the church geek

1.) Michael Kruse reposts a comment from a post on Scot McKnight’s blog offering a grower’s perspective on Fair Trade Coffee.

2.) Adam Copeland does a good job working through a difficult issue in his post “The Case of the Fibbing Preacher.”

3.) Great discussion on Carol’s blog about blogging and ministry. Will it possibly cost you a job?

4.) Tim Keel offers an interesting perspective on couples seeking to practice spiritual disciplines together.

5.) This photo has been my desktop background the last several days.

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Yesterday, I did what I’ve done occasionally over the last year of preaching. I got out of the pulpit, I put a music stand on the floor in front of the sanctuary, and I preached from there. It provides me with a bit of freedom and flexibility that I simply don’t have when I’m in the pulpit. I also feel like I am better able to connect with the congregation in this way.

I’ve told my session this - I don’t like the pulpit in our sanctuary. First off I’m 6′4″ and the pulpit is a little too short for me. I’m constantly bobbing my head up and down from my notes in order to establish eye contact with my congregation. Also, the pulpit is very narrow and I feel like I’m boxed in. I’ve got no good place to put my arms or hands when I preach (I don’t either when I use a music stand on the floor, but at least I don’t feel hemmed in.)

The issue with my pulpit leads me to reflect on the fact that our worship space is not set up in a way that provides us with a whole lot of flexibility. In its current configuration, it’s simply not a space that is easily adaptable to modern ways of communicating.

The deficiencies are all around:

1.) I’m not a huge powerpoint person, but I do like to show an occasional video during church or the sermon especially if it accentuates I’m making. But to do so, I have to drag out a portable screen and find a place to put it. The 4 foot one is too small, but the 8 foot one we bought last year is way to big. I also have to drag out a table, a projector; but then we have cords and a table in the way. Not only is it a pain in the b***, it just looks sloppy.

2.) I’d like to occasionally engage in some dialog while preaching. For instance, I’d like to be able to ask a question during a sermon and have people feel like they can answer, but more importantly I’d like people to be able to hear how others have responded to the question. Pews in straight rows do not invite any sense of community or dialog during the worship service.

3.) In a similar vein, I’d like to mix things up. It would be great to have a communion service or a foot washing service in the round, with a table in the middle and chairs in circles around a central table, but once again with pews in a straight row there is no ability to modify the space. Other ideas may come forth if the space could be more easily modified.

These are just a few of the issues with our worship space. We actually are talking about putting together a worship space task force to look at some of these issues. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to tackle the issue of the pews or not, but we’re certainly thinking about things like installing an A/V system, getting rid of our organ (which we’ve moved away from using anyway), and hopefully looking at alternatives to our current pulpit.

What have you done to address limitations in your worship space?

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I’ve been curious as to how the economy is affecting or will affect pastors and their compensation in the coming year. Part of my curiosity is knowing that Iowa, as of yet, as not been that hard hit by the economic slowdown, but I know that’s not true in other areas of the country.

Yesterday, I did an informal poll on twitter asking pastors to respond as to whether or not they were receiving and or accepting raises in light of the news on the economy. The majority responded that they were either getting a cost of living increase (to keep with presbytery minimums) or no increase at all.

I thought I’d create a little more elaborate of a poll and so I offer it up here. I’m happy to entertain comments below not only from pastors, but from non-pastoral types as well about the budgetary decisions being made in these tough economic times.

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Today, I’m away from home as well as from any contact with the on-line world while I’m attending a spiritual renewal retreat in the Chicago area. This is how I am spending the first part of my week of continuing education leave.

For the second part of my week, I am planning to hole myself up in the library at the University of Dubuque, where I went to seminary. I intend to spend my time doing some planning for the season of advent as well as some initial prep work for a couple months of sermons.

As a part of my compensation package, I am fortunate to be provided with both the time and the funds to get away from the office for events and purposes like these.

Even though I am allowed the leave, it can be difficult to find the time. I remember in September staring at the calendar and thinking there was no way I could work my two weeks of vacation and one week of continuing education into my schedule. But, I kept at it and eventually found the space and time to work in one week of each type of leave.

Sometimes it feels like a luxury. I don’t know of any other job where people get to be away from the office for four weeks of vacation and two weeks of continuing education. I sometimes feel a twinge of guilt and/or concern (”He’s going to be gone again?”) whenever I ask the session to approve my time away from the office.

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So, for a while now I’ve been twittering, and I have come to really enjoy it. The other day, I was talking with some colleagues who don’t quite “get it.” So, I thought I’d offer a few observations from my experience. Now for those of you who don’t have any idea about what twitter is, you might want to take a look at this video.

Keeping up with blog friends:
One of the reasons I started twittering was to keep up with friends I’ve accumulated through the blog world. If a blogger I knew had a twitter feed, then I added them to my follow list. This became even more meaningful after attending our denomination’s GA and meeting some of my blog friends in person. Now I not only have a face and a voice, but through twitter I have a peek into what their life is like.

Expanding my connection to the community:
After a while, I realized that I could follow some folks locally. Using TwitterLocal I plugged in my zipcode and discovered that there were a bunch of local twitterers out there. Following them has been really fun and has helped me feel much more connected to the community than I was before. The local folks I follow vary: a bunch of them work for the Gazette, a few are Coe college students, some are techie folks, and a few are pastors too, like me.

Expanding my ministry outreach:
By no means was this my primary goal, but some of my local twitter followers have told me that they have read a sermon or two that I’ve posted on my blog. Some of these folks attend churches, others do not. Regardless, in some sense, I feel a bit of a responsibility as a ‘pastor’ to those I follow or who follow me. I like too, that folks who are not associated with a church can see me, through my twitter updates, as just an ordinary joe who also happens to be a minister. I see this as one way of breaking down the all too formidable barrier between the ’secular’ and the ’sacred.’

It’s like having your own panel of personal advisors:
So I was trying to figure out what I should buy for a surge protector - I twittered my question, and three or four friends responded with their product recommendations. I was having trouble working through a scripture passage - I twittered about it, and two or three folks responded with some suggestions and even some websites that pointed me to some ideas. It’s like being the President and having your Cabinet to turn to for the advice you need.

Finally, it’s just plain fun:
Want to know the best way to follow the presidential debates and other significant events as they unfold? Follow your twitter friends. It’s like having an instant party right in your living room. The banter and commentary on twitter as the debates raged on was just plain fun to be part of.

Try it out:
If you are interested, I re-issue Adam Walker Cleaveland’s call to try it for a month, and add me as your friend. I will tell you that you do have to work at it in order to make it worth while. You can’t just update once a day, or check your friend’s updates every other day. You’ve got to make it a regular habit.

Finally, something that makes twittering a whole lot easier and fun is to use a third party application like twhirl (it’s what I use) or tweetdeck. These applications act like instant messengers….retrieving your friend’s updates (almost instantaneously) so that you don’t have to actually go to the twitter webpage.

Go ahead, try it out!

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Since I’ve been in my current congregation, the deacon board has been a pretty weak spot in our organization and ministry. If you ask what the deacons do here, the answer you will typically get is focused on two things 1.) kitchen duty for fellowship hour and 2.) counting the weekly offering.

To be fair, there are a few regular mission projects that are part of the deacon’s purview but for the most part those two maintenance functions are the sum of the deacon’s current ministry. This is of course a far cry from what our book of order describes as the duties of the deacon:

It is the duty of the deacons, first of all, to minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress both within and beyond the community of faith. They shall assume other duties as may be delegated to them from time to time by the session, such as leading people in worship through prayers of intercession, reading the scriptures, presenting the gifts of the people, and assisting with the Lord’s Supper.

Since late spring, we’ve been actively working to change the culture of the deacon board. With the renewed attention and focus, they’ve been very responsive to reviewing and expanding their current ministry in order to better fulfill their calling.

Yesterday the deacon board decided to organize itself and assign specific people to look at four areas of ministry:

1.) Church function - this entails the various duties that deacons have around the church to help it operate like fellowship hour, money counting, and preparing for the Lord’s Supper.

2.) Congregational Care - this includes the care and nurture of church members; shut-in visits, funeral receptions, care for grieving members, etc.

3.) Outreach - this includes ministries for welcoming our visitors, inviting new or potential members into church life, and finding ways to establish relationships with our neighbors.

4.) Mission - this includes the various mission projects of the church, as well as finding ways to help our neighbors who are in need.

This is great and exciting stuff! For too long the deacon board has been focused on church function…meaning that the deacons were primarily concerned about the maintenance of the church…and there was little excitement or enthusiasm for that work among the deacon board.

Now, we are beginning to move our focus and attention in an outward direction. I sense that a fresh wind of the Spirit has begun and will begin to continue to blow in and through us.

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On Sunday October 5th, I will be participating in the Cedar Rapids/Marion Iowa CROP Walk to help stop hunger. You too can be a part of this effort by simply supporting me financially as I walk. Click here if you’d like to provide an on-line donation. Thanks for your help!!

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Countdown to Sunday: A Daily Guide for Those Who Dare to Preach by Chris Erdman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
My all time favorite book on pastoral ministry is the book Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry by William Willimon. Chris Erdman’s work on preaching reads very much like Willimon’s work.

This is the book I needed at this time in my ministry. I’ve done a lot of thinking and struggling over the first three years of my ministry on the place and purpose of preaching. In a world of preaching to meet felt needs, Erdman offers meaningful reminders regarding the centrality of the biblical text and that the essential purpose of the text is to form the people of God.

The book is not a sit down and read through from cover to cover sort of book, but rather an offering of meditations on the purpose and role of preaching within the context of the people of God. Especially helpful are the chapters that offer a glimpse into the way Erdman prepares to preach the text…a helpful and simple structure that any “busy” preacher could easily adapt.

If you are tired of your message preparation usurping the actual intent of the biblical text then this book is for you.


View all my reviews.

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Sometime in the spring, we had a woman visit our congregation. I had a brief chat with her prior to the service and asked her how she found out about our church. She shared with me that she had just moved into the neighborhood and was happy to find out that there was a “pentecostal” church right around the corner.

I didn’t have the heart to tell her that we were actually a “p-r-e-s-b-y-t-e-r-i-a-n” church, but once the service started I think she pretty quickly figured out that we were nothing like the sort of pentecostal church she thought she came to visit. We didn’t see or hear from her after that visit.

Recently, we had another visitor, and before the service we chatted about the various Presbyterian congregations in the city. This visitor then asked me if there were any churches in our city that were “pentecostal” in the character of their music and ministry.

These types of chats before the church service always make me a little nervous. I start thinking about how the visitor will be disappointed that we just weren’t the type of church they were looking for. I wonder if they are politely sitting in the worship service, all the while critiquing the theology, the scriptural interpretation, and the style of our worship music. I look at them during the service and wonder what is going through their mind.

I suppose my desire for visitors to accept and enjoy what we do here can’t be helped, but the reality is that we simply cannot be all things for all people. What we can do, however, is strive to be faithful to God and to the gospel of Jesus Christ, be the absolute best at what we do, and not apologize if our best does not turn out to be what our visitor came here looking for.

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1.) I enjoyed Scot McKnight’s review of a book called “Sin Boldly” and have added it to my read list.

2.) I’m still trying to figure out how to organize my electronic life, especially stuff I uncover on the Web. Jake Bouma explains how he uses Evernote to organize his ministry. I’m hoping to implement a few of his ideas…if I ever have time…

3.) If you’re Presbyterian you can play along with this meme. I’m planning on doing it soon, so look for some answers here.

4.) Speaking of Presbyterians, the Presbyterian Bloggers website is trying to reinvent itself. Check it out and see how you can contribute.

5.) Here is the photo of the week.

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Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Jesus by Mark Yaconelli

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was recommended to me by another ’solo pastor’ working in a small church, and it does not disappoint.

I really like Yaconelli’s approach to youth ministry, especially his consideration that much of what we do with youth is designed to manage our anxiety about them. In contrast, the author outlines an approach to youth ministry that values kids for who they are…reminding us that they have things to teach us.

You don’t have to work with youth to get something out of this book. Much of what is written transcends youth ministry and outlines a great approach not only to pastoral ministry but to living the christian life.

View all my reviews.

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Just a few items for you this week, while I have a few minutes off from Synod School:

1.) A pretty good start to a list of what a perfect church might look like. What would you add?

2.) Funny little video on how not to be a small group leader.

3.) This picture captures a sense of motion so wonderfully! Almost makes me motion sick just looking at it.

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1.) I love some of the stuff that new faith communities are doing…they are bold challenges and proclamations to existing congregations. Internet Monk singles out one new congregation that is committed to giving 60% of their budget to mission!!…If they can do it, why can’t we?

2.) As always Jan raises good observations and questions about the nature of staffing in the established church today. I’d love for her to be a colleague in this presbytery, as we need to hear more of her voice…

3.) Tony Campolo presents what seems like a reasonable, faithful response to the problem of abortion in our country.

4.) How many of the 100 NEA Recommended books of fiction have you read? I’ve read book #6, but I’m not really sure why it’s considered a “work of fiction.”

5.) Today I’ve decided to point to a few of my recent favorite photos from my flickr contacts. I particularly love the lighting in this one and the depth of field in this one.

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I’m beginning to do some preaching in my congregation that really speaks to our moving to a missional focus. Currently, I’m in the midst of a series on discipleship and yesterday spoke about the fact that the church really needs to begin to turn its focus outward. The direction of our faith and Christianity is necessarily toward the world and not toward the church as an organization.

The impetus of my sermon was that as a congregation we can no longer afford to focus on our current 94 members, instead we need to begin to focus on our next 94 members.

To me, that means a lot of things. Some of them entail 1.) no longer giving money and calling it “mission,” 2.) no longer designing worship services and other programs just with our members ‘needs’ in mind, and 3.) inviting friends to join us and having places (small groups) where people can plug in and learn about the faith from our current members.

Two comments following my sermon struck me as indicators that we have a long way to go and that I have a lot of work to do to help us get this missional focus thing down….

Last year we decided to no longer pay for our church to advertise in our local newspaper in the religion section on Saturday morning…Part of the reason? 1.) The only people who look at those ads are our church members. It makes them feel good when they see it, but that’s about the limits of their effectiveness, 2.) We decided to invest our time and money in a website.

In response to my sermon, someone said to me yesterday that we really need to put that ad back in the newspaper. It’s not the first time I’ve heard this…the underlying assumption is that spending a few bucks on advertising is what is going to grow the kingdom and bring people to visit our church. Unfortunately, I think its a way to absolve the members from having to do anything to be a part of helping the church to grow, and that’s not missional thinking…

The second comment I heard was “I don’t have any friends who don’t go to church, so I must be hanging out in the right crowds!?!” The answer is no, and again, that’s not missional thinking. You really need to have some friends in your circles who are not Christian…if this church is going to grow it’s going to be by your listening to others no matter where they are in their faith journey, inviting them to think about the faith, and asking them come join us as we explore this thing together.

I’m realizing this moving to a missional focus is a monumental change. It’s a big change for me as I begin to think about my ministry differently and as I think about what it’s going to require in my preaching and leadership within this congregation. It’s also a big change for this congregation.

But, I’m becoming more and more convinced that if we’re going to have any success together then we all have got to change our focus. That focus needs to be missional, and its direction needs to be outward, toward the world around us.

Please pray for me and for us!

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As promised, here is the Wednesday Roundup. As they say, better late than never.

1.) JK Rowling offers some thoughts on living the good life. Dr Geoff Pound has put together a nice collection of Stories for Speakers and Writers.

2.) Having grown up, I’m no longer a big fan of Garfield, though I sure did love it as a kid. Garfield minus Garfield, however, makes it all the more interesting.

3.) My candidate of choice takes a bit hit on the blog Faith and Theology. I’m not really sure I get the point of the argument, so maybe some astute reader of this blog can go over there then come back and elucidate it for me?

4.) Some thoughts on ministry and people, from the blog with the best name ever “Letters from Kamp Krusty”

5.) Here is your recommended photo of the week.

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