Category Archives: churches
The Shalom of the City
A few weeks ago, we launched thefeed.me to help people connect with the message and go just a step deeper in their personal bible study time. On thefeed.me you can listen to the previous week’s message, download a study guide, and every week see a new video that adds to the message.
This week, as I set the stage to make the vision more clear for our church, I preached through Jeremiah 29, and more specifically, vs 7…
Several months ago we partnered with Oak Ridge High School to set up the ORHS Threds Closet. A place that is available to students of Oak Ridge High School where school staff can equip them with the necessary items to feel comfortable, such as new pants, shirts, socks and school supplies. This is one of the many ways we can help bring welfare or shalom to the city of Oak Ridge.
I Want Something Different
In THIS recent article and latest survey from the Barna Research Group, they are declaring that most people are ready AND looking a different kind of church experience. They are “tired of the typical church experience.”
To me this brings up several questions…..
- What is the “typical church experience”?
- What is the future of the church experience?
- If people are tired of the “typical”, what does the non-typical look like?
I think these are healthy questions to answer, discuss and brainstorm. I’ve heard a lot of people argue now that the current church experience most churches offer are the “new traditional” experience. What was once defined by choirs, hymnals, a pulpit and call to worship has been replaced by a band, projectors and table or music stand. To that I would agree for the most part. However, every church has a different kind of culture it fosters making it somewhat different.
So where do we go from here? We obviously need to change and adapt to changing culture. So what does that look like? How can we continue to reach people in this ever changing culture?
I wish I had more answers, but for now, just lots of questions. What says you?
I Love Sunday Mornings
Now that The Ridge Community Church will be launching on Sunday nights vs the traditional Sunday mornings, I have the opportunity to enjoy the Sunday mornings in a way I have not been able to since I was about 8 years old. And yes, I take advantage of it!
The mornings usually goes something like this…
- Up early with Isaiah…feed, burp, play, change diaper
- Start brewing my Starbucks Sumatra Bold
- During this, it’s either a movie or Sportscenter
- Isaiah usually sleeps by this point, so I start cooking a Sunday breakfast…the good unhealthy stuff like sausage, waffles, bacon and eggs
- Next it’s off to church! I’m either visiting a church in the area with our team (like today) or heading over to Lifechurch.tv or as of today, my friends a Newspring who launch their new internet campus
Coward
Maybe it’s not the “right” thing to do here on my blog. Some people might say I should let it go. Others would say it’s trivial. I know I should get used to criticism and “haters” but there’s one thing that I can’t see myself getting used to…that’s a COWARD.
Coward, you read this blog. You cruise through here watching, reading, looking, checking up, and building up enough cowardly courage to jump. So you finally got the balls to say something. And you did it by ANONYMOUS EMAIL. I applaud you coward. Can’t even show your name or speak up as to who you are. You my friend are a COWARD. Ed Young should do a video on cowards and hater and get another million hits on Youtube. Maybe I’ll do a video on cowards and haters. Those that say they are “Kingdom Minded” yet spew vomit and stain God’s glory with their own chest beating. Yes, this is you coward.
As to your assumption in your email, I don’t have to answer to you, however I’ll give you something to stew on. Your opinion doesn’t stop me from following the passion that God put in my heart. You know nothing about that. That’s not the “God Card” either. Your opinion has no effect on me…it’s your cowardlyness that bothers me. Men say things to men face to face. Not by some anonymous email program that hides your email address. Cowards make things up to believe because the truth of things are too complicated for them to understand. Finding the TRUTH in something takes far too much intellectual ability. I will defend my church. I will defend the people that believe in the vision to reach people who are distant from God and the people that have given up comfort, security, and “normal” life to see people be awakened to life in Christ. And when it’s all over, I will answer to God for my actions, not the COWARD. Go on COWARD and attack the Kingdom of God…then you answer to HIM.
Prove me wrong. Show me you’re not a coward.
Thoughts From Elevation Part 2
Here is part 2 of continuing thoughts from our visit to Elevation Church in Charlotte NC.
- The core team at Elevation got together and answered the question, “What is the one thing we can be the best in the world at?” The difference between them and the rest is that they actually answered the question and put it into practice. They do one thing and do it well…Sunday morning.
- Don’t just SHOW people how to love their neighbor…TEACH them as well!
- Vision is what you DO-not what is SAID. You can talk vision all day long, but unless you actually do it, then everyone will eventually jump ship because you’re not following through on the vision you asked them to follow.
- Don’t create something on Sundays that can potentially compete with the Sunday worship experience. Sunday morning needs to be about Sunday morning…the worship experience
- Put TIME, PLANNING, and MONEY into what matters!!! Don’t just say it matters…SHOW that it matters!
