Wisconsin Dells

Posted on October 25, 2007 | Leave a comment

If you are in southwestern Wisconsin, by any chance, I’ll be keynoting a conference at the Kalahari Resort & Conference Center on Saturday, Nov 3 (9am-3pm). The conference is sponsored by the South Central Wisconsin Synod of the ELCA and is about helping congregations make the transition to attracting and keeping new generations who aren’t going to church right now. The title is actually “Are You Ready for What’s Next – Growing Life-Giving Communities of Faith.” More info.

I’ll paint the picture of the need for congregations to get out of ‘business as usual’ mode, but focus my time on laying out the paradigm of relevance and value needed and how it can be done in a way that can be contextualized. I’ll also be leading a breakout session called “From Unchurched to 2nd Time Visitor” to help congregations develop a heart and a strategy to reach and keep new people.

BONUS: Nate Bergengren and the band will be along as well. They will lead the opening and closing worship experiences and also provide a breakout session about how they understand and use music to reach people and connect people with the message of our worship service and each week and bring people into the presence of God. This won’t be just talk, they’ll show you! Many other breakout sessions by area church leaders will also be available. (Click ‘more info’ above.)

Anyone of any church background or non-background is welcome and I’m sure you can just show up, but I’d advise registering with the church office at scswoffice@scsw-elca.org or 608.270.0201. Hey, $20 will get you in and buy your lunch!

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Posted in change, church, church transitions, emerging church, jacob's well, Models of Ministry, music, worship

Building the Well

Posted on October 22, 2007 | 3 comments

Jacob’s Well Well

The discussion about the form of a covenantal relationship between a person and a specific church (often packaged as ‘membership’) has stirred up a lot of talk.  I’m not surprised. This definitely needs rethinking and experimenting.  If you know of other churches doing this in innovative ways (that seem to be working or not) get me connected.  I’d like to learn from them.

I believe that as we grow in faith we move from being ‘at church’ to get our fill, and on through being involved to make sure the community delivers what I like, to the realization that I am there to not only meet my needs and preferences, but to build it for God’s purposes and so that others can receive what I have received.  Okay, a long, run-on sentence.  But those are important points and steps.

I like the idea that the bricks and mortar of Jacob’s Well are made of flesh and blood.  We are a community, not a building.  A movement, not an institution.  Yes, that is a strange and oblique reference to Christ, but I what really mean is that WE are Jacob’s Well.

Becoming part of the Well should be a process, not a moment.  It is about learning the vision, throwing your weight behind it and helping it to happen and evolve.  It is learning and engaging, not signing and accepting.  Perhaps it is a process that isn’t static.  Something that people reaffirm yearly.

One thing I know for sure, cf Michelle’s comments to “Who wants to be a member?”, is that there is no special status conferred by this step of commitment to the vision of jacob’s well;  such as availability to baptism (yikes!  that chases grace right out of the sanctuary!), the expectation of giving, serving, (heavens… we’ll take anyone’s money or help!), or getting on a mailing list (we try to keep in touch with anyone who might feel that jacob’s well could add something to their life.)  However the process of choosing to build the well with your own flesh and blood would be a time to help people discern what it means to give generously and sacrificially, to serve in ways that reflect who they are and serve God’s vision for this community, to move from anonymity to identification,  etc.

How do we do it?  I’ve been a church professional forever… one of my liabilities.  I try to get out of the box and sometimes I do, but often I just swap boxes.  Examine the role and importance of commitment, and tell me how you read this.   Thanks!

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Posted in change, church, church transitions, discipleship, emerging church, jacob's well, ministry

Don’t be a dip, be a brick

Posted on October 12, 2007 | 4 comments

Okay, so that is a pretty flippant title, and probably not what we will say – even at Jacob’s Well, but I wanted to give you the sense of what I’m thinking.  Below is copy that is in our Sunday Paper (that is what we call the handout at our gatherings on Sunday.)

Building

the Well

Been drinking from the Well for a while?  Figure you might have something to contribute to making sure the well is full for others?  Then it is time to not just be dipping from it, it’s time to help build the well.

Mark your calendars now.  On Saturday, November 10, 9-noon (wake up food and beverages, and childcare up to age 10 provided) we will have a special experience for people who want to do more than just dip, they want to build!

This is for everyone.  Whether you’ve only been coming for a few weeks but know this is home, or whether you were here when Jacob’s Well was just an idea.  Does this sound like membership?  Probably, but it isn’t about getting your name on the roles, it is ‘honest, real, thinking and casual’ like the rest of Jacob’s Well.  We think it is the next step you’re thirsty for!

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Posted in change, church, church transitions, discipleship, emerging church, Models of Ministry

Happy Birthday, Spirit Garage!

Posted on October 11, 2007 | 2 comments

sg-namelogo.gif

10 years old this weekend!

Back in 1997 when no one I knew had any idea how to start a new church in a dense, urban, eccentric neighborhood of people who were disillusioned by church, a few people had a vision and a few were crazy enough to try it.  Spirit Garage was born in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis.  They pioneered trails that many of us, years later, have followed without having to bushwhack.  The emergent church of today has a debt of gratitude to the leadership and larger community of Spirit Garage!  No, they haven’t found all the answers, but they broke the ice, they said it was possible, they had fun, the gave legitimacy to what many were afraid to express and try.  And 10 years later they are still here.

This Sunday at 10:30 they will celebrate at their venue, the Music Box Theatre, the life they have had over these years.  But if I know them as well as I think I do, they will really be celebrating the life they hope to embody in the years to come!

So, go get your oil changed and consider it a toast to Spirit Garage.  I tip my radiator cap to Rob Norris-Weber, Ryan Torma and John Kerns (Kernsy) and the many mechanics who keep the community tuned up.

And while you are at it, send them a donation to build the next decade with!

Spirit Garage – the church with the really big door
4100 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55409 

Note: Spirit Garage is sort of our sister congregation.  They were started as an outreach ministry of the same congregation that birthed Jacob’s Well, Bethlehem Lutheran Church.   Hats off to them too, this is a great day celebrating their vision having come to life.  Spirit Garage continues to be an arm of Bethlehem, but with complete creative and organizational autonomy.  Jacob’s Well is an independent congregation (they didn’t want us anymore… 😦 )

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Posted in change, church, church launching, emerging church, Vision

Who wants to be a member?

Posted on October 10, 2007 | 10 comments

You will be assimilated

That’s the Borg Cube from Star Trek. Remember them? They are the ones who cruise the galaxy and ‘assimilate’ everyone so they are no longer who they were, but who the Borg are. No one wants to be one, except those already in. When we talk about becoming ‘a member of the church’ people look at us like we are the Borg invading their otherwise happy universe. In fact, even of our ‘regulars’ at Jacob’s Well (who invest generous amounts of time, passion, expertise and money in the community) react like, “You’re kidding, aren’t you? We aren’t going to do that ‘membership thing’ are we?”

Yet as David Stark taught me some years ago, the problem isn’t that people won’t commit anymore, people commit to all sorts of things all the time. Got a cell phone contract? I rest my case. The question people ask is “Is it worth my investment of time, money, energy, etc to make the commitment?’ Likewise, when I talk about what happens when we do commit to something and understand the truth of our relationship to the growing, developing organism that we call Jacob’s Well they think it is great. When I ask them to think of being a member not as having their names in the book, but like my arm is a member of my body – the arm is lifeless and both are incomplete without each other – then they get it.

Clearly committing to a movement and a community they believe in isn’t the problem. The language is. “Member” triggers an allergic reaction that says, “Oh oh, they are just like all those other churches. They really are just an institution and want us to keep them alive.”

I believe committing to a local church in a very concrete covenanting way isn’t only a good thing, I think it is an essential part of committing to a life of following Christ. The local church is the manifestation of Christ’s body in a specific location. It is the means through which God can touch the lives of people in all fullness. We are looking at ways to talk about and do it.

Before I say what we are thinking of doing I would like to hear your thoughts, reactions and experiences.

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Posted in church, church transitions, discipleship, emerging church, Models of Ministry, unlearning

I can’t unravel the web of preparing worship and doing ministry

Posted on October 6, 2007 | 6 comments

weave

So when do you decide you are spending too much time preparing for worship services and setting up systems, and not enough time ministering to people? Or vice versa?

I am in one of my busiest and most stressful times as a pastor, but it is right now that people are coming forward seeking help from our community. I know it isn’t my job to do it all, but I’m often the first stop. An easy conclusion would be that it is time to worry less about all the details. Maybe that last creative element for Sunday that we are trying to pull off isn’t really all that important, just free up time to “be there,” to minister to people.
But then I stop and realize that the reason the person came to Jacob’s Well, and came back, and finally felt permission to open up the pain inside was because of creative elements that we painstakingly prepared and presented.

It is an intricately woven fabric of telling the story, opening lives and touching them with the presence of God. There is balance, but there is no formula. It is always follow God doing the best you can with what you have. Keep your eyes wide open and remember that both ministry and God inspired creativity have a tendency to happen when you haven’t planned on them.

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Posted in God, jacob's well, love, ministry

The Irrestible Revolution

Posted on October 6, 2007 | 1 comment

Shane Claiborne’s The Irresistible Revolution

I meant to include a reference to Shane Claiborne‘s book The Irresistible Revolution on the last post about the church getting involved in changing the world, not just changing themselves.  Following the path begun by people like Jim Wallis (who wrote the forward) he is setting out a great challenge for the church today.  I don’t think what Shane is doing can be normative, but it also cannot be ignored.  We read this as a staff last winter and it continues to mold our thinking and hopefully our development as a church.

The UpperRoom has had Shane visit and has used this book as group study material.  Sounds like a good idea to me.

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Posted in church, discipleship, ethics

Political as well as Personal Relevance

Posted on October 5, 2007 | 1 comment

The paragraph below is part of reader Jenna’s very articulate comment on my post “Being Christian isn’t a good thing anymore.”

“...what about bigger problems like racism, poverty, and lack of access to education? Many churches focus on these issues at the global level, but problems like these are very present in Minneapolis…”

Boy, I know what she means. I’m going to try to respond and I’ll bet my response won’t be wholly satisfactory to anyone, including myself. So I’d love more people weighing in on this.

1. Yep, we do have to raise our voice as followers of God. The Bible consistently balances (if not trumps) the personal impact of faith with the societal impact of it. I do not think the societal (or political) is anymore important, but that God is highly suspicious of any manifestation of faith that doesn’t start reshaping the world around it.

2. Politics are dangerous in church. Here’s why. Not because we aren’t supposed to be political, but because politics tries to regroup us according to our stands on issues and stake its claim on us as its adherents. That isn’t the job of politics, that’s God’s job. Our only unwavering adherence should be to the gospel and its transforming power in us and through us. When church bodies (local, regional, national) have taken political stands on issues they have usually done it badly. They take votes that make losers and winners, dividing the unity of Christ. Losers either leave, alienated from the dialog that might have furthered understanding and growth; or they retreat until they can mount their forces to overthrow those who won last time.

3. One of the core values of Jacob’s Well is “We value unity and diversity. We focus on the mission that unites, rather than the details that divide.” How do we do that? It isn’t easy, but we already hold a large range of diversity in our community with almost no conflict. If we only do that by avoiding issues it is bankrupt, but I don’t believe that is the case. My vision is that the church is called to convict people with God’s desire for justice and compassion. The church has to be ‘prophetic’ about what the real issues are. The action, however, is a response of faith. It is individual and we are called to be tolerant of and engaged with each other despite our varied approaches. Face it, we never know for sure when we are right. It is the church’s place to say, “Racism is a problem. Here are some of the things the Bible says about it. Here are questions that we as people who carry Jesus’ cross with him are called to figure out and act on.” But it is not the church’s place to say, “This is the only right response to racism.” Or “This is the right stand on the issue of racism.”

4. I will freely admit that this is a growing area for me to learn how to walk the precarious edge of calling a community to action in the political/social sphere, but not endorse policies or candidates. We are trying to learn, however. We did a series (IMUR) some months ago working from Jesus’ “I am” statements in John’s gospel. Two weeks focused on local justice issues with expert guest speakers. One dealing with poverty and race issues in our neighborhood, and another with Muslim/Christian relationships. Two Muslim speakers helped me with deliver that message. This summer we did a series (Is God Green?) dealing with environmental issues and capped it off by having our worship one Sunday be actually working on projects that improved the environment. We gave everyone a dvd afterward with a message from me (and another for kids) to help interpret the experience. (If you want a copy of the dvd, let me know.)

5. We believe everyone should have a ministry within the church and a mission beyond it. That will be a goal for Jacob’s Well forever. That ‘mission beyond’ will be different for every person, but we will try to help everyone see that their voting, their voices to elected and appointed government officials, their volunteering, their influence over friends and neighbors, and their mere presence in the community should be understood as part of their mission.

Sorry for so long a response, but Jenna hit a hot button for me that I wrestle with a lot.

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Posted in church, discipleship, ethics, God, jacob's well, ministry, mission, precarious, Vision

UnFocused, UnConnected & UnCommitted

Posted on October 4, 2007 | 1 comment

Following on the discussion of people liking Jesus and not liking the church, my experience  is also that people consider themselves ‘spiritual,’  but not ‘religious.’   Spiritual is a good thing, religious is not.  I know what they mean and feel.  Spirituality is the raw experience, the relationship with that which we call God.  Religion is how we practice it.  Spirituality is the real thing, religion is the human-made construct we use to follow it.  Religion should always be subservient to the spirituality it is trying to nurture.  This relationship has a tendency to turn itself upsidedown, however.

The problem is that without ‘religion’ (i.e. some form of organized pattern of nurturing and sharing that which is spiritual) ‘spirituality’ suffers.  In fact what I find is that most people who consider themselves to be spiritual, but not religious have an UnFocused, UnConnected and UnCommitted spirituality.  And consequentially an immature spirituality.  Those 3 words are very important.

This provides a church with a lens through which to examine what it offers and what it seeks to accomplish.

  • Can we help people focus what they call spiritual?  While we have to make sure our God is big enough, we don’t benefit from approaching God like a buffet line.  “I’ll take a little of this and a little of that in my god.”
  • Likewise can we connect people together on their spiritual journeys?  We can’t do it alone.  We weren’t meant to.  We need to learn from and teach each other.  We need encouragement and accountability.
  • Can we offer meaningful, relevant commitment.  Not like becoming due paying members of a club, but we grow when we “run the race with perseverance that was set before us.” (Hebrews 12.1)  Contrary to what many people are saying, younger generations arenot unwilling to make commitments.  (I know a 26 year old who just took on a 40 year mortgage!)  They just want to make sure what they are committing to is worth their investment.  Commitment to spiritual growth makes it happen.

We are all spiritual beings, and finding focus, connection and experiencing the benefit of commitment to what we value above all other things is like a cool drink to a parched and thirsty life.

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Posted in church, discipleship, emerging church, Models of Ministry

Jesus “Yes” – Church “No”

Posted on October 4, 2007 | 1 comment

jesus-not-church-book.jpg

Anyone read Dan Kimball‘s recent book, They like Jesus, but Not the Church? I’m looking for recommendations and discussion. Here’s a link to a review by Christianity Today via Outreach.com

Looks good to me and certainly ties into a lot of how I see the “given up” viewing our faith. Jesus is good, he is a person, like them. The institution of the church, however, is seen much differently. Suspicion of institutions in general, and distrust of the organized church in particular abound in our culture and are spreading.

One of the interesting things I have noted is that when most institutions fail their “leader” either goes down with them, or that person’s personal failure is the cause of the institution’s demise. Not so with Christendom. While the institution of the church is on the rocks (and Christendom is dead, except in a few museums of our faith) the leader, Jesus, remains in high regard. My “given up” neighbors are most often not ready to say Jesus is the Son of God, but they give him a status above other leaders. They want to know more. And almost across the board they say, “If the church were more like Jesus, I’d be interested.” Which reminds me of Gandhi’s quote, “I love your Christ, it is your Christians that I have trouble with.” (not an exact quote…)

Which is why at Jacob’s Well we don’t talk about being Christian, but being a Christ follower. We don’t call ourselves “Jacob’s Well Church.” But in connecting ourselves to the church idea we do it by saying things like, “The kind of church you’re thirsty for” or “a church for people who don’t like church.” People get it.

Anyone read Kimball’s book? Recommendations or discussion?

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Posted in church, emerging church, God, jacob's well, Jesus