Every Sunday, every member is a host.

July 17, 2011

Tonight is the night. They will be here soon. You have invited guests over for dinner. Lots to do. Lots to prepare for. It’s part of being a good host, right? No guest is going to feel welcome in a dirty bathroom with no towel. Dirty dishes in the sink, dusty furniture, clutter on the couch, and clothes in the living room will not fly. Taking a look in the front yard might be in order as well. A fresh mow on the grass, some weed clearing, and getting the kid’s toys picked up off the driveway is in order. But it doesn’t stop there. A good host usually will be ready to serve up something a little more than Sunday evening eggs and toast. You might even make sure the “good plates” are out and you use silverware that matches. Five minutes before you will hear the knock on the door, you will want to lecture  the kids to be on their best behavior. You know that everything reflects on the host.

If you haven’t had guests over recently, think again. Every Sunday morning at BridgePointe we are hosts. According to the father of church planting, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”(2 Corinthians 5:20) We represent Jesus every Sunday morning to those outside of our spiritual family. How we prepare for guests at BridgePointe reflects on Jesus himself.

In anticipating our guests’ needs, our staff gets intentional:

·          Is parking adequate?

·          Do the outdoor signs clearly point the way?

·          Are guests greeted with a warm welcome?

·          Are the internal signs easy to see and clear as to where to go?

·          Are the children’s programs at our best?

·          Are parents who entrust their kids to us given our attention?

·          Are the bathrooms clean and the facilities and decor inviting?

·          Do we acknowledge and appreciate guests right up front?

·          Do we translate spiritual truth to be understandable for those who are unfamiliar with church and our Christian language?

·          Is the message true to the Bible, clearly depicting God’s will for followers of Jesus?

·          Is our quality in all that we do equal to the importance of our faith?

·          Are people led to an opportunity to say “yes” to God’s grace for the first time?

·          Is information easily assessable for someone desiring to take another step in drawing close to God?

But you’re a host as well! Are these traits true of you as an ambassador?

·          I come to church on time so that guests, who traditionally arrive earlier, don’t feel awkward in an empty  theater.

·          I introduce myself to people sitting around me at the greeting time.

·          As a volunteer on Sunday, I give my best effort and give all attendees my best attention.

·          I volunteer at BridgePointe with the primary needs on Sunday to effectively serve people.

·          I refrain from judging others on Sunday who dress and look different than myself.

·          I am authentically “real” in my dress and personality without “acting” religious.  

·          I don’t assume that everyone I meet is a Christian.

·          I’m helpful and humble in explaining spiritual things to people who do not have the knowledge I have  about God.

           

We can tell if a hotel or a restaurant has prepared well for our needs as a guest. It is often that personal touch and attention that determines whether we return. Certainly the stakes are higher at BridgePointe. As ambassadors of Jesus, our readiness and preparation can make an eternal difference for an unchurched guest.

I hear the knock on the door. They’re here!

Fall Forward

I love the start of the new school year! August signals a recalibrating of our lives back to the routine. Summer allows us time to get away from it all and mix things up a bit. But the kids returning back to school seems to be that starting line that resets everything. That got me thinking about some new things coming our way at BridgePointe that will make this August a fall forward.

Amy Telleson is now our standing Pre-School Director, overseeing our infants through 4 years old. Thanks to former pre-school leaders, Nick and Tarrah Zomer, she is able to build on a legacy of dedication and quality.  Amy is a professional schoolteacher and brings with her a high level of expertise and passion for kids. Be looking for a new branding of this ministry later in the fall. Our Pre-School ministry will be cleverly called “Tree Top”, named after the story of Zaccheaus, who needed to be in a tree to see Jesus because of his short stature. It is her hope that Tree Top will give our Pre-Schoolers their first look at Jesus.

Starting August 14th, we will launch our new Jr. High School meeting on Sunday nights, under the direction of our student pastor, Jarad Houser. “Fuel” is a high-energy event just for 6^th through 8^th grade. Our High School and Junior High students have always been one group, meeting on the same night. Two distinct groups allow Jarad to be more effective by focusing the programs at each age level. Next summer our Junior High students will also enjoy a summer camp just for them. “Fusion” will continue to be the exciting High School gathering each Wednesday night.

I am at the start of fulfilling a task I was commissioned to do when the leadership invited me to BridgePointe: Putting in place a permanent worship leader. Thanks to the selfless efforts of Ty and Laurima Stovell, you would have never thought we skipped a beat. This is a couple faithfully stepping in to fill the gap and carry the worship ministry until a more permanent role is established. They lead with the highest level of quality and commitment. This allows a candidate to come and build on a strong worship passion and priority. We will have a Worship Leader candidate with us in July. He will lead us as a guest Worship Leader. Pray with us for God’s guidance and direction with next steps.

Coming this year also will be a New Believers Class, a station with complimentary material for seekers, a Small Group option designed for beginners in the faith or recent returners to the faith, compassion drives and missions trips, and a single worship service dedicated to children and their parents. August is just the start of new things to be introduce in hopes of moving BridgePointe towards it’s singular mission:  To draw people close to God. I will unfold them as they come and celebrate with you all that God is doing to build his church.

Epicenter thinking at BridgePointe

Californians understand the word “epicenter” real well. It’s an earthquake term that is as familiar to me as the word “beach”. After an earthquake, the first question asked is, “Where was the epicenter?” The epicenter is the point from which the force of the earthquake originates. It marks the axis from where the hit disseminated. The closer you are to the epicenter, the more impact you feel, and the more you are affected by the movement.

This concept is something that all of us at BridgePointe need to be familiar with as well. The idea of an epicenter forms our strategy in impacting others with our faith. When we use the word “outreach”, know that our first “reach out” should be those closest to us. They are our spiritual epicenter. Close proximity makes the difference. This allows believers to be intentional, strategic, and focused with three advantages:

·         Efficiency-  Time, resources, and influence are maximized with an immediate spiritual impact due to minimal movement from the center.

·         Incarnation-  Those closest to us are experiencing a spiritual influence that they can see, hear, and personally experience from someone near them.

·         Momentum-   A spiritual wave effect of forward movement best travels when the force and catalyst is first centralized and focused.

This was Jesus’ parting strategy to the disciples in changing the world with his message.

“He said to them ... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)

It is most significant that the disciples were presently in Jerusalem and that the three other geographical locations Jesus speaks of were at incremental distances from each other moving outward. In other words, Jerusalem was their epicenter and the shock waves formed concentric circles moving outward, much like radar signals. Jesus’ point? Start where you are. This was the principle-thread in the Deep End workshop I taught this last weekend called, “Contagious Faith.” The stats bear this out. When surveyed, 85% of unchurched Americans would visit a church or talk about “religion” only on the condition that it was generated from a friend or family member— People close to you!

Maximizing our epicenter as individuals means we have to inventory all the relationship potential in closest proximity to us in our natural walk of life. As a church, it means our surrounding communities and cities must be our first responsibility to reach and serve. Beginning in August, BridgePoint will be more and more intentional, geographically. The best way for BridgePointe to build towards an international influence is to start with those in need of Jesus living right in front of us.

In fact, this summer, I’m challenging our church staff to get to know the people working in the surrounding units right next to our church office. It was Jesus’ way. The closer those are to your epicenter, the more impact they will feel, and the more they will be influenced by your life as a Christian. No need to go to California for your epicenter … or anywhere else for that matter. 

The Scorecard at BridgePointe.

We’re by nature “scorecard people.” We all have some way by which we measure ourselves. When we were kids, our parents determined our self-worth. They were the “scorekeepers.” We did everything for them. To win their smile and approval was everything. A few years later we passed the mantle to teachers, and then to coaches. These were adults in our life who seemed to rule like kings and queens. To win their attention was glorious.

By the time we were in junior high the scorekeepers were our friends. Call it peer-pressure, but at this age our friends determined almost every “win.” The only force strong enough to break that allegiance was the opposite sex … and it did! Remember when your boyfriend or girlfriend held the scorecard? Enough said. But it didn’t stop there. We then gave the scorecard to our college or career … and then to our neighbors. If our neighbor was impressed with our car, house, and toys—we scored!

Things don’t change much with church. Every church has their scorecard. What makes it challenging and confusing is that the leadership, the congregation, and the guests often all have their own way of measuring. It’s safe to say that the average church attendee traditionally scores a church by what has been referred to as the “A-B-C’s.” “A” stands for “attendance.” If lots of people attend your church, score! “B” stands for “building.” If you have an attractive place to meet on Sunday, score! “C” stands for “cash.” If you church has a large budget, score! Now certainly these aren’t factors to which we should turn a blind eye. They have their purpose. Yet these things seem far from the scorecard Jesus gave in Matthew 28:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

If we are wanting to be significant, and not just successful, the central pursuit of BridgePointe must be to encourage and facilitate movement in people’s relationship with God. Jesus called it, “discipleship”—the process of following after Jesus and being like him.  The New Testament refers to it as “growth” or “maturity”—that natural sign of progression. At BridgePointe, we mark such movement in three ways:

1.     Discovering faith- Are unchurched people finding a new relationship with God? If so, score!

2.     Developing faith- Are they being baptized? Are they volunteering? Are they committing as partners? Are they joining a Life Group? Are they reading their Bibles? Are they attending Deep End workshops? If so, score!

3.     Demonstrating faith- Are people outwardly showing acts of compassion by joining ventures that meet needs locally, nationally, and globally? If so, score!

If a church ever looks like they are coming in last, be careful with using the A-B-C scorecard. It may be that they are running in a different race. 

Coming and Going: Creating Cycles in Life

It’s over. This is my last day of vacation time spent in Southern California. In a couple hours I will catch a plane that will fly me back home to Georgia. We returned to our native land on the west coast to attend and celebrate our oldest daughter’s graduation from college. Christi and I have been staying with some friends and I’m doing right now what many of you will be doing at some point this summer: Packing up. It’s over and that’s a good thing …. even from good things.

Whether you’re packing to leave or return, your vacation time this summer is much more than a work thing or even a leisure thing. It’s a God thing. According to the Bible, God computed into life the need for cycles. Cycles by nature imply a beginning and an end. Cycles create a natural break in our rhythm of the familiar, the common, and the habitual. God modeled this life law at the beginning of time at creation. After six days of creating, he rested. Resting wasn’t “nothing”. On the contrary, it was “something”, and something different from what he was doing before. God intentionally broke from the routine.

Now certainly God did not need to rest. This intentional break was not for him. It was a model and pattern for us to follow. God wanted the 7^th day to be different; a rest from the familiarity of work. This was more than just the precedent for the Hebrew Sabbath. It was intended to be a law woven into our DNA as people. In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon’s life wisdom shadowed God’s ordained calendar for life: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: He has made everything beautiful in its time.” He then identifies a long list of extreme pendulum swing changes we experience. These seasons in life produce a necessary change that God knew we would need. It’s a part of our makeup and a basic human need to break from the routine.

To avoid such break in our life rhythm would be to go counter to the God-given bent and flow in our human blueprint. Those who know how to “mix it up” are envied for the fresh spirit that characterizes their life. They find the beauty and significance in the moment. They own an excitement about discovery and learning. They possess a great capacity to care about others. They laugh hard and cry easily. They express a softness in their approach while remaining solid in their convictions. They enjoy a genuine appreciation for small things. They spark with creativity and courage. They lead with a profound simplicity and clarity. They are fun to be with. And best yet, they hear and see God in the details. Creating intentional cycles in our routine will rejuvenate our life in this way. I promise.

This summer it’s imperative that we intentionally find ourselves coming or going from our regular schedules. I’m not sure what our summer break will look like. We could find ourselves on a hike, kick’n it with friends, at a water park, cheering at a baseball game, sightseeing, gliding on a Wave Runner, enjoying a great restaurant, or reading a book at Starbucks. However you break from the routine, remember that rest, fun, and enjoyment is serious business with God.

Yup, vacation is over and that’s a good thing …. even from good things.

Everything rises and falls on leadership.

It was at the very start of a conference I was attending when a well-known author and teacher posed a question to the audience of about 1000 pastors and leaders: How many small groups can one church potentially have? The question stumped most of us. Our instructor asked us to form small circles around where we sat and arrive at a group answer.

The “spirituals” went straight to their Bibles to find a verse. The “academics” played with all kinds of complex formulas. The “visionaries” made it a faith issue and reached for a gigantic number. The “traditionalists” were stuck in deep suspicion thinking this was a trick question. Our instructor enlightened us with an obvious answer:  A church can have as many small groups as there are leaders. It made sense. It also suggested to me that leadership can easily be the critical and necessary factor that escapes us in any venture. It’s certainly the case with church leaders, as was proven that day.

At the end of the day, a church can only effectively grow to the extent of the number of leaders available to lead. In fact, every ministry’s growth in the church operates under the same growth law. Growth has to be sustained, not just experienced. Yet, leadership seems to be one of those vital ingredients that we simply take for granted. Like oxygen, we rarely consider it until we are gasping for air, suffering from severe shortness of breath, or experiencing a blockage of some sort. Then we panic. This usually occurs in ministry when a church outgrows their volunteer leadership reservoir or the volunteer leaders are not employed correctly. Churches seem to wait until they are choking and gasping for air before they pay attention to expanding and solidifying leadership.

Every church wanting to be intentional about growth can’t wait until they are short of breath to reveal the need for leaders. They must create a leadership culture that is inclusive of the gifted, intelligent, and effective volunteers that God has given them at their church. This starts with unifying volunteers under a common vision and direction. Recently, all the volunteer participants in our Children’s Ministry gathered together to hear our Children’s Director, Kristen Terrette, cast vision and direction. She knows that our Children’s Ministry will only grow to the extent of the number of leaders who lead it. Such a team gathering is the start to inclusively bring the team under a common vision, empower volunteer leaders to rise, take ownership, find their place, and lead.

This school year one of our targets is to create a leadership culture at BridgePointe. Be looking for other ministries to have their own team huddles and to find yourself as a volunteer more tightly connected to a team.  On July 24, I will address all our volunteer leaders in a church-wide gathering called PULSE. Everything rises and falls on leadership. It’s a simple, yet profound growth law we are going to be intentional about this year.

So here’s the question: How much can BridgePointe grow? You know the answer.

The First Dollar Focus

It’s usually inconspicuously on the wall next to the cash register. Go to any small business of any kind-  donut shop, grill, dry cleaners-  and you will find it. The one-dollar bill will be neatly smoothed out and framed in glass. It’s a tradition that we all recognize. This, of course, was the first dollar the store earned and they are celebrating it by displaying it.

But it also serves as a visual reminder that every entrepreneur needs to be reminded of. It’s the simple principle of focus. Imagine the dreams and aspirations of any new business. They hope to make it big. They hope to win customers. They hope to make a buck, and lots of them.

But they have to make the first dollar, first, before the second. Pacing your commitment to raise one dollar at a time can make all the difference in the world when you have challenges and mountains that can seem overwhelming. Breaking a challenge into bite-size pieces helps bring focus to what is right in front of us. Dreaming or wanting something in the future can take your eyes off the “here” and “now” opportunities in the present.

The BridgePointe staff recently came back from a retreat in which we not only planned the entire year calendar, but also charted 10 targets that define the “there” for our church next school year. We have a visionary staff, so we have chalked up some lofty challenges. Our next move is to break these goals down into the “how to’s”. It’s a good time for all of us at BridgePointe to affirm how we build a church: “One dollar at a time”.

Translated, it means we win people to Jesus … one believer at a time. It means we add volunteers … one volunteer at a time. We enlarge our children’s ministry …. one family at time. It means we launch Life Groups … one group at a time. We restart Inside BridegPointe … one guest at time. We build our Mpact and Women’s events ... one man and one woman at a time. We create the new Jr. High Group this fall … one student at a time. We develop Deep End Workshops … one learner at a time. And our future facility location? Yup, one dollar at a time.

Hockey legend, Wayne Gretzy, known as “The Great One”, was presented with hockey’s most prestigious award. With cameras rolling and mics shoved in his face, he was asked by a news reporter, “Now that you have received hockey’s highest honor, what else is there?” Gretzy replied, “Tonight’s game!” That’s the kind of bite size attention that allowed him to focus on what was right in front of him.

BridgePointe, what is the “one dollar opportunity” in front of you now, today, this week, or this summer that will allow you to draw close to God, to build God’s church, or to impact others and our community?