Holding on or getting better?

I used to work in a church where there was a vintage (read old) lady who would lead the singing. It was not good.

But she had done it for a long time.

And… I hated it.

And I’m not a musician by any sense of the word.

But I have ears… and she was not making a joyful noise which should be produced into a microphone for extended periods of time.

Of course, everything doesn’t need to be flawless within a church.

Heart, faithfulness and motivation trump talent within the Kingdom of God.

And my mid-sized church wasn’t producing a worship album nor live streaming its services.

Nonetheless, I wished that she would be directed elsewhere to “serve Jesus” on a Sunday.

And, eventually, she was.

Which got me thinking about those who distract from church due to their, for lack of a better term, “performance”.

It could be a rambling prayer.

Or a butchered bible reading.

Or a offbeat musician.

Or a tone-deaf singer.

Or a meandering preacher.

There is an important distinction.

Are they hanging on or are they getting better?

For, at the start, everyone sucks.

Everyone makes mistakes.

Everyone fumbles about as they learn.

This is expected and accepted.

And you can mitigate these weaknesses.

When someone was starting in the band at most churches I worked for, we would turn the sound down on their instrument. Sometimes, they may not even be plugged in.

You can give people shorter introductions to praying aloud or preaching.

But there are some who, after more than adequate time, training, encouragement, advice and rehearsal, don’t improve.

Year after year.

Decade after decade.

And they hang on.

Despite the desires of everyone else.

And, instead of being an expected weakness, they become a distraction.

In this case, it is time to try and phase them out.

The aim shouldn’t be to deny them of their ministry…

But the nature of their service can shift.

They can be rostered on less, or alongside others.

They can be placed in a mentor role, where they share their heart and experience, but not necessarily the stage.

They could be given a fond farewell, acknowledging what they have contributed, but deciding themselves when to step aside.

Inevitably, everyone needs to relieve themselves (and possibly the congregation) of their ministries. 

Age will slow us down.

Eyes will start to fail.

Voices will chance.

When this happens, holding on is no longer the wisest thing anymore.

Should there be a difference between a mission and a service?

Churches can do a lot of activities.

Some cater to those outside of the church.

Some cater for those already within the church community.

Healthy churches need both.

In some - even most - cases, ministry activities will combine meeting the needs of those outside and inside the church’s walls.

But, should a church ever just do an act of service?

Should the church ever just do an activity as a gift to the community around them.

No agendas.

No evangelism.

Just an act of service.

Sure, it can be argued that this “only an act of service” is near impossible.

Every interaction between people is a ministry. Conversations will be had. Actions will be seen. Motivations will be weighed.

But… can a church advertise an activity as only an action of service.

They only feed the homeless.

They only support kids who need help with homework.

They only provide a space for a group in need.

Nothing else.

And this is unapologetically seen as such.

Would this be well received by those within the church?

Could this be justified by those who earn a wage from the congregation?

In short, can the church be comfortable - in a small niche - only providing a service?

Does Mardi Gras impact the gay church’s Sunday like NYE?

Last month Sydney hosted Pride Month, punctuated with the annual Mardi Gras.

This is not a post about the festival. Nor homosexuality.

But, as the streets were being cleaned on the Sunday morning, I was reminded of New Years Eve.

A big party.

A celebration.

A late night.

Last year, NYE was on a Saturday and, consequently, quite a few churches modified their Sunday services.

Some cancelled them alltogether.

A lot of them binned their evening service.

Or, at least they toned down their service structure.

In the past, I’ve done all of the options above. Total closure. Limited services. Only hosting a “casual gathering”.

Why is this so?

Why do we cancel services on New Years Day?

Is it to grant minister’s a holiday?

Well, church can still go ahead without an ordained person…

Is it because attendance will be lower?

Well, church services have been ill-attended often without the door preemptively being slammed shut…

Is it because the church expects that their young adults will be - at best - sleepy from a late night or - at worst - nursing a hangover?

Surely. Not. 

This should never be something we expect and definitely not condone, be it in a spoken or unspoken manner.

On the back of Mardi Gras, did churches with predominantly gay congregations change their plans for the following day?

Did they cancel or tweak?

Frankly, I don’t know.

I’m not particularly exposed to gay congregations, especially now that I no longer  work for an affirming denomination.

But, I suspect, those who minister to the gay community ramped UP their ministry, not turned things down.

I suspect, they saw it was an opportunity.

So, should the wider church - the next time NYE falls on a Saturday - seek for ways to use this as a ministry opportunity, not an excuse to slink back further into the shadows?

Being… that guy… from the past

A few weeks ago I had dinner with a guy who, unbeknown to me at the time, had a loose link to my home church.

Furthermore, a family member of his was directly connected to my first active ministry.

Both of these interactions happened decades ago.

But the conversation started with the question… Do you remember (insert name here)?

I guess that I’m a vague memory for quite a few people and I can only imagine being a part of similar conversations.

Across four churches…

Over hundreds of Sundays…

Dozens of scripture classes…

A decade of kid’s clubs…

Over 15 years of youth groups…

I’d be… that guy.

A distant memory.

A figment who has no name.

A recall that they haven’t delved into since childhood.

A whitewashed memory from half their lifetime ago.

But, nonetheless, I’d still be somewhere in the rabbit-warren of their memories, alongside old teachers and scout leaders.

For hundreds of people. Maybe thousands.

I think this is a legacy that isn’t stressed enough for those whom serve in youth ministry.

You will leave an imprint.

Even if your name gets forgotten…

And every point you ever taught has evaporated…

You’re trapped in their past.

So… How do you want to be remembered?

What impression of Jesus, Christianity and the church do you want to leave?

Because, for many, being… that guy… is the faith imprint that they will be able to turn back to.

The humility that must come with wrinkles

Given enough time, as a Christian, you’ll read a lot of bible.

And attend a lot of bible studies.

And listen to many, many, sermons.

I’ve been attending churches for almost three decades.

I’m already a little bit jaded and bitter about some segments of the bible.

It’s not that they aren’t valuable to individuals or congregations…

Or that they don’t contain the life-changing gospel. 

But, I don’t want to hear or study the book of James… for a long time.

Nor study spiritual gifts.

I’m… just a bit over them.

I can’t imagine how it will be in another three decades.

Another sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount? Ugh.

Hope. Joy. Love. Peace. Another Lent series…

The longer I’m in the church, the more I realise the humility that those within the pews require.

The humility to listen… again.

The humility to follow… again.

The humility to serve… again.

The older members, for the benefit of the wider congregation - particularly the younger members - often put their preferences aside in humility.

Even if it means listening to another sermon on Taming the Tongue…

What would the local church look like without the nearby mega-church?

Often what I teach still turns my mind towards ministry and the church. 

Alongside history, I also teach geography.

When thinking about migration and the talent drain this has on lesser developed nations, my mind turned to mega-churches.

Across the globe, including Australia, more developed countries have access to the brightest and most promising refugees and migrants. Being a skilled immigrant will open doors across boarders.

But, in doing so, it weakens the home nation.

They lose doctors. 

They lose engineers.

They lose scientists.

A similar thing happens with the local church and it’s mega-church neighbour.

Far too often, drawn in by the attraction of resources, personalities and numbers, the best and brightest within congregations will migrate to a nearby mega-church.

The small church loses musicians.

The small church loses young adults.

The small church loses emerging leaders.

And the large church hoovers up the winnings.

This weakens the local church.

So, my question is… Would the local church be healthier without the mega-church?

What would the local church look like without the talent and skill drain of the regional ecclesiastical metropolis?