Bigger Than You

Hello Emmanuel,

Why do people go to church?  There are lots of different answers for this:  obligation, worship, social activity, hopefulness, faithfulness, social standing…. Oh… and to see the pastor…  or.. to be seen by the pastor.

While some reasons are good and others a bit shallow, I believe that many have a deep-seeded desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves.  For myself, I constantly struggle with the tension of working with people and avoiding people.  While I know working with people is preferable to being a healthy church, my selfish side, at times, wants to avoid people because working with people is… well… so MUCH MORE WORK!

And yet I work with people because it is almost always the right way to go.  It creates a healthier church; is more rewarding; is truer to my Call; and at the end of the day, I simply feel more fulfilled in how I’ve spent my time and energy.

I believe God puts in me a deep-seeded desire to be a part of something bigger than just me.  I believe this, to various degrees, is true of most everyone.  As I have visited various churches of various sizes, the same question came back to me.  Why do people come to this church?

The answer?  One particular Sunday I sat in an auditorium that could seat over 2,000 people and listened to the pastor talk about monster ministries that impacts entire communities, even on the other side of the world.  The worship service brought alive the new church that was being built in South Africa and how you could be a part of it.  The message was direct.  ‘You can be a part of this blessing’.  ‘You can be a part of something so much bigger than yourself’.  And it was big and it was important.  And people flocked to the church… thousands even.

Not just missions, but in everything the church did, it made sure people understood how important it was.  Children’s ministry, hospitality, small groups, youth programs, on and on.  The leadership believed it was important and important to communicate how important it was to get you, an important person, involved.  Get it?

While it may sound like a sneaky marketing tool, it delves into people’s deep-seeded desires to be a part of something really big and important.  And guess what?  God is all about big and important stuff.  God doesn’t have an inferiority complex.  Every act of love and hope and faith is important…. And it is big.  It is big because too much of the world has too little love and hope and faith.  And God wants you to be an important part of putting more love, hope and faith into the world.

Starting September 8^th, I will be preaching a series called ‘Bigger Than You’.  Each Sunday will describe from different perspectives how your life and the life of the community can crisscross and create something that you could never do by yourself.  There is a synergy about church life.  Don’t know what synergy is?  (hint:  2+2=8).  Come find out.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Good AND Scary

Hello Emmanuel,

I was welcomed back with open arms yesterday.  I was relieved that I didn’t forget how to preach and genuinely glad to see the people of Emmanuel again.  As I think about the weeks ahead, however, I feel I need to give fair warning.  A pastor coming back from sabbatical can be both really good and really scary for the church.

First, the really good……

I am reinforced by the fact that Emmanuel is a well-organized, vision-driven church.  What this means is that when the pastor disappears for 6 weeks, the leaders of Emmanuel are not suddenly lost with what to do next.  Emmanuel can continue to go about the business of being the church because they have a focus on what God wants them to do, and not necessarily relying on the every word and action of one person… mainly the pastor.  This, in fact, was the case at Emmanuel.  It’s a good thing.

However, I must also be honest and recognize there still needs to be a person at the helm.  Over time, a church can go astray from the vision.  This is human nature in any church and, for that matter, any organization.  I was told it is sort of like a person guiding the rudder of a big ship, helping make small adjustments here and there to help keep the ship going in the right direction.

Second, the scary……

I went on sabbatical mostly to rest, but also to learn.  And I did learn.  Emmanuel is a healthy church, but not without its challenges.  For better or worse, the pastor is also one to put forth those challenges and encourage the church to make changes for the better.  These challenges can be easy or difficult or sometimes even painful.  And it is the role of the pastor to take first steps to help make them happen.  This means that sometimes difficult decisions need to be made. 

God isn’t done with us.  Being content with how we are doing simply isn’t a good idea.  I intend to keep pushing Emmanuel.  While many people feel great about what we are doing for God, I spend just as much time thinking about what we can do for God but haven’t yet. 

For example, we helped 210 children with school supplies yesterday at our Back To School Bash.  This is awesome!  We also gave away 59 backpacks!  This is also awesome.  We should celebrate this and give thanks to God.  The other half of my mind (and spirit) is wondering what we are going to do next year when 280 children show up.  Much like the issues around worship services, Small Groups, the Easter Egg hunt, Breakfast with Santa and so on…….  As we are able to bless more and more people, more and more people will want to be blessed.  The potential is essentially endless.  That is the nature of Grace.

What God is able to help us do is so much more than what we’ve already done.  So be ready to be challenged.  I will be here to help you through it.  In the end, it will be a lot of fun.  And our spirits will burst with joy and fulfillment.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

I'm Baaaaaack...

Hello Emmanuel,

I’m baaaaaack…   I have returned from my 6 week sabbatical and it was wonderful.  I have rested, reconnected with my Call and learned much.  Before I delve into the juicy details, I want to thank everyone who has supported (and encouraged) me through this process.  I’m glad I did it. 

During my time I visited 6 churches that were very different from one another.  I saw some great, good, bad and ugly.  I visited a church that averages 100 per week and a church that averages 10,000 per week.  I listened to sermons and I listened to really good sermons.  I was warmly welcomed in some places and some places not so much.  I heard about mission work that went beyond what I thought was possible.  I saw excellent strategies for making the Christian Faith relevant.  I also saw how churches can unintentionally (or intentionally?) exclude people from life-transforming experiences.  I realized how blessed I am to be in a church that has a clear Vision and purpose.  I also have learned how we may be able to get even more effective in ‘making disciples of Christ’ as we move forward.

I also learned how to check the time during a sermon to see if it was time to leave yet (without my wife noticing).  I was able to sing to good music without thinking ahead to what I had to do next.  I learned that there are 1,689 ways to organize a church, more than one of them effective.  I learned that warehouses are popular places for new churches.  I learned that suit and ties are still in style and I could still wear shorts and get away with it.  I re-learned that effective ministry is 80% good communication (and it may be higher).

One constant lesson that was affirmed within me—and the one that I am most glad about:  church is about relationships with God and each other.  That is the one reality I will not let go of.

My journeys took me across the country…. Literally… as I visited Delaware and California and Georgia.  I could say that it was all for study, but I can’t lie (I’m a pastor after all).  I got to see the Reds lose 5 games in a row on the West Coast and only got mildly sunburnt on the beach in Delaware (that’s a win for me). 

I look forward to sharing my learnings with anyone willing to listen--- and some who may not be willing.  Most of all, I look forward to re-connecting with Emmanuel quickly and listening to all that went on while I was gone.

While sabbaticals can be tough on the short-term, the long-term benefits can greatly outweigh any bumps.  I intend to make this be so. 

Now I’m on to sorting through the 350 emails.  I have work to do.

I’m ready to roll.