I actually believe Thanksgiving may be one of the most “Christian” holidays we can celebrate. As followers of Christ, we are to give thanks always – and in every situation. We have reason to be thankful continually. This world, as it is today, is not our permanent home. We are going to live forever – in a perfect place – with our perfect God.

Even today, in the midst of all that is in our world, our God is on His throne – JESUS IS ALIVE – and we are loved with an everlasting love. We have access to peace, which surpasses understanding.

All that is enough, right?

But let’s face it, Thanksgiving is hard for some people. They’ve lost loved ones. They are lonely. Another day-off watching everyone celebrate how wonderful their life is online only makes it harder.

This has been an especially hard year for some. We’ve been more divided as a people than any year I remember. Some people simply don’t feel as “blessed” this year – perhaps even as thankful.

Others are so caught up in having the perfect meal and the perfect table setting – the house decorated just right – they get distracted with busyness and end up disappointed rather than enjoying some of the greatest blessings around them.

Then there are those of us who simply take things for granted and fail to stop and truly be thankful.

Here’s a checklist of activities, which will make your world look brighter and your holiday grander. I’m convinced so much I’d almost guarantee you. You may not be able to do all of them. I would encourage you to complete the ones you can.

How to have the best Thanksgiving ever:

Read Psalm 136.

Slowly. Maybe even aloud. Maybe a couple of times. Let the words dwell in you for a while. Make the words a prayer of thanksgiving to God. Trust me on this.

Make a thankful list.

We used to do this as a family tradition when our boys were at home. I wrote about this in a previous POST, but one of the best ways to fill your heart with gratitude is to make a list of things for which you are thankful. When you reflect on the things you do have – rather than the things you don’t have – your heart grows in appreciation.

Spend time with family and friends.

You may not be able to be with them in person – and this is one of the harder parts of holidays for some, but even exchanging a text with someone you love can brighten your day. Reach out to some you haven’t heard from in a while. We all know how to Zoom these days.

If you are mourning over someone special this year – spend some time remembering why they are special to you. (Even write some of the things you remember and loved about the person. It can be a healthy grieving process.)

And, if I may be so bold, some reading this are grieving so hard for someone they lost they fail to enjoy the people they still have around them. I suspect the one you lost would want you to still enjoy life.

Sometimes we have to build new relationships even while we are mourning old relationships. Maybe you need to volunteer somewhere or open your heart to some new relationships. Be a friend so you can feel the love of a friend again. We are made for relationships. That almost always takes a risk of heart and an intentionality on our part.

Smile often.

Smiling does something inside of you and always makes an impact on people around you. The ability to smile or not is almost always a reaction to a perspective. How’s your perspective this year? Sometimes a perspective check can change your attitude – the way you feel – everything.

Remember, as I wrote previously, Jesus is alive. The Gospel is good news! For the believer, our future is secure – and wonderful. Paul wrote these were “light and momentary troubles” and they were “achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) Think on that thought and you’ll have to at least grin.

(If you’re reading this and there has never been a time in your life where you surrendered your heart to Christ – I pray you will today. You don’t have to understand everything, it’s a faith decision, but the reality is we are all sinners, God is a holy God, and He loves us enough He sent His son to die for our sins. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9))

Make it your ambition today to be someone’s best smile! The world needs more smiles. A lot more smiles.

Give to others.

Not only can you do shopping online – you can give online to most churches, charities, and non-profits. There are lots of places you can serve others over the holidays. Most communities have numerous helping ministries always seeking volunteers and resources.

Giving is a catalyst for an internal smile. Giving releases hidden joy inside you which you can’t understand until you do. Paul credits Jesus with saying, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.” The happiest, most content people I know are generous people.

If this one grabs your attention for more, listen to a message I did on this subject HERE.

Exercise, take a nap and drink some water.

This one may seem out of place in a list like this, but I’ve learned whenever I don’t feel well many times it is because I’m partially dehydrated. And, we all run at a fast pace of life. Taking some time to relax and catch up on your sleep may be the best gift you can give yourself for a better Thanksgiving. A

And you know you need to exercise, right? Even the smallest activity can make you feel so much better. Take a brisk walk around the neighborhood or where people might be. It might be where you have the best chance to smile, be kind to someone, and perhaps even make a friend.

Think others first.

This may be the most important. For example, if you wear your feelings on your shoulders or you’re easily offended by what others did or didn’t do for you – you’ll have a miserable holiday. On the other hand, if you clothe yourself with an attitude of humility and consider others even before your own needs – the rest of this list will take care of itself. And, here’s the strange thing, you’ll be blessed as you do!

Don’t hold people to your expectations of performance. People almost NEVER perform as you expect them to do. Do you know why? Because they’re your expectations. Yours – not theirs. The less you set up the prescriptive way people will perform, what they will say, or how things will go, the more you can enjoy the way things actually happen. Because you already know this, no matter how much you prepare, no matter how much you hope things turn out just as you imagined them, life has a way of throwing us surprises. Enter into Thanksgiving with that understanding, and you’ll have the possibility of remaining thankful – regardless of what happens or doesn’t happen.

There are my suggestions for the best Thanksgiving ever. You may not be able to do all of them this year. The key is to complete as many as you can.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Read More Blog Posts by Ron Edmondson

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I spent two days sitting and pondering, praying, and wrestling. What exactly has God shown me over those years?

To be fair, it’s more than just the passage of time. It’s forty years of working in the church and working with churches. Forty years of education. Forty years of trial and error to find solutions to church problems. Forty years of conversations with church leaders across the nation about what’s working and what’s not and what’s changed and what needs to.

What have I learned? What has God been showing me?

The truth is, lots. I have one heckuva list of things God’s taught (often with a two-by-four up the side of my head!). But the question hung out there, taunting me, awaiting a response. What follows are three of those things … three things I think are some of the most important lessons I’ve learned. what’s not and what’s changed and what needs to.

1. Leaders Lead Where No One Wants to Go

When everyone is moving of their own volition in the same direction, they really don’t need a leader. The truth is, maintaining status quo doesn’t take any great feat of leadership. The sheep only need a shepherd when there’s a need to move them from Point A to Point B, whether that move is for their own protection or to take them to still waters and green pastures.

But here’s the point … when the sheep need to be moved, by and large, it’s a huge inconvenience, and they don’t really want to change. They kinda like it where they are. Sure, there are greener pastures “over there somewhere,” but really – there’s enough grass here for us. So, it’s at that moment the flock needs a leader, and out comes the rod, the staff, the Old English Sheepdog, and whatever other leadership tools and skills the shepherd needs to move the sheep to move them on to where they don’t want to go.

You get the analogy, I’m sure. If you’re going to lead the church, you might as well get used to the reality that most of your members really don’t want to move or change or even to allow change. And that means you’re going to have to be the leader who rolls up their sleeves, picks up the staff, slips on the leadership mantle, casts a compelling vision, and does the hard work of moving the unwilling into the greener pastures of disciple-making. And you do that because you ARE the leader and that’s your job: To move the unwilling to where they need to go for the sake of the kingdom.

Pastor, you ARE the leader and that’s your job: To move the unwilling to where they need to go for the sake of the kingdom. @billtbCLICK TO TWEET

2. Preaching Needs More Than Just a Good Point

The second thing I’ve learned over the past forty years is that it takes more than three points and a poem and a suggestion to transform lives.

The story goes that President Lincoln attended worship at one of the capitol’s cathedrals on a Sunday morning. The “paparazzi” of the day gathered around the steps to interview the President when he departed. After services, he met the press and one of the reporters asked, “Mr. President, did you hear a great sermon from a great preacher?” Honest Abe paused and responded that the preacher had crafted a fine homily and delivered it with energy. “But,” he continued, “It wasn’t a great sermon because he didn’t ask me to do any great things.”

To be honest, in my experience, very few sermons do. In fact, the best prepared and delivered sermon I’ve ever heard was at a Lutheran church plant some years ago. The pastor wove scripture, experience, history, story, and current events into the sermon so masterfully delivered that I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole time. She was an incredible speaker and expositor of the scripture. She spoke for thirty-five minutes and then wrapped it up. I was SO READY to be inspired to “get out there and win one for the Master …”

Her challenge to the congregation?

“We must be more forgiving.”

??????!!!!!?????

No One needs to be mesmerized for thirty minutes – or even five minutes – to be told that it’s a good idea to be more forgiving.

Atheists know that.

Agnostics know that.

Every member of every major world religion knows that.

It’s not that the sentiments aren’t important … they are. But she completely wasted a golden opportunity to transform people’s lives. Instead, we all went home with memories of a couple good stories and a fine delivery. And I went away seriously disappointed.

The preacher didn’t ask me to do anything great.

You may ask, “What could she have said to make her sermon transformational?”

One of the things I’ve learned over these past forty years is this: The things that people “know” doesn’t matter nearly as much as they would like to believe – it’s what we do that’s important. We have churches filled with members who “know” all about the Great Commission and who haven’t shared their faith with anyone … ever. We have members who show up every week to church and “know” all about the Great Commandments, but they’re bullies and tax cheaters and racists and liars and frauds, Oh My. They “believe” the right things, but the “do” part is completely missing from their lives.

What we know doesn’t change lives … It’s what we do. @billtbCLICK TO TWEET

To make a sermon life transformational, we must do more than just make a good point. To paraphrase Lincoln, we must ask the crowd to do something great.

Or at least to do SOMETHING.

Every life-transforming idea we hear always moves from our heads to our hands, feet, or lips. If a good and worthy idea doesn’t affect our behavior, it failed to do its job. We really don’t need more “believers” in the church who believe that we should be more forgiving. We need more disciples in the church who are actively forgiving their neighbors, their enemies, and especially their one-anothers.

What could she have asked me to do?

• “This afternoon, go home and pick up the phone and call that person you’re still holding a grudge against – or who’s holding a grudge against you. Have a conversation. Take the first step. Begin to build a bridge.”
• “This week, sit down with your New Testament and read Matthew 6:5–15. Write a reflection on the consequences of not forgiving your childhood bully, your manipulative parent, the political party that has angered you. Then spend at least ten minutes a day in prayer asking God what you need to do about it.”
• “By Tuesday, make an appointment with a therapist and begin the hard work of dealing with the betrayal and pain you suffered from someone you trusted.”

Which brings actual transformation: “Be more forgiving” … or “do something that helps you to be more forgiving”?

Every sermon needs more than just a good point.

3. You Can’t Grow Your Church From Your Office

To be fair, God showed me this very early on in my ministry years. Back in 1986, while I was attending Florida Baptist College, I had the privilege of having a short one-on-one conversation with Win Arn, one of the founders of the Church Growth Movement. I had shared my passion for evangelism and making effective disciples and he held up his hand to stop me. “If you want to make disciples, then be a church planter. You’ll make more disciples doing that than in any other setting.”

By the end of the year, I had a job as the door to door canvaser for a new church start. Almost every day, I spent two to five hours meeting with people and intentionally sharing my faith. The new church flourished and baptisms were a part of most Sunday services.

In my senior year, I was a Methodist and was appointed to a very small, rural church. I adapted what I’d learned earlier and managed to almost double the size of the small congregation from 38 to 72 in less than three months.

Seminary came quickly after that season. There I was taught to think theologically and trained to be a “mainline pastor.” I served a student church and, during the first six months or so, I did the work of a pastor as the seminary was teaching me to do. I visited the members. I did some Band-Aid pastoral counseling. I spent ten to twenty hours in my office working on my weekly homiletic’s project (the sermon). And I visited the hospitals religiously.

And the church didn’t grow. It was during those student pastoral days when I was able to contextualize Win Arn’s words to my situation. Yes, it was great to be a church planter, but the lesson to be learned was that Jesus didn’t say, “Y’all come.” He said, “Go!” Whether it was knocking on doors or hanging out at the Chamber of Commerce and with the local biz-networking group, you can’t grow a church sitting in your office.

So out I came. In fact, I stopped hanging out in my office completely and spent my time almost exclusively with unchurched people. Cafés, local festivals, high school sporting events, even the library. I got to know the Mayor and key city officials. And I made a connection with the local newspaper editor (this is back when newspapers were a thing!). I shared my faith in all sorts of different ways, but they were effective ways for the context. And the church grew. In fact, the church grew so much that we won a national award from Net Results Magazine.

All because I’d learned the lesson …

You can’t grow your church from your office. @billtbCLICK TO TWEET

So, there you have it. The three key things God’s been showing me over the past forty years. Three things that I’ve seen transform ministries in churches I’ve served and in churches I’ve consulted with. They’re not necessarily the most popular axioms in the sphere of church leadership, but I can tell you from experience, they’re three of the most effective.

Read More Blog Posts By Bill Tenney-Brittian

Also, visit: The Effective Church Group

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Sometimes leaders come across like they are a stuttering, dyslexic firing squad – continually using this as the motto above.

That’s all okay as long as they are willing to admit they are stuck and are eager to begin to work toward change. The problem comes when we convince ourselves that what we are doing is fine and dandy even when we are merely marching in circles, and never honestly go forward to engage in real spiritual progress.

Marching in circles is the result of the fear we haven’t dealt with. Often it seems we just fear fear. All of us have our share of fears. The issue is how we will deal with those fears.

Plug in a few basic strategies that will help you pull the trigger and make forward progress.

#1 Tune out the fears that have kept you stuck.

Listen more to what you need to do instead of the fears that have kept you stuck. Usually, those fears are placed in our heads by others who just want to “help.” Part of your job as a leader is to smile and move forward to do what you know in your gut is the right move.

#2 Peel your eyes to find those who are already going in the same direction.

Usually, there are many who are dealing with their share of fears that have kept them stuck as well. Some of those I’ve met because we were going in the same direction, have become lifelong friends.

#3 Drop unrealistic conditions for launching.  

Sometimes we even need to drop all conditions – even from the get-go.  At times what we think are some conditions are essential steps before we launch but are just excuses that coddle our fear of failure.

The course of the Civil War might have been connected with a spontaneous move by the northern Admiral David Farragut. He was charged with taking back the Bay of Mobile, Alabama – a power base of the Confederates. But there was one tiny problem – the bay was loaded with water mines. His commanders insisted they carefully think things through, make a careful plan, and only then pull the trigger. But Farragut realized that all the planning in the world wouldn’t make a difference to their success or failure unless they did something radical and antithetical to the thinking of his commanders.

Farragut figured that victory was only possible if they took the bay by storm. He gave them his famous motto:

“Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead!”

The move was a success. Only a couple of ships from the entire fleet were hit, and the majority broke through to Mobile Bay and crushed the South’s ability to take on supplies. Some historians consider that battle as key to the North’s victory in shutting down the South’s key supply area.

Sometimes we are only going to think and think and think and not move forward a bit.

The big question, no matter what the assignment, is: What is God calling us to?
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Admiral David Farragut

That’s the foundational question of everything we’ve been called to.

Once you’ve nailed that down, usually the keyword is, “Fire!” Thinking is vital, yet our own false fear can mimic progress when we are actually going the other direction.

Go for it! Don’t give in to pressure from “Volunteers” who see themselves as smarter than you but are really just stuck in their fears that they call “Prudence.”

These commanders (naysayers) work for you. Be the Admiral Farragut of your church plant. Sure, you’ll hit a mine or two, but it will be worth it in the long run. You will have gotten off and running.

www.SteveSjogren.com

www.kindnessoutreach.com

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Change is a fact of life. Biologists define a living organism as something that moves (among other factors). Regardless of the type of organism – human, animal, or even something microscopic – a change comes as movement takes place. When movement happens, change happens.

When change occurs, the status quo is dealt a blow. The pushback a church leader gets, even from well-intentioned members, requires resilience.

The art of resilience is a skill we need to develop.

The art of resilience is a skill we need to develop – an ability that’s more valuable than we understand. In order to stay on course and on mission for the long haul, you should master the art of resilience. Here are some points to ponder and put into action:

Develop your understanding of resilience.

● Life is something that you can either go through or grow through. Resilience requires the willingness to grow and adapt.

● Life has peaks and valleys. It is always changing. If you’re able to accept this, you’ll find that you’re more motivated to get curious about the lessons of each moment.

● You’re not born with resilience, but you can develop this skill.

Take responsibility.

● It is impossible to be perfect. We all make mistakes. Admitting that you make mistakes will increase your resilience.

● Apologize when you need to. This takes humility and courage, and it will strengthen all of the relationships in your
life.

● Get curious about the role you play in every part of your life. Even if someone wronged you, get curious about your behavior and reaction. You never have to blame yourself. Simply look at the situation so that you can learn how you want to behave in the future.

● Let go of resentment. It can be challenging to move forward when anger is weighing on your shoulders. You do not have to carry this around anymore. You’re capable of letting go and forgiving.

Mindset Matters.

● Begin with the basics. Take care of your body, brain, and environment.

● Pay attention to the patterns of critical self-talk you play in your head. Replace these negative phrases with positive affirmations.

I close this blog post with a scripture that I hope encourages you big time!

The post The Art of Resilience appeared first on ChurchPlanting.com.

It dawned on me one day that the Bible never commands us to plant a church.

When the disciples were sent out they were to bring the Kingdom (or reign) of God to the places where people lived life. When Paul and Barnabas went out, they didn’t think of their task as starting churches but as making new disciples of the King. Our command is to connect people to Jesus as their King. We are to extend the reign of Christ on earth. The byproduct of this work is church. We often think backward about these things. We think that if we start a church the kingdom will come and Jesus will be glorified. The truth is opposite of this. If we glorify Christ by bringing His reign to a new place the church will emerge in that place. But it will not stay there.

It will be a church on mission to bring Christ to the next town and the next territory.

The church is not meant to be the agent of change; Jesus is. The Bible doesn’t say, “For God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten Church.” The church is the result of the Gospel, not the cause. In a sense, we are confusing the fruit with the seed. We must plant the seed of the Gospel of the Kingdom, and the fruit that will grow will be changed lives living out their faith together…church. As my friend Alan Hirsch likes to comment, “We often hear that the church has a mission, but it is more correct to say that the mission has a church.

The post Make Disciples, Let Jesus Build the Church appeared first on ChurchPlanting.com.

Here are 4 things you must do as you begin your church planting journey:

1. Spiritual warfare is alive and well and should not be ignored!

Show up – prayed up, expecting there to be resistance. Our enemy doesn’t like the expansion of God’s kingdom, and if you are planting a church that’s going to make a difference, you are a target!  So don’t be surprised when your patience is tested and when things go sideways.

2. Networking in your community is vital!

It’s not only fundraising or planning great services. For those church planters that start with zero money and zero people, I believe that your core team can be found within the community in which God is sending you. As you network, ask God for divine connections and then see what He does :)

3. Be sure your vertical relationship is priority #1.

It is so easy to get into the “must do” part of church planting. If we ignore our relationship with Jesus, then what in the world are we really doing? Answer: Spreading hypocrisy from day one! We need to live out what we are professing and telling others to do.

4. Connect with those who have gone before you.

If you don’t have a coach, I highly recommend you get one. If you don’t have a coach, I pray that you would at the very least gather with pastors/ church planters who have gone before you and paid the “dumb tax” so you won’t have to repeat the same mistakes.

I understand that when you first start out, you will be a bit overconfident. Trust me – I know this. After a few months, you will realize that you need help. Get the help up front.

There is a big difference between theory and reality. There is also a huge difference between the churches that you have read about and your local context.

Pray.

Be patient.

It won’t happen overnight, but if God is in it, rest assured it will come to pass.

Read More Blog Posts by Jeff Hoglen

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This week try to:

INVEST

Try to invest in at least one person in your ministry to help them be a better person.

INVITE

Ask one person (maybe more) to join you in your work.

INQUIRE

Try to make one network connection with someone who does what you do, does it well, has been doing it longer, and is in a place where you could grow or get better at what you do by knowing them. I usually find these types of connections online. Find a like-minded church in the area and, if possible, meet these people for lunch occasionally, but this type of thing works if even by email or phone.

If you choose to accept this challenge I guarantee it to change your life dramatically for the good. Just kidding, but it might help. Does me.

Read More Blog Posts by Ron Edmondson HERE

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The five P’s have been essential in the assessment process that God revealed to me over time for a church planter to be successful. I have used the “5 P’s” with over 100 church planters with outstanding results. There is one more P that I am looking for which comes out of Steve Sjogren‘s influence on my life. The 5th and final “P” is the  Personal Gift of Gathering.

I have studied pastors and church planters throughout the country, and everywhere there is a thriving church planter, that planter has number six at the highest level.

I believe no matter whether it’s a house church or a church plant in the inner-city, or a church plant in the suburbs, the planting pastor has to possess these 5P’s.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a church plant in another culture, a church plant in a coffeehouse, a strip mall, or a church plant in a school, the planting pastor has to possess these 5P’s.

The Gift of Gathering has 4 characteristics.

1. They gather unusual numbers of people.
2. They gather an unusual amount of resources, from money to People, to misc. assets.
3. They gather ideas.

They don’t simply copy the ideas of others. Those with the gift of gathering always make the ideas better and suitable for their community, and their context of ministry.

4. Those with the gift of gathering gather gathers.

Haven’t you ever wondered why some churches have so many high-profile and influential people while other churches struggle to have high-impact people? The pastor who possesses the gift of gathering can be identified because they “Gather Gatherers.”

The most unproductive statement ever made it every church in America every Sunday is, “Invite a friend to church next week.” If everyone brought one person then of course the church would double. But the reality is, that a very small percentage have the gift of gathering.

I want to honor all other assessments because there are many good ones.

Here is the harsh truth, however: On average, the church plant failure rate is around 50%. Using this assessment process (The 5P’s), I have watched church planters with this particular profile succeed 97 to 99% of the time. Huge difference!

If a church plant fails, there is usually an investment of $300-$500,000 which is lost.

I want to make sure that we are good stewards of the money God entrusted to us for church plants at Union Chapel Church, as well as the millions of dollars entrusted to us at the Church Multiplication Association.

I have found that when the Holy Spirit equips a person, man or woman, with these 5P’s, something unique and special happens. In my organization Church Multiplication Association and now at Union Chapel Church in Muncie Indiana, this assessment has produced 82 out of 83 successful church plants. In the past 2 1/2 years, this assessment has led to six out of six successful church plants.

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Addressing the anti-leadership Backlash

On the interwebs I’ve noticed an anti-“leadership” backlash, as in: “Enough with the leadership books and materials—the Church is feeling too corporate!” There’s a reactionary desire for a more organic, less top-down approach. And the rash of mega and large church senior pastor failures has certainly fueled the fire.

I think that’s understandable, but let’s tread carefully and thoughtfully here. Regardless of the different leadership structures possible, leadership is critical. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. What’s more, the Bible actually has a lot to say about leadership and leaders…and is replete with good, bad, and downright ugly pictures of leaders.

I was recently reading Matthew’s account of Jesus when a simple verse seemed highlighted to me. Jesus had just encountered a group of religious leaders who were making their umpteenth attempt to trap him in a theological gotcha. It didn’t go well for them. But later as his followers asked him if he realized he had cheesed them off, he sidestepped the question and gave some very blunt instructions:

“Stay away from the Pharisees; they are blind leaders. And if a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a ditch.” MATTHEW 15:14

Ouch. Jesus was pinpointing leadership hypocrisy in a stunning indictment of a lack of integrity…and actually warned them to avoid bad leaders. Leaders are necessary, and he wasn’t telling them to not follow leaders. Just don’t follow bad ones.

Integrous leadership is essential. 

Non-integrous leaders are self-unaware; they don’t see themselves as they really are and are blind to their own shortcomings, incompetencies, and flaws. Those who follow them are not being led well and will eventually find themselves in the same self-deceptions and counter-productiveness. In other words, this specific group of leaders was not producing anything of real substance and, as a result, their followers were likewise unfruitful. Even worse, they were obstructing real Kingdom-work.

That’s dangerous.

In John’s gospel, Jesus metaphorically compared those who were unproductive in real Kingdom output to dead branches on a tree, pruned off so that the tree may be kept healthy and produce fruit again.

Effective leadership in the Church is crucial. And jealously guarded by God.

More Blog Posts by Dave Workman

About Dave Workman

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18-20 Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.

Many church planters and pastors who have been in ministry for more than a minute will often ponder the question of effectiveness. Are we making disciples as Jesus commanded, or are we simply making church consumers?

How can we know when we are in the church consumer business rather than the Father’s business of making disciples, baptizing believers, and teaching them?

Here are a couple of signs to look out for:

1. You devote most of your time, money, and energy to the weekend service. 

However, discipleship is so much more than a weekend production. Although discipleship can happen in our services, the majority occurs outside the four walls of the church. 

What is effective in your context? In some areas, Sunday School is still effective. Other towns and cities may have a bent toward small group discipleship. 

Find out what works, and remember to keep the main thing, the main thing. (The Great Commission + The Great Commandment)

2. You get backlash if you make a change in the weekend service

Why are some church leaders hesitant to make a change? Many churches are afraid to make any changes thinking it may upset “the formula” of the service. 

Can I tell you what the “not so secret sauce” is for an anointed service? It’s the Holy Spirit showing up in power! It is NOT the lighting, the position of the piano or pulpit, or the three fast songs and two slow songs at the beginning of the service.

3. The majority of first-time guests tell you they are there because of the children’s programs or________ (insert a popular area of ministry)

While this is not a tell-tale sign of a consumer-driven model, it is, at the very least, alarming. My heart is not to rearrange the Body of Christ but reach those far from Christ and make disciples of those who come. 

There is nothing wrong with having excellent ministry areas; that’s how it should be. We just shouldn’t, however, be promoting them to other believers. 

Instead, we should be viewing other churches in our area as partners and team members. Let’s work together and stop competing with each other!

Why? Because we are on the same team! Team Jesus! 

The question to ask ourselves:

Are we reaching people from other churches or are we doing our best to have a culture of outreach? 

If we are attracting people from other churches, we are feeding into church consumerism. STOP!

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