outdated in 3 years.  I think he is right.   
• A funny illustration about Missional: All churches are missional or they are not churches.  Saying that we are missional is like a fish swimming around saying I love water. 
• There is no formula!  Just Jesus.  Amen.

The worship team was phenomenal!  I would say they are as good as anybody that I have paid to see.  That is saying a lot. 

• I have not been moved in worship like that in a long time.  Let’s admit it, we get bored with the way we systematically do it. 
• It was good to see one of the singers get moved by the Spirit.  I have not seen that for a while.
• The songs were so good. 
• The music was loud.  This meant that I could sing loud and not make anyone sick. 

Let’s talk about the money!

• $59.  Did you read that!  I will say it again, $59.
• They did not make any money, I don’t think.  They gave each person Lee McDerment CD.  Great worship music!  It would probably cost $16 to buy it. 
• They gave us Chik Fila for lunch.  $6 to buy it.
• Free drinks and snacks all day!  $5 per person. 

Hey! Christians! Let’s get motivated to preach Jesus.  Thank you to Newspring for caring for all, no matter what denomination that is Christian, because we are on the same team.  As Perry said, we don’t compete, but we complete each other.  I have been refreshed. 

To all of those that Perry and Newspring down, get over it.  Let’s all do what God called us to do without worrying what the other person is doing.  Did you know that there are enough lost in Pickens County alone that they could not possibly fit into all of our churches?  I am going to seek to do my part in God’s Kingdom.  What about you?  Or, will you focus on petty things and continue to put Newspring down because they are getting it done? 

It has been a while since someone encouraged me like I was at Unleash.  Thanks be to God!

Devaluing the Church; especially at the local level

I have been reading The Church Jesus Builds while in the dentist office waiting room today.  I focused on the chapter titled, Tensions That Strengthen The Church.  Wayne Schmidt, Lead Pastor of Kentwood Community Church in Grand Rapids, wrote this chapter and dealt with some issues that I have been working through on my own.  I won’t take the time to address all of these but I will focus on a few questions that he asked.

After some church leaders heard Bono say, at Schmidt’s church, that he “previously loved Christ, but couldn’t stand the Church or Christians,” they “snickered.”  This bothered Schmidt, as does me, and he asks, “Is it a sign that even leaders of the Church have surrendered to the cultural conclusions that the Church is at best a dysfunctional family, hopelessly idiosyncratic and beyond redemption?” (166). 

Here are some concerns that I have had, in light of this question, for quite a while now:

• Is it really funny that Christians ”snicker” at the Church and other Christians because the they have come into agreement with the world that the Church is out of touch, a sham, and/or has failed in her mission to be a Godly community in the middle of a Fallen world?  Some Christians would go so far as to say that it is impossible to live by commands to love Him and others until Christ returns.  If that is true, then how do explain Bethlehem in the book of Ruth? 
• Do the more successful pastors, in the churches that everyone considers it a privilege to go to, take advantage of the Church and those who attend when they fall?  In other words, are we bloggers and ministers, taking advantage of the opportunity to finger point so that we can say, or imply, that we are not like that? 
• Have we, as church leaders, “surrendered” to the cultures label of the Church, that she is irrelevant in the 21st Century?  In other words, government, human goodwill, and famous people can fix this world that can be so cruel?  After all,  1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  I guess my question is do we, the Church, even think that it is foolish for the Church to be the Salt and Light of the world? 
• Has the Church made friends with the idea that we are individuals first by looking out for our own interests instead of looking out for others?  As church leaders, are we guilty of hoarding God’s money as individuals, and a local Body, by turning our churches into a savings and loan branch?  The elephant in the room is that we say this is an “emergency fund.”  Isn’t God our emergency fund? 
• I am all on board with church planting.  It is God’s mission in this world.  Yet, are most established churches really beyond redemption?  Can God not turn these organisms around?  He can.  So the question in the end that must be wrestled with is, when do the mega-churches, and/or church plants decide to encourage our creative and gifted people to be a part of the redemption process, instead of jumping ship to take part in the good times somewhere else?  I know that some are called by God to do this, however, I believe that many of the average attendees that leave are not. 

If you attend a church, or a leader, what are you going to do?  Can you still find love for the Bride of Christ in your heart?  Can you trust that God will redeem a troubled community of believers?

Here is an action question that Schmidt asks, “”Do you agree that our culture today, both inside and outside the Church, tends to devalue the Church as a “dysfunctional family, hopelessly idiosyncratic and beyond redemption”?  List several specific ways we can be honest with ourselves about the Church’s shortcomings, yet affirm its biblical position within God’s redemptive plan” (175).  I would add that you might list specific ways in your own church. 

Hope to hear from a few of you.

Thoughts on a “Loss of case”

Mega-pastor Victoria Osteen has been vindicated.  Mrs. Brown failed to prove her story before a jury.  Here is the link to the latest article. 

Although Osteen paid a $3000 fine, she was found not guilty of assaulting Brown.  In my earlier post, I was not aware that the Osteens had their own witnesses; or I missed it.  The fact remains that Mrs. Osteen might wish that she would have simply cleaned the liquid off of her seat herself. 

It is troubling that Brown was allowed to pursue a case like this and that it only took the jury 2 hours to reach a verdict.  This might have taken 2 hours because they wanted to finish the donuts off that were given to them for snacks.  Just kidding. 

3 things should happen in my opinion. 

1. Victoria Osteen should be careful of creating an opportunity for people to try to rip her off; she should be more self-controlled.  But who can accomplish this all of the time?
2. Brown should be fired immediately!  She is an opportunist. 
3. Brown should be made to give %10 of her worth to charity. 

I have been reminded by this case that pastors need to be careful when around people.  And Mrs. Brown needs to place her faith solely in Jesus Christ and not a minister or money.

Thoughts on a “Loss of Faith”

Mega-pastor Victoria Osteen is being sued by a flight attendant for assault.  Here is the video about the alleged incident.  Here is the article from CNN. 

Okay.  All of us who do not agree with the Osteens should consider this case with a sympathetic attitude.  This is not the time to say, “God is getting revenge on the Osteens for teaching a bad theology.”  If you are thinking that, then you are not as Holy-minded as you think you are. 

Next we should also get out of the way whether or not anything wrong occured.  It seems that she did because Mrs. Osteenpaid a $3000 fine.  Plus there are witnesses; for both sides. 

Here are my thoughts about it this incident.

• The Pastor was flying first class.  I am a pastor and have never flown.  This is in part because I am a chicken.  But another reason is that I have never had the money to fly. 
• Osteen demanded that her first class seat be wiped off.  My Savior took the role of a Servant the night of the Last Supper. 
• Osteengot angry with the attendant and tried twice to get into the cockpit.  She tried to get into the cockpit after September 11th?  My Savior got angry at those who misled others so that they could not find God. 
• The article says that Brown wants an apology.  She has not gotten one yet?  My Savior said to give another piece of clothing to the person who takes your outer-garment;  (Paraphrased).  Jesus said do not offer a gift at the altar if you know your brother has something against you. 
• This incident delayed people from getting to where they were going for over 2 hours.  Is this submitting to others?  This is selfishness at its worst.  We should be selfless. 
• Instead of cleaning the mess herself, Mrs. Osteen caused a weaker Christian to stumble. 

I will stop on Mrs. Osteen here.

Thoughts about Ms. Brown

•  Funny how the desire for money is in play here.  She hinted that she was a Christian.  We are not supposed to sue each other.  It brings shame upon Jesus and His Church.
• She has a prior accusation of the same nature.  If not true, her faith may have been affected long before this situation. 
• Mrs. Brown, or another employee, should have cleaned the seat.  We are to do everything as if we are doing it for the Lord.  Laziness is considered bad in the Bible.

Other thoughts

• Superstar pastors?  Jesus tried to avoid this.  If they left their church could it survive?
• I am glad that the car next to me did not hear me call them a jerk as they cut me off while traveling on the Interstates today.  They might be suing me for a loss of faith. 
• If this case succeeds, what kind of Pandora’s Box is opened in regard to suing preachers in a weak moment? 
• Whatever the Osteens are worth; and Ms. Brown is worth; mixed in with what the Osteens will get to keep or Brown receives. . . stay with me . . . does not matter to the people who have gone to bed without something to eat for the 7th, or 8th, night in row in Africa, or anywhere else.  Darfur is just trying to get healthy water right now.   These people are squabbling over money that should be sent there instead of to them. 
• Unfortunately, for Osteen, as a pastor she is held to a higher degree of accountability.  On the other hand, Brown may be trying to damage God’s chosen vessel which is not good in the long run either.

Everyone listen.  Your faith must be watered by the reality of Jesus Christ and a relationship with Him.  Do not succumb to the desire to find people to place your trust in.  Trust Jesus alone.

A Church for those who do not like church

While traveling home the other day I saw a church sign that read, “A church for those who don’t like church.” Since I am a pastor, this statement stirred my mind up a bit. Without stopping to ask what the sign meant, I decided to take it at face value. Therefore, it seemed, to me, to mean that many churches have problems. Then I wondered if this was another example of the endless contemporary vs. the traditional argument. It seems to me that there is a misunderstanding about church presently in some Christian circles. Whatever the case is, here are a few reasons why I believe that a statement like the one I referred to is dangerous: First, Christ gave His life for the Church. The Church is the Body of Christ. In other words, the Church is God in the flesh. The Church is full of ambassadors of the King. The Church is where God’s Kingdom meets the physical earth. The Church is where we worship Christ. The Church is the chosen instrument to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Church is where we have our faith built up. The Church is where we receive encouragement. The Church is the New Israel. Finally, the Church is the Bride of Christ. I guess the question should be asked, “Christian, why would you not like Church?” On the other hand, some may reply that the Church has problems which seem to hurt Christ. Yet, I say that the Church is both human and divine. The Church is not an us against them organization. It is a togetherness faith where the individual ends up being identified as a follower of Christ. Churches are to be united in their stand against evil in this world. Therefore, let’s not rush to condemn churches. Instead, lest’s support the Church as that which is sacred.