What's In A Number?

6,701.

125.

There is a big difference between those numbers.

I have been thinking about those two numbers all week.

Over Easter weekend, we had 6,701 people in our worship services. They piled into our comfortable, yet crowded, sanctuary to hear a message and sink what were, for most, familiar songs. There was ministry provided for kids from birth to 4th grade which was incredible. It was all about making everyone feel welcome and "at home" at Christ's Church.

Then there were the approximately 125 people. This is the team that has kept me challenged all week. This team of individuals from Christ's Church...mostly from our Celebrate Recovery ministry...chose to spend their Easter Sunday in a not so comfortable environment. They were ministering to the homeless of Jacksonville at the City Rescue Mission in a tent set up outside their downtown building. Christ's Church was asked provide the service. We took it a step further by providing socks for everyone as they were leaving and lunch.

6,701 people attending and 125 ministering to about 100 homeless.

In my head I want to try and compare those numbers and ask which was better. I believe in my heart, however, that God is pleased we where both in the church and outside the church.

I am proud of my church, but the real challenge is to rest on this act of service, but to continually seek ways to make it a way of life.

Out of the church and into the community where people are hurt and broken.

Disciple or Citizen?

Would you consider yourself a disciple or a citizen of the church?

Our calling is to make disciples, yet at times we seem to be better at making citizens.

I was challenged by this quote in a book I am re-reading, Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America.

The churches have become so accommodated to the American way of life that they are now domesticated, and it is no longer obvious what justifies their existence as particular communities. The religious loyalties that churches seem to claim and the social functions that they actually perform are at odds with each other. Discipleship has been absorbed into citizenship.

Here is the difference according to http://www.dictionary.com/:

Citizen - A resident, especially one entitled to vote and enjoy other privileges there.

Disciple - Someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another.

Without realizing it many churches have produced great citizens of their church. They have committed people who attend every week. They know what the church has to offer them and they enjoy taking full advantage of it. This church is only changing in ways that will make its members happier and more comfortable. It has been very cautious in the area of expectations out of fear of losing a 'tithing unit.'

A community that makes disciples in much different. They understand that the church is the people who gather each week. As those people leave the parking lot each weekend, they are still the church. Monday at work...they are the church. Tuesday at baseball practice...they are the church. Friday with the friends...they are the church.

A disciple making community is a risk taking community. It has expectations that are found in the Scripture. Expectations like membership, maturity, and real ministry that engages people where they are.

I am proud of the community of believers I am a part of. I love the mission we share to "Make Disciples: More Disciples and Better Disciples." We certainly have some citizens among us...but they are starting to wake up to the reality they were not called to dwell in one comfortable place, but to go into all the world with a mission of love and a message of hope.

Are you a citizen or disciple? There is a difference.

BIG problems need BIG solutions

Last month I started getting this magazine in my box at work. I had no idea where it came from. I have to admit...I wasn't too impressed at first because the cover story was about Al Gore and I'm not much of a fan, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

I know, I know...you are not supposed to judge a book, or magazine, by it's cover. Lesson learned.

My friend Jason Cullum (www.TheFissionGroup.com/blog) signed me up for this magazine when he received a free subscription by renewing his. Once I learned who it came from, I knew it had to be a valuable magazine.

Jason is a business guy. He is a student of leadership. He is a great leader himself. He is the type of guy that if he is reading something, I want to read it.

Well, I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was challenged.

The cover story of the latest issue of Fast Company Magazine is about Adam Werbach. He is an environmentalist who decided to go to work for the ultimate enemy of their movement... Walmart. In doing so, the guy who was the president of the Sierra Club at age 23 was cast out of the inner circle of the environment movement.

While I may not totally agree with all of his points, I was challenged by a quote he made.

He says the company (Walmart) offers him the organizational leverage to make change rapidly and on a scale that the traditional environmental establishment just
can't provide. The movement, he says, "is not willing to suggest solutions that are as big as the problems."

Did you catch that? He decided that being on the outside complaining about the corporate giant was not making an impact, so he took his 'movement' inside the company.

He came up with a solution that was as big as the problem.

Many churches could benefit from this 'big solution' type of thinking. Is our traditional movement having an impact on the huge problems facing society today? No.

The radical solution is not a new one. Jesus said we were to go in to all the world and make disciples. That means we get into the 'problem' where it is dirty and challenging. It is work. It is about people we don't like to be around. People who sin. People who hurt other people. People who just hurt. It may put us in danger at times. It will challenge our stereotypical beliefs on society. It will reveal our prejudices and hypocrisy. It will make us tired. It will make us stronger.

Too many traditional church 'movements' stand on the outside and complain.

They are not willing to suggust solutions that are as big as the problem.

I love my church. It is a great church. But it can be a lazy church. It can be a judgemental church. As a church leader I am often a part of the problem. I fear the backlash of engaging the world on such a level. Adam Werbach suffered great backlash from his traditional peers.

One person said about him,

"For you to believe that you and your little lonesome are changing something with a million-and-a-half employees, $350 billion of sales, well, there's a level of ego there that just is staggering."

One man 'and his little lonesome' is changing a corporate giant.

Imagine what you and God can do.

Self-Evaluation

Have you heard the saying "you are your worst critic?"

Taking an honest look at how we perform certain tasks or the quality we are able to produce is important in our growth process...not easy...but important.

I started this blog with the verse in mind,

"So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step."

1 Corinthians 9:26

What is the purpose of doing such an evaluation?

• to grow in your profession
• to grow spiritually
• to grasp where you honestly are in relation to your goals
• honest analysis

If you walk away from a self-evaluation feeling beat up, you have missed the purpose. Yes, we need to be 'brutally honest' with where we are, but that is for the purpose of charting the next step in your growth process. Too many people get stuck in the 'brutally honest' stage and live there without taking the next step of change.

Remember...to continue to do the same thing over and over and expect different results is the definition of insanity!

Why this post? I video taped our service at Camden County the last Sunday. The church is a great place to be right now. There is excitement and growth, but I wanted to get an honest look at how our services run. I also wanted to hear my sermon.

I have to admit parts of it were rough to see (especially a few spots in my sermon...I didn't know I used my hands so much!) I printed out a few snapshots from the video and showed it to the leadership team. This is a group of leaders that want to grow. They saw the pictures and said what can we do to make this a more comfortable place to worship God. We took it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and take action. It has turned into a great experience!

Milestones

This week I hit a couple milestones in golf...well, I didn't really 'hit' them. I just acheived something. I will admit these may not seem like much, but to me they represent growth.

On Thursday I beat our senior pastor, Dennis, on one hole. I made par and he made a bogey. Don't get me wrong...he beat me in the round, but I did something I have never done.

This is one of those small moments in life (especially my golfing life) that I needed to celebrate. Don't get me wrong...I didn't come close to beating him in the round. Actually no one on staff has ever beat him in a round of golf.

Well, today (Saturday) I beat my friend Bob Pan (you've been blogged!) on one hole. Again, he did much better than me on the round, but I beat him on that one par 5.

Why are these milestones big to me? They show that I have the potential to play golf at the level of people like Dennis and Bob. They show that I have improved in golf over the last couple of years. And they show that I still have a long way to go.

I believe it is important to find people who are better than I am in areas and spend as much time with them as possible in that area. Having the opportunity to 'measure up' against individuals like that is even more valuable to me. Those are the 'milestones' like I experienced in golf this week.

Milestones are only as good as what you do with them. They may be big things or small. The key is to use them as a measuring tool that motivates you to further action.

Check out this story about a waitress in Indiana who recieved a $10,000 tip to go to college on. Talking about a huge milestone!!

The Drum Major Instinct

This morning was the funeral of JD Hall. It was a celebration of a man who understood his role in life was to make others better.

It was a very diverse crowd in attendance. The crowd of about 2500 (according to the Florida Times Union) heard both moving and humorous stories about Coach Hall. Everyone reflected on his character and integrity and how his desire was to instill those values in his players and all he was in relationship with.

His uncle was one of those who paid tribute to him. His method for doing so was to recite portions of The Drum Major Instinct, a sermon delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. (I highly recommend taking time to read it...click here for the text.)

King says the Drum Major Instinct is that desire in each person to want to be out front and receive praise. Here is a portion of what was read today. It is powerful.

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. ...

¨ I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.

¨ I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.

¨ I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.

¨ I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.

¨ And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.

¨ I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.

¨ I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. …

If I can help somebody as I pass along,

If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,

If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,

Then my living will not be in vain.

If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,

If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought,

If I can spread the message as the master taught,

Then my living will not be in vain.

I was honored have a small role in this funeral. It was incredible to sit on the stage and watch the crowd respond to that which was being said.

A "Vision" Reminder

I have been re-reading a book by Lovett H. Weems, Jr. called Church Leadership.

In it he focuses on vision, team, culture and integrity...all integral parts of effective church leadership.

Here is what Weems has to say about vision:

It is a dream. It is a picture of what is possible. Perhaps the best way to think of it is a "picture of a preferred future." Rosabeth Moss Kanter believes that such a picture must be in place before people can let go of the past and permit change to take place. As Aristotle put it, "The soul ...never thinks without a
picture."

I am now in the process of "dreaming" about the youth sports ministry at Christ's Church. Over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing a lot of what that picture looks like. Exciting days are ahead!

As Bishop Rueben P. Job put it, "Vision allows us to see signs of the kingdom now, in our midst." Seeing God's kingdom in the midst of our youth sports....what a sight!

Busy Times

OK.....I will warn you upfront. This post is more personal information. I talk about what I have going on in life right now. It is just an update on what's happening.

These have been some busy times for me around our sports department.

Flag football wrapped up this weekend. We had a great day...but a long day. I got to the church around 6:30am to get stuff together for the cookout we did on the field. I finally got back to the church to drop stuff off about 5:15pm.

Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped make this a great season. From coaches to referees, we could not do it without your support! It was so much fun to watch the 1-3rd graders play this season. This was the first season we had kids that young playing.

Besides flag football, our adult coed volleyball just wrapped up. Our leagues were on Monday and Tuesday nights and were probably some of the best leagues we have had here. Mike Boyer and Paul McCracken are my volunteer ministry leaders for the two leagues and they did a great job. I wasn't able to make it to the finals of either league, but knew these guys could handle what ever might come up.

I couldn't make the finals to our Monday night league because our summer golf tour is just getting started. Our second event was on Monday night and we had a great time! Tim Conlan is my volunteer ministry leader and he, and his team (Debbie Deinstadt, Scott Miller, Dave Butler, Annie White, and Danny Molter), have all planned out some great events. Tim has different formats for us to play at each event. Monday night we played Bingo, Bango, Bongo...I had never heard of it, but it was a lot of fun!

Now I am getting ready to go to camp the first two weeks of June to be the recreations guy. That is going to be a blast...especially the second week because Carrie gets to go with me as a counselor. I get to be as messy and creative as I would like. (If you have any fun ideas for large group games send me an email at DavidL@CContheWeb.com)

The third week of June I get a vacation! Carrie and I are going to Detroit to visit my brother and his family.

In the midst of all this, I am getting ready to start two brand new programs at our church this summer. We have youth indoor soccer starting July 14 for those in K-9th grade. This is going to be a lot of fun.

We are also starting "Just For Kicks" which is an indoor soccer program for kids with disabilities. I am very anxious about this one because I don't have any experience in this area. Luckily Carrie does...seeing how she teaches this population for a living.

My role here at church is changing slightly and I am extremely excited about it. Instead of doing some youth sports and some adult sports, from now on I am focusing all my efforts just with youth sports. This will give me a chance to get to know the kids and their parents better. It is hard giving up some of the adult sports, but this is certainly a great and strategic move for our sports department. Cameron LeSage is going to do a great job with all of the adult sports.

I am also in the process of writing to booklets that will be sent out to be printed in early July. One focuses on coaching youth sports to make it "more than just a game" and the other is geared towards parents and how they, from the stands, can make the youth sports experience "more than just a game." The coach's book will be a part of our Certified Coach Training program and the parent's booklet will be given to every parent in our sports.

I feel like God has given me a book to write that would be a bit more substantial than what I am currently working on. I would love to have a working manuscript of it by the end of this year. I will post more info on that later as I get going in this process.

While these are busy times, it is exciting to look at what all is going on and know that I am incredibly happy and know that I am in God's will. What a place to be!! If you don't know what that experience is like, let me know. I would love to talk to you (in person or email) about it.

Baptism Service

Last Sunday afternoon we had a service in which 45 people were baptized!!

It is awesome to see families baptized together...husbands and wives....mom and kids....or the whole family! One particular story that got to me was a father baptizing his three sons. The incredible part was the sons are 17, 24, and 28!

God is doing great things at Christ's Church. I'm excited to be a part of it.

My First Online Article Published

I just realized today that an article I submitted last month has been posted on Campus Crosswalk. It is a site designed to help college students live for Christ on there college campus.

Click here to check out my article.

Let me know what you think about it. This is pretty exciting for me.

God takes care of everything...

As I was working on the e-sports page we send out each week about our church sports program, I calculated the number of people who are participating in sports at our church this week.

The number amazes me. Over 600 people will participate this week alone in Christ's Church sports!

What amazes me even more is how God has provided all of the volunteers, equipment, time, and everything else that is needed to run a program with that many participants.

I had lunch today with a great guy who is going to coach our women's softball team. This time last week I was praying for God to send someone to take on this role.

God is truly amazing. Sometimes we let the little things slip by without telling hiim 'thanks!. This is my way of doing just that.

Thanks, God!!

I'm Not Where I Used To Be...

We cannot become what we need to be by remaining where we are.

I like this prayer from the African-American church I found in a book by Lovett Weems, Jr called Church Leadership: Vision, Team, Culture, & Integrity. It says "Lord, we're not what we want to be, we're not what we need to be, we're not what we are going to be, but thank God Almighty, we're not what we used to be!"

As Christians we are always in the process of changing and growing...at least we should be. Weems puts it this way. "The way things are in the world at any moment is never synonymous with God's will. There is always a 'not yet' quality and an incompleteness about things as they are. God is always pulling us into the future with a call for an order far different from the current state of things.' (p. 38)

That is why recapturing and renewing vision is so important.

I have a great ministry leader for our golf ministry. He has led several meetings for our golf leadership team and he begins everyone by reminding us of the mission of our church and of the golf ministry specifically. He understands that we are always striving to fulfill it. Just because we had a great year in golf last year doesn't mean we have arrived at fulfilling our purpose with it yet. We are in that 'not yet' period of making progress towards that goal.

It is easy to get comfortable in where we are. The longer we stay in a place in life the harder it is to leave it. Where are you? Are you where you need to be? If not, what are you doing to change it?