Article on the church: $110 Billion - by Chris Lagerlof

I read this great article by Chris Lagerlof and I thought that it is extremely valuable to the local church in America. What is the basic function of the spreading of the good news of Jesus? Churches or Christians? Interesting read... enjoy. 

$110 Billion

By slingshot on May 16, 2013

12% isn’t actually a math test; instead it captures a startling statistic I heard. In the last 15 years the church in the west has spent $110 billion on land and facilities and in that same time church attendance has decreased 12%. If true, our strategy to strengthen and expand the Church is failing. Even if the numbers aren’t accurate empirical evidence tells us church attendance is in decline and the church has spent significant dollars on recourses to reach the lost and grow the congregation. I know of three churches personally that have spent over $75 million in capital improvements the last 12 years and 2 of the 3 have actually declined in attendance. I hate to break the bad news, something isn’t working. Sure we can blame it on the composition of our cities changing, the lack of margin people have, or the reality that we are living in a post-church/post-Christian world. There are many excuses…The reality is the current model and paradigm isn’t working. We are familiar with the cliché “if it’s not broken, then don’t fix it.” In the west it seems that we have embraced the model if it’s broke throw a lot of money into it and it will be fixed. How’s that working?

First, you must know, I’m a raving fan of the church and I love the church! Second, my thoughts are aimed at looking at the current state of the church through a different set of lenses…I will get to that shortly. I’ve been captivated by the book of Acts lately. As I’ve read Acts and focused on it, I’ve realized that Acts says nothing about planting and building churches, however Acts is the blueprint for church growth and church planting. What I’ve really focused on is a simple model for church growth that Acts presents. Ready? Here it is…Reach lost people, disciple them and new churches will start and churches will grow. Acts doesn’t present a church planting strategy…It only presents a transformation strategy. It’s that simple. It’s not linear, built on several purposes and it’s pretty cost effective. Acts presents more of a “hear and obey” model as opposed to a “learn, grow and go” model. Which brings me to my next point, have our western models, paradigms, processes emerged as the greatest barrier for expanding and strengthening the church? Maybe another way to ask it since the Holy Spirit is a common denominator in all church growth movements, especially in Acts. Have western models, paradigms, processes become a barrier for the Holy Spirit to do his greatest work?

Now to my point, It seems obvious the western model of start a church, service or campus, reach lost people and then “disciple” them isn’t effective and we’re losing obvious spiritual ground. Well, Acts presents a model that is working in many places globally. It’s simply; convert and disciple people and churches and faith communities will naturally get started. In fact, in places where the church is exploding and expanding there is no real church planting strategy, the strategy is to basically see people come to Jesus and disciple them. When this happens, churches just start and churches just grow, much like we see in the book of Acts. Here is another way to look at it; Kingdom, Disciple, Society, Church. Let me briefly capture what that looks like:

Kingdom: Having a better understanding of the difference between a “church framework” and a “Kingdom Framework”? How do you plant, start, lead a church based on Kingdom principals and not “church” principals?
Disciple: Disciple, not the preacher, is the lowest common denominator.  How do you make disciples who make disciples?
Society: Every society, no matter how tribal or advanced, is built with common domains. Every church mobilizes their members locally and globally into these domains to transform society. In doing this the church becomes the missionary.
Church: Producing disciples that engage in society leads to the church emerging. It is a natural result.  The models are multifaceted.

Interesting isn’t it? So, here are 5 simple things to ponder and questions to ask:
1. Change your focus from being the biggest or best church in the city/area to churching the city/area.
2. Learn from the global church. Unfortunately most books, conferences, etc. focus on western models of church growth. Put on a new set of lenses and your learning hat and discover how the church is expanding and growing globally.
3. Look at your current model of discipleship and ask tough questions about its ability to produce disciples who produce disciples.
4. Read the book of Acts and ask questions like how did the church multiply? What do I learn about church growth? What happened in Acts that’s not happening in my church?
5. Personally and corporately shift to a model of hear and obey. Observe how your existing model creates barriers from this happening in your life and the life of your church.

I hope this helps and my heart is to help you. Let me know how I can serve you as you digest this stuff!

Original Article by Chris Lagerlof

(My favorite quote of this article is: "Disciple, not the preacher, is the lowest common denominator. How do you make disciples who make disciples?" This needs to be engraved into the hearts of every Christian - it is not the churches job, it is your job to tell people how incredible Jesus is!)

This made my day - Easter Recap from the OC

I love to see Jesus glorified through art! It is great to see people who's lives are radically transformed by His love and experience true joy in the hope that He gives them. God has been working in Orange County and we see renewed passion for God.

This video really got me stoked once again on artistic expressions of our lives in Him. This is from Easter this year. It includes a bunch of local churches and is coordinated by Rockharbor. A church that I have come to love and respect.



To view this on the original site: http://costamesa.rockharbor.org/wp-content/themes/rockharbor/embed.php?post=2353&blog=9

What is your expression of Christ's change in your life? What ways do you allow yourself to show those around you? Through words, through relationships, through a smiling face, through art???

Remember where you came from and live like the changed person you are.

5 Reasons to Co-write Worship Songs - by Claire Cloninger

I came across this article that is really true and may inspire a new level of creativity with the community of God. So, I thought I would share.  Read it over and then I'll add a few of my thoughts on the end... you can think of this as an unofficial 'co-write'.



5 Reasons to Co-write Worship Songs - by Claire Cloninger

1. Co-writing is fun.
For pure pleasure there’s nothing like entering a room with one other creative soul, blank paper, guitar or piano, a rhyming dictionary, an idea or two and the prospect of a great song just half a day away. What could be more enjoyable? There’s mystery at the outset and possibility at the finish line.


2. Co-writing is one way around writer’s block.
I remember when my friend and co-writer, Ron Harris, said of me, “Claire’s definition for ‘writer’s block’ is ‘writing with everybody on the block.’” I think he was joking, but actually I have often nudged myself out of a “block” by making a writing appointment. When feeling creatively stale, nothing rejuvenates like settling down to the give-and-take of fresh ideas or a string of fresh chord progressions. Makes me feel like Lucy stumbling out of the wardrobe into the snows of Narnia.

3. Co-writing diversifies your catalogue.
Songwriter Carol Bayer Sager’s songs sound like they were written by a string of different pop composers, from Marvin Hamlisch to Burt Bacharach to David Foster. Why? She co-writes with all of the aforenamed gentlemen.

I love the fact that due to my own co-writing, my catalogue can sound like Paul Overstreet one minute and Paul Baloche the next. The words are mine, but they have taken a ride on some wonderful melodies over the years by writers like Don Moen, Lowell Alexander, Robert Sterling and Gary Rhodes.

4. Co-writing can be done long distance.
I remember the day I received a tape in the mail on which I found Wayne Watson’s beautiful melody and the words “friend of a wounded heart.” My job? Make a song of it. What a thrill to receive a Dove Award for Song of the Year with Wayne that year for our song by that title. And we had never written in a room together. Though I prefer in-person collaborating, this job can be done by phone, e-mail, snail mail or pony express.

5. Co-writing is a microcosm of the body of Christ.
I marvel at those singer-songwriter-producer types who wake up one morning and say, “I think I’ll be a self-contained superstar!” They pick up the guitar, write a dozen hits, produce a killer CD and go on to win every award known to man. But most of us did not get all of the gifts. We got one or two. And we are usually strongest in one.

When I first took my songs to Nashville, I realized that every publisher who signed a song of mine was quick to introduce me to his “in-house tune man.” In other words, he liked my words, but he signed my songs in spite of my tunes. It was not long before I was co-writing.

Like the body of Christ, we in the songwriting community can benefit from each other’s gifts. We are challenged, sharpened and inspired by each other’s “strong suits.” And as we pool the best we have, the result is often that much better.

Originally posted on February 20, 2013 by Worship Leader on worshipleader.com. Seven-time Dove Award Winner, Claire Cloninger is a songwriter and frequent co-writer who makes her home in Fairhope, Alabama.



My Thoughts: 
I have a few additional reasons that I feel are just as important. 

1. It is an opportunity to get a theologian/pastor involved - As a worship pastor, there is nothing more annoying than a great song with NO SUBSTANCE or worse is Biblically misleading. You really want to use it because it is a great tune and a killer melody. But, the song that is interesting and biblically sound, it can be put on repeat and no one in the church would care.
2. Peer Pressure - I think I could just stop there... but I should explain. If you are anything like me, then you may rarely play the songs you write because "they just aren't right yet." For me, co-writing a song means that I might actually play it! It allows me to feel that it is not just my song, but that I am also honoring the co-writers and their expression of worship by playing the song. 
3. Peer Review - There is a reason why every doctorate program includes this little thing called a "peer review".  In plain words, they want to make sure you don't write anything dumb. They fact check, they comment on flow, and they make sure it is able to be understood. The same thing is beneficial with songwriting. Sometimes it is better to have more people commenting and giving productive input on the content, flow, and dynamics of the song. The worst thing would be to hide a song until you finally release it and it sucks. 
4. Wider Audience - Also, if two or three artists get together and co-write a piece (assuming that they are not contracted to write for someone) they are able to each use the same song on their own albums and it spreads to a wider audience faster than one they wrote by themselves.  
5. By The People, For the People - My favorite type of co-write is with a local church congregation or rather for a the church. I was able to collaborate with a guy on my worship team and with the pastors messages (and review) to write a song based on the sermon series we were doing. So, the first 'drafts' or 'trial runs' of the song tested the audience's response to various aspects of the song. After playing it a time or two we realized the final touches that were needed to make it more accessible to the church.   

So, now it is your turn to go co-write a song!  Find someone you trust and just ask them. PS> It might not work the first few times, but keep working at it. 
- Luke

A poem from Kipling about church ministry???

So, if you have been in church ministry for any length of time you know that people in the church are not always polite, kind, and perfect. Jesus is. Christians aren't - but should be moving toward, and striving for, Jesus' likeness.

My wife remembered this poem the other day and shared it with me. I began to think about how true this needs to be for life and was challenged by the implications of this for the Christian who is being persecuted. I'm not saying that church ministers get persecuted by their congregations, but there are a bunch of imperfect people so there is bound to be some conflict. Church ministry is like any other vocation that deals with people (which all do - except monasticism) and there will be problems that arise.

So, read, enjoy and remember this one!

IF - by RUDYARD KIPLING

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
 
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

I think the last line could be adapted...

[ ...Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Worship Pastor, my son!]

Kind of a funny thought. Kind of a challenging realization. But, I know that nothing can be more fulfilling than to have the blessing of leading God's people in true worship!  Pastors, Teachers, Worship Leaders, and church workers - remember 1 Timothy 3 (read the whole chapter) and your calling as a minister.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 (ESV) - Qualifications for Overseers  

"The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil."

Christians (yes this includes all ministers as well), you have a job description as well. Read one of the verses where we find in the bible what it means to be a Christian in Romans 12.

Romans 12 9-21 (ESV) - Marks of the True Christian
"9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

 So, I think Rudyard Kipling got it right in his description of a man. As we move forward in our walks with Christ let us know be held back by what others say/do to us. But, let us hold strong in the values that God has laid for us and when we fail and repent, He forgives.


[Lord, help me to live a life that pleases You. Help me to represent you well and display Your love to those around me. When I'm rejected help me to remember that my identity is found in Jesus. That I am seen by You as pure and holy because of His work on the cross. Help me to exude with joy because of the salvation, freedom and hope you have provided and not get distracted by the issues of the day. Help me to remember You day in and day out and live like it.  - Luke]

Blog review: 'Worship Leaders, We Are Not Rock Stars' by Stephen Miller

My best-friend sent me a link to this post. I think it is really valuable for not only worship leaders but also worship team members and the church body.  I agree that there is a warped sense of 'stardom' with music in the church. We ARE called to excellence [1 Chronicles 25] we ARE NOT called to selfish gain and pride [2 Samuel 6:21-22, Matthew 23:12, Romans 12:16, Psalm 10:3].

The part of this blog that really encourages me is the final section 'Okay Without Affirmation' and the acknowledgement that people are people and church people are still people! As artists, we desire affirmation but we may not get it from the church. As Stephen Miller says in this post, it shouldn't be that way but we find our value and worth in Jesus and His cherishing/sacrificing love for us.

I've been reading a book recently called "The Search for Significance" by Robert McGee. It focuses on debunking the myths/lies that we are bound by and displays where we find true significance; Jesus.

Read this blog (and the book!), think about your own intentions and emotions, and be encouraged by Stephen's words.

Worship Leaders, We Are Not Rock Stars

Enjoy,

Luke

Great article - Urban Church Planting

I know that my blog is more or less geared toward worship leaders and concepts of worship, however, once in a while I come across something that is valuable for ministry in general. This is geared toward church planting and has some valuable ideas and thoughts (even for established church workers).

Take a look!

Article: 10 things to know about planting a church in the urban context
Author: Jerome Gay Jr.
Source: The Resurgence
URL Link: http://theresurgence.com/2012/03/06/10-things-to-know-about-planting-a-church-in-the-urban-context

-Luke

A Brief Overview of the History of Christian Music (in the west)

Here is a fun little overview of the History of Christian Music. I think it is important to note that it is not an exhaustive analysis but an overview. I also think it would be wise to note that it has been shaped and streamlined toward the direction of Christian music in the West.  With that said, I really enjoyed this and wanted to pass it on.

A Brief Overview of the History of Christian Music - by Worship Leader Magazine

Misquoting the Bible

Here is an interesting article that I found on misquoting the Bible.  My question to you is; how often do we as worship leaders embellish on the Bible with our songs/lyrics/prayers?  I think this is a conversation worth having. Here are a few streams of thought:
1. Artists can use imagery that can help us understand the Bible in a better way. We are not saying that these lyrics are from the Bible so we should not have to worry about what people will do with them.
2. Songs that are moving toward infamy can aid Christians in pulling their theology off of the Biblical texts and on to the song texts as "Biblical".  Ex. "Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me" - How many times have you heard this quoted and used to back emotional/spiritual arguments.
3. Should worship leaders/musicians be held to the same theological standards as the teaching pastors? Are they in some way less responsible for the theology of the congregation or are they also responsible for the doctrine and theology that they communicate, or fail to communicate?

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/05/thats-not-in-the-bible/comment-page-55/

What is Easter

Here is a great video that speaks for itself...

http://vimeo.com/8560816


What is Easter? (Man on the Street) from joe perez on Vimeo.

Worship and Mission

Wow. Sometimes I realize the 'meat' and truth in a song. Today is one of those days.

My wife and I have been taking this course once a week called "Perspectives." It is about learning to see 'the world Christian movement' through God's perspective. Or at least through a perspective that is focused on God and the revelation He brings of Himself to the nations.  It has been sweet to engage in this class and embark on a journey that will only lead to being impassioned and empowered to be Global Christians.

Anyway, on my bike ride to work this morning (yeah I know...) I had this song floating around in my head. I've always loved the song because of it's thickness and passion for being sent out. But, I was struck once again with the realization of the reason we go.

The song is "Mission's Flame" by Matt Redman.

It's very premise holds to the answer for the age old question "Why are we here? or Why do we exist?" The answer is found in Genesis 12:1-3 in the call to Abram:

The Call of Abram

 1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, 

    your people and your father’s household 

    to the land I will show you.

 2 “I will make you into a great nation,

   and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

   and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,

   and whoever curses you I will curse;

   and all peoples on earth

   will be blessed through you.” (emphasis mine)

Answer: Abram was called to be a blessing to 'all peoples.' His blessing came only that the nations would be blessed through him. God chose to bless Abram so that His name, not Abram's, would be spread through the nations.  Short answer --> We are here to bless the nations through bringing them into a knowledge of God and, with the New Testament in mind, a relationship with God so that they will bring God more glory.

John Piper says, "Worship is ultimate, not Missions" and that the heart of missions is found in one thing. Worship.  In his book, Let the Nations Be Glad, he summarizes, "Mission begins and ends in Worship." He argues that the reason we go is because we have been changed and therefore are moved to take action and GO! And, the end result of going on mission (telling every nation, tribe, and tongue) about God and His Son Jesus is, you guessed it, MORE WORSHIP! 

So, Matt Redman writes,

Mission's Flame

Let worship be the fuel for mission's flame

We're going with a passion for Your name

We're going for we care about Your praise

Send us out

Let worship be the heart of mission's aim

To see the nations recognize Your fame

'Til every tribe and tongue voices Your praise

Send us out

Chorus

You should be the praise of every tongue, Jesus

You should be the joy of every heart

But until the fullness of Your kingdom comes

Until the final revelation dawns

Send us out

Bridge

Every tribe, every tongue

Every creature in the heavens and the earth

Every heart, every soul

Will sing Your praise, will sing Your praise

Every note, every strain

Every melody will be for You alone

Every harmony that flows from every tongue

We'll sing Your praise, we'll sing Your praise

Check out the song now and worship with all the world as we sing it. Don't let your heart be unmoved. Don't let yourself forget our purpose. Let this song be a continual reminder of this story and move you once again to action.

"Lord, help us to realize Your desire to bring worship to the nations."
-Luke

"Church" or something like it

Here is a video I saw that made me laugh and then really sad. Watch it real quick then I'll talk:

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer on Vimeo.

Wow.

So, the reason the video is funny is because it is so true to what we see in the church today. At least in most churches in California. Recently, I've had opportunities to see many types of churches, as well as hear what they are looking for in their worship service. Right on the website it reads: "Relevant Music and Teaching" / "Rockin Worship" / "Music that will make you feel comfortable" / "Music that sounds like the stuff on your iPod." Now, don't get me wrong, that tends to be the style that I like and what I end up gravitating towards, but so often we find ourselves striving to create 'the perfect worship experience' and we take the focus off God (Whether intentional or unintentional).

We have turned into a 5 step formula. We think that if we only have these certain things, we will see growth and change. But, we neglect to let God, through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, change us to be more like Jesus in our worship. We neglect to give up our control of the service.

However, as worship leaders we are faced with a problem. We DO have to be aware of people in the church that don't know new songs, we DO have to be aware of moving the church to a new understanding of worship by using new songs, we DO have to be aware of the style that the church is made up of, we DO have to be aware of bringing an excellence in our worship(because using our gifts is our offering to God). So, this video hits on some of these issues that we deal with week after week.

Why do we end up worshiping a formula or a method in our Sunday mornings. I know I'm a little harsh in that statement, but if we are honest with ourselves, we have fallen victim to that thinking at least once. We start to think that this is the way that works, so let's just do that.

When will we be the church that is relevant because that is where the Holy Spirit is leading them? When will we be a church that changes as best as they know how as the Holy Spirit is leading them?

Granted, the Bible speaks clearly about having order in the services, but I want to suggest that you can be creative and open to changing without losing order. I feel like we have done a dis-justice to that verse (1 Cor. 14:26-40) and applied it to things that it was not meant to be applied to. I digress.

We need to find a balance between intentionality to help people worship and following the direction God is leading your church. I feel that if we err on one side we should follow God's leading. But, I've seen many churches that will go REALLY far towards just getting people in the church door. Turning our worship into entertainment.

"Lord, as we lead your people in worship, allow us to follow you and be intentional to lead and not perform. Lord, help us to be worshipers and not entertainers." -Luke

___

To see the original post click here or go to http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/05/05/videos-for-drive-10/