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In the big picture, a toolbox with all hammers isn’t very effective. You can hit nails, pry, and not much more. A good toolbox has hammers, wrenches, files, and screwdrivers. It has a drill, some pliers, and plenty of other tools.

So why do so many churches try to be a hammer?

Eugene Cho of Quest Church (Seattle, WA) recently blogged about the pursuit so many churches have to be a megachurch. He states:

Megachurches only comprise 1% of the churches in North America. But then why do the majority of the conferences revolve around the megachurches and their pastors?

I think megachurches and their leaders are doing phenomenal ministry.  I really do.  But we’ve elevated this 1% as the epitome and face of a successful ministry and created a machine of conferences, publishers, books, and networks based on this very limited expression.

Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK) puts it this way:

In order to reach people that no one is reaching, you will have to do things that no one is doing. But in order to do things that no one is doing, you can’t do what everyone else is doing.

We each have a unique God-given calling, but many of us want to live the calling of  the ministers in the limelight. Likewise, each church has a unique God-given calling, but too many churches distract themselves by pursuing the calling of famous megachurches. Consider how 1 Corinthians 12 reads when substituting church terms:

The Church has many different parts, not just one part. If the house church says, “I am not a part of the Church because I am not a megachurch,” that does not make it any less a part of the Church. And if the rural church says, “I am not part of the Church because I am not a gigachurch,” would that make it any less a part of the Church? If the whole Church were a gigachurch, how would you reach rural areas? Or if the whole Church were a rural church, how would you reach urban areas?

But the Church has many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange the Church would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one Church. The gigachurch can never say to the megachurch, “I don’t need you.” The Internet church can’t say to the church plant, “I don’t need you.”

In fact, some parts of the Church that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

To clarify, I do think it is good to study successful churches when the principles learned are considered within the context of your church’s unique calling. And I do believe that good ministry typically grows churches. However, some of the greatest ministries have the smallest numbers. Sometimes small is needed to be effective. Sometimes huge is needed.

I recommend that you study them all. Learn from megachurches, house churches, rural churches, and the rest.

Above all else, never lose focus of staying true to your church’s purpose. If God wants you to be a hammer, be a hammer. If God wants you to be a wrench, be a wrench.

[Photo credit: dipster1]

Ben Arment is putting together another fresh ministry conference called STORY (Chicago, IL) at the Paramount Theater on October 28, 2009. It has been a year since he debuted his first conference creation, The Whiteboard Sessions.

STORY conference is quite different though. It has a Q conference vibe with a focus on creatively telling the greatest story ever told - the gospel. Speakers include Nancy Beach, Mike Foster, Dave Gibbons, Donald Miller, Chris Seay, Stacy Spencer, and Ed Young. The following day, workshops led by artists, scholars, authors, and communications experts will be held at Orchard Valley Community Church (Aurora, IL).

And if you go to STORY, you should consider coming a day early to attend the Cultivate Conference.

Dave Gibbons is the senior pastor of Newsong Church, an international multi-site church with 8 campuses located in California, Texas, Mexico, United Kingdom, India, and Thailand. He is an entrepreneur and owns YangDang and Xealot. And he is the author of The Monkey and the Fish.

ABOUT NEWSONG CHURCH

Year Began: 1994
Locations: 8 Campuses – Irvine, CA / Culver, CA / Fullerton, CA / Dallas, TX / Mexico / London / India / Bangkok

10Q WITH DAVE GIBBONS

1Q = What is Newsong Church’s chain of command from the senior pastor to the church volunteers?

The Leadership Team comprised of both volunteer leaders who represent the congregation and support staff guide the church but all under the submission to the Holy Spirit. The congregation affirms major decisions.

2Q = For big decisions, what is Newsong Church’s decision making process?

Depends. The big decisions can originate from our members or from the leaders of the church. But eventually, there is affirmation with Leadership teams, Management teams and the congregation.

3Q = How does Newsong Church market itself?

Mostly word of mouth and via technology.

4Q = What is the most effective thing Newsong Church has done to reach people?

Created an ethos that is dependent upon the Holy Spirit and empowers the people to be the front line of God’s movements locally and globally.

5Q = What is your leadership style?

Intuitive and collaborative.

6Q = Your book, The Monkey and the Fish, discusses third culture. What is it?

Third culture in a word is Adaptation. In two words, Painful Adaptation. The longer definition is “the mindset and will to love, learn and serve in any culture even in the midst of pain and discomfort.”
A short view of this can be found at 3culture.tv.

7Q = What is a Third-Culture Church?

It’s a church that is able to flow with the Holy Spirit, choosing to live out the two great purposes of the church: Loving God and Loving Her Neighbor. The Neighbor though being someone NOT like you even someone you would hate or not want to forgive. It’s a church that chooses obedience over passion  as well as radical sacrifice over comfort.

8Q = How can a church become a Third-Culture Church?

This process is definitely the work of the Holy Spirit! To ask people to enter into pain and suffering, eat foods they don’t like, hang out with people that make you uncomfortable is counter-cultural. I would say the key is for the one who does get it to start living out the third culture life. Personally, before the movement became church-wide, I felt God telling me I had to live it out more intentionally. So my family and I moved out to Bangkok. It starts with leadership and prayer.  As one engages real suffering and poverty, clarity emerges.

As you live out third culture, invite others with you on the journey. I still remember taking a group of friends with me on a third culture vision trip about 5 years ago. We have never been the same. The impact now goes beyond personal to people all over the world. These men embody third culture.

It’s a journey there are many other ideas contained in the book.

9Q = What is the greatest ministry lesson you have learned?

The Primary Task of a Leader is to “build trust and bear pain.”

10Q = What is the best advice you have for church leaders?

Explore the world. Listen, Observe, Ask Questions. Do it now. Then be willing to give it all away to act upon what you experience. The whole time praying, “Father, break my heart with the things that break your heart.”

Be sure to check out Church Relevance’s “10Q” category to read previous 10Q interviews.

Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss the future of church websites over a video conference with Cleve Persinger and the team at The Chapel (Libertyville, IL). I spent some time sharing my thoughts on effective SEO church marketing, and Cleve was kind enough to archive the talk for your enjoyment.
[pardon the rocky audio]

To sum it up, optimize your church website content by using the keywords that are most often searched by the people your are called to reach. You can research these keywords with Google AdWords Keyword Tool.

For Discussion:
- What is your church marketing SEO strategy?

Skye Jethani manages Christianity Today’s Leadership Journal and is a pastor at Blanchard Alliance Church (Wheaton, IL). His new book, The Divine Commodity, discusses how consumerism has affected churches and Christ followers. Upon given the opportunity to ask Skye one question about his new book, I asked:

How can a church best avoid becoming a victim of consumer culture?

His response was:

The short answer is—it can’t. It’s rather like asking how a fish and avoid water or how a snake can avoid getting its stomach dirty. The reality is every person living in the North American culture has been impacted and shaped by consumerism. It is the air we breathe and the bowl we swim in. Therefore, every church is full of members and leaders shaped by the uncontested values and beliefs of consumerism. So, avoidance is not an option unless we abandon our missional calling and retreat to monastic cloisters removed from all popular cultural exposure.

We cannot avoid consumerism, but we can recover from it. This transformation requires processes of deconstruction and reconstruction. This is exactly what The Divine Commodity is about—uncovering how we have all been malformed by consumerism, and how we’ve misconstrued our faith in the process, and prescribing practices (corporate and individual) to reshape us with God’s help into communities that reflect his kingdom more brightly.

My book does not advocate a radical coup within the church or call for a revolution in the church’s structure. It’s not about strategy, systems, or programs. In fact, if nothing ever changes about the way your church operates, you are still able to engage and employ the lessons within The Divine Commodity. I don’t believe we can (or should) overturn our consumer culture. Nor do I believe churches (from the mini to the mega) should just radically revamp their structures. That wouldn’t solve the threat posed by consumerism—it’s a far more elusive foe because the battlefield between consumerism and the Kingdom of God is not external, but within the heart and imagination of every believer.

As consumerism’s grip over you begins to loosen, and you experience the transforming reality of “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” the way you worship, serve, and relate will begin to change. In time, through resources like The Divine Commodity and others, perhaps others will join you in your quest for a richer Christian life. The gospel has always been an incarnate reality, transmitted life to life across the medium of relationship. As this begins to take root within your church, regardless of what the leadership or programming is doing, the message of hope, liberty, and fullness in Christ will spread like yeast through a lump of dough. So, rather than criticizing those still enraptured with Consumer Christianity, save your energy and simply let your life reveal a fuller glory which does not fade.

For Discussion:
- How do you think consumerism has affected the church?
- How do you think a church can best avoid becoming a victim of consumer culture?

If you want to attend a church conference this year, there are certainly plenty of options. Here are some that I recommend:

Feb 18 :: C3 Creative Church Conference (Grapevine, TX)
Learn from speakers and leaders on the cutting edge of creativity and excellence.
Cost: $320-$370

Feb 26 :: Catalyst One Day (Atlanta, GA)
A one day leadership experience packed with teaching and insight from Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel.
Cost: $89-$139

Feb 27 :: The Idea Camp (Irvine, CA)
The Idea Camp is a FREE, open source hybrid conference designed to help people move from the realm of ideas to implementation.
Cost: FREE

Mar 12 :: Unleash (Anderson, SC)
Unleash is a one-day conference hosted by NewSpring Church and specifically-designed to challenge, encourage and motivate church leaders to take action in reaching their communities for Jesus Christ.
Cost: $59

Mar 17 :: The Sticks Middle America (Harrison, AR)
The Sticks is a gathering to inspire and equip pastors in small to medium towns to make a big impact for the Kingdom!
Cost: $99-$209

Apr 20 :: Exponential Conference (Orlando, FL)
Experience God’s church planting movement around the world.
Cost: $159-$249

Apr 23 :: Catalyst West (Irvine, CA)
Catalyst West is a gathering of 3,000 next generation leaders from all over the world for three days of teaching, worship, and exploration of what’s possible for the church.
Cost: $209-$289

Apr 27 :: Q (Austin, TX)
Q is a gathering where innovators, church leaders, social entrepreneurs, and cultural pioneers come together to explore the church’s role in positively contributing to culture.
Cost: $750-$820

May 12 :: The Sticks South East (Canton, GA)
The Sticks is a gathering to inspire and equip pastors in small to medium towns to make a big impact for the Kingdom!
Cost: $99-$229

May 13 :: WFX Worship Facilities Conference (Long Beach, CA)
WFX is designed to educate and your church executive, facilities and tech teams to learn together through a unique conference program that focuses on 4 tracks for facilities and tech teams.
Cost: $145-$445

May 18 :: Catalyst One Day (Dallas, TX)
A one day leadership experience packed with teaching and insight from Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel.
Cost: $69-$139

May 18 :: InnovateChurch (Lynchburg, VA)
Innovating the leader… innovating the church.
Cost: $59

Jul 29 :: Echo Church Media Conference (Dallas, TX)
A conference for church leaders that love using media, technology, and the internet to be more effective in sharing God’s story.
Cost: $99-$329

Aug 6 :: The Leadership Summit (South Barrington, IL)
Willow Creek Community Church’s leadership conference.
Cost: $175-$355

Sep 10 :: MinistryCOM (Chicago, IL)
MinistryCOM is a national conference designed specifically for church communications professionals.
Cost: $100-$325

Sep 24 :: Innovate (Granger, IN)
Whether you have a church gathering of 100 or 10,000 you can begin making innovative, strategic moves that will impact your community.
Cost: $219-$239

Oct 07 :: Catalyst Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)
A gathering of next generation leaders from all over the world for teaching, worship, and exploration of what’s possible for the church.
Cost: $159-$319

Oct 20 :: The REVEAL Conference (South Barrington, IL)
It’s an opportunity to participate in challenging dialogue, testimony, and teaching with pastors and church leaders whose practical ideas, vision, and best practice insights are supporting their people in growing spiritually.
Cost: $135-$275

Nov 04 :: National Outreach Convention (San Diego, CA)
Outreach magazine’s church conference.
Cost: $219-$379

For Discussion:
What conferences do you plan on attending this year?

Sometimes blunt, crude words are the only things that can shock a person out of a rut and motivate him to improve to the next level. This four-part blog series is for the church worker who needs such forthright words.

So as you do your church work, remember…

You deserve to go to hell.

SAY WHAT?

Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Romans 3:23)
Sin pays off with death. But God’s gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

In other words, because mankind’s nature is sinful, we all deserve to go to hell. It is only by Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection that you have the opportunity to be redeemed from hell if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. (Romans 10:9-10)

This is the only way. (John 14:6) It is an undeserved gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

THE PROBLEM

If you are a Christian, you are already familiar with this. And that is the beginning of the problem.

1. If not careful, familiarity will desensitize you to the power of the gospel. It makes the gospel old-hat.
2. Desensitization will prevent you from truly grasping what it means to be saved from hell.
3. And when this happens, it becomes far too easy to become drunk on the message of grace and feel entitled to your redemption from hell.
4. The next thing you know, you are telling God what to do and treating Him like He is your servant rather than acting like a servant of God.

I am guilty of doing this. And unfortunately, many other “seasoned” Christians are, too.

WHY THESE CRUDE WORDS HELP

You deserve to go to hell, so ever-presently live like it is true.

Understanding the magnitude of hell and what it means to be redeemed from it will change your priorities, give you passion, and give your clarity.

Church bureaucracy and doing things for the sake of doing things will seem disgustingly meaningless to you. And effectively reaching people with the redemptive gospel message will be your greatest priority.

Stay tuned for more crude words.

Innovation3, Bob Roberts of NorthWood Church (Keller, TX) discussed how we can catch up with the rest of the world.

There are two core fundamental ways in which movement and transformation take place in the context of society

We know how to help our local church, but we are old school about global ministry. Being missional is more than just doing a couple of projects for the poor.

What does the Great Commission say?
As you are going, make disciples.

How did the early church produce disciples so quickly, yet we take so long? When they make disciples, they abandon themselves to live for Christ. If we could follow Christ today, where would we go? Where it is tame? Or where all hell is breaking loose?

What does it mean to make disciples? When Jesus says make disciples of all nations, what is that all about?

Abraham in Genesis 12 is the ultimate disciple. He was a blessing to all nations.

The lowest common denominator is the disciple.

Gospel > Disciple > Society > the Church emerges

What is the Non-Western Church Like?

1. We focus on the Holy Spirit, and the West is pragmatic.
2. We focus on obedience to the Word of God.
3. There is gratitude towards Abraham for what he did, but there is a focus on Ishmael.
   The Great Commission will not be fulfilled until Muslims come back to Christ.
4. It is an integration of faith, and life, and everything.
5. They is an absence of money that causes us to trust God for everything.

We need to engage the world. God is going to do it with or without you. Your only responsibility is obedience.