Our first attempt at using live polling via text messaging went great (First service had a technical glitch, but second service had no issues). I think this will be a great way to interact with our church in the future.
I read this article from the washington post. It mentions churches who support a political candidate during the Sunday service. This Sunday I’ll be talking about Jesus, not politics.
Last week I received multiple phone calls to have voter guides placed in our church and provide onsite voter registration. I politely said, “No Thanks,” and then listened for the next five minutes about how sorry he was to hear that I was supporting the decline of America.
Don’t get me wrong… I want you to vote, but our church is not going to tell you who to vote for. I do not want to reduce people’s view of a person to a “voter guide.” I believe people need to be more informed than that. The issues this world faces are complex. I listen to both conservative and liberal talk radio. I think it is healthy to listen to both sides of every issue. A great way to have an informed view on both Obama and McCain is to watch them talk with Pastor Rick Warren (Author of The Purpose Driven Life) during the two hour Saddleback Civil Forum.
Here is what I believe… The decline in America is not caused by the lack of voter guides. The decline is caused by people missing out on God. The power of politics is pretty small compared to the power of a life changed by Jesus. If I believed politics changed the world I would have become a politician. I believe the world is changed by people who discover God’s purpose for their lives instead of following a made up purpose. I am committed to “CHANGE”… but real change happens in the center of each person… a change that only happens when God gets involved. That is the change you will hear me talking about this Sunday. I’ll vote for a changed life over a changed Washington anytime.
I love hanging out at coffee shops. But what is the deal with the Starbucks cup sizes? I have gone along with the funny cup size names for years. But this morning I rebelled. What in the world is “Venti” anyways? (Googled it - Italian for 20oz) Why is a “Tall” actually short? Why is a “Grande” (Italian for large) medium? In my great act of rebellion I ordered my coffee this morning by saying a “I’ll have a large dark roast please”. The barista corrects me… surely I must have been mistaken… I am a regular I should have known better than that. ”Venti?” She asks, looking at me with a puzzled look. She waits for me to acknowledge the error of my ways. I smile and nod and take my coffee. I guess I just need more coffee to keep me from making a big deal out of nothing.
This Sunday bring your cell phone to church and leave it turned on (vibrate mode is appreciated). We will take live polls (using your cell phone) during the service and have the results shown on screen as soon as you hit send. I’ve heard others complain about texting during services. I am looking forward to engaging texters! Let me see those cell phones out this Sunday. I want to see what you have to say!
I also came across another way we can use texting to keep you in the loop. This week we are starting a “VCC Top Three” text message we will give you the top three events you need to know about. If you want to get in on this text TOPTHREE (all one word) to 41411. You can also Subscribe Online by entering your phone number in the subscribe box .
I am committed to helping people connect to God, connect to each other, and connect to our world.
Right now I feel like our church needs to zero-in on connecting with each other. As I look out in our worship experiences I see so many new faces. I know many are new to our community and new to following Christ. I don’t want anyone feeling like they need to make this spiritual journey alone. Our small group options are a key part of making this happen, but what about those who are just not “into” small groups. Is there a way to help people meet up outside of Sunday? In our high tech world we want real interaction. There is even a website called Meetupdedicated to helping people “Get on the internet to get off the internet.”
We’re going to try three ideas this summer…
1) Never Eat Alone — In the eighties we had “Dinners for Eight” or some cheesy title like that. We still need to have some sort of connection over lunch or dessert. Everyone likes food, why not eat with someone new. We’re going to try and help people take the risk of expanding their social circle at church. I like the title of the book “Never Eat Alone” I haven’t read it (I don’t like the premise of building your network for your own benefit) but I do like the idea of building relationships on purpose…. not to sell Amway, Tastefully Simple, Tupperware, Melaleuca (enter your favorite pyramid marketing idea here) but to invest in real relationships. We need one another as we follow Christ.
2) Name Tags — I think people feel bad that they cannot remember people’s names in church. They have seen them for six weeks in a row but they are too embarrassed to admit they forgot their name. We’re going to have a monthly “Amnesty Sunday.” Even if you are guilty of forgetting someone’s name, you get to have a chance to learn it again.
3) Photo Directory — This is kind of an extension to #2. I want to be praying for people in our church by name each week. When I look at the names in our online database, I don’t have all the names and faces connected. I want to know who I am praying for. We have a guy in our church who is passionate about this project. It will be great to have this completed next month. I remember hearing Rick Warren say that he had 1000 names memorized in his church. There is no reason why I cannot know everyone by name until we reach 1000.
Do you want to get connected? Let me know.
Here is a radio interview I used in church this past sunday. I was looking for a video that helped people going through difficult times see life from a different perspective. Logan is a 13 year old cowboy from a small town in Nebraska. He called into a Christian radio program to share what God told him and now over 7.5 Million people have listened to his interview on youtube.
Caribou no longer has a one hour time limit on Internet use! Maybe you will see me blogging more often.
The past month has been crazy. I was only able to post one blog from Tanzania. The internet was pretty sparse once we left Dar es Salaam. But I was amazed at the cell phone coverage while I was there. It was crazy to be able to be in the middle of the Ngorongoro Crater and text Melinda about the elephant I was watching. I think I had better coverage there than in the Twin Cities. It feels great to connect with my pastoral team. I love being able to leave and know our church is in good hands.
Recent Comments