St. Lydia's

Our sabbatical continues, and today you get more than one photo.  Wohoo!  Lisa and I worshipped at St. Lydia's in Brooklyn, NY this evening.  If not the originators of the dinner church concept, then pretty close.  The concept is simple.  Host a simple meal, merge it with some elements of liturgy and a casual atmosphere of people talking to one another.  

As someone that usually enter's new situations with a tad bit of reluctance, it was nice to be put to work right away.  I washed dishes.  THe pre-wash, aka, washing the pots and pans that were used by Andie, this evenings cook.

It was the music that stole my soul.  Simple accapella singing and chant.  My mystical preferences were in delight.

Then there was the atmosphere and the bread, and of course The Bread.

Dec 31 - A Photo a Day

Well, at least that is the plan.  The goal is simple, post one photo per day for the next three months during my 2017 sabbatical. If I have words to add, I will, if not - well, be thankful you got the photo. We start today, Dec 31, 2016.

I was in a store today, picking up a few non-essential items for our trip, and as I exited, I noticed this sign. What a great idea!  What if our churches had something similar?  Forget the card in the bulletin, that no one uses. Instead, have them text you.  My guess is that if you get 50 texts over the course of a few months, 49 will be trivial and unhelpful.  Especially, the ones that you know are coming from Hank, who always complains.  But, you'll get one that just might be worth it.  In addition, visitors might be more willing to text than sign a guest book or fill out a card.  Just a thought.  

Day 1, the project begins.

“I Want My Old Church Back!”—Five Responses

The grief is both real and anticipatory.

The church member knows his or her church is in decline.

That member knows some things must change or the church is headed for more rapid decline or even death.

But change is difficult. These members want their old church back. They want to do things the way they’ve always done them.

That church of the past, however, will not return. The pace of change is faster than ever, and it will only increase.

How do we respond to these hurting, and sometimes, angry people? Here are five responses.

  1. Respond pastorally. These members are not just hurting; they are grieving. Some of them believe they can find a way to return to the church of the 60s, 70s, or 80s. When they finally realize that the past will not return, their grief intensifies. They need our love, our encouragement, our support, and our prayers. If our first response is to return anger with anger, we can exacerbate a difficult situation.
  2. Respond with reality. Do not give false hope to these members. That will only make the situation worse. Let them know gently and lovingly that change is inevitable. The church will either respond proactively to change, or it will be the victim of change. The latter is usually a death sentence.
  3. Respond with the non-negotiables. Assure the church member that there are some facets of church life that can never change. The Bible is still the Word of God. The gospel is still powerful. Christ is still the only way of salvation. In providing these non-negotiables, you are pointing the members away from the minors to the majors.
  4. Respond with an outward focused. Sometimes a church member’s longing for the past is indicative that he or she is inwardly focused. These members can possibly see church as a place to meet all their needs and desires. If possible, get them involved in ministries that take them away from their own preferences and desires to the world that needs our hope, our love, and our ministry.
  5. Respond with resolution. A few church members will fight for the past no matter how toxic it may be for the church and her future. Leaders have to resolve to move on. They cannot spend all their time coddling the disaffected to the neglect of those who are ready to make a difference. This step is a last step. It is a final alternative. It is the most painful. But it can be necessary for the health of the body as a whole.

These days are days of rapid change. Congregations have not been immune from the impact of the change. We must always love people. But we cannot let one or a few hinder us from the work to which God has called us.  via Thom Rainer

My Letter following the Election of 2016

Yesterday, we all awoke to a new reality in our country – indeed in our world.  The election that has consumed so much energy and time, and in a manner that was not at all reflective of our better selves, came to a conclusion.  I know from many conversations that we have people in our synod, in our congregations and communities who are dismayed and afraid, we also have others who view the results positively.

In the words of my colleague, Bishop Alan Gates: “Our national election is behind us, leaving in its wake a legacy of bitterness and hostility.  For some, alienation is the apparent reason for the election’s outcome; for others alienation is its result.  In either case, we face grievous division and manifest anxiety.”

In light of these election results, I believe it is incumbent upon us all to view ourselves as agents of healing.  We have wounds all across the spectrum, and I believe we need to address those wounds.  I will be candid and say that I have more questions than answers. 

How do we move forward?  What do we do with all the language of vitriol, hatred, threats, lies, accusations, racial & sexual discrimination that have been hurled around?  How do we address the economic anxiety that is very much a part of our country?  What is the role of the church in these times?  What is an appropriate prophetic voice for today?  Where is God in our emotional and intellectual response? And others…

I offer some wisdom from a family member who works in the field of election campaigns going back to 1980.  He writes: “Victory is never as revolutionary ‎as one imagines. Defeat is never the Armageddon we fear.  I’ve been there [on both sides over the years.]  We have a constitutional system that will continue. … ‎Yes there is a world of unknowns come January. But the policies that effect our lives will evolve with the traditional frustrating slowness of the legislative process.” 

Finally, I offer this prayer as a tool for each of us to take an inventory of our own place in this time of evaluation and healing.

 “God, our refuge and strength, you have bound us together in a common life.  In all our conflict, help us to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, to listen for your voice amid competing claims, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  -Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Pastoral Care book, p. 386  

Sincerely in Christ

 

Bishop James Hazelwood

Recovering the Art of Dialogue

Some recent quotes I've heard or read:

- Donald Trump has let pain in the room of US American politics.

- Martin Luther probably wouldn't have distributed the 95 theses, if he had to do it over again.

- I used to believe in programs, now I only believe in people.

- Why can't we believe in both individual responsibility & collective responsibility.

- I don't know what God is anymore, but I do know when I see Life.

- Politics is dead, we now need some new way of talking across our differences. 

These are a variety of statements that have stood out to me in my reading and conversations over this election year.  They come from people who are well known to the world as well as people who don't even have an online profile.  They have stuck with me.  I really don't know what they have to do with one another, but that's something I want to think about - out loud, here.  

So I am hoping over the next few months to use this space as a place for conversation on the subject of recovering the art of dialogue. Mynapproach will be to look at seemingly complex issues in our world today, and engage a both/and conversation, as opposed to an either/or debate.  This doesn't mean I plan to be neutral, but I do want to engage a broader view.

Why do this?  Mostly, it's selfish.  I've found myself locked into the same polarity that has gripped our country.  Of late, I'm realizing that this systemic shift in our national dialogue is actually leaving out space for solutions.  In short, we'd rather be justified in our positions, than find a solution.  

So this little experiment is really an opportunity to engage in topics no one wants to tyalk about, because they are so volatile.  I want to dive into those topics.  We will see where it goes, and if it goes.

 

 

The Election and Democracy and the Christian Voice

Vote.  Enourage others to Vote.

 

I had in mind a long reflective article on this subject.  Basically, my bottom line came down to the above, so I'll save your eyeball time.  November 8 is election day.  Not only for President, but other elected positions.  Those local ballot initiatives are important as well.  I'm not gonna tell you how to vote, you go figure that out for yourself.  All I'm doing here is telling you that you gotta vote, it's just part of the deal of being a citizen.

 

Dying Church Communication Practices... and some new life

Thom Rainer assembles some great resources for churches.  You should follow him.  yes, I know he is Southern Baptist, but the guy knows congregational life

Here are his thoughts on what's dying, at the Bottom, I talk about what's Living

Technological advancements and cultural changes have ushered in new practices in church communications. As a result, these seven practices are not only being replaced, they are dying.

  1. Clip Art. Thanks to the rise of easy-to-use and affordable graphic design, many churches have all but done away with clip art. What was once a staple of church bulletins has been replaced in many instances by designs that look professional and stylish.
  2. Bad Fonts. We all know the names—Papyrus, Comic Sans, Copperplate Gothic, and Algerian. If you do any kind of design work, you’re cringing right now. I know the Golden State Warriors have almost singlehandedly made Copperplate Gothic cool again, but there’s no reason to use any of these. With free Google Fonts and scores of free or cheap font websites at your disposal, there’s no need for your church to use trite, overused fonts in anything that you design or print.
  3. Printed and Mailed Newsletters. Speaking of which, if you’re still printing and mailing church newsletters, you’re in the minority. Email newsletters have all but replaced the printed and mailed church newsletter. They are quicker to deliver, cheaper to produce, and are often more effective in communicating information to your congregation.
  4. Verbal Announcements. Of the items on this list, verbal announcements are dying the slowest death. But many churches are opting for video announcements or slides in lieu of taking time out of a worship service for someone to give the announcements.
  5. Phone Trees. Social media, email newsletters, and texting have all but eliminated phone trees. What would possibly take hours in the past can now be accomplished in an instant through one mass text or email.
  6. Church Facebook Groups. When Facebook first began offering pages and groups, many churches set up groups in lieu of pages. That’s been corrected over the past few years. Facebook groups are still used, but typically it’s not the main, outward-facing presence a church has on Facebook.
  7. Signup Forms. Online registration and payment systems have contributed to the death of signup forms. I can remember tables of signup forms from when I was a kid. Now, my church has several online forms where I can register my kids for events, sign up for Wednesday night dinner reservations, or pay for a book to use in my small group.

The above are from Thom's blog, below are my thoughts on what we can do about it.

OK  So, these worked in the past, and some are still working, I think # 6 still has value for internal communication.

So what's working now.

First, let's acknowledge that churches are competing with a multi-billion dollar marketing monster.  We are not going to win that game.

Second, people are busy.  So it's really, really, tough to get your messsage out. You need multiple ways of doing it.  People need to hear it 7 times in many different ways before they absorb it.

Third, Video is the new king.  Spend the money and get trained at www.thevj.com Worth every penny.  Start using video.  We live in a screen world.  You don't need a $20,000 camera, your iPhone is all you need.  Most people are watching video on their phones, so who cares if it's in HD.

Fourth, still, the absolute BEST way to communicate is via personal invitation.  This has the highest success rate of any tool out there.

Fifth.  Go old school.  Little cards, and hand written notes, yup, they work too.  Why cause in an impersonal world, a personal note sends a message.  You matter.

It's the Spiritual, Stupid.

James Carvelle made famous the statement, "It's the economy, stupid." in 1992 during the presidential election.  It was made to his campaign staff as a way to focus their attention on the central issue that he believed defined that election year.  This post is not about the election, it's about what is central to the life of people who follow in the walk of Jesus.

It's the Spiritual.

Now before I describe some new/old ways I'm attempting to recover a more focused life in the spirit, let me begin by acknowledging that Lutheran theologians have often guarded against dividing the spiritual and the material.  We tend to see God in the everyday.  We don't divide out the spiritual life from the meal at lunch, the crucial conversation with your boss or the work you are doing for affordable housing in your community.  It's all integrated.  That's true for me as well.  

Lately, I'm finding a need to find a center that will help me live into those everyday experiences. The shape they are taking is found in three resources.

First is exercise and diet.  I've written about this elsewhere, so I won't go in to detail here.  But I'm amazed how eating well and exercising, even if it's just a walk in the neighborhood, has helped me connect with my body.  There is a spirituality to that.

Second, is this little book of Psalms in the translation by Eugene Peterson. I love reading a Psalm either outloud or quietly to myself.  Check it out.  The Psalms will come to life for you in ways they haven't for a long time.  Traditionalists tend to not like the Message versions of some of their favorite passages, and I get that.  So don't use it for Psalm 23, but read Psalm 58 for a new twist on the political reality of life in the 5th century BCE, and see if it doesn't apply to today.  Or lift your spirits with Psalm 103.  Such life.  Peterson is a poet with language.

Third is a app on my phone called HeadSpace.  It's a program of guided meditation for 10 minutes.  I start out everyday with this meditation.  It helps me center and focus.  One ways I adjust the meditation is instead of counting my breaths, 1,2,3,4.. as instructed, I use the Hebrew word for God Yahweh.  Breathe in Yah, breathe out Weh.  My wife introduced this idea to me based on a reading of Richard Rohr.

My morning is now ten minutes of HeadSpace, followed by a reading of a Psalm.  It's my place of Peace with God before tackling the daily ups and downs of this spiritual/material mixed up life.  So, far it seems the Peace of God is working her way into the everyday.

Are churches declining more rapidly now?

Thom Rainer posted this today.

 

“In the past, I’ve been able to lead churches to growth. I can’t do it anymore. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

A pastor shared those sentences with me just three days ago.

He was frustrated. He was confused. He was exhausted.

And he is not alone.

With some exceptions, it is indeed more difficult to lead churches to growth. Such is a reality that is about 15 years in the making. The obvious question is “Why?” Allow me to articulate five of those reasons.

  1. Cultural Christianity is declining rapidly. It is really a misnomer to call it “cultural Christianity,” since it’s not true faith in Christ. In the past, many people felt it was culturally, economically, or politically advantageous to be a part of a congregation, even if they weren’t true believers in Christ. These attending non-believers padded our numbers. Or to say it another way, the pool of willing attenders has diminished greatly.
  2. The exit of the Builder generation. The Builder generation has kept many churches alive, even if the congregations are on life support. This generation, born before 1946, is fiercely loyal to institutions, including local churches. They stuck with congregations in good and bad times. But, in 2015, there were only 28 million Builders left. Another 13,000 Builders die every week. The loyal generation is few in number and will soon be no more.
  3. Migration from rural areas and small towns to the cities. In 1790, only 5% of Americans lived in cities. By the 1960s, the percentage of Americans in cities skyrocketed to 65%. Today over 80% of Americans are city dwellers. Rural and small-town churches held on tenaciously to their members for over two centuries. But the population base for those tenacious churches has dwindled dramatically.
  4. Faster church transfers. Those who are transferring from one church to another are concentrating in fewer churches. Simply stated, a few churches are getting bigger at the expense of smaller churches. While that phenomenon has been in play for quite a while, it is now accelerating. The old barrier that held people in specific churches – family connections, denominational loyalty, and loyalty to a specific congregation – are no longer barriers today. People move with great freedom from church to church.
  5. Slow response to change as change accelerates all around us. Many churches are incredibly slow to change. For most of our American history, the pace of cultural and technological change was sufficiently paced for churches to lag only five to ten years. Now churches are lagging 20 and 30 years as the pace of change increases dramatically. To many attendees and members, the church thus seems increasingly irrelevant. To be clear, I am speaking about issues of style, methodology, and awareness, not changing doctrine or biblical truths. A church guest I recently interviewed said it clearly: “I stuck with my parents’ church as long as I could. But when we had a big blow up over projection screens in the worship center, I had enough. I wanted to go to a church where matters of minutia were not issues to fight over.”

If you think it is more difficult to lead a church to growth, you are right. If you have noticed the decline in your church is greater, you are probably right as well. And if you are to the point of realization that your church may die in the next few years, it may come sooner than that.