Why Did We Do That?

Hello Emmanuel,

Today’s topic:  culturally relevant ministry

I’m not into scrapbooking.  To be honest, I don’t get it at all.  Lots of glue and pictures and cutouts are just going to make a big mess.  Scrapbooking isn’t the only thing I don’t get.  I don’t get karaoke (I can’t even spell it right… thank you, spellcheck).  I don’t get passion for music or investing much time in cooking fancy stuff or woodworking or landscaping or working on cars.  One might say I am rather a boring person…. Except that I do have a few passions.  One of them:

Culturally Relevant Ministry

I might be boring, but I really like allowing a church to not be boring.  If Emmanuel took after my personality, I truly think few people would attend.  However, as I spoke about on Sunday, self-awareness is an important quality in which to take advantage.  Therefore, I put forth energy to stay out of the way and let others create a non-boring church.

If the community is ever going to realize that Emmanuel has something to say to them that matters, they need to see and experience that Emmanuel is going to offer activities that directly impact their interests.  Ministry needs to be culturally relevant.  There are many people who like to scrapbook.  And since, to my knowledge, Scripture does not suggest that scrapbooking is a sin, then let people scrapbook.  People came and hopefully recognized that Emmanuel wants to matter to them.  Emmanuel wants to be relevant to the community…. Not just the church members.

There are those who like to do crafts or dress up for Halloween or karaoke or square dance or see puppet plays or eat or play cards……. Just because I may not get it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t happen.  On the contrary, we leaders of the church should be looking for ways to be relevant to the community even if we don’t understand the community’s interests.  As long as we don’t compromise our very basic (and simple) understanding of God’s expectations of us, then why not go to great lengths to help the community see that we matter.

Culturally Relevant Ministry

Being relevant gets us closer to our purpose for the community.  If we matter to the community, the community will more likely take to heart what we have to say:  God loves you.  God wants you to be his disciple.  Are you willing to love like God wants you to love? 

When a church is irrelevant, people don’t care what you have to say.  But when people spend time in the building doing what matters to them, they just might start listening to what matters to us.  Why?  Because who isn’t willing to listen to someone who cares about them? 

It’s a basic concept that Jesus used.  He went to the people and spoke on their turf about what mattered to them first, whether it was healing or religion or family or money.  Then after he showed them that they mattered to him, he spoke up.  And for many, he started mattering to them.

Culturally Relevant Ministry

I hope we all understand why we reach out; why we invite; why we welcome.  It is because we want God to matter to everyone possible.  So scrapbook away! 

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Our Annual Opportunity

Hello Emmanuel,

Introduce yourself.  Make an acquaintance.  Maybe make a friend.

I’ve identified unique themes for the month of January in regards to our worship services at Emmanuel.  I suspect they are similar in other churches as well.  This is my 5^th January at Emmanuel and I have begun to look for these themes every year.  So far, it hasn’t failed me.

I’ve mentioned before how attendance spikes in the first few months of the calendar year, especially in January.  Not to bore you with numbers, but Emmanuel is about 10-20% higher in January than the yearly average attendance for the year.  If you aren’t interested in numbers, keep reading.  If you are, keep reading. 

It isn’t just about the numbers, but who makes up the numbers.  Every year there are a handful of people whom you have never met or even seen who start out with the intentions of committing themselves to worship on a regular basis.  We are seeing that at Emmanuel already.  This will last, sometimes, as long as the year.  Most probably it will last only a few months.  In some cases, it will only be a few weeks.

Introduce yourself.  Make an acquaintance.  Maybe make a friend.

In addition, I watch irregular attenders sometimes become regular attenders.  Sometimes it becomes a permanent change in worshipping habits.  Most of the time, however, it lasts for a few months…. Maybe until just after Easter.  People want to make a bigger commitment to worship God.  The attempt is made.  January is a popular time for attempts, successful or not.

Introduce yourself.  Make an acquaintance.  Maybe make a friend.

There are congregations out there that would love to have the opportunity to make new connections with new people---to show them that God cares they are coming to be a part of the faith community.  The first difficult step is to provide the kind of church community that is attractive enough to the unchurched that they are willing to visit, even if only out of curiosity.  Sadly, there are churches that struggle to just get past step one.  I believe Emmanuel has got past step one. 

Step two is to offer authentic and relevant faith that understands the basics of grace and unconditional love.  Again, while Emmanuel is not perfect, it is able to communicate this for the most part.  It isn’t necessarily so easy when the church is full of sinners, however.  But we keep trying and, in my most humble opinion, do adequately.

The third step:  to introduce yourself; make an acquaintance; maybe make a friend.

The tipping point for many who want to renew their commitment to the church is whether or not they feel they are connected to the community in real, practical ways.  Even as Emmanuel as grown, please realize that many have also left the church, sometimes to go elsewhere and sometimes to go nowhere.  I have not done any kind of scientific study, but many of the comments that I lock away in my mental file is that, right before someone leaves the church, if they have any concern, it is that they don’t feel a connection.

Introduce yourself.  Make an acquaintance.  Maybe make a friend.  Be a connection.  Be that person that the newly committed attender looks forward to talking with.  Be that person who missed them when they weren’t there.  Don’t just care, but show that you care.  Don’t be afraid.  Jesus cares.  You should too.  I have yet to have a person tell me that they are going elsewhere because they felt someone cared that they were there or not.

Ultimately, this isn’t about trends or number.  This is about seizing the opportunity to encourage someone else to connect with God on a spiritual level.  People are most likely to do that if they have friends who are doing that.  God created us to be in community together.  When we are, then we are most likely to see God’s purpose for our lives….. and purpose is what drives us to act and speak and do.  Mix purpose with divine intent and you have a church who goes about connecting people with God.

No church will ever be everything for everyone, including Emmanuel.  But when you help people understand that you care, that is a first step to helping them see that God cares.  When people believe that God cares, they tend to stick around…… and make friends with others who will show up next January.

Such is the life at Emmanuel.  Keep the circle going.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Holy Freezing Nose Hairs, Batman!!!

Hello Emmanuel,

You know it is cold when your nose hairs freeze.

Okay…. Probably not the way to start your Monday, but you’ll agree that it is nasty cold outside!  This only magnifies the ongoing issue that goes on in our house.  We have a teenage boy who doesn’t define cold as Mom defines cold.  As a result, the choice of apparel as he leaves the house constantly ends up in a conversation similar to the following:

Mom:  where is your coat??!?!

Teenage Boy:  I don’t need a coat.

Mom:  It is COLD outside.  Get a coat on!

Teenage Boy:  But it’s not cold!

Mom:  I don’t care.  Get a coat on… and a hat while you’re at it…. And where are your gloves???

Teenage Boy:  (suppresses eye roll and decides that silent obedience is the better part of valor)

Consistent with my attempt at wisdom, I avoid getting involved (mostly because my definition of ‘cold’ varies also).  I also have memories of running across the street to school in jeans and a t-shirt regardless of the weather.  My justification involved the fact that I could get from my front door to the school’s front door in about 8 seconds if I ran.  Why would I waste time with a coat?  Exactly.

So what about you?  What about your definition of ‘cold’.  Our definitions vary, not just from a physical aspect, but also from a spiritual aspect.  For some, getting a taste of ‘church’ and hearing a message twice a year is good enough, thank you very much.  On the other hand, there are those who are ridden with self-inflicted guilt if they miss a Sunday for any reason.  Most of us are somewhere in between.  How do you measure your needs when you discern the temperature of your spiritual self?  Ah!  Maybe that is the wrong question.

God wants you to be engaged with Him.  Maybe it isn’t a question of how much you need.  Maybe it’s a question of how much God wants from you.  2014 can be a year when you stop looking at yourself and start looking to God.  If you believe that God won’t ask any more than you can give, then why fear pursuing the desires of God for your life?  The reality is that God will likely bless you more than you could ever bless yourself.

Now to be clear, this isn’t really about church either.  To be intimately engaged with God can be made possible by being involved with a healthy church.  However, your relationship with God goes beyond church.  It speaks to a personal relationship that the church can help foster.  How much does God want from you?

I challenge you to use 2014 as a year to gauge the difference between what you think you need and what God desires for you.  It may not be easy.  It may even be painful.  In my experience, there is an angst involved with listening to God’s voice.  You don’t know where He may lead you.  In my experience, there are also blessings involved.  I am glad to be His follower.  I hope you are too.

May your spirit stay warm in 2014

God is Good,

Pastor Joe