Growing Smaller

So what is the long term plan for our church?  If you asked me that 8 years ago when I came, I would have had many answers.  Maybe we would grow to where we had to fill the balcony with church-goers.  Our programs would be top notch, offering great opportunities for discipleship for kids and adults.  We may even get to the point of hiring new staff for youth ministry or music.  And of course, we could always build that gym - ahem -  Family Life Center.

But what if those dreams were all based on the wrong model of church?  I’m becoming increasingly convinced that the multi-staff, mega-church, mega-programs, mega-buildings kind of ministry is inconsistent with what our culture needs.  In fact, I think that this “consumer church” model is dying, even though every church seems to be seeking to live it out.  I mean, think about it.  What church isn’t trying to grow its attendance, have more professional gatherings, and better programs?  Churches are more and more centered around a model from churches that “bring in” thousands to hear their celebrity pastor speak; sometimes even via video satellite feed.  But is that how we should do ministry in Mount Pleasant, Iowa?  What if, instead, we focused on bringing the Kingdom of God to the places we inhabit rather than making “church” enticing enough to get people into it?

I know this kind of sounds familiar, but I’m talking about moving from even a “missional” perspective to an “incarnational” model of ministry.  Dr. David Fitch taught at our Prairie Pastors' Conference that the church is not the Kingdom, and neither is the world.  The Kingdom breaks out when the disciple encounters the world.  So instead of trying to grow our church and reach people for Jesus through large budding programs, what if we were open to bringing the Kingdom of God to the places we inhabit?  This means that Kingdom can break out in your neighborhood, in the break room at work, even at McDonalds over a Big Mac. 

We have seen some amazing life changing ministry in our church.  We’ve seen people called out of dead end lives and into God’s will, we’ve seen people catch fire for Christ and change their entire families.  We’ve added to our church family people who have been transformed by God’s grace.  But none of those lives were transformed in traditional churchy ways.  They weren’t transformed by a challenging sermon I preached, or through a Sunday School class that opened their eyes, or a youth group meeting.  Lives have been changed by disciples living out Christ towards them till they are struck by His love and goodness.

This is church, I think.  This is where we need to strive to go.  What if we dream of being a church who loves our neighbors instead of being the next big impressive mega-church.  (Love being an action verb.)  That’s the vision I think God is setting before us.  I’ve given up my picture of successful church for the one God is challenging me with.  Will you?

Youversion Live Events - A Review

How do we get people to interact with the worship and message on Sunday mornings?  Not a new question at all.  (And the answer probably has less to do with a method of interaction, and more to do with changing the way we do these gatherings.  A topic for another day maybe.)  But churches have tried all kinds of ways to help people connect to what is going on in worship.

First, we created the bulletin.  This way everyone knows how far along we are in the order and any announcements they may need to know.  (Which they won't read anyway.)  Oh, the bulletin.  Church secretaries spend most of their week putting together this uber important document that will get tossed or left in the pew when the gathering is over.  But we hope it will help people engage.  (It doesn't.)

Then we realized that nobody ever brings their Bible anymore so we chose one of two options.  We either bought Bibles for the pews or began to post Scripture verses on the screen so people can follow along.  (Or both).  Pastors, how many of you have asked people to turn to a certain passage and reminded them there are Bibles in the pews and heard not a single page turn?  Yeah, me too.

Some well-planned pastors then decided that people need a good outline of the sermon so they can take notes and up their engagement on the message.  So sermon outlines are put in our beloved bulletins; some even attached with a perforated edge!  Maybe a few use the outlines for notes, but many also become the place for a little kid to draw to keep busy or for teens to pass notes down the pew.

So the most popular Bible app in the world made a different way possible using their Youversion Bible app.  (Available on all mobile platforms as well as in a browser.)  I've been using the Youversion Live Events for a few months now so here's my take.

The Bible's Live Events gives a church or group the chance to let people connect through the app to take notes, read the Scripture, submit prayer requests and much more.  I don't use all the options, but each week use it for people that want to follow along with the sermon or communicate with us a need.


First, you can only set up a Live Event via a computer. (PC, Mac, or ChromeOS)  There is no option within the mobile app to set up or edit Live Events.  (PLEASE MAKE THAT POSSIBLE, Youversion.)  But it's quite easy within a browser to bring up my sermon notes on Google Drive and Youversion in another tab to lay out the Event.  I don't use all the options, but do some simple things.  First, our Event has some info about our church and a link to our website.  Next, there is a place to fill out prayer requests that will submit them to us.  (Though, there are no notifications that alert me to a submitted a prayer request.  I have to manually check to see if anyone has submitted any.  Another flaw.)  Then I can go through my sermon structure to put in places for notes.  For me, these are just a basic point of the sermon or questions related to it, and then there is a place for the user to input their own notes or thoughts.


The best part, to me, is that I can put in all the exact Scripture references that I'm going through in the version I want to use.  So I'm not handcuffed to the NIV or some other version that's sitting in the pews, and users can follow along exactly with what I'm reading.

When I began using this, there was no one in our church interested in using it.  But as more and more people are buying smartphones and tablets, the interest has risen.  Now, we have many that are using it weekly.  My 7 year old son was even using it on my wife's smartphone last Sunday, even taking notes.  I've heard report after report from participants that they love using it to follow along, and love emailing themselves their notes from the event at the end of worship.

If you are interested in using this for your church, here are some requirements.  (In my opinion.)

1. Offer free wifi in your church.  You can't invite people to use devices if they can't get online.  This means having a separate wifi network that is accessible for everyone without getting access to your sensitive administrative info.  We ran a separate router to the balcony in our sanctuary and set it up as "FBC Guest" for anyone to connect to.  And make sure it's working each week.  All it takes is a flicker of power loss in the building and the router will need reset to work correctly.  If McDonalds and Starbucks can be a wifi hotspot, so can we.
2. Lay out specific instructions for using the app.  Many people are not good at figuring this stuff out.  We're having more of our older members getting Kindles, iPads, or Android tablets and they need instructions for getting connected.  In our bulletin it says, "If you have a smartphone or tablet there is a new way to interact with our worship services.  First, connect through our free wifi called "FBCGuest".  Then, download the Bible app by Lifechurch.tv (Youversion).  You can find it in the Appstore, Google Playstore, or Amazon Appstore.  Next, tap your menu and look for the section called "Live".  Tap 'Search for a Live Event' and it will bring up local live events.  Ours is called "Sunday Worship at FBC".  There, you can learn more about us, read Scripture, take notes, and even share prayer requests.  Check it out."
3. Have someone available to help people who need help.  (We don't have this set up well yet, but I'm working on it.  Normally the person who would help someone with tech is me and I'm up front.)

So give it a try sometime; it just may be useful in your church.  It's not the answer to getting all people involved in worship, but for those that want to, it's a good tool.  It's not perfect, and there are things they could add to make it much more useful, but it's good at what it does.

And to users:  We're not stupid; we know when you're looking at Facebook, playing Flappy Bird, or texting instead of using the app.  Don't fool yourself.

See, you're an idiot for wearing those crazy toe shoes!

I'm still wearing my Vibram FiveFingers and I'm not stopping anytime soon.  Yes, I've seen the articles.  It seems everyone who knows of my VFF obsession has messaged or posted on my Facebook about articles like this one that tell of the lawsuit Vibram is settling.  So here's my take.

There are two stories going around and so I'll address both.

First.  This story came out showing that Vibrams are terrible for you feet.  According to this report, it is harder on your feet to transition to minimalist running shoes than it is to wear shoes with two and a half inches of padding underneath them.  DUH!  Is this a surprise?  Yes, transitioning to Vibrams for running takes time and your feet need to adjust.  This is not news.  But here are some real flaws in this study:

• 19 people were in this study running with VFF's.  That isn't a large enough group to make any real claims.
• Though the claim is that 10 of the 19 were injured, there were only 2 that had actual stress fractures.  (And there was 1 in the control group of 18 running in regular shoes.)  Again, this is not indicative of anything.
• There are no studies of people who use minimalist shoes long term, just transitions.  I wear Vibrams almost exclusively and have for 2 years.  Even when I go a few months without running, I can take off for 3 miles with no pain or injuries.

Second. So some random lady buys a pair of Vibram FiveFingers shoes because they claim that they'll strengthen her feet and decrease injuries.  And they don't magically make her fit and strong; they must be lying.  This kind of litigation drives me insane.  Vibram makes a common sense claim that using your feet the way nature (God) intended will be better for you and are sued because they haven't done years of studies to back up the claim.  It's ridiculous.  I understand why VFF settled the lawsuit and are paying out millions; since they'd probably get worse publicity and spend more defending themselves against such a frivolous suit.  (And don't get me wrong; I don't believe VFF to be a nonprofit who hasn't made a bundle off of these shoes.  They are financially motivated to convince you their toe shoes are a good idea and worth the $100 you can often pay for them.)

But I'm still wearing them.  I got my first pair planning to use them canoeing and fishing in Canada.  The first time I tried running in them, I went way too far and ended up with fist-sized knots in my calves for a week.  (Though no bone injuries.)  But even that first run was easier and less painful than the shin splints and lower back pain I always got running with regular shoes.  After getting used to my VFF's, I didn't want to wear other shoes anymore.  Even my beloved flip flops were a chore to walk around in compared to my toe shoes.  So no I wear them everyday.  I have kangaroo leather ones for the office and even for preaching on Sundays, I have casual ones that look like vintage tennis shoes - with toes, and I have trail runners for harsher grounds.  And I love all of them.  I'll keep wearing them cause I feel good in them, and love how they feel.  (My wife and our boys will continue to wear them too.)  To me, it's simple.  God made our feet to be used a certain way.  Instead, we shove them inside shoes that make us walk and run completely differently, and then we wonder why we have bad backs, knees, and hips.   Maybe someone should sue Nike, Reebok, and Adidas for all the knee replacements and chiropractic appointments from a lifetime of use.

Ordination Song

What song should I sing for Scotty's ordination?  It took me a few tries, but I think I found the right one.  But there's a few rejects that give some advice to a young minister.

What do we do with Membership?

In multiple talks, I'm finding that membership is going to be a challenge going forward.  While I find it to be essential to the work of the church body, it probably can't continue to look the same as it always has.  As usual, Fitch hits it on the head with his article.

Membership Has It's Practices.

Not-so Quick Review: "God's Not Dead"

Hold on.  Stop.  If you saw this movie, loved it, felt encouraged, even blessed by it; that's great.  Maybe you sent "God's Not Dead" texts to all your contacts like the movie encouraged.  That's good.  It was, after all, a big Christian pep rally by the end.

And I don't want to rain on your "God's Not Dead" parade, so maybe just be happy with the movie that you liked and move on.  My only warning for you is to be careful not to become a Christian victim, believing that everyone is against us and we must debate them into submission.  We still live in a country overwhelmingly open to Christianity compared to every other nation in most of the history of the world; so we need to be careful not to be over dramatic regarding our minor "persecutions" in today's culture.

"God's Not Dead" movie lovers, read on at your own risk.

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I get embarrassed by movies like this.  I know I should be happy that there are Christian movies in mainstream theaters for everyone to go see, but I am almost hopeful that non-Christians didn't go see this one.  Have you ever watched a mainstream TV show or movie that has a Christian character in it?  Almost every time, the Christian character is one of two things: a hypocrite or a hick.  They are either a super conservative believer who's secretly picking up prostitutes at night - showing how ridiculous their belief really is; or they're some stupid brainless Christian with faith based only in Sunday School teachings from their childhood.  I hate when I see these characters because they are caricatures of reality.  If I were not a Christian, I would feel the same about how the characters are portrayed in this movie.

So let's get into it.  (Spoilers below)

It feels to me like this movie was created to be similar to the Garry Marshall movies like "Valentine's Day" or "New Years Eve".   There are multiple character that are seemingly unconnected that eventually show their relation to each other.  Unfortunately, in "God's Not Dead", the characters are terribly shallow and extreme versions of themselves.

• There's the "liberal blogger" with a car covered in liberal bumper stickers - like "I love evolution".  She tries so hard to ambush the Duck Dynasty stars with her desire to make them look bad for killing ducks and praying to Jesus.  And she's in a relationship with the typical high powered lawyer who responds to her terrible news casually and selfishly; ultimately breaking up with her over her illness.  So cliche.  
• There's the overbearing girlfriend of the hero of the story who, though she met him at a Christian rock concert, forbids Josh from debating his philosophy professor over God's existence.  (The only reason I mention the concert is cause the movie makes sure you know it.  Clearly, she is supposed to be a Christian just like he is.)  And though she supposedly attends her third choice college to be with him and has their life planned out, she dumps him over disobeying her mandate and throws away their 6 years together.  OVER SOMETHING THAT HAS NO EFFECT ON THEIR RELATIONSHIP.  So stupid.  
• Then there's the demonized professor of Philosophy.  He walks into class with one purpose; to make all students into atheists, even requiring them to write "God is dead" and signing it.  Is this what Christians think all atheists are like?  He's arrogant, biased, and even treats his girlfriend like crap.  Did I mention his girlfriend is a Christian?  (Yeah, a die-hard atheist who can't stand having a Christian student would date one?  Give me a break.)  And ultimately, of course, the real reason our professor is an atheist is because he's mad at God, not because he's convinced God doesn't exist.  Again, this is what I think most Christians think about atheists, but I'm not convinced this is the reality for many.  (If I were an atheist, I'd be offended at this extreme portrayal.)
• Of course, there has to be the strict, authoritarian Muslim father as well in the movie.  What kind of Christian movie would it be if there weren't some portrayal of another religion's adherent showing why Christianity is better.
• There is also the duo of ministers; pastor and missionary, who just can't make it to Disneyworld cause God keeps their car from starting in order to keep them in the right place for the right time of encountering many of the above characters.  I can't figure out why God never forces me into right circumstances for ministry using unbelievable methods.  I guess I'm not a good enough pastor.

I'm sorry to be so hard on a movie with good intentions, but my fear is that it does more harm than good.  For Christians, it gives us a victim mentality and the thinking that we can argue someone into faith in Christ.  (Which I've never seen work.  Ever.)  It also makes us look at anyone that isn't a Christian as an opponent who is seeking to destroy our faith or take our freedom to believe away.  That just isn't the case.  Jesus certainly didn't teach us to see His created people as enemies, but as deserving of love.  (Remember, it is through love that people see God's hand at work.  Not debate.)

The debate ends with a climactic scene as Josh interrogates his professor, badgering him into admitting his hatred for God.  This leads to Josh getting in the final blow: "How can you hate someone who doesn't exist."  The audience gasps and Christians let out a celebratory cheer.  But I'm afraid it just wasn't the mind-changing hit to me that it should have been.  Catching his professor in a logical fallacy isn't really making the case for God; it's just making the professor look silly.  (And any professor should have seen that coming a mile away.  I did and I'm not that smart.)

Finally, I was amazed at how flippantly the movie dealt with death.  I guess we can smile at death or the prospect of dying as long as the person knows Jesus.  Yes, we can rejoice in the eternity Jesus offers us when we know Him, but that doesn't erase the sadness and loss that death brings to those left behind.

On a positive note, the arguments made by our young student are well articulated and spark thinking by the audience.  (Honestly, I love apologetics and debate.) I was glad to see respected Christian philosophers and scientists quoted in the debate.

Ultimately, I think most of my criticisms are simply my own and that most people will come out of seeing "God's Not Dead" feeling encouraged in their faith.  And that's okay.  But please beware of how you think of and treat those who disagree with you.  Cause it's the love of Christ that will lead people to Him, not harsh words of debate or short-sighted caricatures of them.

Flame on...

Superhero (as told by the Stoops family)

With 3 boys, our house is full of superhero toys, costumes, and weapons.  We love to play but sometimes our superheroes combine into new and different guys.  So here's the story of our life.