post-methodist

church growth and Kentucky Fried Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:44:00 +0000

I just finished reading Bishop Willimon's book about salvation, "Who Will Be Saved?" The last couple pages had some really good quotes about church growth and decline. Some are pretty funny.

"Any congregation that is not growing-not restlessly probing the world, not reaching with Christ, not curious about what new beachhead Christ has obtained lately, not getting hammered by the world for having lunch with people like Zacchaeus- is not a faithful church." (130)

"'So, it's all about numbers is it?' This is the predictable response to my connection of ecclesiology and growth. It is unimaginable that Saint Luke, Saint Paul, or Saint John Wesley would understand the alibis that are offered for church decline and death under the guise that we are so faithful to Jesus, so theologically responsible that we are dying by attrition. Is it all about numbers? Take it up with Jesus." (130)

"When asked why the Episcopal Church in America is in precipitous decline, the presiding bishop replied that most of the growth is growing churches is through births to parents who are already church members and that the Episcopal Church, since it draws upon the better educated classes of society has a lower birthrate so therefore....Not one of the presiding bishop's better thoughts, I think." (130-131)

"I just closed a church after a seventy-year run. Their dying words were, 'There is no one anywhere near our church who might join our church.' What they meant is, 'We are in the middle of the greatest population growth that is all of a color and a language other than our own and it makes us uncomfortable that Jesus expects us to recognize them as part of us.' Church growth is an expected essential byproduct of a Savior who is relentlessly out on the prowl for fresh disciples. Church decline is an expected result for a church that refuses to follow a Savior who is relentlessly out to grow God's kingdom." (131)

"It really gets me that Kentucky Fried Chicken loves the people of West Birmingham more than my church loves them, has found a way to build and maintain the best-looking place in West Birmingham whereas we United Methodists have mostly abandoned that part of the city. Belief in Christian salvation should produce as least as compassionate and bold a business that sells soggy chicken." (131)

success and equipping

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Tue, 12 May 2009 19:55:00 +0000

I'm just finishing up a really great book by Don Cousins called "Leadershift." Here are some of the things I hope to remember and apply:

What is Success?

- Success is being faithful – doing what God has called you to do, using that which He has given you.
- Success is bearing fruit, both internally and externally (internally as the fruit of the Spirit characterizes who you are; externally as the gifts of the Spirit make you a person of Christlike influence).
- Success is experiencing fulfillment, entering into the joy of God (see. Matt. 25:23) as you faithfully bear fruit out of that which God has given you.
- Success is making God famous by serving in “the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:11). The aim and the result of faithful, fruitful, and fulfilling service is to make God famous. (241-242).

Equipping

“The job of all leaders is to help their followers discover and use their gifts. This is the heart of what it means to equip the saints for the work of service” (236).

“Believers become a force of incredible influence when they begin using their gifts in an area of passion. The leaders’ job is to help them discover the piece of God’s heart deeded to them. This will require some exploration, experimentation, and the affirmation of the Holy Spirit in times of prayer” (240).

“Unfortunately many leaders focus their attention on the needs instead of the servers, and as a result, see servers as a means to an end. I call this approach, ‘usery,’ and it’s the opposite of equipping. ‘Usery’ takes something from someone in order to accomplish something else. Equipping gives something to someone for the purpose of building that person up. Leaders who focus their attention on accomplishing ministry objectives see the saints as the workforce to getting that done. They value a person’s contribution more than they value the person. The saints become a means to an end. Again, ‘usery’ – but no one wants to be used” (243).

perry noble on preaching

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:50:00 +0000

I'm always interested in hearing about how other people prepare sermons. Here's Perry Noble giving away the process he uses.

The Art of Possibility

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:35:00 +0000

I finished The Art of Possibility last week. And it was a very mind-opening read. I would recommend it. Each chapter is memorable slogan to represent a practice that the authors are trying to teach.

Here are the practices:
1. It's All Invented
2. Stepping into a Universe of Possibility
3. Giving an A
4. Being a Contribution
5. Leading from Any Chair
6. Rule Number 6
7. The Way Things Are
8. Giving Way to Passion
9. Lighting a Spark
10. Being the Board
11. Creating Frameworks for Possibility
12. Telling the WE Story

I recognize that these won't make much sense without expanations. You might want to read it for yourself. You'll probably enjoy it, but it is not a quick read. Its a "read a chapter and chew on it for a day and then read another one" kind of book.

cool quotes about potential

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:07:00 +0000

"The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already." ~ John Buchan

"Focus on your potential instead of your limitations." ~ Alan Loy McGinnis

"If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never." ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Compliments of Leadership Wired

making a difference

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:59:00 +0000

This story has meant a lot to my good friend, Lon. I like it too.

Strolling along the edge of the sea, a man catches sight of a young woman who appears to be engaged in a ritual dance. She stoops down, then straightens to her full height, casting her arm out in an arc. Drawing closer, he sees that the beach around her is littered with starfish, and she is throwing them one by one into the sea. He lightly mocks her: "There are stranded starfish as far as the eye can see, for miles up the beach. What difference can saving a few of them possibly make?" Smiling, she bends down and once more tosses a starfish out over the water, saying serenely, "It makes a difference to this one." (The Art of Possibility, 55)

being a contribution

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:25:00 +0000

I'm currently reading The Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Ben Zander. Seth Godin said on a Catalyst podcast that if there was one book that he would recommend it would be this one. In this book they are trying to blow open old paradigms of comparison and scarcity with new paradigms of abundance and possibility. Ben Zander is a world renowned orchestral conductor, and Ros is a therapist/coach of some sort. Of course, since its largely secular, I must screen it all through the Bible, but it is refreshing to be sure.

Each chapter presents another catch phrase for reframing paradigms. I read part of the fourth one last night, which is entitled "Being a Contribution." Here's a blurb:

Unlike success and failure, contribution has no other side. It is not arrived at by comparison. All at once I found that the fearful question, "Am I loved for who I am, or for what I have accomplished?" could both be replaced by the joyful question, "How will I be a contribution today?" (57)

This seems healthy to me as a part of the church world, where it sometimes feels like churches are competing against one another, as strange as that may sound. What if we all continually asked ourselves the question, How can we contribute to God's to world redeption and Kingdom expansion?, and refused to compare ourselves to other churches/Christians?

Galatians 6:4-5 All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbour’s work, will become a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads.

cool quote

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:53:00 +0000

It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.

- Confucius

save lives

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:11:00 +0000

April 25 is World Malaria Day. In Africa, a kid dies of malaria every 30 seconds because he/she got bit by a mosquito.

I started a BUMC team, for participating in Nothing But Nets. This is a campaign to help fight malaria. Millions of people die each year from malaria - but there's a simple, life-saving solution, and all it takes is $10 to buy a bed net, distribute it to a family, and explain its use.

I set a $500 goal for our BUMC team to raise. One net will cover a family of four and protect them for 4 years. For each $10 net you buy, you're potentially saving four lives. If we can raise $500, that's 50 families and 200 people that we could keep alive. Its so simple. I'm stoked about how easy it is to help our hurting neighbors. I'm also proud of the fact that the United Methodist Church is participating in this with the NBA and United Nations Foundation.

Join me by Sending Nets and Saving Lives:

http://my.e2rm.com/TeamPage.aspx?TSID=187208

From our Team Page, click on the 'Join My Team' button to register and help us fundraise. If you can't join us, you can also sponsor our team by making a donation online.

In Christ's Love,
Pastor Jason Woolever

7 Practices of Effective Ministry

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:57:00 +0000

In the last couple of days I read this short book written by Andy Stanley, Reggie Joiner, and Lane Jones, founding leaders of North Point Community Church in Atlanta, Georgia. This is a list and explanation of seven practices that they have implemented since the beginning of North Point, which has taken it to a church of tens of thousands. Its a great, easy read, filled with baseball analogies.

Here are the practices:
Practice #1: Clarify the Win - Define what is important at every level of the organization.
Practice #2: Think Steps, Not Programs - Before you start anything, make sure it takes you where you need to go.
Practice #3: Narrow the Focus - Do fewer things in order to make a greater impact.
Practice #4: Teach Less for More - Say only what you need to say to the people who need to hear it.
Practice #5: Listen to Outsiders - Focus on who you're trying to reach, not who you're trying to keep.
Practice #6: Replace Yourself - Learn to hand off what you do.
Practice #7: Work On It - Take time to evaluate your work - and to celebrate your wins.

I'm thinking of going through it with some leaders of my church. But I truly need to wait and pray and see how much of this stuff will work for our smaller, more traditional setting. That's the catch. These guys have been doing this since before they got North Point going. Gleaning from their experience without trying to copy it - that's the trick.

leading change

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:01:00 +0000

I finished Leading Change by John Kotter a few days ago. I'm trying to let it all sink in and also sort through what parts I can tranfer from its completely secular model for tranforming organizations to the church.

He proposes an 8-stage process for change. It is:
1) Establishing a Sense of Urgency
2) Creating a Guiding Coalition
3) Developing a Vision and Strategy
4) Communicating the Change Vision
5) Empowering Employees for Broad-based Action (by removing structural barriers, providing needed training, aligning systems to the vision, and dealing with troublesome supervisors)
6) Generating Short-Term Wins
7) Consolidating Gains and Producing More Change
8) Anchoring New Approaches in the Culture

One of my favorite parts of the book was the last chapter which said that the key to growing as a leader is the combination of a competitive drive and lifelong learning.

2 movies

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:47:00 +0000

I have found that one of the keys to my wife's heart is being willing to watch movies based on Jane Austen books. I've seen more versions of Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma than anyone I know. A couple of nights ago, I sent her to our local Red Box to check out a movie, and she came home with this movie, which is a construction of what Jane Austen's life might have been like, since we really don't know. It was actually good, though I must admit a little more racy than I would have imagined. Still, that's hardly racy at all really.

Guys, never underestimate the power of being willing to watch chic flicks with your wife. It goes a long way.

Yesterday, I got to go to the Red Box to pick a movie for us. I ended up bringing home Next, with Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, and Jessica Biel. This was PG-13, and except for a couple of inferences of casual sex and a little violence it was squeaky clean and action packed. I had never heard of it before I went to the Red Box, but the young lady behind me in line was getting sick of waiting for me to pick a movie and said I really needed to see this one. It was a winner.

Is my vision from God?

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:21:00 +0000

Here's a follow up to Perry Noble's last post about vision. Its about how you can know if your vision is something you made up for its from God. A very important thing to know!

Where does Vision come from?

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:22:00 +0000

As I'm seeking to learn more about visioning, the Lord led me to this post by Perry Noble about where vision comes from. Very powerful stuff. Here's a blurb:

One of the questions that is often asked of me by pastors and church leaders is, “Where do you get your vision?”

My answer usually seems to frustrate them because…well…it’s simple. Leadership (and vision) is as easy as listening to God.

- Vision does not come through a committee. Good ideas may come that way. Much needed discussion may come out of a meeting like that…but not vision.

- Vision does not come through a conference. You may get INSPIRATION…but not REVELATION. I think of of the sad things in conference world today is pastors will attend a conference, go home & then try to be EVERYTHING except for what God called them to be.

- Vision does not come out of books. Once again–excellent ideas do. Wisdom comes from reading. You can seriously be challenged and stretched by reading…but vision isn’t in the pages of the next best seller.

- Vision does not come from trying to repeat what has been successful in the past…that’s not vision, that’s the leader being a victim of previous success.

I still say that passionate, white hot, hell charging, world changing & people inspiring vision comes from intentional and uninterrupted time with Jesus…in HIS Word, seeking HIS face through prayers–staying connected with HIS Holy Spirit throughout the day.

So when people ask me, “Where do you get your vision?” My answer is always the time…I meet with God & I don’t move until He tells me to move…but WHEN He tells me to move I go until He tells me to stop.

characteristics of an effective vision

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:33:00 +0000

For the past few years, I've been trying to get my head around what it means to cast vision, what vision is, and its importance to leadership within a church. Last night I read Chapter 5 of Leading Change, which is about "Developing Vision and Strategy." I found it very helpful. On page 72, Kotter gives these "Characteristics of an Effective Vision."

>Imaginable: Conveys a picture of what the future will look like
>Desirable: Appeals to the long-term interests of employees, customers, stockholders, and others who have a stake in the enterprise
>Feasible: Comprises realistic, attainable goals
>Focused: Is clear enough to provide guidance in decision making
>Flexible: Is general enough to allow individual initiative and alternative responses in light of changing conditions
>Communicable: Is easy to communicate; can be successfully explained within five minutes

books - late October to early April

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:38:00 +0000

Blogging has been a way for me to log what books I've read. Since I haven't blogged much in the last 3.5 months, I thought I'd list what I've read to have it on record. I've been enjoying a lot of stuff in the "classics" category lately. Its been a nice break from typical church related reading. Here's a list of the books I read from late October through mid-April.

1. Hell Under Fire - Gregory K. Beale, Dr. Daniel I. Block, Sinclair B. Ferguson, and Jr., R. Albert Mohler
2. Deception - Randy Alcorn
3. Traveling Mercies - Anne Lamotte
4. The Prophet - Frank Peretti
5. Sherlock Holmes and The Hounds of Baskerville - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
6. How Starbucks Saved My Life - Michael Gates Gill
7. The Way of the Small - Michael Gellert
8. Animal Farm - George Orwell
9. Home To Harmony - Phillip Gulley
10. Dr.Jeckyl and Mr.Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
11. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living - Dale Carnegie
12. 1984 - George Orwell
13. Go, Put Your Strengths to Work - Marcus Buckingham
14. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
15. I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church - Paul Nixon
16. GIG - Ed. John Bowe, Marisa Bowe, and Sabin Streeter
17. The Dip - Seth Godin

leaders and managers

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:25:00 +0000

Yesterday I started reading Leading Change by John Kotter a professor at Harvard Business School. This book came out in 1996 and I picked it up off of a table of give-away books at my old District Superindentents office over a year ago. Pretty good so far. He's making a point that we need leaders instead of managers to make change. Here's a blip:

Management is a set of processes that can keep a complicated system of people and technology running smoothly. The most important aspects of management include planning, budgeting, organizing, staffing, controlling, and problem solving.
Leadership is a set of processes that creates organizations in the first place or adapts them to significantly changing circumstances. Leadership defines what the future should look like, aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it happen despite obstacles. The distinction is absolutely crucial for our purposes here. (p.25)

This is a helpful distinction I think. It also helps me recognize that its the management stuff that makes me crazy, not the leadership stuff, which I find exciting. Anyone want to manage my church for me so that I can just lead?

Dan in Real Life

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:50:00 +0000

In the past few months, I've become a very die-hard fan of The Office, specifically of Steve Carell. My wife and I have been checking out some of the movies he made. A couple of weeks ago we watched Evan Almighty, a modern-day remake of Noah's Ark. Last night we watched Dan in Real Life. This is a great movie about grief, parenting, family dynamics, and love. I have to say that Steve Carell is an incredible actor, from his improv comedy stuff on The Office to the family comedy of Evan Almighty to the straight drama of Dan in Real Life. If you haven't checked out The Office, new episodes began airing last week on NBC - Thursday nights at 8:00pm. You won't be sorry (if your sense of humor is like mine).

The Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:55:00 +0000

Today I read The Dip: A little book that tells you when to quit (and when to stick) bySeth Godin - it absolutely blew my mind over and over. If you are trying to accomplish anything at all and are losing steam - read it. It will probably blow a hole in your head too. Here's what's on the second to last page of the book:

All our successes are the same. All our failures, too.
We succeed when we do something remarkable.
We fail when we give up too soon.
We succeed when we are the best in the world at what we do.
We fail when we get distracted by tasks we don't have the guts to quit.

incredibly moving

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:42:00 +0000

Check this out. This was done by the youth at my old church. Incredible job gang. Great job, Pastor Grant Armstrong!

Hilary Clinton loves being a United Methodist

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:08:00 +0000

I just read this article about the Hilary Clinton's religious beliefs. Here is a particularly disappointing segment:
The Methodist church leadership officially supports legalized abortion. Whereas a lot of conservative Methodists have left the church because of that liberal drift. Hillary says, "I am so comfortable in this church." That drift has been perfectly suitable for her.

why some Muslims convert to Christianity

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 01:27:00 +0000

Here's an interesting article describing the responses of 750 Muslims who have converted to Christianity and why. Here's a blurb:

Many Muslims view dreams as links between the seen and unseen worlds, and pre-conversion visions and dreams often lead Muslims to consult a Christian or the Bible. Frequently a person in the vision, understood to be Jesus, radiates light or wears white (one respondent, though, said Jesus appeared in green, a color sometimes associated with Islamic holy persons). An Algerian woman had a vision that her Muslim grandmother came into her room and said, "Jesus is not dead; he is here." In Israel, an Arab dreamed that his deceased father said, "Follow the pastor. He will show you the right way." Other dreams and visions occurred later and provided encouragement during persecution. A Turkish woman in jail because of her conversion had a vision that she would be released, and she was. A vision of thousands of believers in the streets proclaiming their faith encouraged a young man in North Africa to persevere.

ministry celebrities

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:41:00 +0000

Here's a great article about the need to stop worshiping "ministry celebrities." Here's a blurb:

Who do you follow? Is it Paul, or Apollos, or some other megachurch pastor or missional prophet? This may come as a surprise, but I believe that it is actually much easier to imitate your hero than to be yourself: to claim your own identity and calling; to wrestle with your own brokenness; and to struggle minute-by-minute with God to figure out what is the best way to lead in your context.

For just one season, forget the celebrities. Get in touch with God's unique design for your life and ministry. In the words of Fernando Ortega and Anne Graham Lotz: "Just give me Jesus."

don't worry

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:40:00 +0000

I get a weekly tip from Dale Carnegie Training. I thought this week's was helpful:

“Worry a little bit every day and in a lifetime you will lose a couple of years. If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything.”
- Mary (Mrs. Ernest) Hemingway

Worrying can have harmful effects on our lives. There really is no solution when you worry, it only creates more problems for yourself in the long run. Consider these four techniques on analyzing the situation at hand in order to minimize worry.

1. Get all the facts
2. Weigh all the facts - then come to a decision
3. Once a decision is reached, act!
4. Analyze the problem:
What is the problem?
What are the causes of the problem?
What are the possible solutions?
What is the best solution?

something to die for

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Woolever) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:56:00 +0000

Dr. Martin Luther King said,

"If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live. If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'"