Christian Atheist: New Book by Craig Groeschel

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Craig Groeschel, pastor of LifeChurch.tv releases his new book today,  The Christian Atheist. It is available online or at a bookstore near you.

What is a Christian Atheist? It is someone who believes in God, but lives as though He doesn’t exist. This book is hard-hitting and passionate! Craig will challenge you to think deeply and honestly. It will push you and disturb you! I believe every church in America should purchase this book in bulk for small group studies to dive into. To win a free and signed copy of the book, visit Scott Williams blog, a campus pastor at LifeChurch.tv at www.BigIsTheNewSmall.com.

The Next Generation Product Almost Never Comes from the Previous Generation

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Listen to Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point Community Church in Atlanta, GA as he explains how the next ideas for ministry and the church will be birthed from the folks 25 and under.

Your Thoughts?

Is Holographic Preaching the Next Big Trend in the Church?

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Since video preaching on multi-site church campuses have proven to be an effective model to reach people and accelerate church growth, there is yet another tool that is stirring another controversy among church leaders and believers. They’re pastors and ministry leaders who use 3D holograms as a means to preach in live worship services. Is this going to become another effective communications tool to further the Gospel or have technology-savvy church leaders gone one step to far?

The Christian Post interviewed ChurchMediaDesign.tv, they said, “the technology creates ‘an as if you’re there experience’ and begins to extend the realism of virtual teaching venues.”

Tony Morgan, pastor of ministries at West Ridge Church near Atlanta, and popular blogger at TonyMorganLive.com introduced this technology on his blog earlier this week. Tony mentioned on his blog that he wouldn’t be surprised if this technology gets implemented into churches within the next 12 months. It could easily replace video teaching from the big screen.

The Christian Post also interviewed Ed Stetzer and meanwhile, he sees the use of holograms in the church as a “natural evolution” of the technology. He continued to say, “People watched their pastor live on a big screen at a megachurch, then they watched their pastor on video from another place, now the video goes from 2D to 3D. It is not a shift of philosophy but of technology. If you are already OK watching via video, this is just a new tool, not a new approach.”

What are your thoughts on this new technology? Could you see it benefiting your church? Read full article by The Christian Post, called, “Hologram Preachers Slated to Appear in Churches.”

You Can’t Say That In Church: Politics by Tanya Glass

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Myth #1: “My political views are my business and the preacher shouldn’t talk about it in church.”

This is a typical mentality among Christian people, and we’ve all encountered it. The question is – are we going to accept it or speak up!

ImpelMinistry.com has decided to take the tape off and encourage church leaders to speak up and engage in the tough conversations. The first topic we want to bring out into the open is politics. We have the right and the ability to get involved and shape the nation. We should be able to talk openly about the political process, even on the smallest level. Today, young leaders are highly engaged in social and political issues. While many of these leaders have become active and vocal on political and social issues, church leaders seem to tip toe around the political realities that face our nation today. Why is that?

Myth #2: “If I talk about politics from the pulpit the government will close my church.”

For years the church has been bullied into thinking that if they discuss politics from the pulpit then serious legal consequences will ensue. The truth is that pastors can discuss openly their political views; they just can’t make them the views of the organization. I would encourage every church leader – volunteer and/or staff – to watch Matt Staver’s DVD, “What Pastors Can and Can’t Do Politically.” As a lawyer, he plainly talks about the political freedom that pastors have and how to engage their church in the political system.

Myth #3: “I don’t have time to get into politics, it’s too overwhelming.”

It does take time to be a responsible voter, but organizations such as Liberty Counsel and Focus on the Family put information together for people to help them make decisions. It’s important for leaders to educate themselves on the current issues to be able to discuss objectively and openly. With the new presidential administration came a new openness with the public. I would encourage you to subscribe to the White House email and blog site. Everyone does not have to be involved in everything, but as ministry leaders, we should all have a basic understanding on a few key things about major issues. It’s okay not have an answer to every issue, but be open to new ideas and hearing from “the other side” before rushing to judgment. We should not persuade people to vote our way, but we should encourage them to take action on their own.

Myth #4: “No one cares what I think, one person can’t make that much difference.”

This is an election year for Congress as they ramp up for November 2010. The laws that govern our nation are created within this body of decision-makers. The same passion we have for the presidential election we need to have for the Congressional elections, they are your voice in Washington. Go to the links provided by Focus on the Family and Liberty Counsel to learn who is running in your district and on Election Day in November, go vote, let your voice be heard.

Before getting involved we must pray for those in authority and take spiritual responsibility for those we place in government. The goal is not to persuade, but to educate. It’s not about parties or policy – it’s about participation. The days of signs, boycotts, and protests are over. Educate yourself on the issues, and be willing to talk openly about them.

Your Thoughts?

Tanya Glass is an editor and market research analyst at ImpelMinistry.com. She attends Angelus Temple/ The LA Dream Center with Pastor Matthew Barnett. Check out her personal blog TanLines. Follow her on Twitter HERE and friend her on Facebook HERE. She resides in Los Angeles, CA. You can email her at Tanya@ImpelMinistry.com.

How Would Jack Bauer Handle Religious Politics?

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Everyone knows that I am a big fan of 24! I love the show. I have all seven seasons on DVD. Two years ago, a friend gave me a 24 T-shirt for Christmas. On the front side it says, “So, you think you know what’s going to happen?” And, on the back side it says, “You don’t know Jack!”

If you’re familiar with the show, everybody loves Jack’s leadership style. I’ve always wondered, would Jack Bauer be a good staff or lay leader in a modern day church? Would the church give him space to lead or put barriers in his way? In the seventh season of 24, FBI agent Renee Walker said to FBI Director Larry Moss, “I’m starting to think if we just stayed out of Jack’s way, we could have prevented this crisis.” Now, what was the key point in that statement? Get out of Jack’s way so he can do his job! Now, grant it, I know this is just a TV show, but stay with me here. With every season of 24, Jack Bauer always had an obstacle to work around, and most of the time it was from government politics that tried to sideline him or control his efforts from accomplishing his mission. If Jack Bauer was a lay leader in a church, how would he respond to religious politics and tradition that often tries to control, sideline and limit the efforts of leaders trying to fulfill the mission and vision God placed in their hearts?

Let’s start out by defining religious politics. It flows in communication and years of tradition through a church organization. It hates creativity and new approaches for ministry. But, most of all, religious politics loves to stand in the way of progression and forward motion. If Jack Bauer was a staff pastor or lay leader in a church, and the religious system stood in his way consistently from carrying out the mission and doing his job, what would Jack do?

  • Shoot the senior pastor in the knee
  • Interrogate the church board
  • Leave the church
  • Go start another church
  • Just let the religious system torture him, like when he was tortured in China
  • All the above

Just for the record, I wouldn’t recommend any of these options if you’re a leader in your church. Because, first of all, we must recognize the brutal reality, religious politics will always be around us in church ministry. If you think there are no religious politics being played in your church right now, you are in denial or deceived. Wherever there is people; there is politics. Religious politics fight against leaders that are forward thinkers, innovators and get it done type of people. It will be the Jack Bauer’s in your church that will be your greatest asset in helping eliminate religious politics throughout your organization. Religious politics fight to maintain the status quo, while the Jack Bauer’s of your church fight to move your church vision forward.

Church organizations that are on cruise control are typically the one’s that are affected the worst with religious politics. Jack Bauer type leaders may be drawn to a cruise ship kind of church, but they won’t stay there very long. In the Sixth Season of 24, Secretary of Defense, James Heller told Jack, “Sooner or later Jack, you’re going to get back in the game, because that is who you are.” Jack Bauer leaders will never be satisfied in a cruise ship church. They will be the ones that will always buck the system, disturb the status quo, and rock the boat. Jack Bauer leaders crave being on the front lines because they will always be in the game, it’s how God wired them. No church system will ever be able to sideline, control or manipulate these kind of leaders to stay quiet or take a passenger seat position. Why? Because these kind of leaders are missionally focused and driven individuals. Jack Bauer leaders will always align themselves with churches and ministry organizations that think and function like a battleship, not a cruise ship mentality.

Your Thoughts?

Guest Blogger: Phil Cooke “Media Ministries: Welcome to the New Normal”

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Back in the days of only 3 TV channels, there were a handful of monster sized media ministries: Oral Roberts, Billy Graham, Rex Humbard, and Jimmy Swaggart topped the list early, with Pat Robertson and Robert Schuller coming in a bit later. Then, with the advent of religious TV networks, more started growing: Rod Parsley, Lester Sumrall, John Osteen, Fred Price, and others. Today, the leaders are ministries like Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Meyer, TD Jakes, and of course the networks like TBN and Daystar that give most of them their biggest platform. But now, in the wake of this recent financial crisis, the question becomes, will we see so many religious ministries of that size ever again?

While a few will continue, for the vast majority I say no, for a couple of reasons. According to a July Gallup poll, 32% of respondents said they’re spending less across the board. More telling however, is that these consumers expect this cutback to be their “new normal pattern” for the future. Interpublic Group did a similar study and found that 75% have altered their purchasing in the last year. While some have traded down, most seem to have evolved into a completely new lifestyle. As one major advertising agency executive put it: “People are going to emerge from the recession completely changed.” With non-profit giving, the cycles can sometimes be different, but you can expect their giving habits to be dramatically adjusted as well.

The second issue is technology and changing generations. By 2010, Generation Y will outnumber Baby Boomers and 96% have already joined an online social network. It took traditional radio 38 years and TV 13 years to reach 50 million users, but iPhone applications hit 1 billion in only 9 months. Bob Garfield, author of “The Chaos Scenario” predicts that within 5 years, one of the major 4 TV networks will drop out, maybe two. By this Christmas, TV sets will easily allow consumers to watch broadband video and have imbedded links to the major online entertainment sites.

So what does all this mean for major ministries? While traditional media isn’t going away, you basically have two choices: Evolve, or disappear. If you’re having financial struggles right now, here’s my recommendations:

1. First, don’t be so quick to cut back or fire the people involved in your fund raising or donor development. The fact that your direct mail letters, promotional efforts, TV commercials, or appeals aren’t getting the old response isn’t necessarily because they’ve failed. The money and audience simply aren’t out there like they used to be. The truth is, in this circumstance, the employees, consultants, or vendors you think are failing, may be the very ones keeping you alive. This is a tectonic shift in the giving audience. You can’t compare your response today to your old response. That’s just a strategy for making yourself crazy. People are cutting back, and they’re consuming media in different ways. Get used to it.

2. Start re-thinking your size and your priorities. The ministry you had 5-10 years ago probably won’t be ministry you have from here on out. And if you don’t make the tough decisions now, the bank will make them for you next year. What are those areas of ministry that seemed like a good idea at the time, but you simply can’t afford anymore? Start cutting the fat, but here’s the secret to cutting: Don’t just cut to save money. Use cutbacks to begin shaping the organization that will emerge from this crisis. Re-think your staff, and focus on the most competent team members. Loyalty is nice, but if that’s all an employee can offer, then you simply may not be able to keep them around. Flush out office politics, and build a team of energetic, strategic thinkers. Stop comparing everything to the “good old days” and start re-envisioning your ministry in the context of a new economic and media world.

3. Change your attitude. I know times are tough, but walking into some major ministries today is like walking into a toxic waste dump. Leaders are hammering on their employees, which just creates distrust and resentment. Don’t feed the downward spiral. Be a real leader. Stop placing blame and start finding solutions.

4. Finally, remember that revolutions can be good things. While we’re living in a time of unthinkable disruption, we’re not condemned to be mere victims. Get over the embarrassment that your organization may be shrinking, or your lifestyle might be cut back. Embrace the challenge. Historically, times of great peril have often been times of great reinvention. We can lament the good old days, or better yet, recognize that perhaps God is shaking our old ways of thinking for an even greater purpose.

The world has changed. How we respond is up to us.

Your Thoughts?

Phil Cooke is a writer, speaker, filmmaker, & media consultant. He’s appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, and his work has been profiled in the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal.His production and consulting company Cooke Pictures, advises many of the largest and most effective non-profit and faith-based media organizations in the world. Also, as a founding partner in the commercial production company TWC Films, he also produces national advertising for some of the largest companies in the country – giving him a unique perspective on both religious and secular media issues. TWC Films produced two TV commercials for Super Bowl 2008 and unveiled the Chevrolet Volt in the national broadcast of the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in China. His online blog at philcooke.com features insight into issues of media and faith, and his book: Branding Faith: Why Some Churches and Non-Profits Impact the Culture and Others Don’t is changing the way non-profit and religious organizations use the media to tell their story. He’s lectured at universities like Yale, University of California at Berkeley, UCLA, and is an adjunct professor at the King’s College & Seminary, and Biola University in Los Angeles.

Lessons from the Fall of the Berlin Wall by Daniel King

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10136070-the-berlin-wallTwenty years ago on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall was torn down in Germany. When this hated symbol of Communism fell, the nations of the Soviet Union began to radically change. What are some lessons from this historic event?

1. Every Wall Will Fall
From the early ‘50’s until the late ‘80’s, godless Communism was at war with Christianity. From the middle of Europe to the edge of Asia, there was a vast swath of land where the Name of Jesus could not be lifted up. Churches were closed, Christians were persecuted, and faith was attacked. But then in a moment, the wall was down and the Iron Curtain was torn apart.

For decades, it seemed impossible for the Gospel to penetrate into communist areas, but in an instant, the situation changed. Only a few years after the Berlin wall fell, I stood in front of the Museum of Atheism in St. Petersburg, Russia and preached. Hundreds of people stopped to listen without fearing a visit from the KGB.

Today we face many new walls in the world. Islam has erected a wall around the Middle East in order to prevent Muslims from hearing the Gospel. China is open to doing business with the West, but still restricts people from freely following Jesus. Secularism here in our own nation continually tries to strengthen a wall of separation between church and state.

Eventually, the walls that we face today will fall. One day, every knee will bow before the majesty of God. I believe that in my lifetime, the wall of Islam will fall just as hard as the wall of Communism fell twenty years ago. The time will come when we will be able to freely preach the Gospel in every corner of the earth.

2. When Walls Fall, the Church Must Be Ready.
When the Berlin Wall fell, nations closed for decades were suddenly open to the Gospel. Some ministries were ready and immediately took advantage of the newly-opened doors, but far too many missed the opportunity.

I fear today that the body of Christ is not ready for new walls to fall. Would we be able to disciple one hundred million new Chinese believers? What would we do if we could suddenly plant churches in Saudi Arabia? What if the trade embargo around Cuba was lifted? Who is ready to go into North Korea? Could we care for ten million Muslims who decided to become Christ followers?

When walls fall, there is an opportunity for sharing the Gospel that must not be missed. Immediately after World War II, General Douglas MacArthur sent a telegram to the churches of America asking for missionaries to come to Japan. Only a handful of missionaries responded. Today, Japan has adopted the Western principles of democracy and free trade, but the Church is still weak in Japan. They adopted everything about our culture, except our religion. What would have happened if ten thousand on-fire believers had gone to Japan immediately after the war? I think Japan would be a Christian nation today.

In Japan we failed, but in Ethiopia history tells a different story. When Communism fell in Ethiopia two decades ago, the nation was only 3% evangelical Christian. But, because of the efforts of many missionaries, today over 20% of the population are evangelical believers. This success can be duplicated in other nations if the Church is ready when the walls come down.

3. We Can Bring Walls Down.
The Berlin Wall fell because of President Ronald Reagan’s bold demand, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” Ronald Reagan stood against the tyranny of Communism, and because of his refusal to give up, a great battle was won for freedom.

When Joshua faced the thick walls of Jericho, God gave him a plan to bring those walls down. We face many ideological, political, and cultural walls today, but God has a plan for bringing down those walls. We must go to closed nations, preach where Christ is not known, use technology to reach an internet generation, and look for creative new ways to communicate age-old truth. If we will continue to obey God, then the walls we face today will fall down.

Your Thoughts?

Daniel King and his wife Jessica met in the middle of Africa while they were both on a mission trip. They are in high demand as speakers at churches and conferences all over North America. Their passion, energy, and enthusiasm are enjoyed by audiences everywhere they go.   They are international missionary evangelists who do massive soul winning festivals in countries around the world. Their passion for the lost has taken them to over fifty nations preaching the gospel to crowds that often exceed 50,000 people. Check out their website: http://www.kingministries.com

Can Ministry Have Two Worlds?

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It’s quite amazing to watch everyone get bit by the social media phenomena. I think about every pastor I know is on Facebook and Twitter; and if they’re not on it yet, I guarantee you they are talking with their staff about putting their profiles up very soon.Part of this online and social media phenomenon is that you don’t have to look very hard to find news or information; it finds you! It used to be if I wanted to know what was going on in my community, my church or in the world I would have to go out and seek information. But, now it finds me! It finds me on my Facebook, my Tweet Deck and on my phone. This new wave of interaction with people and information has quickly changed media and our culture. So, with that being said how will this effect how we do ministry?

Can you really reach and impact people in 140 characters or less? Can your Facebook profile and personal brand across different social media platforms be used to spread God’s Love and Hope to hurting people? Can ministry be divided into two worlds – Online & Offline?  Could it be possible to lead an online ministry that impacts thousands of people every day? The answer of course is YES!

I’ve been pleased to see so many ministry leaders embrace the online world and social media as a tool to bring awareness and connect with people; but I think it will get deeper than that. I think new ministry terminology will be created.

For example, LifeChurch.tv has coined a new word that we can add to this new terminology for Online Ministry:  Digital Missions. They have learned how to intersect pornographic viewers by placing ad’s on Google about LifeChurch.tv. These days, you can reach any audience you want. LifeChurch.tv wanted to reach individuals who are at home looking at porn. So, through Google ad’s they intersected porn viewers. So instead of seeing naked women, they would see and hear the Gospel message of hope and love right into their homes, computers or i-phones. Testimonies have flooded in on how men have been turning their hearts to Christ.

The online community is a dark world and it’s a mission field. What can your church do right now to reach people online in your community and around the world? What will be your digital mission? Or, what can be your digital ministry?

Your Thoughts?

To Reach People No One Else Is Reaching, We Must Do Things No One Else Is Doing

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About a year ago, I heard Craig Groeschel, pastor of LifeChurch.tv say to a group of church leaders, “To reach people no one else is reaching, we must do things no one else is doing!” This has become one of my favorite quotes that I look at almost everyday. This statement bothers me and challenges my thinking, as I hope it does yours. So many times in ministry we get so consumed with our daily leadership routine that we forget to step back and look at what the Holy Spirit wants to do differently through us — to reach people that no one else is reaching. But, to do that we must learn to adjust, refocus, and stop doing what everyone else is doing.

Watch this video clip below from Craig Groeshel. He expounds more on this principle at the 2009 Willow Creek Leadership Summit.

Your Thoughts?

Social Media Revolution – The Landscape has Shifted

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The media landscape has shifted dramatically in the past 4-5 years and even more so in the past 1-2 years. The flow of communication, information and media isn’t a one-way channel anymore, it’s a two-way channel. Watch the video below. It will be interesting to watch how it impacts the church and ministry leadership landscape.