Church Mergers – Pt. II (Kingdoms and Castles)

From the Spring of 1993, when I came to know Christ, I have been both fascinated and disgusted by the Church. When at it’s best, it is the redemptive vessel for the incarnation of the Gospel. When at it’s worst, it is a seedbed of ego’s, arrogance, pride, and competition.

When Jesus came to preach the “Kingdom”, what was the message? What was the intent? Was it to point to the segregation and segmentation of the people of God into small pockets of affinity that would then spend the rest of their days competing with one another to swap sheep from one stable to the next? Or was it something quite different? The gospel is the hope of the world. It points to Jesus, and to the redemptive work of the “Kingdom”. When Christ left, he didn’t leave multiple churches, but The Church.

The Church was a singular, body of believers, gathered around the name of Christ, for His Glory, and His renown. It was left to be a place for the broken and the needy to find rest. There was a universal call to the body of Christ to enjoy unity in diversity.

So how are we doing? Ironically enough, Churches are one of the most segmented and segregated gathering points in our culture. We have slowly lost the passion for the proclaiming of the Gospel and the redemptive work of God in the Kingdom, and replaced it with a competitive view of our own little castles. There are castles on every corner. They come in various shapes and sizes, but these castles exist and they are well fortified. We call to our people for commitment, but commitment to what? All too often it is not a call to commit to the cause of Christ, but to the building of his or her personal fiefdom?

Castles have become the focus. We build large and beautiful castles. We obsess over the structure, the design, the renovation of, and the development of these castles. We quibble over the color of the carpet and the location of the art, all the while failing to recognize that our hearts are following our treasures. It is a slow drift, but a drift nonetheless. What was once a gospel centered church focused on redeeming a lost world slowly becomes a facility driven church focused on keeping members happy.

So when I was asked how I could justify “merging with another church”, I simply asked, “why not”? Which is more glorifying to God: a church that takes over a facility that is neglected and a body of believers that have slowly declined until the load of ministry has choked the life out of them and renews their vision for the proclamation of the gospel in their city, or selling the facility in bankruptcy to a builder that will either tear the place down and build apartments or turn it into a bar, restaurant, or coffee shop. Which one is more pleasing go God? Which one furthers the ministry of the Kingdom?

Friends…  our focus is skewed. We have become so accustomed to our facilities, church brands, denominational team, and individual church identity, that we have forgotten the higher call. I think of the parable of the nobleman in Luke 19. I wonder what “business” we should be about before He returns? It’s about the Kingdom, not our Castle. Can I shoot you straight? It’s not about YOUR church. It’s not yours to begin with. It’s Christ’s Church. It’s not your building; it’s His building that you steward. They are not “YOUR” people! It’s not about YOU! It’s not about our Castles! It’s about he Kingdom! Jesus left His Church to be a redeeming light in a dark world.

He did not leave a building… He left us!

 

 

 

Hume Lake Christian Camps

I had a chance to speak last week to a gathering of supporters of Hume Lake Christian Camps. If you’ve never been to Hume… it’s incredible! I have developed a love for that place and the ministry has been a ton of fun to be a part of as well. The “Hume Lakers Retreat” was designed to encourage and challenge those that have partnered with Hume over the years. I found myself really enjoying the time to share with these folks.

They posted the talks on their blog and I thought I would put the link here for those that may have interest in the content.

http://creek.humelake.org/blog/2009/11/11/hume-lakers-retreat/

Church Mergers – Pt. I

The History… from then to now.

I have grown to deeply appreciate Leadership Network. (www.leadnet.org) For those who have never checked out their stuff, they have done a great job over the years at gathering those who are truly innovating initiatives in the church. Their specialty is getting those leaders in a room and capturing the content of spirited collaboration. These resources have helped shape the direction of countless churches across the country.

The first was learning community that we participated in was a gathering of “Next Generation Pastors”. This was a conglomeration of guys from across the country spanning several denominational lines. These were the young pioneers, the zealots, and the trailblazers. These were the catalysts that were blazing a trail for the future of the church in the US. I was delighted to sit with them and learn together.
The second learning community was a “Multi-site Church” group specifically for churches of three campuses or more. Having partnered with Leadership Network in the past, we were happy to participate. As usual, there were some serious pioneers that assembled. The conversation was rich, and spirited, yet focused on the progress of the Gospel!

When it came to multi-site we had reluctantly drank the punch and launched our first site in 2007. I say reluctantly… I had first heard about multi-site back in 2001 at a “Round Table Conference” hosted by Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock. They had brought out the godfather of multi-site and video venues. This guy was a throwback hippie from the Jesus movement on the coast of California. (Whom I have grown to deeply respect and hope that I’m half as cool and kingdom focused as when I’m in his season of life!) His name was Larry Osborne. Though I enjoyed listening to Larry, I was fairly convinced that he was completely crazy and that this video concept would be a short lived fad. Well, needless to say, I was wrong, and Larry is probably still chuckling at my reluctance.

Let me give you a brief history of how we got here. We launched The Well in an old German Lutheran Church. They had been around forever (100 years or so) and had been in steady decline for about the previous decade. They had a beautiful sanctuary that was left unused on Sunday nights and were open to us renting their facility to help get The Well started. So we launched in their place on Feb 10, 2002. Well, the church grew, we added a second service (5&7), those filled and we began to run out of options. We tried a 4, 6, & 8 combination, but the 4’oclock service was a bit too early in our context. It felt like a ‘tweener’ service. It was in between lunch and dinner. It wasn’t quite naptime for all of our kids, but it was certainly inconvenient for families. And the 8’oclock service drew only a collegian crowd. You know the type; they woke up at the crack of noon after a WOW raid with their friends until 2:00am that morning. So we knew that our growth strategy was to find another facility.

We were presented with an opportunity to purchase another church building in town and were very interested in the facility. The church that we were looking at purchasing was also in steady decline and was looking to relocate into a smaller facility that would better meet their needs. We ended up purchasing that church, but instead of leaving our rented facility, we decided to leave a core group there and experiment with a multi-site model.
As time progressed the church that we were renting continued in their decline. We were curious as to how we could possibly come together, but had not seen anything like that before and weren’t quite sure how to progress. It was actually in a Leadership Network “Learning Community” that we first heard about “Church Transitions or Mergers”.  At first, the language bothered me. I am a big fan of the Body of Christ. I, like many of you, believe that the Church is a glorious thing! God left behind a gathering of His people to proclaim the gospel and carry out his mission in the world. There are few things in my life that I hold more sacred than the church. So, language matters, the heart matters, and the people matter.

Well, as time progressed, the church approached us and we entered into conversation about the potential of coming together and transitioning the existing church into The Well. To make a long story short, we were able to work through a process that ultimately resulted in a very successful church transition. By the grace of God, we were able to transition a 100-year-old German Lutheran Church into a non-denominational church started by a small group of college students in 2002. (I’ll cover the details in an upcoming post)
Walking down this road together, we learned a ton. We had several meetings, countless phone calls, and ultimately learned enough about each other to officially merge as of Sept of 2009. In these conversations I realized that there were several key areas that influenced these processes dramatically. I would like to outline them and then take a stab at each one individually in future posts.

Theology – Ones ecclesiology greatly influences these processes. I would like to unpack the foundational ecclesiological points that helped shape the process.

Vision and DNA – This is a huge issue of debate among transition church models. Some look for affinity, others don’t care a bit. I think there are a few issues that can help the process along and determine viability.

Nuts and Bolts of the Process – How do you even begin this process? How do you initiate conversations? How long does it take? Etc.

Table of Contents

I’ve always thought about writing. I’ve developed some hot sports opinions and often wondered if they could be of any benefit to the body in some way. There are certainly better writers, and probably better leaders, but maybe I’ve paid the “dumb tax” in some areas that could save another traveling down the road from stepping in the same potholes.

In many ways, this writing thing has been hanging over my head for some time. I have dodged it like dodging a wrench. I felt that I had no authority, no credibility, and no unique voice. Then I realized the creeping reality of insecurity and passivity that were rising up their ugly heads. I realized that God has done some fantastic things in our church. God has grown some fantastic people in our midst. God has grown me, as a leader, and given me a voice to speak. Over the years I have developed passions, concerns, and developed questions. I feel like the process has been a fire slowly burning in my gut. It has reached the point that I must write. I must let these things out, if for no other reason, than to be obedient to a stirring in my soul.

We’ve been teaching through Nehemiah at The Well. (www.thewellcommunity.org) We’ve been unpacking the concept of Nehemiah’s “Holy Discontent”. God placed in his soul a burden for something that God wanted him to be a part of. He didn’t ask for it, but God gave it to him. The issue was the to obey. I feel like God has placed a burden in my soul. I feel like I need to be obedient to that calling, and so it begins.

I was reminded of the words of Jeremiah regarding a similar sense of passionate calling in Jeremiah 20. Jeremiah speaks of the fire shut up in his bones that he is weary of holding in. That’s a good picture for me. I’m weary of holding it in.

“If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,”

there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones,

and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.” — Jer. 20:9

Regarding subject matter. Let me spill the beans a bit and give you a brief “Table of Contents” for OVERFLOW. These will be the first shots fired, but I’m looking forward to continuing the discussion in other directions as well. So, here’s where it will begin.

Church Transitions or Mergers :: I think this issue will be a huge opportunity and challenge for the body of Christ as more and more mainline denominational churches are in decline and churches that launched out on massive building campaigns hit financial hardship.

Sexuality and Theology :: the more I read my Bible, the more convinced I am that the battleground for the next decade will be sexuality. The connection of the “Image of God” and human sexuality are too profound. The connection grows even more significant when you consider the number of times that Satan seems to derail the people of God using the allure of sexuality. Is it any wonder why our culture is so deviant sexually and why the church is so profoundly out of touch with the implications?

Church Complexity and the Tractor Pull of Leadership :: as an organization grows, the needs of the team change, and thus the leader has to change. Most leaders get stuck in the rut of “I’ve always done it this way”, and thus miss key growth opportunities for the churches that they lead, and even hinder the development of the Body of Christ. As complexity increases, a leader has to be savvy enough to see the changes coming and adjust accordingly. Organizational structure changes, communication lines change, team dynamics shift, and a new “normal” is created. A leader has to have his/her finger on the pulse of this change and learn to look to the horizon to see the storm coming.

The Ongoing Leadership Challenge of Delegation :: I was fascinated by the book of Numbers and the ongoing leadership struggle that Moses faced. I connected the struggle with the two admonitions for him to “delegate” authority. Exodus 18 records the words of Jethro to Moses admonishing him to delegate, yet it needed repeating in Num 11, and this time by God Himself. This exercise was painful for Moses, as it is with most leaders. Yet, the task was exceedingly important, if not absolutely critical.

Leadership Succession and Avoiding the Pitfall of Dropping the Baton :: I had the experience of being on staff of a church that promoted the “Senior Leader” as “Superman” model. I was there the day that he told the congregation “he would quit preaching when they put him in a pine box”. These words were received with delight from the WWII crowd among us, and with disdain from every young leader present. I was also there when they put him in that “pine box”. I was there through the backlash, pain, discomfort, and leadership vacuum, as well as the ongoing dysfunction that ensued. I was a causality of that caustic environment and witnessed, firsthand, how these succession plans go poorly. I’m also fascinated with the Levites. Not so much their role, but more with their tenure and the duration of service. I think there are some principles there that can shape our thinking on transitions.

The Good and Bad of Being a Multi-Site Church :: “Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.” (Prov. 14:4) Multi-site is an Ox. It gives you “much increase, or revenue”, but it has a cost. The cost is in complexity and the ongoing tension of the perceived value variance between the campuses. It’s not to say that it’s worth it, but it certainly deserves some good straight talk.

The Dark Side of Being a Founding Pastor :: I have found my role changing over the years. We are approaching our eighth year. It’s been a tremendous ride, but it’s been painful as well. I have found myself incredibly insecure as the “crowds” have grown and my personal contact with the people has diminished. In the early days I had front line contact with the people. I knew their stories. I was in their lives. I did their weddings. I dedicated their babies. But now, the game has changed. Due to the sheer number, I simply can’t do it anymore. I’m no longer the one who knows everything about the people. I have a team that carries much of this load, and It’s a bit awkward for me. I’m certainly not ready to be sent to pasture, but it is a strange feeling to see the church that you founded connecting to others… selfish? Sure… but honest. How does a founding pastor handle this shift? I have had good and bad days, and plan to discuss them both.

“I’m a Blogger”

True confession… I feel a bit awkward starting a blog. It’s not so much the blogs fault, it’s that I’ve spent so much time reading other blogs and have grown weary of the whole thing. It seems that blogging has become the industry standard of young pastors. It is almost a given that a younger pastor will utilize Facebook, twitter, and of course, a blog.  I’m not opposed to blogging, just the obsession that can follow. It reminds me of the Hawaiian shirt craze started by Rick Warren some years ago. I had never really seen Hawaiian shirts outside of an episode of “Magnum PI”. Then I went to a “Purpose Driven Church” conference and was overwhelmed by the floral obsession. It just seemed like these docker wearing Hawaiian shirt guys were desperately trying to be the fake Rick Warren. Of course, like a typical pioneer, I immediately boycotted the Hawaiian shirt thing altogether. Truthfully, I’m not sure I would want to be caught dead it one. It’s not the shirts fault, truthfully, they seem really comfortable, it just seems lame, old, and tired.

Then there was blogging. The tech wave hits churches and pastors begin to express themselves in their blogs. Movie reviews, concert critiques, hot sports opinions, and everything in between. Guys share stories on their blogs of their thoughts of God while walking their dog. From their blog they recommend another blog that talks about a post by this other blogger that refers to this other dudes blog! The whole thing just felt like narcissistic insanity.
Blogging has become it’s own word, culture, and attitude. Blogging used to be a verb. It was something you did. You blogged. It became a direct object… you worked on your blog. You put your thoughts on your blog. You updated your blog. But now, it has become a title. “I’m a blogger”. Is that really a job? Can you do that? Is that even possible? “I’m a blogger”. Really? How does someone get paid to review movies, critique the latest album, and talk about their morning coffee?

Well, now I’m starting a blog. It feels a bit hypocritical of me. Maybe I’m eating my words a bit. That’s how is usually goes with God… you poke fun at something, and then find yourself sitting at some café wearing dockers and a hawaiin shirt reviewing some movie on your blog, while drinking a latte.

“Hi, my names Brad, and I’m a Blogger.”