Redefining Church Membership

I was sitting here thinking about church membership. At our church, people who want to become members must go through a class and then sign a covenant agreement. People can serve in our church without being members. One would think that with such a system in place, only those serious about participating in the ministry of the church would want to join. Over the years however, I have seen that many people still join just to get their name on the roll list. Which by the way won't get you any discounts, or a get out of hell free card or anything...but they still want to join. When joining doesn't require anything, than it also doesn't mean anything.
In 8th grade, my friend Adam joined the AARP. While the AARP is a great organization for retired people or people over 50, it doesn't cater in any way to a 13-14 year old. For some reason, maybe his lack of a job at that time, Adam was accepted and received his AARP card in the mail. Many churches seem to be like that. Anyone can join. Let's be honest, we are a very inclusive club. We are a family of like minded people who love and serve Jesus Christ and we want everyone to be in our club. However...if we give people a card that says they are in the club while they still haven't met the requirements like loving Jesus with all their heart, serving Him or at bare minimum having asked Him to forgive them of their sins...are we really doing them a disservice? Like my friend Adam who when he turns 50 may have some trouble getting an AARP card due to the fact that he will have already had one for almost 40 years, will these people stand before God on judgment day and say, "But Lord, I know I didn't know you, but I have my membership card from ________________ Church! Doesn't that get me into heaven?" While not wanting to revert to a legalistic draconian method like the board inquisition that led to D.L. Moody not being able to join his local church, I would love to hear suggestions on how to make church membership be an accountability tool and to mean something. Now you get to post a comment!

A HUGE God!

Our God is so BIG! This is really a random thoughts type blog post today, but I have a lot of thoughts about all that God is doing in this world that I know about...He is doing so very much that I have no clue about! (That is your cue to post comments about things you see God doing!) Many times, he works through people! Yesterday in church, Pastor Dean asked the church to step up and buy 200 chairs for a growing church in Africa. The chairs are simple plastic $10 chairs. It was great to see the congregation give above and beyond what they were asked for with a cheerful heart! Now the church in Africa will not only be able to have chairs under their tarp, but they will be able to buy a piece of land they were looking at and will be able to build a church! God is incredible!
I blogged last time about going to my Aunt's house to help her out with some house projects. It was not only great to work with my dad again, but seeing the joy that doing that list of simple projects brought to my Aunt was wonderful! God knew that she needed help, and through an odd series of events, brought my dad and mom to this part of the country at this time. I couldn't have done the projects myself, but with Dad's help, they went smoothly, and we had a good time working together.
Seeing new believer's growing in the Lord never gets old! God is doing some incredible work in the lives of many new believers in our church!
There is a camp in Honea Path, SC that has been having a great affect on kids and teen's lives over the years. This year, a group of retired people got together to go work on the camp before it opened. This year was also the first year that the camp director was able to feel like things were ready when the first day of camp came around! (Note to retirees, you have worked hard and can spend your retirement years as you wish..but I want to put a bug in your ear to investigate one of the many groups that volunteer to work and help out volunteer organizations. Most denominations have a ministry that helps match up retirees with jobs around the country. It is a great way to travel, meet new people and also lend a much needed hand at the same time.)
God is using youth to reach out to the community as well. In our own area of the upstate of South Carolina, Youth are helping out with groups like Meals on Wheels, Miracle Hill(children's home), Soup kitchens and many more...
I am amazed at the things God is doing through people and I am praying for magnificent supernatural things to happen that can only be explained by giving credit to God! Have an awesome day! We serve a HUGE God!

My Aunt...

This week, I am heading to my Aunt's house along with my parents. This means that I will be interacting in an environment in which once again, I am the kid. No longer will I be a respected college instructor or pastor...I will just be the son/nephew that they have known since birth. I love those times! (For those who are reading that with a sarcastic bent, you are dead wrong!) I absolutely love the times when I can work with my dad and just be his son. No one is looking up to me for answers or advice or relying on me for anything more than, "Hey son, can you hand me that hammer?" type stuff. We will knock out my 70 year old aunt's "honey do" list of things she needs done around her house. Her husband is long gone, so trips to see her brighten up both of our lives. A few blogs back, I mentioned that I have great parents. They come from families of wonderful people. This Aunt, Abby is her name, has been like a second mother to me at many times in my life. It is great to be able to give something back to her now after she has done so much for me throughout my life. To those of you reading this...I know it isn't cutting edge church leadership ideas, but it is very, very important stuff! In a day when pastors and politicians seem to be falling by the wayside right and left with problems stemming from problems in the family/marriage, it is important to put God first, spouses second, kids third, and keep our priorities straight. Not sure exactly where God plans for extended family to fall in our list of priorities, but I am sure it is near the top. In Jesus' day, I don't think they differentiated much between "immediate family" and "extended family". Take time to take care of your family today!

Some thoughts on Acts Chapter 5

Acts 5: Verses 12-16 seem almost impossible, and if we separate it from the rest of the chapter, it most likely would be. After verse 16, we see how the early church leaders were persecuted. Even though they were spared death by Rabbi Gamaliel’s speech, they were still beaten. (vs. 40) Notice that in verse 41, the apostles who had been beaten with whips were rejoicing “because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. “ So how does that affect the miracles going on in verses 12-16? The early church lived dangerously and at the same time powerfully! Not in their own power but in the power of the Holy Spirit! They didn’t just pray about the sick in their congregation, they healed them! Many of these healings throughout the book of Acts are sudden and dramatic. They aren’t just someone feeling a little better after a prayer is said, they are crippled people getting up and walking, paralyzed people not just twitching a toe, but getting up and leaping and jumping in the air! People are raised from the dead! Before you start thinking, “that was then, we live in the 21st century now and those things don’t happen”, remember, our Lord Jesus Christ is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever! (Hebrews 13:8) Pray believing that the Lord will do miraculous things!

Excellence

The following quote is by Richard Pachter and is referring to the book The Dip by Seth Godin.
The one possible weakness of this otherwise terrific little volume is that it is aimed solely at people who are creative, intelligent and want to succeed. Those who are mediocre, unmotivated or just coasting through life will probably not get much from Godin. He is not an elitist, but his message is squarely aimed at those who want to succeed or at least achieve excellence.
After reading the quote, it made me think of the Bible! The message isn't elitist, God wants that ALL people recognize HIM and come to know HIM in a very personal way. HE would love for ALL people to fall head over heals in love with HIS Son Jesus! Why is it that the church is so full of "mediocre, unmotivated or just coasting through life" Christians. Have a great day serving God with excellence!

Dealing with Attendance Slumps...

Ok, so your church has been thriving and growing, and it seems like God is blessing you immensely! And then, something happens. Is it sin in the camp? Is it the music? Are the greeters to friendly? You experience a drop in attendance. It may, or may not be accompanied by a drop in offering, but you notice that there aren't as many people coming. How do you as a leader approach this new dynamic. You can put your head in a hole and not admit that anything is going on. You can make excuses, "Its summer." "Holiday weekend" "Raining" "Beautiful weather for a day at the lake" "Game day" "Race day"... You can blame people in the church for not being holy enough to make God a priority. (And there may be some truth in that one.) Or you can get away with God and find the passion for Him that helped you through when your church was just a church plant. Find the excitement that you had when you first took over the church and you saw all the potential that this congregation had for reaching out to the community. As a leader, are you casting a vision that people want to follow? Will they really miss anything if they skip a week? When someone asks, "So what's new at your church?" Do they respond with enthusiasm about all the great things God is doing and the ways the church is reaching out to the community and changing lives? Or do they say, "You know how it is..., same old, same old." If the leadership of the church doesn't know where it is going, then those on the outer circle won't make it a priority to be there because they won't know either. Have an awesome day! Let God inspire you to greatness in your ministry whatever that may be!

Just for fun...

Ok, not my normal fare, but my aunt sent this to me in an e-mail. I found it quite funny.
TOP 12 INDICATORS THAT THE ECONOMY IS BAD....

12. CEO's are now playing miniature golf.

11. I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.

10. I went to buy a toaster oven, and they gave me a bank.

9. Hot wheels and Match box car companies are now trading higher than GM in the stock market.

8. Obama met with small businesses - GE, Pfizer, Chrysler, Citigroup and GM - to discuss the Stimulus Package.

7. McDonalds is selling the 1/4 ouncer.

6. People in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and are learning their children's names.

5. The most highly-paid job is now jury duty.

4. People in Africa are donating money to Americans.

3. Motel 6 won't leave the lights on (Gore & Pelosi are thrilled).

2. The Mafia is laying off judges.

............And the Number 1 indicator

1. If the bank returns your check marked as "insufficient funds," you have to call them and ask if they meant you or them.

Are you Hungry?

Today, my best friend Tim had his wife and kids come in and join him for lunch. His son Caden, who is three, stated that he wasn't hungry when his dad said it was time to go get lunch. It got me to thinking about the church. How many times does a pastor pour his heart into a message after seeking God for that message. He has studied, prepared, and then preached his heart out only to have those hearing say, "I'm not hungry." Now, if they aren't hungry for God's word because they have been pouring over the scriptures day and night since the last service and spending hours and hours in prayer each day...then I have no problem with their not being hungry. However, it seems that most people who are seeking the Lord and living for him are still hungry to hear more. So are the people who know nothing of God! It is the person whose heart is hardened by years of sitting through services without ever experiencing a change in their heart that is perennially full. They really are empty, but like the starving child in Africa with the bloated belly..they look like there is a lot in their stomach, but in truth, they are dying inside. I hope you are hungry! Go and devour God's word! It is really good!

Beginning or End?

As a teacher, I get to experience a lot of beginnings and endings. The first day of a new semester to giving the final exam. Today, was exam day for my students. As they have worked like crazy to master the material so that hopefully they can move on from this class to something even harder, I look at them taking the exam and remember their first day. I also know that I will never again have exactly the same classroom dynamic as I had with that group. Sometimes that is a blessing, other times I wish they could all come back for a few more weeks. In churches, we also see many beginnings and ends. New believers who grow in the Lord and then move on into the ministry they have been called to. Pastors come and go. Sometimes leaving the church stronger than when they found it, or founded it as the case may be...and sometimes ripping it in two as they leave. Parishioners are the same...they come bringing vibrancy and new life to a church, or they tear it down with bitterness and division. Beginnings and endings...today, is the end of the first summer semester of 2009,and the beginning of a week long break! It is saying goodbye to one set of students and getting prepared for another set. (Summer-2 2009) It is on these days that I reflect over the time I spend trying, not just to teach some Spanish to students who may or may not want to learn it, but also to be an example for the Lord to them. I hope that they not only remember some grammar, but more importantly how to live honestly, lovingly, caringly and with character that we can all be proud of. I know that is a lot to ask of a Spanish class, but none the less, it is my wish. If you were in one of my classes this semester or at some time in the past. I wish you well and pray that you are living a life in such a way that I can proudly say, "I was his/her teacher."

Storms

There is a thunderstorm outside. The crash and boom of the fronts smashing into each other as they drop buckets of rain on us is a reminder of the storms in our lives. Each of us faces storms. Some just get us a little wet, others are more like a tornado size destruction. The great news is that God is with us in those storms. He never leaves us. He never lets go. The winds whip around us, but He is still there! Praise the Lord!

Godly Parents

It is a week before Father's Day, but it got me thinking about my parents. No parents are perfect, but I got really lucky! Both of my parents are serving the Lord and have been great examples for me since I was little. I heard many horror stories from other kids as I was growing up about how their perfect deacon dad wasn't so perfect Monday-Saturday, but while their parents may have been coming home drunk and beating them, my parents were daily having family devotions with my brother and I. They couldn't force us to become Christians, but they certainly gave us every opportunity. The biggest thing is that they weren't fake. Kids know! They had flaws, and I saw them, but they loved Jesus and shared Him openly with everyone they came in contact with. They weren't pastors, just people who loved the Lord with all their hearts! Now, they travel the country in their RV serving with a group called MAPS/RV. They build churches, children's homes, Teen Challenge Centers (Drug rehab), Church camps...Needless to say, I am very proud to call them my parents. Burl and Karen Lee Walker, if you are reading this, Thanks for being great parents!

Facing Problems

"What's the problem?"
"Why is it important?"
"What are some solutions?"
"What do those solutions look like?" Jason Womack
These four questions could help you as a leader turn around a ministry or company that is having trouble. Not all problems are important. Some can be fixed with a simple phone call or picking up that piece of paper off the floor yourself. However, if your organization is facing a dilemma that won’t go away on its own, then you need to address it quickly, but with a plan. Know your solutions, if you can’t find them, ask those around you. If they don’t know either, find an expert. You don’t know any experts…google it! That is usually the quickest way to find what you are looking for. Before implementing the solution, picture what it will look like. Not doing so could lead to disaster. An example: Some soil conservation expert found a great plant that would serve as a ground cover in the south eastern United States. It would prevent erosion and make everyone happy. So, he introduced a wonderplant known as Kudzu. Now if you are reading this and you are from the north, think white tail deer in West Virginia..sounded like a good idea to someone at one point in history. Kudzu now spans field after field taking over land faster than owners can cut it back. Kudzu infested land becomes practically worthless. (Side note- If you can come up with a machine to harvest it and a great use for it, you could become a millionaire!) Once you have thought through the solution and know that it is better than the problem, implement it and move on. What’s the next problem boss?

Out of Africa

The senior pastor from my church just got back from Tanzania. Watching some of the videos and listening to his stories reminds me of each time I have left the country and come back. There is something about getting out of your comfort zone and having your beliefs, morals, morays etc...challenged by another culture. We so often take for granted simple things like running water, air conditioning, electricity, windows, cars, a change of clothing, carpet or at least a floor in the church. Have you attended a church with no roof? Worked with people who don't know what a shower is? or deodorant? Preached to people sitting on a dirt floor? You might feel like you are suffering for Jesus as you sleep on a mat on the ground until you realize that the people you are ministering to do the same every day of their lives. If you haven't had the chance to get out of your comfort zone, you can go to Africa or Latin America, or maybe you just need to go across town to help out a church that is ministering in the part of town you don't want your kids going to. Challenge your faith! It will open your eyes in new ways you never expected.

Being a great #2 or #3 or #4...

If you are a senior pastor, you can skip reading my blog today. Take a little extra time to prepare the sermon you will be preaching on August 30th or September 6th. This is for associate pastors or staff pastors. We, I am included in this group, know that we are vital to the health of our churches, but often it is tough being the #2 guy, or even the assistant to the assistant to the assistant in some cases. Here are some ideas to help you be the very best that you can be at your ministry.
1. Be the best in YOUR area of ministry! Just because you aren't in charge of the church doesn't mean that God Almighty hasn't put you in the possition you are in to affect people's lives. You need to do the very best job that you can to see that your area of ministry runs with excelence!
2. Be your senior pastor's biggest cheerleader in public. Never tear him down in front of other people and don't gossip behind his back. In private, you can let him know you disagree with him, and the two of you can duke it out if necessary. But in public you have his back 100% at all times.
3. Self critique often. Does your area of ministry need to exist? It is better for you to realize that you need to change than to have someone else tell you that you are obsolete.
I have to run, so I may blog more on this later...as a part timer, have to get to work at the other job. Have an awesome day!

Getting out there...

I saw an interesting statistic this morning that of this last year's crop of college graduates, out of those who have applied for a job, only 20% of them have achieved employment status. That means that 80% of them are still looking for work, or have moved back in with their parents. As a church, how does this affect what we do? It means that there are a lot of recent college grads with energy, and way to much time on their hands! Can we employ them all? Of course not, but we can get them involved in community activities that will get them off their mom's couch and interacting with people in the area who might be able to offer them a paying job. In this market, it also means that if you are looking for some rather inexpenive labor to hire, even in a skilled labor field, you very well might be able to find a great person at a bargain price. Just a mix of thoughts today.
If you are a recent college grad who is still "looking" for a job. My grandfather's advice has served me well. He said two things when it came to job hunting, 1. " Until you find a job, your job is finding a job. Work at it at least 40 hours a week until you do." 2. "Until you have had a hundred resumés regected, you haven't begun looking for work yet." C.L. Richardson

Joy of the Lord...

Ever have a day in which you are just glad that the Joy you have comes from the Lord and not from your surroundings. Yesterday, I found that a man I look up to in the ministry resigned his church due to moral reasons. Also found out that my parents surprised me by showing up a little earlier here in South Carolina. Both are big news to me. One had the potential to shatter a church, the other is a great surprise! Just two examples of information or outside circumstances that could have an affect on our mood. Our joy isn't dependent on ouside circumstances or information. Psalms is full of verses about joy, but just two are Psalm 28:7 "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." and Psalm 30:11 "You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy," Notice that in the midst of wailing and wearing sackcloth, there was the Joy of the LORD! The LORD is our strength, not the things happening around us. HE gives us joy! Have a day full of JOY, no matter what the circumstances.

Personal shock

Ok, this is one of those posts that has nothing to do with anything you care about...but feel free to read it anyway. A couple days ago, I added a Twitter account.(@burlw) Before doing so, I honestly thought Twittering was stupid. The inspiring reason for me to do so is that my friend Tim and his wife Erica were having a baby girl. I knew that Tim would Twitter as soon as Josie was born, so I added an account and added Tim. Just because I don't mind writing, I did post a few things. The first couple were about Tim's new baby...mundane stuff to the world. This morning I woke up and checked my e-mail like many Americans, yes, I know it is Saturday. Twitter sent me e-mails letting me know the people who had decided to "follow" my twitters. Some are friends, two were some kind of mass marketers who probably hit up every new twitterer they can find, but one really stood out and surprised me! John C. Maxwell the author of many books, one on my computer table at the moment is The Difference Maker. Next to my bed I have a copy of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. That John C. Maxwell was following my twitter. I think I felt a little bit like Steven Furtick getting invited to speak at Catalyst last year. Anyway, I just thought it was really cool. I realize he follows thousands of people, but it isn't everyday that one of my heros decided to want to hear(read) what I have to say. And if by chance you are reading this Dr. Maxwell, Thanks! You made my day!

An idea...feel free to use it.

I have this crazy idea...it isn't really new to me, but don't know how to get it going...so here it is. If you get around to organizing it before I do...Great! In the Education world, there are a series of conferences called "In Search of the Great Teacher", in which teachers from multiple disciplines get together and help each other out in an iron sharpens iron type environment. In the business world, Seth Godin has his MBA program that only allows the best and brightest marketers to attend. Great things happen when you get a bunch of like minded people together intent on helping each other reach their maximum potential. In both cases, there isn't necessarily one guru who knows it all and teaches all the others. It is a collaborative effort on the part of all involved.
My idea is to do the same thing with pastors. Get a group of 10-15 pastors together in a room for a couple days. Preferably from different denominations,different size churches, and different age ranges. Each one bring two ideas from their ministry that just really seem to work well to share with the other pastors. They will also bring one thing that just seems to stand in their way. They feel like they beat their head against the wall with this issue. Of course there is no guarantee that anyone will have a solution, but with 10-15 other pastors in the room, someone might have faced that same problem before. There, that is the whole idea. Putting minds together who want to grow in their ability to minister to the people God has called them to minister to. It isn't a competition, and no perfect pastor is going to come explain to the peons how ministry should be done. If you are interested and live in the upstate of SC send me a message and if I have much response, I can put it together. If you are from another part of the country and you like the idea...Have at it! No charge, I am giving it away for free!

Starbucks and Churches...

Ok, so what can we learn as church leaders from a place like Starbucks? They have a site called, My Starbucks Idea On this site you can submit ideas for ways Starbucks could improve their service, or a new product they could offer, or another way to improve their company. You can vote on other people's ideas, discuss those ideas with other customers. So Starbucks, through this site now knows, what their customers like, what they don't like and what they want that Starbucks doesn't currently offer! Now, as a church, we aren't going to change the Gospel of Jesus Christ to fit people's taste. But, what if the suggestions are simple? It broadens the idea of a creativity team to the entire church, entire community... People might tell you that the very creative (so you thought) spotlight that you just installed for the choir is really blinding the first three rows to the left of the platform. (Pulled that example out of thin air, my church doesn't even have a choir, but you get the point.) People often see things in a church that the Senior pastor and the pastoral staff of a church don't see. Sometimes we become so comfortable in "the way things are" that we forget what it is like to be a new person trying to find the nursery, or trying to find offering envelopes, or how communion cups are to be handled after communion... Having a forum on your church's website, or an old fashioned comment box, might be a way to help out the pastoral staff without adding cost to your staff budget. One other lesson to learn from the Starbucks site is the "see" part of the site where you can look at the most popular ideas and what is being done about implementing them. People want to see that comments are taken seriously. Does that mean that every suggestion is immediately or ever put into practice? Of course not, but it does mean that people will see that suggestions are not just thrown away. The good ones are looked at seriously and the great ones are put into practice. Anyway, just my thoughts...I think I need a Chai Tea.

Making waves

Did you ever notice that no matter how much he might want to, a surfer can't make waves? Only God can. This isn't my original idea, but I can't remember who it belonged to. All a surfer can do is ride the wave that God makes. He can set himself up to be able to ride the wave. We as church leaders are like the surfer. We can't create a revival, but we can be ready for one! God's Holy Spirit draws people to repentance, but we can share Him with them, live a godly life in front of them, show them the love of Jesus Christ...These things don't save anyone but they do create a place where we are ready to ride the wave when God sends it. Have fun surfing!