LeaderLines: “unChristian Christianity”

According to a new book, there’s “a growing tide of hostility and resentment toward Christianity” among young people. What can we do to stem that tide?

In David Kinnaman’s new book, unChristian, the president of the Barna research firm reported on an extensive study of the attitudes that unchurched 16-to-29 year-olds have of the Christian faith. Our Ministry Staff is reading this book together, and across the next several weeks I’ll summarize Kinnaman’s research for you in LeaderLines.

Unchurched young people regarded Christianity in the following ways:

Hypocritical
Too focused on getting converts
Anti-homosexual
Sheltered
Too political
Judgmental

Kinnaman insists that our response to these complaints is not to toss out biblical truth:

Although outsiders don’t always understand us, we have to be very careful about not tossing aside the biblical motivations that contribute to these perceptions. For instance, Christians are known as judgmental because we address sin and its consequences. Christians should be involved in politics because faith weaves itself into every aspect of our lives. Christians should identify homosexual behavior as morally unacceptable because that is what Scripture teaches. Christians should be pursuing conversations and opportunities that point people to Christ because we are representatives of life’s most important message. And Christians should strive for purity and integrity even if that makes us appear sheltered.

But we still have to be mindful of the negative impressions unChristian Christianity has made on young people who are just starting to take their place as culture-shaping adults.
Kinnaman said, “Like a corrupted computer file or bad photocopy, Christianity, they say, is no longer in pure form, and so they reject it.” In fact, they are rejecting it in greater numbers than older adults. While about 25 percent of those over the age of 40 are outsiders to the faith, 33 percent of those in their 30s are part of this category and 40 percent of 16 to 29-year-olds do not consider themselves Christians. You can see that the trend is not going our way.

As I said, we’re going to take a few editions of LeaderLines to look at the Barna Group’s findings. Why? As Kinneman says—

Your church has to deal with the image of Christianity each time you send a mailing, in each instance of interacting with city officials, and every time you invite unchurched individuals to your church. If you are a professional working in other industries, such as science, education, the media, and so on, your job and your witness are affected by the image that people conjure up when they hear you are Christian.

Where have young people formed their negative impressions of Christianity? Did media have a role in their negative opinion of Christians? Only 9 percent of young outsiders said that Christianity has received a bad reputation from television and movies. I’d say that many of them are simply unaware of how media has, in fact, shaped their perceptions. Still, it’s convicting to find that most of them say their negative perceptions of Christianity came through their own interaction with believers and our churches. According to the research into 16-to-29 year olds, “most have attended at least one church for several months; and nearly 9 out of every 10 say they know Christians personally, having about five friends who are believers.”

So, non-believing young people say they’re well acquainted with believers and with the churches believers attend. On the one hand, this means that Christians bear a lot of responsibility for the cynicism among young adults. On the other hand, it also means that we have relationships with nonbelievers that gives us a chance to change these negative images.

But only if we have the heart for it. And Kinneman says not every believer is ready for this: “Often outsiders’ perceptions of Christianity reflect a church infatuated with itself. We discovered that many Christians have lost their heart for those outside the faith.”

I hope that doesn’t describe you. Carefully read the next few editions of LeaderLines and let’s see what part we can play at removing unChristian Christianity from our ranks. Each week I’m going to post the current edition of LeaderLines on my weblog, Get Anchored. I hope you’ll leave comments about your reaction to what we’re discovering together.
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Winning Ways: “Ditching the Uniform”

A young man was taking his final exam at the police academy when he reached the following question:

You are on patrol downtown when an explosion occurs in a gas main in a nearby street. On investigation you find that a large hole has been blown in the sidewalk and there is an overturned van lying nearby. Inside the van there is a strong smell of alcohol. Both occupants--a man and a woman--are injured. You recognize the woman as the wife of the Chief of Police, who is away at a conference. A driver stops to offer you assistance and you realize that he is a man who is wanted for armed robbery. Suddenly a man runs out of a nearby house, shouting that his wife is expecting a baby and that the shock of the explosion has made her go into labor. Another man is crying for help, having been blown into an adjacent canal by the explosion, and he cannot swim. Describe in a few words what actions you would take.

The police candidate thought for a moment, picked up his pen, and wrote: “I would take off my uniform and mingle with the crowd.”

Believers can identify with that police officer’s temptation! Jesus called on us to make a difference in our world, but anyone who has taken his call seriously has discovered just how hard it is. It’s not easy to stick to our commitment to that volunteer position at church. It’s heartbreaking to invest ourselves in a recovery ministry only to see people return to their old destructive habits. It’s hard to stand for Christ among peers who belittle the Christian viewpoint. Overwhelmed by it all, sometimes we want to just take off our uniform and mingle with the crowd.

I think that’s why Christ had so much to say in Matthew 10 about enduring hardship as we fulfill his mission. At Hillcrest, we’ve been in a study series through that chapter. You can listen to the first two lessons online (iTunes; website). Through the first fifteen verses of the chapter, we’ve been inspired by his call to make a difference in our world and we’ve been motivated by his practical directions for making a difference. But most of Matthew 10 contains warnings about the hardship and opposition we will face as we set out to make a difference around us.

If you’ve felt the temptation to shirk your responsibility in Christ’s world-changing mission, join us this week for this important study! We meet at 9:30am and 10:45am.

(The story of the police candidate was adapted from Questions of Life by Nicky Gumbel, page 234.)
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 880 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Cletus, Take the Reel

Somewhere Carrie Underwood is laughing . . .



(HT: Between Two Worlds)

Links to Your World, Tuesday January 29

“If Obama gets his party's nomination, he's going to be the next president. By a landslide. And he is going to transform this country. If I were a Republican, I'd be very, very afraid. Oh wait, I am a Republican. Dang. Lord have mercy, I wish that man were a conservative. Because there's no doubt in my mind about what he can accomplish for liberalism if he's elected. You've heard of Reagan Democrats? Barack Obama is the Democrats' Reagan.” (Rod Dreher)


Thabiti Anyabwile was interviewed on the Albert Mohler program last Monday in celebration of MLK Day. Thabiti now pastors my former church, the First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman. They discussed his newest book, The Decline of African American Theology. Here's the link to mp3 download of the interview.


Here’s the story on the Texas Rangers’ new centerfielder, Joshua Holt Hamilton, returning to the majors after turning over to Christ a 4-year battle with drug and alcohol addiction.


“Gentle Jesus, meek and mild?” Jesus talked tough at times.


I’m a GTD fan (though far from a disciple), so it was interesting to read how Austinites are using GTD to streamline and simplify their lives (Statesman story).


The Ultimate Student Resource List: some good stuff here, for non-students as well as college students.


“[In public radio] Episcopalians and Unitarians and other tame Christians whose creed is the Washington Post Style section ring no alarm bells. If your religion strikes an NPR reporter as a harmless idiosyncratic hobby along the lines of doing macrame or collecting tin-can labels, you’re safe. It’s the serious Christians who make their hackles rise.” (An anonymous public radio employee quoted by Terry Mattingly.)


“I'm a big fan of hell. It was better than a good idea; it's a glorious one, the only right choice for eternity. Any eternity without hell would be less of an eternity. If I, personally, could change eternity, and had the choice to do away with hell, I wouldn't; not for a second. Why am I a big fan of hell? Because I'm a big fan of a supremely wise Being who I believe actually knows what He's doing. Further, I am convinced that He is able to see things I can't, that He brought an understanding to His creative process that I lack. Since God designed an eternity with hell in it, there can be no better eternity. To say that I'd do without hell is to suggest that I could do a better job fashioning an eternity than God can.” (Gary Thomas, from his latest Boundless article)

“Mainstream reporters have been asking the Republicans all kinds of God-language questions, while the Democrats have been using just as much, if not more, faith language and no one is asking picky questions about it. And, to make matters worse, the pollsters are not exploring the impact of religion on the voting patterns on that side of the aisle. So we know all about Mike Huckabee’s evangelical army, but nothing about how pew factors are affecting the Obama-Clinton showdown.” (Terry Mattingly at GetReligion)


“And the Award Goes . . . to Arty Nihilism.” In National Review, Thomas Hibbs, a Baylor University distinguished professor, reviews the Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. And the films they missed.


“When you mix religion and politics, you usually just end up with politics.” A good line from one pastor quoted in a report from NOW, a PBS program that recently featured the changing role of faith in politics. Watch the program here.


Have you read the previous posts since last Tuesday? They include the “Song of the Week“ (this week, my sons Michael and Stephen are featured in a little instrumental jam session), a senior adult choir sings Coldplay’s “Fix You,” how to handle criticism as a leader, a quick take on Chuck Colson’s new book, and why believers evangelize.

Young@Heart Sings Coldplay's "Fix You"

You'll like this clip from the forthcoming Young@Heart documentary. Here the senior adult ensemble sings Coldplay’s hit song, “Fix You," complete with the sound of the soloist's oxygen tank. Note the young women trying to keep it together hearing this sweet song:




If you're not familiar with Coldplay's version of the song, watch them singing it here.

And the trailer for the Young@Heart documentary (HT: The Morning News.)

This may have to become my next "Song of the Week."

Song of the Week: Michael and Stephen's "Jam Session"

Click here for "Jam Session"
A couple of years ago when we were visiting our former church in Grand Cayman, Michael and Stephen got permission to play around with the recording equipment in the music suite. A friend found the audio file and sent this mp3 to us last week. Michael's on the guitar tracks and Stephen's on the drums. As always, the featured Song of the Week is loaded on the audio player on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

(Photos: Stephen on drums with his band at Gumbo's restaurant last year; Michael in Acuna, Mexico, from 2 years ago.)

LeaderLines: “Handling Criticism”

I ran across an article by Joel Beeke who offered these wise words of counsel on how to handle criticism. He wrote to those in full-time ministry positions, but his words apply to anyone in leadership:

1. Consider it inevitable. In a recent study, 81 percent of American clergymen said they have experienced hostile criticism. My first reaction to that study is that other 19 percent were lying! Expect criticism; don’t be devastated by it.

2. Consider the motive. Beeke says we need to ask ourselves, “Have I heard and understood the criticism rightly and accurately? Have I heard the real problem or just a symptom of something deeper?” Understanding the person’s motive will help you respond and cope better with the criticism.

3. Consider the source. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Those who row the boat don’t have time to rock it.” The opposite is also true: too often those who are rocking the boat aren’t the ones doing the rowing. Beeke bluntly suggests, “Criticisms from such persons seldom merit change or any other investment of energy on your part.” However, when people with insight and maturity offer constructive criticism, it’s worth your while to assess their complaints.

4. Consider the context. Beeke writes, “The physical setting, timing, and situation out of which criticism comes may help us determine whether the criticism is helpful. As a general rule, don’t respond to criticism for at least twenty-four hours to allow yourself time for prayer, sifting through your feelings, getting past some of the hurt, and consulting others whose wisdom you respect.”

5. Consider yourself. “The Holy Spirit uses our critics to keep us from justifying, protecting, and exalting ourselves,” Beeke observes. “Although critics often exaggerate their case and are seldom entirely right, they are often partially right.”

6. Consider the content. The wise man said, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Prov. 27:6). We can learn valuable truths about ourselves from the honesty of our friends who are courageous enough to point out our weaknesses, our areas of neglect, our insensitivity, and so on.

7. Consider Scripture. It’s remarkable how often God has used certain Scriptures to comfort me in times of unjust criticism—and also to convict me that someone’s criticism was merited!

8. Consider Christ. The Big Fisherman wrote, “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Pet. 2:21-23). In reflecting on that truth, Beeke wrote, “If Christ, who was perfect and altogether innocent, was spat upon, mocked, rejected, and crucified, what can we imperfect pastors expect? If one of Jesus’ handpicked apostles betrayed him for a paltry sum, and another swore that he did not know Him out of fear for a servant maid, why should we expect to carry on our ministries without ever being betrayed or deserted?”

9. Consider biblical saints. Reflect on how men like Peter and Paul handled rejection and continued to serve faithfully.

10. Consider love. Seek to understand your critics. Thank them for coming directly to you with their criticism. Be willing to forgive any injustice done to you. Pray for, and even with, your critics. Try to understand the circumstances that make some people so sour to you. Beeke wrote, “You will discover that when you lovingly serve your critic rather than resentfully retaliate against him, your own wounds will heal more rapidly. If your critic rebuffs your attempt to serve him, reach out to serve others--comfort the needy, lift up the fallen, support the weak. That will be excellent therapy for you.”

11. Consider the long haul. We look upon Abraham Lincoln as a great American hero today, but he was widely and roundly reviled in his day. Thousands opposed his views on war and slavery as well as his attempts to keep the nation united. When a friend asked him how he handled all the complaints, Lincoln responded, “You know that during the time of the full moon, dogs bark and bark at the moon as long as it is clearly visible in the sky.”

Puzzled by Lincoln’s response, the friend asked, “What are you driving at? What’s the rest of the story?” Lincoln answered, “There is nothing more to tell. The moon keeps right on shining.”

Another president, Theodore Roosevelt, said, “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again.”

12. Consider eternity. Isn’t it good to know that, as believers, we’ll spend eternity with a Lord who loves us even though he knows everything about us! And there three great truths will become clear. First, we will understand how our divine Potter used all the criticism we received to mold and shape us. Second, we will see fully that all the criticisms we were called to bear on earth were but a light affliction compared to the weight of glory that awaited us (2 Corinthians 4:17). Third, in heaven we will be “more than repaid” for every hardship and annoyance we endured on earth for the sake of our best and perfect Friend, Jesus Christ.

These 12 considerations can help any leader deal with the inevitable criticisms you have to deal with.
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Sic 'Em!

Time for bed. At the end of five overtimes and five Bears fouling out, Baylor beats A&M 116 to 110. They broke into the top 25 (at 25) today, and this win should run them up the ladder a bit. Sic 'em!

Quick Take: Colson's "The Faith"

Charles Colson has a new book out. With Harold Fickett, he’s written The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe it, and Why it Matters. On the upside, any book that accurately outlines the Christian faith is worth reading. A steady diet of such books is healthy for the believer, and The Faith fits the bill. On the downside, this book doesn’t stand out as a particularly remarkable “meal” in that steady diet.

I think the problem lies in the subtitle. Whoever came up with the subtitle had an instinct for what the reading public wants and needs in a book on this subject, but the actual content fails to deliver. While the book fulfills its promise to explain “what Christians believe,” it’s rather thin on explaining “why they believe it” and “why it matters.” When I was doing the research for my explanation of the faith for seekers, The Anchor Course, I searched for books that could serve as models for me--books that were designed not only to outline the faith but also to explain “why it matters.” Unfortunately, most of the books I ran across were written for a market of believers instead of seekers. Colson’s book falls into this same stack in my collection. It’s not written to commend the faith to a seeker, but it’s a good, if unremarkable, review of the faith for those who already believe.

Winning Ways: “Invite Your World to Life”

Part of following Jesus involves influencing those in our world with his life-changing message. Across the sea and across the street, we need to let others in on this good news we’ve found.

It’s understandable that some people see this as nothing more than sanctified solicitation. Business reps sell their products, military recruiters enlist personnel, and lobbyists persuade people to join their cause. Surrounded by those appeals, some naturally think that sharing the Christian faith is just another sales pitch. However, we need to understand that helping others in their spiritual search is part of our own spiritual development.

Those in Alcoholics Anonymous know this. Recovering alcoholics understand that one of the most effective means of staying sober is to help other alcoholics recover. In fact, the entire idea of AA was formed when Bill Wilson, only a few months sober, was gripped with a powerful urge to drink. The thought came to him, “You need another alcoholic to talk to. You need another alcoholic just as much as he needs you!” He found a physician who had been trying desperately and unsuccessfully to stop drinking. And by helping the physician stay sober, he helped himself stay sober. Later, the two men codified what has become known as the Twelve Steps, and the last step is to carry the message of sobriety to other alcoholics. In what is affectionately nicknamed “the Big Book,” Bill Wilson wrote: “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intense work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail. This is our twelfth suggestion: Carry this message to other alcoholics!”

That suggestion is not only found in the Big Book, it’s found in the Good Book! We believers communicate our faith not only to share what we’ve found but also to develop our own spiritual growth. As we Christians struggle to make the gospel clear enough and relevant enough for another person to understand, the gospel becomes more clear and relevant to us.

Helping others in their spiritual search, then, will help you, too. So look to communicate your faith in a way that is natural to your personality.

This Sunday, we continue our study of Matthew 10 called “Stand and Deliver.” We’re discovering Christ’s guidance on how to share the life-changing message of the gospel. Join us at our 9:30am “Bold Blend” service or the 10:45am “Smooth Blend” service, or listen online Monday (iTunes; website).

(Today’s column was excerpted from Chapter 25 of my book, The Anchor Course. You can purchase a copy for $13 in the church office or online here.)
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 880 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World, Tuesday January 22

Today is the 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Here’s Ron Paul, an ob-gyn now running for President, on The View. Joy Behar asks most of the questions but--sorry, Whoopi fans--can anyone be as ignorant about the issue as Goldberg is in this clip? Someone should introduce her to the APRC, or one of hundreds like it around the country:

So, what do you know about Roe? Take a quick self-test here.

According to research done by Barna group, evangelicals’ top concern remains abortion (94%).

Penna Dexter explains why we need a prolife president. It's all about his or her nominees, many who hold office long after a president leaves:

The attorney general and the Department of Justice have considerable sway over how laws advancing abortion or limiting it are enforced.

The secretary of health and human services oversees all kinds of programs that could either encourage or discourage the frequency and availability of abortion.

And, perhaps most of all, the federal and Supreme Court judges a president nominates have a lasting impact on abortion policy and other pro-life issues in America, hopefully even overturning Roe v. Wade and its companion decision, Doe v. Bolton.

“Marriage is not primarily about what we as individuals think we want or need. It is about a central public commitment that the society needs, that couples need, that children need, and yes, that the spouses need. Marriage is a public institution, not merely a private commitment” (Albert Mohler, in response to a Newsweek “My Turn” column rejecting the need for marriage).

Hannah Montana star relies on her family and her faith (story).

Gene Chappell’s dad, the cowboy artist Bill Chappell, is featured in this story. No photos of his artwork accompany the online edition, but you can find images at his website here.

“You’re a sh***y person and the world would be a better place without you in it.” Read this sad, chilling, cautionary tale about a Myspace hoax played on a middle school girl that resulted in her suicide. Somehow, some way, adults were involved in the hoax, which makes it even more disturbing.

"Let the End Times Roll." Global warming? *Yawn* There’s a lot more that could do us in: the end of oil, the disappearance of bees, the explosion of the supervolcano under Yellowstone, drug-resistant superbugs, water shortages, and DNA decay, to name a few.

“Upset that his 7-year-old son wouldn't wear a Green Bay Packers jersey during the team's playoff victory Saturday [2 weeks ago], a man restrained the boy for an hour with tape and taped the jersey onto him” (story). Looks like the kid got the last laugh this past Sunday.

“Our challenge, as communicators of the gospel, is not that God was in Jesus but that God was in Jesus reconciling the world to himself. We cannot make this faith mean anything we want. There is mystery, room for wonder, doubt, disagreement. But there are also these nasty particularities that make the gospel unavoidably abrasive, discordant, and so very interesting.” (William Willimon in “Jesus vs. Generic God.” Willimon will be at Austin Seminary Feb 4-6 (website).

Jeffrey Overstreet started an interesting conversation of films that portray Christianity in a positive light. In addition to the Greydanus list that he quotes, off the top of my head I thought of Amistad, The Simpsons Movie, A River Runs Through It, The Waterfront, An Affair to Remember (the original, not the remake), and The Mission. Can you think of any others?

New research finds those who believe in fate over free will are more likely to act immorally.

USA Today’s Cathy Lynn Grossman on “Making a ‘bucket list’ before you kick.”

“[Conservative] religious Americans are not only much more likely to give money and volunteer their time to religious and secular institutions, they are also more likely to provide aid to family members, return incorrect change, help a homeless person, and donate blood. . . . If secular élites continue to cling to their stereotypes of evangelicals and ignore social science, then they will embrace the very intolerance and anti-intellectualism they accuse religious believers of possessing” (In a review of the Arthur Brooks book, Who Really Cares?)

Have you read the previous posts since last Tuesday? They include the “Song of the Week“ (this week, The Police “Message in a Bottle”).

A Dream that Never Gets Old

Because you can't hear it often enough:

Song of the Week: The Police "Message in a Bottle"

It seems we're not alone in being alone.

Maybe you've read this story. It started with an entry on PostSecret.com, a website where people are invited to send in homemade postcards that reveal a secret they've never shared before.

One resonated with Ryan Paulson, a student at Dakota State University. It said, "I bought the coolest phone on the planet - but it still only rings as often as my old phone did."

Paulson posted a reply to the anonymous note: "I feel the same way. I often wonder why I even have a phone because I rarely receive calls." Then he decided to add his number: "If there was a way we could contact each other, that would be cool. My phone number is 605-212-7787."

"Within five, 10 minutes of putting it up, I'd already had a couple phone calls," Paulson says. "I was like, OK, a few people will call and maybe the one person who put it up there."

Little did he know.

From the news report:

Within the first couple of days, Paulson received 250 calls, so many that his voicemail told countless other callers that it could accept no more messages.

He has talked to people in almost every state, along with calls from Colombia, Scotland, England and Australia. He's talked with soldiers stationed in Iraq.

Paulson spoke for more than two hours with cousins conducting a conference call from North Carolina and Georgia. He spoke to a 45-year-old nontraditional student who shares his interest in art. He talked with a woman who had just put her children to bed.

And he learned he's not the only one out there who sometimes just wants to feel like someone out there cares.

Paulson, unknowingly, tapped into fears that many of us share: that in a busy, crammed-full life, no one remembers us; that our answering machines never flash because we simply don't matter to anyone; that in an era when communication with others is easier than ever before, we are communicating less and less.

Sensing that, Paulson took as many phone calls as he could, juggling them between his classes and his job. He also has tried to return the messages left on his phone.

Paulson hasn't heard from the one person he really wants to talk to, the man or woman who wrote, "I bought the coolest phone on the planet - but it still only rings as often as my old phone did."

At least, no one he talked to identified themselves as that person.

"It's very possible they could have called and not said that was who they were," he says. "In a way I can understand them not wanting to disclose who they are further, but I think it would have been really cool to talk to the person who wrote it in the first place."

Paulson does hope that someday he will talk to that person. He wants them to know how that postcard spoke to so many people.

He thinks it has changed and affirmed the lives of total strangers.

"I wasn't thinking of trying to change all these people's lives when I put that up there," he says. "I was just trying to say, 'Hey, I feel just like you do.' "

And for your soundtrack to this story, from 1979 here's "Message in a Bottle" by The Police. To listen, click on the audio player on the upper right corner of this webpage; the song will stay on the player for one week:

Just a castaway, an island lost at sea, oh
Another lonely day, with no one here but me, oh
More loneliness than any man could bear
Rescue me before I fall into despair, oh

I'll send an s.o.s. to the world
I'll send an s.o.s. to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle, yeah
Message in a bottle, yeah

A year has passed since I wrote my note
But I should have known this right from the start
Only hope can keep me together
Love can mend your life but
Love can break your heart

I'll send an s.o.s. to the world
I'll send an s.o.s. to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle, yeah
Message in a bottle, yeah
Message in a bottle, yeah
Message in a bottle, yeah

Walked out this morning, dont believe what I saw
Hundred billion bottles washed up on the shore
Seems I'm not alone at being alone
Hundred billion castaways, looking for a home

I'll send an s.o.s. to the world
I'll send an s.o.s. to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle, yeah
Message in a bottle, yeah
Message in a bottle, yeah
Message in a bottle, yeah

Sending out at an s.o.s. . . .

LeaderLines: “Connection Campaign Update”

In this week’s Beacon, Herb Ingram gave us an update on our Connection Campaign. It’s good to get this update since giving you my last report in October.

Herb wrote, “It continues to be one of the most effective outreach campaigns I have ever been a part of.” He pointed out that some results are quantifiable while others are harder to measure. Regarding the count:

• We had around 120 guests at our BBQ.
• We added about 200 households to our prospect database.
• We have around 50 people that are maintaining some degree of continued presence.
• We have had 4 families join the church, some awaiting baptism.
• We continue to see new folks from the Campaign.

In addition to this good news, other results are harder to measure. Herb wrote:

• We've had scores of cards, calls, and emails thanking us for reaching out to the immediate community with this prayer effort.
• We have really upgraded our standing in the community at large as a church that cares and prays.
• It was like a revival for many of our people who participated, sensing that we were making a real effort to connect with the lost in our local mission area.
• Many of the unchurched in our community are now open to us and should the situation arise, I think we would be the first church they would think of for ministry. This is no small thing.

I think Herb’s last point is especially important. Any effort like this raises the profile of our congregation in the community, making people more mindful of Hillcrest. To have 50 people from the Campaign attend even occasionally is a fantastic success in my book, but our church is now “on the radar” of far more people than that.

We continue to contact them. In fact, I just sent a letter to 180 households from the Campaign, encouraging them to make a “New Year’s Resolution” to come visit us. Through Easter, we will continue to mail our weekly newsletter to every household that told us they were interested in us. We also include them on special mailings highlighting our special events.

That means our Connection Campaign isn’t over yet! Please continue to pray for the 180 households who originally expressed interest in getting information about our church. Pray for the 50 of them who have made one or more visits to Hillcrest. And pray that we’ll continue to find creative ways to raise awareness of our church in northwest Austin!____________________________________
Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Winning Ways: “Stand and Deliver”

A few years ago, the Seattle Police Department ordered their employees to undergo a training session on how to safely sit in a chair. The order came after two employees slipped off their rolling desk chairs and fell to the floor, one injuring herself badly enough to miss work.

A memo was sent out to 26 employees with these instructions on sitting down: "Take hold of the arms and get control of the chair before sitting down." Later, the department didn't feel that was clear enough, so they went on to schedule a half-hour lesson on the proper way to sit down.

Some of us need lessons on sitting down, I suppose. But most of us need some lessons on standing up. In a way that is natural to our personality and our relationships, we need to learn to how to communicate the good news of Jesus to others.

I’m sure you’ve heard about the most recent survey reported in USA Today that found a very low opinion of Christian churches among unchurched adults. Eighty-six percent said that they can have a “good relationship with God without belonging to a church.” And 72% said the church is “full of hypocrites” while 44% agreed with the statement “Christians get on my nerves.” I wrote about this in last week’s LeaderLines.

What didn’t get as much ink, however, was the surprising finding of the survey that 78% of the "unchurched" said they would be interested in hearing more about Christianity from someone. And when asked whether Christians they knew talked about their faith too much 71% disagreed.
Wow. That led David Kuo to ask on his blog, “Are Christians as willing and open to talk about Jesus as they are about their favorite sports team or political candidate or movie? Theologically speaking they obviously should be. But what this poll shows is that practically speaking they should be as well. People want to hear more about Jesus, not less. People are open to loving and honest discussions about Jesus.”

This Sunday, we return to our study through the Gospel of Matthew with a three-week series called “Stand and Deliver.” In chapter 10, Jesus sent out his apostles with guidance on how to share the life-changing message of the gospel. His words to them apply to us. Come learn some lessons on standing up! Join us at our 9:30am “Bold Blend” service or the 10:45am “Smooth Blend” service, or listen online Monday (iTunes; website).
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 880 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World, Tuesday January 15

Crude Awakenings: This guy says oil will drop below $50 a barrel within the next 3 years and could go to $30 a barrel after that.

R.I.P. Off: The AARP expose of a funeral-industry scandal that’s fleecing thousands of Americans.

According to this USA Today piece, more Americans are focusing on their “inner life,” which “blossoms as its four key components are purposefully cultivated.”

Wow. Before you plot your revenge over someone who offended you, you had better read these stories of some people who really should have reined in their resentments.

This professor was denied tenure at Iowa State over the issue of Intelligent Design. The next time you hear a professor say that he or she supports naturalistic evolution, it may not be out of conviction: it may be that they just want to keep a job.

Forbes magazine found eight lessons CEOs could learn from the pastors who manage the healthiest big churches in America. (HT: MMI)

Nine people who died laughing.

Read about the new website that gives you a platform to share your faith story with others (story; website).

Top 10 Ways to Clean Up Your PC.

A Test to Help You Determine Your Personality Type

Motion shots of the sun.

I’m enjoying reading David O. Taylor’s posts about his upcoming marriage at 35. His latest: Sex with Kyle Miller. Taylor is the arts pastor at Hope Chapel in Austin.

Put aside your “to-do” list for a moment and read Philip Yancey’s suggestions for your “to-be” list.

“Religious Americans are not only much more likely to give money and volunteer their time to religious and secular institutions, they are also more likely to provide aid to family members, return incorrect change, help a homeless person, and donate blood. . . . If secular élites continue to cling to their stereotypes of evangelicals and ignore social science, then they will embrace the very intolerance and anti-intellectualism they accuse religious believers of possessing” (In a review of the Arthur Brooks book, Who Really Cares?)

Have you read the previous posts since last Tuesday? They include the “Song of the Week“ (this week, Peter Mayer’s “Like a Mountain”). Also, comments on “evolution theology,” loopy reactions to Huckabee, advice for leaders on how to help people love God’s church, a report and photo of Austin Toros players training kids in our Hillcrest Hoops basketball program, and a great report of victories at Maggie’s House.

Thank God for Evolution?

I read Eileen Flynn’s piece in the Statesman Saturday about the Rev. Michael Dowd who preaches "evolution theology," described as "a view that promotes evolutionary science and God as the ultimate reality."

Dowd books his talks at Unitarian churches, though he told Eileen that "he wants to spend more time this year talking to evangelical Christians who either grudgingly accept evolution or aggressively try to dismiss it as incompatible with Scripture."

Turns out, Dowd's teaching goes way beyond just showing a compatability between evolutionary theory and historic Christian belief. That would be a worthy conversation to hold, and I've been studying the issue from a wide range of authors for years. But Dowd means something entirely different by the term "evolution theology." Dowd's aim isn't so much the union of "evolution" and "theology," but rather the evolution of theology. From his book, available free at his website:

I cannot agree that “Jesus as God’s way, truth, and life” means that only those Christians who believe certain things about Jesus or the Bible get to go to a special otherworldly place called heaven when they die. I used to believe that, but I don’t anymore. In hindsight, I see that my old belief cheapened, belittled, and impoverished the universal glory of the Gospel. What Jesus’ life and ministry were actually about is far larger and more meaningful, and offers more this-world relevance, than my old clannish, contracted “we win, you lose” understanding. More, one need not be a Christian, nor ever have read the Bible, in order to walk what is, effectively, the same path we Christians aspire to—the same “one way”to a realized, redemptive life of fulfillment and service in this world, here and now, while simultaneously blessing future generations.

Austin church planter Jonathan Dodson provided Dowd's quote in a recent blog post, worth your while to read. In reaction to Dowd, Dodson wrote:

To be sure, Jesus did not teach a “we win, you lose” mentality. Instead, he taught us to love God and neighbor, rendered possible not just through his example but by becoming new creatures through faith in his sacrifice for not loving God and neighbor. An essential claim of Christ is that the man and the world are broken because of sin, rebellion against God. Jesus seeks to redeem humanity and the world through his death and world-renewing return. However, he does not minimize his own sacrifice or teachings as optional. They are essential and joy-giving to those who embrace him. . . . Dowd claims that we must not interpret Jesus' words as he intended them (a great disrespect and distortion to any teacher/author).

Dodson replies to Dowd's insufficiencies in a sensitive and thoughtful way. It's good Austin has him. Stop over at Dodson's blog and see what he has to say.

Getting Loopy

Wow: Huck’s presidential campaign is making some people loopy. Frightened pundits are seeing floating crosses in his commercials and hearing “code words” in his language that are supposed to secretly alert us evangelicals. Apparently his latest code word is "vertical." When Huckabee talks about “vertical politics,” did you know he’s really signaling his theocratic intents to the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy? Oh yes. If you take off your aluminum foil hat, you’ll get the signals from Headquarters, too.

Song of the Week: Peter Mayer's "Like a Mountain"

What a profound song. Moses prayed, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). Peter Mayer reflects on how small and brief our lives really are in "Like a Mountain" from his Million Year Mind (iTunes). To listen, click on the audio player on the upper right corner of this webpage; the song will stay on the player for one week:

Driving near Mount Shavano
It seemed to be looking me over
Feeling that gaze down below
I pulled the car off on the shoulder

Staring at the rock and the sky
My heart began beating more slowly
Till I lost track of time
And forgot where it was I was going

Suddenly, I saw life from the brink
I watched an age pass me by like a wink
For just one heartbeat, I believe I could think
Like a mountain

Mountain, we measure our lives
By tens and by twenty years only
Teach us the ways of a million-year mind
What a million-year heart could be hoping

Suddenly, I saw life from the brink
I watched an age pass me by like a wink
For just one heartbeat, I believe I could think
Like a mountain

And oh, if I’m wise I will strive and I’ll pray
To turn that one tick in time into a day
And lead this poor picture-flash life in that way
Like a mountain

LeaderLines: “How to Help People Love God’s Church”

Birds flock together. So do Christians, and for the same reasons.

I thought of this after reading a story a friend sent me from today’s USA Today. It’s about a recent Lifeway survey that found a very low opinion of Christian churches among unchurched adults. Eighty-six percent said that they can have a “good relationship with God without belonging to a church.”

But God intended his people to band together, and for the same advantages that draw birds to fly together.

Have you seen geese in the autumn fly in V-formation as they make their southern migration? How about starlings taking to the air--hundreds of them, swirling, swooping, and turning this way and that, as if they were all communicating with each other at once? I’m sure you’ve watched blackbirds fly in long tornado-like swirls, thousands at a time, like a tentacle up from one field and down into another.

We’ve all seen this flocking phenomenon among birds, but only recently have scientists begun to discover the reasons for it. Two researchers at the California Institute of Technology did the math and estimated that a bird could fly as much as seventy percent farther in a V-formation that allows birds to use the rising air currents streaming off the wings of its neighbors. Scientists have also surmised that flocking helps with navigation, since several birds--not just one bird--would be looking for the landmarks to guide them on a long journey. Birds in flocks can also better protect themselves from predators. Starlings, for example, “group up” in the air when a hawk makes a dive toward them. A predator can snatch a single starling out of the air, but by uniting, and darting right and left in unison, the starlings can successfully confuse the hawk and make their escape.

We Christians have learned that we gain the same advantages by flocking together as believers. We enjoy greater endurance, we navigate through life better, and we find protection from destructive choices when we flock together.

The Lifeway survey reported in today’s edition of USA Today gave me no new revelations. I’ve talked with enough seekers across the years to know that most are either indifferent or hostile to the idea that connecting to a church could benefit them spiritually. The Lifeway report simply put some stats on a national issue that I’ve known for years: 72% said the church is “full of hypocrites” . . . 44% agree with the statement “Christians get on my nerves” . . . 79% agree that “Christianity today is more about organized religion than loving God and loving people” . . . and 86% say they can have a “good relationship with God without belonging to a church.”

That’s why I tackled the subject head on when I wrote my book for seekers, The Anchor Course. In the first of three chapters on the subject, I wrote:

Many seekers have been attracted to the lifestyle of their Christian friends and they have been impressed by the work of a local church. Other seekers, however, have stories of hypocritical Christian neighbors, judgmental Christian relatives, and churches in their past that left them either bored or emotionally beaten up. This disillusionment shows up in polls and census information which reveal growing number of people who identify themselves as “spiritual” are not attached to any particular religious body.

LeaderLines is an e-newsletter designed for church leaders, and it’s essential that, as a leader, you help people understand why they need to plug in to a church. I’ve discovered two ways to do this.

First, you need to point out that Jesus loves the church. To those who would say, “Don’t talk about the church, talk about Jesus,” I would say that talking about the church is part of talking about Jesus. Loving someone means sharing in that person’s passions--and Jesus is passionate about his church. The Bible says, “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). People have to understand why Jesus loved the church so deeply if they’re going to take him seriously.

Second, you need to emphasize that Jesus has a vision for the church. People get cynical when they see what humans have made of the church, but when seekers look at Christ’s intent for his church, they get a lot more intrigued with the topic. Seekers want to know what it means to be a believer, and part of what it means is joining other disciples in pursuit of an inspiring vision of what “church” is supposed to be! In my talks with seekers, and in Part Five of The Anchor Course, we look at this hope-filled blueprint designed by Christ himself. The ancient Apostles’ Creed summarizes the vision in three words: the church is to be one, holy, and a communion. As I put it in chapter 14:

Note that these three words work best to describe an assembly of people rather than a building or a corporation. This corrects a major misconception right away. Many understand “the church” as a building they go to or an organization that can do things for them. . . . The church is not a building you go to but a body you belong to. A building or an institution cannot really be described with words like “one” and “holy” and “communion”--but people can, and Jesus intended his people to be worthy of those titles.

In our ancient Creed, even as we recite together, “I believe in God the Father,” and “I believe in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,” and “I believe in the Holy Spirit,” so also we profess together, “I believe in the one holy church” and “the communion of saints.”

As a church leader, you can’t shy away from the topic of church involvement. In my talks with seekers, I’ve found that I don’t have to.
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.