I was reading through several old illustrations this morning and ran across an extended quote from Dan Kimball. He is a minister and Church planter and wrote a book called, “They like Jesus but not the Church.” Dan is a leader in the area of a “Missional Church” that see their role in society, no matter where they are in the world, as missionaries of the gospel of Christ.
Chapter 2 is entitled “Why I escaped the Church office” and has a section he calls “The transformation from excited missionary into citizen of the bubble.” He describes how he views the steps most Christians take in their life of faith. Phase 1 is simply “We become Christians.” Phase 2 is “We become part of Church life.” Next he describes phase 3 as “We become part of the Christian bubble.” Now, I typed in this section and hope you understand and enjoy.

“Things really start changing in phase 3. As we slowly withdrawal from ongoing relationships with those outside the Church and focus on relationships with those inside the Church, something happens. Once, it was more natural and even exciting to share life with people at work or at school, with relatives, or with neighbors. But slowly we begin to see evangelism as something the Church does, primarily through events. We get more excited about going overseas to the mission field on summer trips than about the mission field we live in every day. We start to see evangelism as inviting people to go to a Church, where the pastor will do the evangelizing and explain Christianity, instead of spending time with people and talking with them and being the Church to them.
During this phase, we stop praying daily for those who don’t know Jesus and instead pray for our Church’s latest building project or latest program. Other than maybe at an office Christmas party that we have to go to, we rarely ever hang out with non-Christian friends or go to the movies with them. For the most part, only Christians are in our circle of peers. We begin buying little Christian stickers or put metal fish symbols on our cars, and we even have a few Christian T-shirts. We set our radios only to our favorite Christian radio shows, and most of the music we listen to is Christian. We make a trip to the amusement park that has the special Christian day each year featuring Christian bands. We find ourselves regularly using Christian words and phrases and clichés, such as backsliding, prayer warrior, fellowship, quiet time, traveling mercies, ‘I have a check in my spirit.’ The transformation is complete. We have become citizens of the bubble.”

-Page 44 of “They like Jesus but not the Church: insights from emerging generations” by Dan Kimball

Dan Kimball’s fear (and mine) is that too many Christians have taken up residence inside the “Christian Bubble.” We no longer have contact with people outside of Christianity. He ends this section of the book by saying that at Phase 4 “We become Jonah.” Not only do we no longer have contact with people outside of God, we really don’t care about them anymore. My question is, “Does any of this sound like my life?”

I have mentioned that I read several blogs each day. Some people have asked me what those blogs are so that they can read them too.

Here are a few that you might find interesting. Click on the name and it will link you to the page.

Family

Mark Merrill (excellent stuff)
We are THAT family
Refine US Ministries

Church Leadership

Carey Nieuwhof
Church for Men
Ron Edmondson

Theology

Jack Cottrell

Generally interesting –

Indexed
Seth Godin

In 2009 I was between my ministry in Iowa and my move to Alaska. I needed to do something to pay the bills. It was a recession and a lot of people were out of work and surprisingly a preacher is not qualified to do much. I ended up working in a factory warehouse, but for 9 long weeks I was a telemarketer. It was the single most difficult job I have ever done. It took an emotional toll on me as I tried to maintain my integrity while getting sales over the phone for some interesting products and services. I did keep a notebook of my experiences so that I would never lose the insights I gained during that time. I could write numerous blog posts of the conversations I had, the products I sold and the reactions of people on the phone.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was about the number of responses. Our supervisor would announce what we were going to be selling over the coming hours. Then she would write a number on the big white board in the room. That number was our projected sales per hour. Based on research and previous experience they would calculate how many sales an average telemarketer could make per hour. The number was usually 1 or 2 with only one product getting a 3. Being the curious person that I am I asked a supervisor about the number and she told me that they company makes 600 calls or more an hour. That put us statistically in a place where each of our sales staff would be able to sell 1 time per hour. If you made that number you were paid without fear of getting fired. If you sold more than that you would get a bonus for each sale. A little motivation never hurts sales. They would track the numbers on our computer screens and one day I wrote down 3866 calls for 65 sales.

Why do I tell you all of this? Because it illustrates the “law of large numbers.” That is the concept that the more calls you make then more sales you make. If you want more sales, then you need to make more calls. This is true in telemarketing but it is also true of Christian outreach.

I know this sounds very nonspiritual. I know it could remove the possibility of prayer and divine intervention. I know someone will raise an objection. I think this truth can be devoid of Christian principles but I also think it can work in direct connection with my spiritual life. Here is what I mean. I can pray and ask God to lead me to people who need to hear the gospel. I can ask Him to put people into my path that I can invite to Church. I believe God will do that for us, but it may take me asking 600 people to get that one response.

I am not saying we need to go out and knock on doors of total strangers. I am talking about speaking of Church and Christ with every person we come in contact with each day. That might be our co-workers, the lady at the store, my children’s friends parents, the neighbor, and any other person I come in contact with. All of us have at least 250 people we have a minor connection with in the community. Some of us have way more contacts that average.

Telemarketing forced me to talk to people I didn’t know to make a sale of a crappy product and it worked because I talked to enough people. Which is why they keep doing it by the way. How much more would we be able to share the best information in the world to people we know if we just forced ourselves to do it more often. Most people tell me they have only been able to bring a couple of people to Church and no one to the Lord. Maybe we just haven’t asked enough people.

Ed Young Jr. is the pastor of a mega-church named Fellowship Church in the Dallas Texas area. Each year the Church hosts a conference named the Creative Church Conference or C3 for short. I attended one of their conferences about 10 years ago and tried to learn as much as I could learn in a two-day experience. They had some powerful main sessions and some insightful breakout sessions during the conference. But of all the things that I experienced the one that stuck with me was a story Ed Young told from his own life that planted the seed for Fellowship Church.

Ed’s father is a preacher in a large Church and Ed had grown up going to Church each week. He had no desire to be a preacher but rather set his sights on being a basketball player. I believe that dream was sidelined by an injury that changed the direction of his life. While in college he attended a local Church near his university and took a friend from the team with him. He found himself becoming an interpreter for everything going on during the service. He would tell his friend, “Okay that person is giving a call to worship. That is an attempt to try to get people excited about what we are about to do.” Then it was “that guy talking is an elder – that is a leader in the Church – and he is talking about money because we are about to take up and offering.” And then, “That lady is singing a special song. I know she is not very good but she is the chairman of the board’s wife.” And on and on it went.

He said that after that Sunday he asked a question that would help direct his ministry. “Is it possible to have a Church where guests can understand the worship without an interpreter?”

I have thought about that story many times through the years and it has helped to shape my view of ministry as well. But over time I have furthered my thoughts about his experience and the dozens I have heard like it. I have come to the conclusion that my view of what happens on Sunday morning is greatly influenced by the number of non-Christians I bring with me.

If I do not bring anyone with me then I am okay with insider language, strange unexplained rituals, and poorly done activities. If I bring several people with me then I want things to be explained, simple and done well. If I bring people to Church with me who are non-Christians on a regular basis my views will be very different from the person who has never had to interpret what we are doing each week.

I dream of a Church where it is possible for the guests to participate in worship because it is filled with people who are bringing their non-Christian friends.

I know of a Church in Alaska that has a simple marketing campaign. They sent out cards to the community and then gave the people in their Church business card size notes with one thing written on the cover of both. They stated, “You’re Invited.” That’s it. “You’re Invited.”

That Church knows about the same statistic I know. That over and over again surveys have shown that around 50% of people would go to Church if they were invited by someone they knew. Simply stated – if you are interested in reaching people for Jesus then the easiest thing you can do is to invite people to a Church program. It is simple and very effective.

Let me give you several ideas to help you when you invite people to Church.

1. Use the Church’s natural seams and seasons – I preach in 3-6 week sermon series so that people can invite their friends to each new sermon series. One of them might catch the interested of a friend. Christmas and Easter are also great times to invite people. Use these special holidays or Church movements to invite people to Church.

2. Offer to pick someone up for Church or at least to follow you – It is easier to be a no-show when you are meeting at the Church building. It is much more difficult when you are setting in their drive. This also helps people to know where to park and what to do as they enter the building.

3. Introduce your guest to other people – Share their name with people without giving details. Oh, and do not say, “This is their first time in Church.”

4. Sit with your guests – Make your guest is as comfortable as you are able. Tell them what to expect. Tell them where the bathrooms are located. Be close if they have any questions.

5. Offer to take your guest to lunch – If you have not talked about plans after Church then be sure and offer an added bonus. Then let them pick the location.

6. Do not be disappointed if they do not return the next week – Most Church guests do not plan on coming back every week. Many of them have the next several Sunday mornings already booked. Simply ask them if they enjoyed the visit and if they would like to come with you again.

7. If they are not interested in returning, find out what why (if possible) – Learn from every experience. Let it help your future invitations. Share information with your leaders.

BONUS –

* If your friend does not come to Church with you. Then every other guest the way you would want your guest to be treated.

For many people the journey of faith began with an invitation from someone to a Church event. You never know who will respond to a simple invitation.

This week I am going to write some about sharing our faith and inviting people to Church worship programs. Some aspects of this topic fall under the heading of “Church growth,” some are labeled “Personal Evangelism,” some as “Inviting” and others are a combination of multiple topics.

Before we can begin to talk about the when and how of sharing our faith I have to stop and acknowledge one huge obstacle. That issue is that all of us view life through our own unique experiences. I know that sounds like a “Duh?” statement, but it is worth exploring. Each one of us comes to matters of faith and Church with our own unique background. Some people were raised in a Christian home and some were never taken to Church. Some people have been in Church frequently and others very, very infrequently for a wedding or funeral. Some people come from a background where faith was discussed regularly and others were told it was a personal matter. The list could go on and on. We are all different people with different backgrounds.

I see this difference played out dramatically when people come to Church for the first time. When people without any Church background come to Church they look sacred or angry or both. They don’t know where to sit or when they should sit. They don’t know people. They have never been asked to sing as a group, especially songs about loving some god or a guy named Jesus. Everything is weird and unique if those people have never been to Church. Now contrast that to the last time you visited a Church. You were happy and shaking hands. You took the program and any literature they offered (after all, we might be able to use it at our Church). You sang happily and felt right at home. What was the difference? You have been to Church before.

I firmly believe that the biggest obstacle most Churches have in reaching lost people is the fact that Christians put everything together based on their own background. When I talk to people about making changes to reach more people I am usually met with “I think a non-Christian would like this experience.” Why? Because I like it.

So let me give you a challenge this week or month – attend a group or a function that you know nothing about. Attend a school board meeting, go to a civic group meeting, walk into an open AA meeting, or go to any meeting that is available. If you are a hunter, go to a PETA meeting. If you are a gun collector, go to an anti-gun rally. If you are opposed to anything, go and attend a meeting of the opposite side of the debate. (Isn’t that what we are trying to accomplish with non-Christians or even atheists?)

After you go to one of these meetings take the time to write your thoughts. Did you feel out-of-place? What would have made you more comfortable? What do you wish they had done? What do you hate that they did? How would you change things? Finally, take that thinking to Church.

My fear is that one of the reasons many non-Christians never come to faith is because Church people have only tried to see the world their own eyes.

I am finishing off this week of talking about children by sharing something very personal to me. I want to tell you about my prayer(s) for my children. I usually do not say much about how I pray, when I pray or what I pray about, but today I am breaking my own rules. I hope this does not seem prideful and I hope it does not embarrass my children.

Every morning at my office the first thing I do is pray. The prayer follows a standard format in my mind. The middle of the prayer focuses on my family. One part of my prayer is specifically for my children. Here is the heart of that section of prayer.

1. I pray for their safety. It is simple and straightforward. They are driving, in sports, walking the streets, and I fear for their safety in all areas.

2. I pray for God’s guidance and direction in their life. As my boys reach high school they are making more and more decisions that will affect their future. I pray that God will open doors and close doors to help direct them into the future. I want them to be all that they can be for God.

3. I pray they will grow in Christ and live out their faith everyday. It is one thing to know the right thing to do and it is another to thing to do it. I know this because I struggle with it everyday myself. I simply ask God to help them make good decisions that are Christ honoring. I ask God to help them understand the weight of making a poor decisions. I know that they will sometimes make mistakes, we all do, but I hope they will be honest about it and handle themselves and others with grace and love.

4. I pray that God will lead them to a Christian spouse. There is probably no greater influence in our lives of faith than our spouse. They could also be our biggest struggle. I hope and pray that my boys find a woman who has the same beliefs as they do. I had a preacher friend who has four girls. He told me he started praying for their spouse the day they found out his wife was pregnant and committed to doing it every single day of their lives. He inspired me to do the same for my boys.

5. I pray for any specific needs. There will always be very specific struggles for each one. Those struggles may be the move we made as a family, it may be a friend or girlfriend, it may be a physical pain or maybe it is just an emotional situation. Whatever the case I do not want my children to have to face it alone. I want to connect with them personally but I also want to support them spiritually.

I hope that you pray for your children. I believe there is nothing greater we can do to help their lives. I have been praying for years and I know I will not stop this side of heaven. I hope you do the say for your children, grandchildren and any child with whom you come in contact.

I am the proud parent of 4 strong young boys. I have been thinking a great deal about parenting this week because one of them is having a birthday. Today I want to share a few simple lessons I have learned on this journey.

1. All children desire attention, give it to them.
Talk to your kids. Listen to them. Ask them questions. Take an interest in their activities and achievements. If you do not give them attention someone else will. Boys and girls both turn to dating and sex because they desire someone to love them. Children turn to negative behavior if that gets the most attention. I encourage everyone to be their child’s biggest fan and supporter.

2. Be a parent, not a best friend.
I love my kids and I think my kids love me. I honestly believe we have a great relationship. But early on I realized I needed to be a parent more than their friend. This enables me to still hand out discipline and direction. I am not afraid to hurt their feelings and tell them no.
I see a lot of parents, especially divorced parents, who want to be their children’s friend so much that they will never say no or offer direction for fear they will be rejected. Then a strange dynamic happens as the child becomes the dominant player in the relationship and manipulates their own way. I have come to believe that I am the only one who can be their father and they can find friends anywhere.

3. Who you teach them to become is more important than what you teach them to do.
Character building is more important than skill building. I have been thinking about how my boys are very good at sports and I am so poor at them. I know that they have inherited their mother’s athletic ability and not mine but I think there is something deeper. Michelle and I have tried to teach our boys to give 100% to anything you do. Work hard at everything. We do not make excuse and blame others, we just do the work. This character lesson has translated into all kinds of skills. My boys are good at school, at sports and pretty much anything they do, because they give it their all.

4. You will always feel insecure about your parenting
While I write this article with some amount of confidence, I am still very unsure in my mind. Did I do the right things? Have I taught them enough? Did I instruct their character without them resenting? I could go on and on and on. None of us are sure as a parent, no matter how much we proclaim to be.

5. Enjoy the ride.
With every passing year you enter new phases of a child’s life. They go from toddlers to teenagers very quickly. I have often found myself longing for the next phase. I have wanted them to get out of diapers or through that whiny phase. I have wanted them to be less dependent and I have wanted them to be more dependent. Then I realize that with every phase there have been moments of sheer joy. Stop and enjoy those moments if you can, they will soon be gone. Every phase brings new challenges but also new joys.

This is not an exhaustive list of all that I have learned, but these are some of the big lessons that God has underlined to me over and over again. Hopefully they help you in some tiny little way.

I receive about 100 blogs a day through Feedly – an online blog reader that I now have on my phone too. There is a lot of good material being written out there. Here are my suggestions for the week.

1. “How to help your daughter believe she is beautiful” by Mark Merrill is over HERE

2. Mark also has a great post about “6 sentences your child needs to hear you say” over HERE

3. Justin Davis has another good blog about marriage called “More than words” over HERE

4. Justin Taylor’s article about Ferguson is worth some thought over HERE

5. A lady in the Church sent me a link to this good blog post about “jumping out of the boat” over HERE

6. John Acuff posted a great little picture and post about a Passive Aggressive note over HERE (it reminds me of a part of my sermon a couple of weeks ago)

I found this little clip in my files from Northpoint Community Church. They developed a 5 part plan of what they believe every child needs.

1. A Really Big God

2. Someone Else Who Believes What They Believe

3. Another Voice That Says the Same Thing Their Parents Say

4. Nosy Parents Who Make it Their Business to Know Where Their Kids are Spiritually

5. Uncommon Sense to Help Make Wise Choices