I need your help.
I’m planning the teaching calendar for Project Church for the remainder of 2008. Being that we’re for doubters, explorers, and followers of Christ, I thought it would make sense to do a series about common objections to Christianity. I have written a list of topics I’ve encountered when talking with people- but I need your input.
What are some objections you’ve encountered?
What things are you unsure of?
Thanks!
My friends at Acts 29 say there’s an 80% failure rate for new church plants.
Project Church goes live on Saturday night, September 6.
If we fail, we’re average.
If we advance, we’re a miracle.
I believe in miracles.
You. Yes, you. I have a question for you today.
Have you settled or are you striving?
There’s a big difference you know.
Settlers find a safe, secure spot in life, hunker down, and merely survive.
Strivers discover the place of their potential, take the risk to get there, and truly live.
My hope for you and me is that we don’t settle for good enough and leave our potential untapped. We were never meant to live that way.
It’s never too soon, never too late, and never the wrong time to pursue the life you were meant to live. It may not be easy- but it will be worth it. And in the process you may find a life lived is so much better than a life survived.
Strive.
“The greatest obstacle to Christianity - is Christians who don’t look like Jesus.”
It’s true. I’m really not that impressive. And I’m okay with that.
I love the reaction people have when they first discover that I’m starting a new church and am going to be a pastor. Their response is usually something like, “But you’re a dude?” Suddenly, they act totally different and guarded. My whole purpose after that is to take off any mask I’m wearing and invite them to do the same.
Of course, there’s the other reaction. People who’ve heard about me, read my stuff, whatever, before they ever meet me in person. They have some expectation in their head and when we connect, I can see the disappointment in their eyes as they realize I’m just a normal dude. They were hoping for so much more. Again, I’m not that impressive.
So that leaves me with a choice. I can either try to be more impressive and meet people’s expectations of me OR I can embrace my dudeness and do my best to keep it real.
The truth is- I’m just a guy who’s trying to follow Jesus around as best as I can.
I’m sorry if I don’t impress you. I don’t impress me either. But frankly, the world doesn’t need more impressive pastors; we need more authentic people who follow in the footsteps of an awesome Savior.
Some of my favorite quotes from the paradigm-shifting book, The Tangible Kingdom, by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay.
- “Belonging enables believing.”
- “If I’m not an inspiring person, I may not even influence my own family, let alone people outside the church.”
- “Church gatherings were never the intended goal; they were the natural result of people finding others who were living their alternative Kingdom story. The goal of our missional life is not to grow churches. The goal of church is to grow missionaries. The goal of the gospel is not to get people to church. The result of the gospel is that people will find each other and gather because of the deep meaning of a common experience.”
- “Church should be what ends up happening as a natural response to people wanting to follow us, be with us, and be like us as we are following the way of Christ.”
- “We’ve made the deliberate decision not to be very excellent or polished during our main gathering, simply because we don’t want to create an environment that is so good that it causes people to feel positioned as observers.”
- On being missional: “It’s about replacing personal or Christian activities with time spent building relationships with people in the surrounding culture.”
This video beautifully contrasts the Gospel with other religions. Very simple. Very cool.
I don’t want to be the kind of leader who casts a shadow; I want to be the kind of leader who leaves a footprint.
As I’ve studied and wrestled through what kind of church Project Church will be, I’ve had to ask myself some tough questions. Today, I’d like to share one of them. It may seem like an odd question, but it is profoundly affecting my thinking.
What would church look like if there was no electricity?
Let me begin by saying I’m a big fan of electricity. I enjoy having things that plug in: a laptop, lights, an iPod that recharges, DVD player, TiVo, air conditioning, nose hair trimmers, etc. Hooray electricity!
This question really began to mess me up though. I’ve been to some churches that have pretty entertaining and engaging services & events. Complete with lots of cool lights, killer music, creative projection, quality production, etc. I’ll be honest, I love the vibe. And I’m not the only one. Many of these churches attract a large crowd- which is the whole point. To connect lots of people to Jesus.
But I wonder… What if the lights and spark all fade away? What if all of the elaborate production was stripped down permanently? What if there were no creative lighting, electric guitars, wireless mic’s, websites, blogs, and alike?
Would people still be attracted to the church?
Would the church be effective at reaching people?
Would the Christians still be pumped?
Would the message still be attractive?
I don’t know about you- but that makes me go hmmmm. I wonder how many churches would fizzle out if they unplugged it all and how many would continue advancing?
My hope and prayer is that our church would be a movement that begins on solid ground. If we need a show to reach people, then we really missed the mark, because that’s a sandy foundation.
God help us if we ever build a church on anything else but Christ and his mission. Creative production is sweet and can be impactful, but it can’t produce disciples- which is the core task of the Church. We don’t need electricity to do that.
Project Church will use electricity and be thankful for all the tools that are available because of it. But if a day comes when the power goes out for good, my hope is that our church would keep moving forward on mission. Even if all we have is Jesus, a lamp, and some love.
What do you think?
Do you agree? disagree?
Do churches put too much stock in things other than God?
What would your church or church plant look like with no electricity?
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