We’ll return to our regular programming soon

Sorry, but I’m still working on a major writing assignment.  But, it’s due Thursday so once that is done, I’m back on schedule.  Except for the other stuff I’m writing.  Thanks for your patience.  -Chuck

Filed under: Uncategorized

Memorial Day sermon: When God Writes Your Name

This year because Ascension Sunday and Memorial Day weekend are the same, we’re emphasizing Ascension Sunday. But, last year we focused on Memorial Day. Here’s the sermon I preached last year, if you’re looking for sermon ideas. I liked the text from Isaiah and wove the Memorial Day theme around that. The title is When God Writes Your Name.

I’ll have this year’s Ascension Sunday sermon, Telling the Good News, up on Saturday.

Filed under: Lectionary Yr A, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Worship, isaiah, sermon

If God were GM, He would close a lot of dealerships

Both General Motors and Chrysler have announced that up to 25% of their dealerships will not have their franchises renewed.  Reasons cited were:

1. Some dealers did not carry the full brand lineup. Chrysler wants dealers who carry their entire line from trucks to cars to Jeeps.
2. Some dealers also carried competitors’ brands. That’s pretty common in smaller communities where one dealership might carry brands and models most suited to their market.
3. Most of these dealers under-performed. Chrysler said that 25% accounted for only 15% of its total sales.
4. Some brands are being discontinued. Wouldn’t want to be a Pontiac dealer right now, would you?  Also, Saturn, Hummer, and Saab are on the chopping block one way or another at GM.

But what if we applied that same criteria to churches?  Would your church be in business next week?

Some churches don’t carry the full lineup.  Many prefer to emphasize only the spiritual side of the faith, while leaving off any attempt at physical ministry.  Others are just the opposite, with lots of social programs, but little in the way of evangelism and discipleship.  You get the picture.  Should these churches keep their doors open?

Some churches carry the competitor’s brands, too. Okay, we’ve got to tread carefully here, but I’m thinking particularly about Fred Phelps’ church, Westboro Baptist.  They spew hate and venom towards any and everyone at any opportunity they can get.  They would be the extreme example, but other churches also help the “competition” by either not living the difference Christ makes or by taking a stand in an unloving manner.

Some churches under-perform. GM and Chrysler use an objective criteria to weed out the under-performing dealers — sales numbers.  But, some churches also under-perform in attendance, missions, programs, and outreach.  What should happen to these churches?  I have often contended here that we need to measure more than attendance, especially in small churches; but, even when measuring other factors some churches aren’t cutting it.  What should they do?

Some brands are being discontinued. Denominational identity is fading, as are a host of other emphases that once were very popular.  Remember the 1970s charismatic movement, or spiritual gifts surveys?  Lots of “brands” come and go, and if a church is heavily invested in one narrow perspective, it may find itself out of business in a changing culture.

Fortunately, God is not GM or Chrsyler and churches aren’t dealerships.  Churches tend to rise and decline in an organizational life cycle which can be accelerated by forces outside the church.  But even if we aren’t automotive dealership managers, it might help us to take an inventory of effectiveness periodically.  We might be either surprised or horrified at the result.  What do you think?

Filed under: Uncategorized , automotive industry, Christianity, church growth, church health, churches, dealerships, social ministry

The winding path

Our backyard labyrinth made from rocks and mulch.

We have  a labyrinth in our backyard.  We have one because one day Debbie called me and said, “We’re going to build a labyrinth!”  For those not familiar with labyrinths, their design and tradition pre-dates Christianity.  That fact gives some church folks the willies, but labyrinths also have a long and storied history as places of Christian pilgrimage.  The labyrinth at Chartres cathedral is the most famous and complex.

But, back to ours.  Our backyard is 450-feet deep, but it’s only 60-feet wide.  By the time I got home on the day Debbie called me, she had figured out that a 7-course labyrinth with 30″ wide paths would just fit.  Sure enough, after we staked it off, it turned out to be about 42-feet wide, leaving a little room on either side.

We chose a classic labyrinth design with paths that wind back-and-forth until you reach the center where Debbie has installed, with my help, a large triangle rock.  Triangles in Debbie’s paintings represent God’s presence with us, and God’s guidance for us.  When we found the triangle rock, she just had to have it in the center of our labyrinth.

A few weeks ago a youth group from Church of the Epiphany in Danville, Virginia came to walk our labyrinth.  The kids were great, and we served them lemonade and cookies on our front porch after they walked.  I asked them if they were surprised by the way you think you’re almost to the center of the labyrinth, and then you find yourself on the outside course suddenly.   They all had some interesting insights from their labyrinth experience.

Last Friday, a couple of college guys came to walk.  One was taking a religion course and one of the assignments he chose was to walk a labyrinth.  Last week, our granddaughters, Vivian (8) and Maggie (5) walked it…ran it…and walked it some more.  And Vivian kept finding spots to kneel and pray along the path, and Maggie joined in, too.  We almost had revival down on the labyrinth that day!

It’s funny how some people who have come, especially adults, have just stood and looked at our labyrinth, without actually entering and walking it.  And some adults start in and then quit, and leave the labyrinth by walking across all the circuits until they reach the outer edge.  Children, on the other hand, seem to really like being on the labyrinth.

Debbie mulching the labyrinth.

Before the Danville group came, we had to weed and mulch the paths.  The labyrinth had gotten overgrown during the winter and needed tending.  On that Saturday before, Debbie and I placed 40-bags of cypress mulch all over the paths.  We raked them into place, and sweep the top of the rocks off. Then we walked the labyrinth ourselves for the first time in a long time.

After this past Holy Week of Palm Sunday, Wednesday night Bible study, a community Maundy Thursday service, a Good Friday tennebrae service, preaching for both the community sunrise service, and our Easter morning worship, I’m bushed.  Those of us who lead others in worship need to find our own space and time to connect with God.  For Debbie and me that place is our labyrinth.  I just need to walk it more often.

You can see more of the labyrinth and our house and yard at Debbie’s blog, Goodthoughts.net.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Small Churches Need a Brand Revival

Tim Avery at Christianity Today’s Off The Agenda asked me to write an article on the way small churches are viewed by others.  The result is Small Churches Need a Brand Revival, and I hope you read it.  Here’s how it starts:

After the presidential election, I read a lot about the Republican “brand.” Nearly every living pundit was talking about how the Republicans needed to repair the damage the election had done to it. The word “brand,” of course, is marketing jargon for reputation and public image. I’ll leave the politics to others, but I think a group in definite need of brand revival is small churches.

I proceed from there to lay out my case for why small churches get no respect, and for a small church brand revival.  Let me know what you think.

::Visit SmallChurchPROF.com and NewChurchReport.com for the latest church news, ideas, and information in one place.

Filed under: Missional Church, leadership, trends , brands, off the agenda, small church reputation, small-church

Seminarians Opt Out of Church and What We Can Do To Change That

“Students don’t want to serve in the local church when they graduate; they want to do something more exciting.” — Southern Baptist seminary administrator

A prominent seminary administrator made that comment to me several weeks ago.  I’ve been rolling it around in my head since then, disturbed and challenged by its implications.  If his comment had been the first I had heard, I might not be so concerned.  But several months ago, another seminary leader expressed the same sentiment — seminary students are not planning to serve local churches.

Of course, this might be their perception because they did not conduct a scientific survey.  But, let’s assume it’s true — that seminary students see themselves serving in more exciting settings than the local church.  If that is the case, then we have some serious work to do.

First, those of us in local churches have to ask ourselves, What signals are we sending that turn off seminarians? Some answers come to mind very quickly:

• churches can be slow to change;
• established congregations are typically older and certainly not cool;
• most churches are single staff settings;
• pastoral ministry isn’t viewed as cutting edge;
• most church programs are inward-focused; and
• denominational politics turns young adults off.

Those are the answers that popped in my head immediately.  I’m sure you and I could think of more if we really tried.

Second, the more pressing question is, How can we help seminarians in their quest for meaningful ministry? Here the answers come more slowly, but I have a few thoughts:

• Embrace the age of change. I’ve written before that church as we know it is going to change dramatically and soon.  Those of us in churches need to recognize that trend and dialogue with seminarians about where they see church heading. After all, whatever future the church has is in their hands.
• Underwrite experiments in ministry. Most of us in mid-life are not going to start a coffee shop church, or an arts enclave, or a neomonastic order.  But seminarians might, and they could try out those ideas under the sponsorship of existing churches who have the funds and resources to help make those ministry experiments happen.
• Participate in reverse-mentoring. Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, had all his senior management reverse-mentored by younger employees.  The younger employees understood the value of the internet, mobile computing, and social networking and Welch wanted his senior managers to learn from them.  Churches and current church leaders need to do the same.  Seminaries could create space for reverse-mentoring workshops where local church pastors and denominational leaders could sit and listen and learn from the emerging generation of church leaders.
• Provide seminarians opportunities for service. Seminarians need hands-on opportunities to minister at the local church level.  Most seminaries require field work, but I’m talking about a real position with real ministry responsibility.  The Lilly Endowment has offered grants for new seminary graduates to work full-time in a local church setting. While this is an encouraging approach, too few grants are available.  Churches and seminaries could figure out how to do this in a way that gives seminarians good church experiences, allowing them room for innovation in their area of responsibility.

Churches of all denominations are facing three converging crises — clergy shortage, declining church attendance, and aging congregations.  No wonder the current crop of seminary students wants to work any place but the local church.  Time will tell if current church leaders will engage with this new generation of church leaders to forge new expressions of church ministry.  That would be exciting.

For the latest in church news, ideas, and information visit NewChurchReport.com.

Filed under: Congregation, Creativity, Millennials, Missional Church, leadership, trends , church, church ministry, congregations, emerging leaders, internships, local church, seminary, theological education

Happy New Year and Let’s Start Off Right!

Remember the Friday is for Freebies! giveaway each week in 2009.   Good free church stuff all for the taking.  Click here for this week’s freebie and rules.

Outreach2Go.com is now live and has some good stuff on it.  I’ll be blogging there about the “mobile effect” — how mobile technology is changing the way we work and live, and the implications for church.  Outreach2Go.com works on mobile phones, too.  Let me know what you think.  I think 2009 will be a huge year for mobile tech.

SmallchurchPROF.com is also up now.  My good friend, Jim Stovall, professor of journalism at the University of Tennessee, is building a series of PROF.com sites.  He put up SmallchurchPROF.com, and I’m the editor.  SCPROF aggregates the best of small church related stuff on the internet.  I hope you’ll consider it the go-to site for all things about small church.  Categories include News, Features, Outreach, Worship, Leadership, Service, Discipleship, and Technology.  Let me know what you think. 

That’s our line-up for 2009 so far.  The flagship blog is still right here at Confessions of a Small-Church Pastor.  I hope you’ll stick around in 2009, invite some more friends, and let’s help each other figure this out.  Happy New Year!

Filed under: Resources, Technology, culture, friday is for freebies, leadership, trends , 2009, mobile technology, outreach2go.com, small church aggregator, small church pastor, smallchurchprof.com

10 Great New Features For 2009

The elves have been working overtime to bring you great new features just in time for the New Year!  Are you ready?  Here they are:

1.  Interviews with leading church influencers.   I’ll be talking with some of the best people in the churchworld today on a variety of topics that impact small churches.  And,  I hope you can watch the interviews in both real time and delay.   (Still working on that part.)

2.  Friday Freebies!  I’m giving away stuff this year free each Friday.  Books, CDs, DVDs, maybe even some event tickets.  That’s 52 Fridays of free stuff,  so stick around for ways you can win real stuff starting January 2, 2009!

3.  Profiles of small churches in action.  See what small churches like yours and mine are doing in ministry.  I also need suggestions for churches to feature, so here’s your chance to tell your story to a few thousand people each month.  Email me — chuckwarnock (at) gmail (dot) com.  Nominate your church, too;  this is no time for modesty!

4.  You asked for it!  Features you asked for with comments by leading church thinkers on any topic of interest to small church leaders.  Let me hear from you at the email address in #3.  

5.  Trends and technology.  Are you Twittering?  How could you use social networks to enhance ministry?  Who do you know doing that effectively?  This goes along with my new blog, Outreach2Go.com, which will feature more in-depth pieces on mobile tech and social media.  

6.  A social network.  Still in the works, but definitely coming in 2009.  Stay tuned!

7.  smallchurchPROF.com.  More later, but this will be good.

8.  New categories.  Prayer, spirituality, missions, and more.   Plus I’ll feature churches that excel in these areas.  

9.  ReTweeters Club.  Or something like it.   

10.  Videos.  Everything from sermon prep to time management to pastoral care.  

In addition to all the new stuff, I’ll update the pages about our church, resources, the abbey church concept, and overhaul the sidebars, too.  Should be a good year for small churches and I hope it is for yours.    Happy New Year.   May 2009 bring you God’s peace and joy in wonderful new ways!  

Filed under: Uncategorized , and the church, free church stuff, interviews with church leaders, mobile technology, new features on small church, small church blog, small church social network

Buried with their Blackberries

A funeral home in Hollywood, California reports that under-40s are taking their Blackberries with them when they go.  I mean really go, as in dead.  Sort of gives new meaning to the word mobile.

One guy even had his GameBoy put in his casket.   This trend apparently started in the UK, Australia, and South Africa and is spreading to the US.  Mobile technology is not only changing the way we live, it’s changing the way we die, too.  I’ve started a new mobile technology links site, mobilejprof.com, where Jim Stovall and I are exploring the impact of mobile technology on church, journalism, and culture.  Drop in sometime and tell me how you think mobile technology is and will change us.  Should be an interesting conversation.

Filed under: Sermon Illustrations, Technology, culture, trends , blackberry, blackberry funeral, buried with a blackberry, mobile funeral, mobile impact on church

5 Lessons I Did Not Learn in Seminary

Browsing in a Barnes & Nobles today, I saw a book titled, Lies My Teacher Told Me.  Apparently the author takes issue with some historical stuff he thinks is misrepresented in public education.  The title of that book got me to thinking about my seminary experience.  While I would not accuse my professors of lying to me,  I did learn that there are some lessons seminary never teaches you.  

1. Ministry can be lonely.   Nobody prepared me for the isolation of single staff ministry.   Seminary campus life provides a rich mix of faculty, students, and organizations in a collegial atmosphere.  But when I left seminary to take my first church, there were long afternoons when I wished I was on the campus again.  
2. You can’t please everybody.  I guess I knew you couldn’t please everybody, but I thought good pastors tried to.  Or at least tried to get along with everybody.  I quickly ran into agendas about church, community, and family that I never anticipated.  We made lots of friends in those early churches, but we realized we couldn’t please everybody.
3. Not everyone sees your vision.  I had lots of ideas for my first full-time church, and we put a lot of them into practice.  But not everyone thought new people were a blessing to our church.  Not everyone thought we ought to spend money to improve our Sunday School. Not everyone was thrilled when we set new records on high attendance Sunday.  Not everybody got it, but enough did that we made significant progress.
4. There are not enough hours in a day.  Or days in a week.  Or weeks in a month.  As a new pastor, I tried to do it all.  I made pastoral promises for my time and attention that stretched me too thin.  Some days I resented the intrusion into what I thought was my “personal” life.  It took a long time to find a rhythm of public ministry and private life that was both challenging and encouraging.  
5. You have to manage yourself.  Managing time is one thing, but managing your emotional response at times of great disappointment or opposition provides a real challenge.  I don’t think I ever heard a professor talk about “self-management” in difficult moments.  I learned some of those lessons the hard way.  Fortunately, churches are forgiving of a young pastor’s missteps.  However, those lessons need to be learned early, as later pastorates might not be so generous.  

Well, there you are.  Five things I never learned in seminary.  I’m sure there are more.  What are some of your post-seminary lessons?

Filed under: Congregation, Journey, Pastoral Care, leadership , first church pastorate, lessons I never learned in seminary, ministry, pastor, Pastoral Care, self-management, seminary, time management, vision