I want to start making "announcements" like this!
Beeson's Recommended Reading from Granger Community on Vimeo.
Check out the original context for this video here. Check out Mark Beenson's blog!
More tomorrow!
11 March 2009
12 February 2009
UM Reporter Article
I thought you might like to see the article about University's journey to pay apportionments that appeared in the February 6th issue of the United Methodist Reporter.
My continued thanks to all of you who made our 100% payout possible!
My continued thanks to all of you who made our 100% payout possible!
The Largest Gathering
Continuing from yesterday...
Sunday morning worship is the largest gathering of our church week - numerically. And since we only have one worship service here at University, we are all in the same space at the same time hearing the same music and message. This provides quite a powerful experience that can catapult us into our week or plunge us into despair over the "state of the church".
When we gather together each weekend we invite members of our community to participate with us in worshiping God. We invite those who are not currently connected to us to see what it is we do together in order for them to determine if they would like to remain a part of who we are.
The fact that guests can come and blend in with 150 or so other people during worship gives them an opportunity to check us out from a distance while still gaining enough proximity to form an opinion about us that will stick with them. This blending in provides guests a chance to see how we respond to new people in our midst - to see whether this is a place that welcomes new folks or values only those who are already connected.
Weekend worship is the best place for us to make a great first impression with the community at large. As the adage goes, "we only get one chance to make a first impression." And our chances come along mostly on Sunday mornings. Guests begin to form their impressions from the moment they drive onto our campus - and a general rule is that we have about 10 minutes to "wow" them and gain the best possibility of a repeat visit.
Therefore, their impression of the church may be formed long before I get up to preach or even before the first note of music is played. Further, it is incumbent upon the members of the congregation to extend radical hospitality every weekend. We need to impress upon our guests that we are expecting them and that we are prepared for them. This expectation and readiness shows up in things like signage, greeters/ushers, nursery workers, cleanliness, and a myriad of other ways - most of them small.
Thoughts? Comments?
For more info on making great first impressions, check out this book or this blog!
Sunday morning worship is the largest gathering of our church week - numerically. And since we only have one worship service here at University, we are all in the same space at the same time hearing the same music and message. This provides quite a powerful experience that can catapult us into our week or plunge us into despair over the "state of the church".
When we gather together each weekend we invite members of our community to participate with us in worshiping God. We invite those who are not currently connected to us to see what it is we do together in order for them to determine if they would like to remain a part of who we are.
The fact that guests can come and blend in with 150 or so other people during worship gives them an opportunity to check us out from a distance while still gaining enough proximity to form an opinion about us that will stick with them. This blending in provides guests a chance to see how we respond to new people in our midst - to see whether this is a place that welcomes new folks or values only those who are already connected.
Weekend worship is the best place for us to make a great first impression with the community at large. As the adage goes, "we only get one chance to make a first impression." And our chances come along mostly on Sunday mornings. Guests begin to form their impressions from the moment they drive onto our campus - and a general rule is that we have about 10 minutes to "wow" them and gain the best possibility of a repeat visit.
Therefore, their impression of the church may be formed long before I get up to preach or even before the first note of music is played. Further, it is incumbent upon the members of the congregation to extend radical hospitality every weekend. We need to impress upon our guests that we are expecting them and that we are prepared for them. This expectation and readiness shows up in things like signage, greeters/ushers, nursery workers, cleanliness, and a myriad of other ways - most of them small.
Thoughts? Comments?
For more info on making great first impressions, check out this book or this blog!
11 February 2009
The Widest Funnel
On Sunday morning I talked about the first two areas of focus for our church: weekend worship experience and ministry with students.
(If you want to hear the sermon, click here.)
I want to expand some on my beliefs about weekend worship experience and why I placed it at the top of the list.
The reasons I gave on Sunday morning included:
When a person from our community (Wichita Falls) who has no previous connection with our church decides to find out what we are about, they will likely do two things: first, they will check out our website or phone book ad to find out what time worship begins; and second, they will come to worship at the time stated either on the website or the phone book ad.
Worship is a large funnel for new people into our congregation because there is a certain level of anonymity that comes along with joining with a large group of people. Most people looking to connect with God within a local church will begin with a weekend worship experience before trying any gathering smaller than that.
Granted, some people come into the life of the church through an outside group that meets in our building (i.e. Scouts, Bridge Club, etc.) OR through a Sunday School class OR through our Wednesday night Cornerstone Cafe, but those are only a very small percentage of new entrants. The largest percentage still comes through worship on Sunday morning.
Therefore, our weekend worship experience must continually be passionate, innovative, and relevant in order to give new guests the best opportunity to see who we are and what we, as a community of faith, are all about. We also need to make sure that we have good systems in place to follow-up with guests that come to worship and leave us contact information. This lets them know that we care that they worshiped with us and that we want them to continue explore a life of faith here with us.
P.S.
If you are interested in reading more about the future of the musical aspects of our worship service, read this article and let me know what you think.
(If you want to hear the sermon, click here.)
I want to expand some on my beliefs about weekend worship experience and why I placed it at the top of the list.
The reasons I gave on Sunday morning included:
- Worship is the largest entry point for new people into the church
- Worship is the largest gathering of the church body during the week
- Worship is a critical time for us to make a great first impression
When a person from our community (Wichita Falls) who has no previous connection with our church decides to find out what we are about, they will likely do two things: first, they will check out our website or phone book ad to find out what time worship begins; and second, they will come to worship at the time stated either on the website or the phone book ad.
Worship is a large funnel for new people into our congregation because there is a certain level of anonymity that comes along with joining with a large group of people. Most people looking to connect with God within a local church will begin with a weekend worship experience before trying any gathering smaller than that.
Granted, some people come into the life of the church through an outside group that meets in our building (i.e. Scouts, Bridge Club, etc.) OR through a Sunday School class OR through our Wednesday night Cornerstone Cafe, but those are only a very small percentage of new entrants. The largest percentage still comes through worship on Sunday morning.
Therefore, our weekend worship experience must continually be passionate, innovative, and relevant in order to give new guests the best opportunity to see who we are and what we, as a community of faith, are all about. We also need to make sure that we have good systems in place to follow-up with guests that come to worship and leave us contact information. This lets them know that we care that they worshiped with us and that we want them to continue explore a life of faith here with us.
P.S.
If you are interested in reading more about the future of the musical aspects of our worship service, read this article and let me know what you think.
06 February 2009
Mad About Mad Church Disease!
I pre-ordered three copies of Mad Church Disease from Amazon back in September and they arrived at my doorstep one week ago. I have already finished it. It was phenomenal! I plan to re-read it several times before Anne comes to speak at University in April, but I also plan to truly interact with the questions and exercises that she lays out for her readers.
I have a feeling that this book will be a welcomed breath of fresh air for pastors and church workers who are on the brink of burning out - no matter what the reason(s).
If you would like on of my extra copies, let me know and I let you have one. I plan to keep several copies of the book on my shelf to hand out as I meet pastors who may need her encouragement.
If you want your own copy of Mad Church Disease, just click here.
I have a feeling that this book will be a welcomed breath of fresh air for pastors and church workers who are on the brink of burning out - no matter what the reason(s).
If you would like on of my extra copies, let me know and I let you have one. I plan to keep several copies of the book on my shelf to hand out as I meet pastors who may need her encouragement.
If you want your own copy of Mad Church Disease, just click here.
Making Good on a Promise
My newsletter article for this week stated that I would begin conversing about the Five Areas of Focus for University UMC. Therefore, I wanted to get that conversation going.
If you are a new reader here at CTM, then you might want to read this post and this post before diving full force into the discussion that starts today.
If you are a veteran reader, then keep reading.
Sunday morning I will begin to cast the vision for ministry here at University over the next 3-5 years. I usually have a hard time deciding what I want for dinner, so a long-range plan like this is new territory for me, but I know that God will be the guide for this journey and all I will need to do is continue to be faithful in my leadership.
When I came to University last summer, I knew that the climb would be uphill for quite a while (and it still is), but that there would come a point where our efforts at changing the direction of the church would begin to build momentum and a full head of steam. I believe that this weekend will be a huge push in that direction and that light bulbs a-plenty will be going off all over the sanctuary.
I want all of you to know that I have not approached this vision casting task lightly, nor do I want to paint any skewed pictures of the future that we could neither attain nor live with for the long term. Bill Hybels says that a vision is, "a preferred picture [of the future] that produces passion." Therefore, I want to paint a clear picture that everyone at University can get excited about and throw their weight behind in order for our church to make kingdom impact here in the Wichita Falls community.
Who's with me!?!?
If you are a new reader here at CTM, then you might want to read this post and this post before diving full force into the discussion that starts today.
If you are a veteran reader, then keep reading.
Sunday morning I will begin to cast the vision for ministry here at University over the next 3-5 years. I usually have a hard time deciding what I want for dinner, so a long-range plan like this is new territory for me, but I know that God will be the guide for this journey and all I will need to do is continue to be faithful in my leadership.
When I came to University last summer, I knew that the climb would be uphill for quite a while (and it still is), but that there would come a point where our efforts at changing the direction of the church would begin to build momentum and a full head of steam. I believe that this weekend will be a huge push in that direction and that light bulbs a-plenty will be going off all over the sanctuary.
I want all of you to know that I have not approached this vision casting task lightly, nor do I want to paint any skewed pictures of the future that we could neither attain nor live with for the long term. Bill Hybels says that a vision is, "a preferred picture [of the future] that produces passion." Therefore, I want to paint a clear picture that everyone at University can get excited about and throw their weight behind in order for our church to make kingdom impact here in the Wichita Falls community.
Who's with me!?!?
05 January 2009
We're Back!
We made it back to WF today despite some seriously nasty weather, stomach bugs, and at least two bouts of backseat puking. Who says vacations aren't fun?!?!
More tomorrow!
More tomorrow!
27 December 2008
Christmas Break
Just wanted all of you to know that I will be not be blogging during the next two weeks (12/25/08-1/5/09) since Deb, Caitlyn and I will be traveling to see our families for the holidays. I'll post some notes about our trips when I return. "See" you in January!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
05 December 2008
Have you ever had the feeling that you haven't had an original thought in months? That you have just been riding the wave of someone else's creativity and passion? That you just don't know where your next good idea is going to come from?
I'm getting close to being there and I don't like it. Am I getting MCD?
I'm getting close to being there and I don't like it. Am I getting MCD?
04 December 2008
Looking Forward to "Lasting"
I got my copy of Lasting Impressions yesterday and I can't wait to dive in! Thanks Mark!
03 December 2008
When Money Isn't the Most Important Thing
After Charge Conference last night I needed the morning off - so I took it. When I got back to the office and began to sort through a stack of mail and file through a bunch of emails, one email in particular caught my attention.
It was from my Music Director and it was a link to this story about personal accounting and asking the question: "Who's in charge of my future: my God or my money?"
The author, Shannon Vowell, made some very thought-provoking statements and I wanted to share my thoughts on some of them here.
Are we depending on our money to give us our sense of safety or are we keeping our eyes on Christ? In today’s financial climate, do we instinctively hold so tightly to whatever assets we’ve got left that we assure we cannot take hold of the outstretched hands of Jesus?
In light of the conversations around money last night I wonder if this is a question that more people need to wrestle to the ground before speaking about how much they trust God. If we depend on our money to be our security for the future, then I believe we have missed the point of faith altogether. If we fail to trust God with our future in the midst of economic uncertainties, when will we trust God? If we hold tight to that which we can see and bypass that which we cannot, are we not then idolizing money and ignoring God? Indeed, there is no room for Jesus' hands when we are tightly grasping our net worth instead of our Great Provider.
Jesus’ words to the rich young ruler [in Luke 18:22-25] suggest that for Christians, the real issue isn’t money even when it’s money that we’re talking about. The real issue is faith and focus.
When the church budget is tabulated, the members of the Finance Committee are responsible for making sure there is a way to fund that budget - either through tithes and offerings, rentals and fees, or non-donor sources - so the tendency is to begin to think about dollars and cents instead of ministry and mission. When it comes down to the bottom line, there needs to be money to fund ministries in the church, but the money is not really the crucial issue. I believe that when the God-appointed leaders of a church search God's wisdom for the direction of the church and compellingly cast that vision to the whole congregation, then the resources will follow. I believe that when God's people get on board with what God is doing in a local church, the blessings are endless and the money shows up in buckets.
Thoughts?
It was from my Music Director and it was a link to this story about personal accounting and asking the question: "Who's in charge of my future: my God or my money?"
The author, Shannon Vowell, made some very thought-provoking statements and I wanted to share my thoughts on some of them here.
Are we depending on our money to give us our sense of safety or are we keeping our eyes on Christ? In today’s financial climate, do we instinctively hold so tightly to whatever assets we’ve got left that we assure we cannot take hold of the outstretched hands of Jesus?
In light of the conversations around money last night I wonder if this is a question that more people need to wrestle to the ground before speaking about how much they trust God. If we depend on our money to be our security for the future, then I believe we have missed the point of faith altogether. If we fail to trust God with our future in the midst of economic uncertainties, when will we trust God? If we hold tight to that which we can see and bypass that which we cannot, are we not then idolizing money and ignoring God? Indeed, there is no room for Jesus' hands when we are tightly grasping our net worth instead of our Great Provider.
Jesus’ words to the rich young ruler [in Luke 18:22-25] suggest that for Christians, the real issue isn’t money even when it’s money that we’re talking about. The real issue is faith and focus.
When the church budget is tabulated, the members of the Finance Committee are responsible for making sure there is a way to fund that budget - either through tithes and offerings, rentals and fees, or non-donor sources - so the tendency is to begin to think about dollars and cents instead of ministry and mission. When it comes down to the bottom line, there needs to be money to fund ministries in the church, but the money is not really the crucial issue. I believe that when the God-appointed leaders of a church search God's wisdom for the direction of the church and compellingly cast that vision to the whole congregation, then the resources will follow. I believe that when God's people get on board with what God is doing in a local church, the blessings are endless and the money shows up in buckets.
Thoughts?
Just a Recap of the Day
Today was a good day! I enjoyed a morning off (after Charge Conference last night) and got to head over to the Wichita Falls Public Library for storytime. This is the first time that I have been able to go with Deb and Caitlyn (who go every week) to the downtown "hot spot" for a few stories and a puppet show.
After storytime, we went to lunch over at McDonald's where I was very pleased to discover that the McRib is back! I am continually amazed at how social Caitlyn is - mostly because I have to know someone for a while before I start opening up to them. She has a number of friends whom she's met just by attending storytime on Wednesday mornings or by having lunch at McDonald's. I watched her play with another girl in PlayPlace until we had to leave. Caitlyn would call out this girl's name and invite her to stay with her in the little tube climber - it was just amazing. She has not worked up enough courage to climb all the way to the top of PlayPlace (where the slide resides), but I know she will get there soon.
After lunch Deb dropped me off at the office and I have been here ever since. Nothing terribly insightful in this post, but I must say that a morning away from the office helped heal my parched soul.
Love you girls!
After storytime, we went to lunch over at McDonald's where I was very pleased to discover that the McRib is back! I am continually amazed at how social Caitlyn is - mostly because I have to know someone for a while before I start opening up to them. She has a number of friends whom she's met just by attending storytime on Wednesday mornings or by having lunch at McDonald's. I watched her play with another girl in PlayPlace until we had to leave. Caitlyn would call out this girl's name and invite her to stay with her in the little tube climber - it was just amazing. She has not worked up enough courage to climb all the way to the top of PlayPlace (where the slide resides), but I know she will get there soon.
After lunch Deb dropped me off at the office and I have been here ever since. Nothing terribly insightful in this post, but I must say that a morning away from the office helped heal my parched soul.
Love you girls!
I'm Back!
23 November 2008
Quick Apology
Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I am swamped with ordination paperwork, Charge Conference paperwork, and bringing on two new staff members. I promise to begin regular posts again on December 3rd.
05 November 2008
Are You Afraid of Being Amazing?
When I pre-ordered Mad Church Disease I had no idea that it would send shivers down my spine three months before Amazon.com shipped it to my office.
I downloaded a free chapter from MCD last month, but I didn't read it right away. In fact, I didn't read it until Tuesday morning at about 1:30am. The chapter, as a whole, is amazing and it really got me pumped for February when I can read the whole book!
As I was reading about "Processing Through Pain," Anne quoted Penelope Trunk as saying, "People are afraid of being amazing." (173) This statement leapt off the page at me, hit me square in the jaw, and then came back around and punched me in the nose!
I can't tell you how many times I have been afraid to be amazing. I don't even want to think about the missed opportunities in my life because I didn't want to "shine too much" or "stand out from the crowd." It makes me sick just thinking about it.
Penelope's statement brought up two questions:
1) Why are we so afraid of being amazing?
2) What would happen if we all unleashed the amazing-ness we have inside?
I believe that I have been afraid to be amazing because I have not wanted other people to feel bad about themselves in areas of ministry or life that I naturally excelled in. Even deeper, I think that I have also been reluctant to invest extra effort in some areas of ministry because I knew that the extra effort would move me beyond ordinary to extraordinary. Kinda self-defeating, huh?
If we truly unleashed the amazing-ness we have hard-wired into us from our Creator, we would tear down the walls of injustice, rid the world of life-threatening diseases, and bring "up there, down here" (as Mark Beeson likes to say). It would be awesome!
Are you afraid of being amazing? Why?
I downloaded a free chapter from MCD last month, but I didn't read it right away. In fact, I didn't read it until Tuesday morning at about 1:30am. The chapter, as a whole, is amazing and it really got me pumped for February when I can read the whole book!
As I was reading about "Processing Through Pain," Anne quoted Penelope Trunk as saying, "People are afraid of being amazing." (173) This statement leapt off the page at me, hit me square in the jaw, and then came back around and punched me in the nose!
I can't tell you how many times I have been afraid to be amazing. I don't even want to think about the missed opportunities in my life because I didn't want to "shine too much" or "stand out from the crowd." It makes me sick just thinking about it.
Penelope's statement brought up two questions:
1) Why are we so afraid of being amazing?
2) What would happen if we all unleashed the amazing-ness we have inside?
I believe that I have been afraid to be amazing because I have not wanted other people to feel bad about themselves in areas of ministry or life that I naturally excelled in. Even deeper, I think that I have also been reluctant to invest extra effort in some areas of ministry because I knew that the extra effort would move me beyond ordinary to extraordinary. Kinda self-defeating, huh?
If we truly unleashed the amazing-ness we have hard-wired into us from our Creator, we would tear down the walls of injustice, rid the world of life-threatening diseases, and bring "up there, down here" (as Mark Beeson likes to say). It would be awesome!
Are you afraid of being amazing? Why?
04 November 2008
Delivering on a Promise - Part 2
Continuing from earlier...
Key Learning #2: Sometimes we may need to create additional ministry opportunities when we are running short on volunteers.
Key Learning #2: Sometimes we may need to create additional ministry opportunities when we are running short on volunteers.
- As counter-intuitive as this may sound at first read, think about this. Is the role we are trying to fill too complex or time-intensive? Is the role we are trying to fill able to be taken on by someone with a full-time job, family, and possibly other community involvement? If yes, then try "chunking it" into smaller pieces.
- By breaking up a ministry job description into two or even three smaller pieces, you may find that you have more than enough volunteers to fill those smaller roles when you could not find anyone willing to take on the whole enchilada.
- Therefore, if you currently have 20 volunteer slots to fill and 15 people have already accepted the invitation to serve with you, but you just can't seem to get the last five filled. Perhaps you need to break the last five opportunities into 10 or 12 opportunities in order to make the ministry opportunities more manageable for people who could not commit to your previous job descriptions.
- BTW, a great by-product of this method of "chunking" is more people serving in the church! And isn't that what ministry leaders should be doing anyway?
Ok, those are my top learnings! I know that KarlaR has some thoughts she would like to share, so maybe she will agree to guest blog later this week!
Delivering on a Promise - Part 1
I promised to post about my two key learnings from our Road Trip to Garland to sit at the feet of the Granger crew, so here I go!
Key Learning #1: Deleting certain words from our vocabulary will have profound effects on our ability to bring new people into ministry at University.
Key Learning #1: Deleting certain words from our vocabulary will have profound effects on our ability to bring new people into ministry at University.
- We must stop using the word "recruit" and start using the word "invite" when looking for new volunteers for ministry opportunities. The Armed Forces recruits, the Church invites. We are not looking for a bunch of people to sign up to give their lives away in exchange for a steady job and a paycheck. No, we are looking for a bunch of people to give their lives away in service to the kingdom of God in addition to their steady job and paycheck.
- There are people in our church whom you already know that you could "tap" into service with a simple personal invitation. This practice of "shoulder-tapping" could double our current volunteer base within a year if everyone invited one new person into a ministry opportunity at our church.
- We must stop using the word "help" - as in "We need help in the 3rd grade Sunday School room or there will be 8-year-olds running around the building recklessly!" These kinds of pleas for help result in minimal volunteer turnout, because (let's face it!) no one wants to jump on board a sinking ship. Using "help" to try and bring new people into your ministry often motivates people to serve for the wrong reasons - i.e. guilt, duty, obligation, etc.
- As an alternative to "help," try to paint a picture of the opportunities available for people to serve using their God-given spiritual gifts. Using this approach generally begins to get people to think about what they can offer to the church with what they already possess - be that a love for children, a passion for the arts, or financial savvy.
More later!
23 October 2008
Road Trip!
I am taking a team to this event today. I am so excited that there are SIX of us going - 2 staff and 4 church members!!
It should be a great day of learning and fun. We should be full of energy and ideas when we get back this evening.
Watch out University!
It should be a great day of learning and fun. We should be full of energy and ideas when we get back this evening.
Watch out University!
20 October 2008
Great Resources on the Cheap
I just found out that the book mentioned here is available for $.95 on iTunes - that's 95 cents! I am downloading it right now and I can't wait to listen to it. (Thanks Ben and Chris!)
Also, I just pre-ordered this book from Amazon - can't wait!
Also, I just pre-ordered this book from Amazon - can't wait!
Sunday Reflections
Yesterday I preached my first stewardship sermon at University UMC. I was up late on Saturday night trying to get it just right because I wanted to make sure that I said the right things so that the people who heard it would be inspired to give.
When I went to bed that night I tossed and turned for quite a while - until I realized that I was not going to get any sleep until I prayed for God to show up in my preaching the following morning. Once I did that I was able to rest.
My morning routine led me to my office to make final preparations for worship where I ended up praying for the people of University UMC instead of myself that morning. I wanted them to hear God's call to be generous with their lives - their whole lives, including their finances.
You can hear what happened here.
Earlier today I was out running an errand for the church and I got back to the church just as a member was getting into her car to leave. I stopped her to ask about something completely unrelated to Sunday morning, but she mentioned that because of what was said on Sunday, she and her husband were going to double what they were planning to give to the church for 2009. Double!
Now I know better than to think that I had anything to do with their response to God's call, but I also know that if I had tried to "soft-sell" stewardship this year, they would not have stepped out in faith like that.
I am truly humbled every time God chooses to use a broken vessel like me to move the kingdom ball down the field just a little more.
God is good!
When I went to bed that night I tossed and turned for quite a while - until I realized that I was not going to get any sleep until I prayed for God to show up in my preaching the following morning. Once I did that I was able to rest.
My morning routine led me to my office to make final preparations for worship where I ended up praying for the people of University UMC instead of myself that morning. I wanted them to hear God's call to be generous with their lives - their whole lives, including their finances.
You can hear what happened here.
Earlier today I was out running an errand for the church and I got back to the church just as a member was getting into her car to leave. I stopped her to ask about something completely unrelated to Sunday morning, but she mentioned that because of what was said on Sunday, she and her husband were going to double what they were planning to give to the church for 2009. Double!
Now I know better than to think that I had anything to do with their response to God's call, but I also know that if I had tried to "soft-sell" stewardship this year, they would not have stepped out in faith like that.
I am truly humbled every time God chooses to use a broken vessel like me to move the kingdom ball down the field just a little more.
God is good!
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