Just what is he thinking?

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Man, what a day!

  1. Had an INCREDIBLE church service.
  2. Prayed with a teenager to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
  3. Had a very meaningful and enriching training luncheon with our small group leaders
  4. Helped rescue a battered wife from her husband.
  5. Jeff Gordon won the NASCAR race.
  6. Got to ride in a helicopter for the first time.
I'm so glad that God drops these kinds of days on us every now and then. He knows I needed it. Sometimes life can get the best of you and you just feel beat. Sometimes you wonder if you're making a difference. Then you have days like today. Thanks, God.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Vehicular Homicide

Just about all of us have a vehicle. What in the world would we do without one or two of those things? Some can't seem to get by with less than three. If you want to go somewhere, the best way to get there is using some kind of vehicle.

People in different parts of the world use different types of vehicles. Whenever I watch a show filmed in the outback of Australia or the desserts of Africa, they always use a rugged Land Rover. In Cambodia, poverty and poplulation keeps everyone using mopeds. With the paved and level roads throughout our great nation, people use vehicles of all types. However, you would not see a construction crew carrying a load in a hatchback, or a soccer mom taxing kids in a semi.

In this time of high gas prices, people are rethinking what kinds of vehicles they drive. Manufacturers are rethinking vehicle design. A four-cylinder engine is, all of a sudden, a good thing again. Times change, and with the times, vehicles change.

Now let me spiritualize this...

I've already blogged about vision and core values. Visions is what you wish to accomplish, core values are the guide. If that's true, then ministry is then the vehicle used to get it done. Your vehicle (ministry) travels down the road (core values) to get to your destination (vision).

Just as different vehicles are used for different people and jobs, different ministries are used for different people and cultures. It all depends on what you are trying to do. Too many people like to use a cookie-cutter approach to ministry and say, "You have to do it this way." Why? "Because that's the way you do it." But there is absolutely no grounding for such a statement.

As a matter of fact, the New Testament is full of diverse ways to get the gospel message out. A look at the ministry of the Apostle Paul would make it clear. Jesus himself used various vehicles to get his message across. My point is that there is no cookie-cutter approach to ministry. The only way it really needs to be done is effectively. Whatever the best approach is for the people you are trying to reach.

Which vehicle you drive depends upon what kind of person you are and what your life circumstances are. I don't consider myself to be a mini-van person, but I have three small children...so I drive a mini-van. We need that third row back seat. I could drive an SUV, but gas prices keep me from even looking at them. Somebody might say, "I would never drive one of those." But they are single, no kids, still living at home. So they desire something smaller and sportier.

It's interesting to see automobile manufacturers market their vehicles. The Mustang is geared toward the young son, the Dodge Charger is geared to men just like me--those who drive minivans and feel the need to reclaim the muscle car we had in high school. Cadillacs are perfectly pitched for the more mature portion of our society. The concept is the same. You have a product you want to get to the people. You evaluate where they are and the best way to get it to them.

I've never met anyone who really desires to drive an old junk car--even if they have one. There is one car that is the car of their dreams. One they feel is better than all the rest. We should treat ministry the same way. You know, it seems we've put movie stars in limos, but Jesus in a Yugo. Quality matters. Style matters. Dependabililty matters. I want to know what's under the hood. Horsepower matters. The one thing about cars that attract us to them is the "cool factor." That matters in ministry also! It shows the world that we care enough about them to present something to them that is quality, relevant, and worth the investment.

A lot of what I've seen come out of churches is nothing short of vehicular homicide! The marquis signs are not relevant to passers-by. The services are centered around making the saints feel good. There's a lot of vroom, but no get-up-and-go. Lord help us to always drive something that will turn some heads your direction!

Monday, June 19, 2006

What are Core Values?


The best illustration I can think of is that of a bowling alley. Yes...a bowling alley. Follow me on this one.

What does a bowler want to accomplish when he hurls the ball down the lane? To knock the pins down. All of them at once would be nice. So what does he do? Does he just throw the ball down there any way he can? Hoping to hit something? Unfortunately, that's how I bowl. And it shows. No, bowlers are very methodical about how they place the ball on the lane.

The name of the game is consistency. They line up at the same place every time. They take a certain amount of measured steps every time. Their swing is exactly the same...you guessed it...every time. But the amazing thing about a true bowler is that when they release the ball, they're not looking at the pins! They are trying to knock down all those pins, but they are not even looking at them! You see, farther up the lane are a series of small arrows. That's what they're looking at. It's easier to hit a closer target. If they hit those arrows just right, they will accomplish their goal.

Core Values are like the arrows on a bowling alley. We have a vision of what God wants to accomplish in our community. We work to establish ministries that will see that vision come to reality. Core Values give those ministries direction. If ministries hit one or more of these values, we will knock down some pins. If it doesn't hit any of these values, we end up throwing a gutter ball. That wastes time and valuable resources. I don't know about you, but I hate gutter balls.

At Bluff First, our Core Values are Building Relationships, Transforming Lives, and Pursuing Ministry. We believe that if we construct ministries that help to do these things, we will see God's vision accomplished.

Overcomplicating the Gospel?

The Apostle Paul said that he preached only one thing--Jesus Christ and him crucified. Translation...the simple message of the Gospel. It seems that Paul held to the K.I.S.S. motto (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Yet today there are so many buzz words going around the contemporary church. Vision, purpose, mission statement, vision statement, core values just to name a few. You're just not a cool church if you don't have some of those.

Are we overcomplicating the Gospel? Where is the simplicity of Paul's simple message? Our church has a stated vision and core values. Did I just get caught up in the hype, or is there method to all of this? The way I see it, a clear vision and defined core values help to make sure you stick to the simple message of the Gospel. I think that sometimes in our efforts to be "all things to all people" we get side-tracked into doing things that have no eternal value or do not lead people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. There are so many good things we can do, but I want to do the best things.

Sometimes, we can hear these words and not understand exactly what they are. Confusion begins to set in and it just seems like we're trying to overcomplicate things. Keep the Gospel programmed and controllable. But the message of Jesus Christ is not bound. It's fluid. It's an overwhelming force! It is impossible for us to control it! That's exactly why we work to keep ourselves focused.

Adherence to God's vision for our church while working through the core values he has given us will help ensure that we are not chasing rabbits or spinning our wheels. But they will keep us focused on what the simple message of Jesus, his death, and resurrection tell us.