death of a church

i found this article recently @ worship ideas blog, it was an interesting read.

"this week the 2 year old andy stanley catalyst video church plant here in greenville sadly announced that april is their last month of existence. here's the blog of one of the pastors, casey ross. financial problems were cited as the primary concern.

i visited the church several months ago. nice people, cutting edge contemporary music and a good video sermon by andy stanley. what went wrong? here's my two cents:

1. location, location, location. catalyst met downtown in a theater. churches that meet in downtown greenville have a history of flopping. seacoast greenville met in the same location for a time and nearly folded - they didn't grow until they moved to a more accessible location in the suburbs (two short turns off a major highway.)

2. transplants. from what I've heard, catalyst didn't use local musicians, but shipped in bands and worship leaders from atlanta. I know of two good local musicians who played and were not asked back. one of the pastors mentions in his blog that he's preparing to move back to atlanta. the whole thing smacks a tad bit like the "pros" are coming to greenville to show us poor local yokels how it's done.

3. market share. the greenville church "market" is saturated. there's literally a church on every corner (see my previous post about yet another new church in greenville.) if i wanted to plant a church, greenville would be the last place i'd pick: there's simply too much "competition."

i know, i'm using business terminology, but it's this simple: go where the need is. i remember reading when rick warren decided to plant saddleback years ago he carefully and prayerfully chose a spot that needed churches. look what happened. similarly, seacoast in charleston has boomed because there weren't many contemporary churches in charleston. the local willowesque megachurch here in greenville boomed 15 years ago when contemporary worship was unheard of in these here parts.

church planters, what parts of the usa need churches? may i suggest some blue states?

newspring church in nearby anderson is busily at work preparing their greenville location. yes, another new church in greenville, but this one makes a bit more sense. there are over 1,000 people from greenville driving to anderson each week. i'd just as soon drive 5 minutes literally around the corner from my house than drive the 30 minutes to anderson. this is a church plant with support from the get-go.

3. catalyst appealed mainly to the youth culture. it's cool when a church has the latest, cutting edge songs and meets in a dark, vibey building, but this extreme programming generally attracts young people, and young people are notorious for not giving. i enjoyed the service, but i saw lots of furman university students.

therein lies the conundrum for the church planter: cool churches that attract young people with no money vs. traditional churches that attract old people with money. hmmm, maybe there's a way to somehow meet somewhere in the middle?"


just something to think about....

satan + lifechurch.tv = hilarity

in craig groeschel's message during one prayer, lifechurch.tv put this little segment together about division in the christian church.



i've always said that there is truth in humor and this is no exception.

books you'll actually read

a pastor that i enjoy a lot is releasing a new set of book at the end of the month. mark driscoll has always had a way to bring foundational truths with power and conviction. this series of books titled 'a book you'll actually read:' will be sure to do the same.

check these out:

one prayer

if you have noticed, there is a little icon that has popped up on my page (look to your right).

one prayer is a global movement for the month of june and my church, genesischurch.tv, is one of the hundreds of churches participating. rather than trying to explain...here is craig groschel, from lifechurch.tv, the pastor beind the idea of one prayer to tell you what this is all about.



what would be your prayer?

"lord, make us ______."

laminin redux

over a year ago i wrote a blog about the self adhesion molecule called laminin. i recently found louie giglio's entire talk about it and i thought i would share it. this is life changing stuff. enjoy.

'A More Perfect Union'

Mission: America

By RACHEL ZOLL
AP religion writer
Saturday, November 24, 2007

Nearly every week, new visitors arrive. They want to see the megachurch that was built in the unlikeliest of places by the unlikeliest of men.

The Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations was founded 13 years ago by a Nigerian immigrant, Sunday Adelaja, in Kiev, Ukraine. In a predominantly Orthodox Christian country where racism is pervasive, Adelaja created a Pentecostal church with 30,000 members.

But the church aims to be far more than a curiosity. Like the pastors who travel to Kiev to see him, Adelaja believes God's Embassy can be a model worldwide.

The next stop in his bid for global reach is the United States.

"America is fast becoming a mission ground again," Adelaja said in a phone interview from Sacramento, Calif., during his latest trip through the country. "We are surprised that the Americans who preached to us, the passion they had is almost already gone."

Adelaja is among a stream of pastors from Africa and other countries starting hundreds of churches in the U.S. Their congregations back home are bursting with worshippers as Christianity advances through the developing world. The clergymen see American churches as floundering — focused more on money than God and filled with stale preaching and sinfulness.

They hope to save the country that brought them the faith.

"When the values are crashing, you have the largest number of abortions, divorce and school shootings. These things are very sad," Adelaja said.

"As America goes, so goes the world. We shouldn't allow the Christian influence to diminish in this country."

His goals may seem unrealistic, but researchers who study global religion are already calling this the "African century" of Christianity. African churches — with their zeal and resourcefulness — are poised to become a force not just in America but around the world.

Adelaja trains mission workers in Ukraine and, through them, he says he has already started more than 600 churches in dozens of nations. In the past few years, he has been traveling around the U.S., building ties with pastors, especially leaders from the Pentecostal and charismatic traditions, known for spirited worship and speaking in tongues.

"At present, he doesn't have great influence," in the United States, but has a "network of fans," said Tony Carnes, who studies African churches in the New York area and beyond. "This current trip is a sustained effort to bring Adelaja to the greater church audience."

God's Embassy claims 20 churches in America, built mainly through Ukrainian and Russian-speaking immigrants and their U.S.-born children and friends. Last year, he started History Makers Bible School in New Jersey and says 200 or so pastors from around the country attend the weekend classes.

The Kiev megachurch funnels about $200,000 each year to its American offshoots, which serve an estimated 5,000 people, Adelaja said. In sharp contrast to other African-led churches in the U.S., Adelaja says his American congregations, usually called God's Embassy, are overwhelmingly white.

The pastor's big push comes in January when he joins a conference of American and overseas pastors and business leaders in Atlanta to improve leadership in churches. Shortly after, he plans to release his book and workbook called "Church Shift," to help U.S. pastors learn his strategies for reaching nonbelievers.

"I'm not bringing cultural particularities of Africa or Ukraine here," Adelaja said. "I'm using biblical principles to make headway."

Adelaja, 40, certainly sounds like many conservative Christians in the United States.

He says secular Americans are discouraging Christians from sharing their beliefs.

"You want to give minorities the freedom to talk, but you want to make the majority quiet."

Social ills — from teen pregnancy to government corruption — can be solved through the values that Christianity teaches, about love, purity, fear of God and honesty, the pastor said.

He considers Muslim extremism one of the biggest threats facing the world. In Nigeria, which Adelaja left as a young adult to study in the Soviet Union, the population is nearly evenly split between Muslims and Christians, and violence between the two groups is common.

Despite the deep involvement of Christian conservatives in American public life, he also believes American churches should do more to influence government policy.

His Kiev megachurch played key roles in get-out-the-vote efforts and protests meant to strengthen Ukraine's young democracy. He says too many American Christians are focused more on career than creating a ministry for God.

"We're not saying we should go back to the medieval age when the Christian church used to be the government. That was a mistake of the medieval time in Europe," Adelaja said. "We're only saying anybody who has a value system shouldn't be ashamed of it."

"If we don't engage the culture, the culture is going to overrun the church."

dissatisfied

A new book is coming out that I'm interested in reading...I heard about it as I was visiting emergentvillage.com

global:fiveone - was...pt.3

Well, knowing the mission and the values of the global:fiveone is one thing but who was global:fiveone going to be, why did I feel a need to do this and how did we plan on putting that into action??

The who: global:51 is a passionate group of Christ followers dedicated to the change of a generation. not content with the current state of college ministry, global:51 has an uncontainable drive to take the message of Jesus to the local campus and then out to the campuses around the world. global:51 plans to use creative, honest, simple and relevant tools to seek the face of God, asking Him to ignite in our souls a passionate pursuit of Jesus Christ and a desire to spread His fame to everyone on earth.

The why: global:51 feels that there is a generation gap within the Christian church. while there is much emphasis on the children and youth within the body of Christ, many times it is the college student that suffers to fit in and to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus. this has caused an entire group of young adults to grow in a society disillusioned, not knowing who to turn to or how to live the life that would be fulfilled in Christ. these 16million+ students around the globe are our passion.

The how: e3:. Engage, Encounter, Equip

global:fiveone planed on using a style of ministry self labeled, guerrilla ministry. this method of unconventional ministry is used by which a small groups attempts to use mobile and impactful opportunities to attract college students to the glory of God. the mobilization of global:fiveone is done through the following:

.engage. the culture…global:fiveone wants to be a movement tuned into the culture around on which it serves. events that are set up will be relevant and appealing to those that do not know Jesus and refreshing to the others that already know Jesus. not to take away from the message of the Gospels, our engagement of culture will only serve as a tool to spread the Gospel and to show the glory of God.

.encounter. the searcher…the primary focus of global:51 is the college student. we do not expect the college student to come to us. global:51 will encounter the college student by going to them. we will find comfortable, inspiring environments that will attract the curious and those who are looking for something more. we will utilize outdoor venues as well as indoor venues to do this. for mobility purposes, the use of acoustic worship will be the vehicle for music and relevant teaching through live and video feed will be the teaching tools to bring the Word of God to the masses.

.equip. the worshipper…global:fiveone is an ever expanding ministry ready to lead others into leadership roles within its ministry. The fluidity of global:fiveone’s ministry is a perfect ground for young leaders to step up and gain tangible experiences in music and/or teaching. Leadershape, global:fiveone’s training programs, help in the needs of those feeling a call to lead. global:fiveone wants to give the college student the tools to take God’s glory to their local college campus and to their local church. empowering the student is the most important step of this ministry. a global:fiveone goal is to build up self-sustaining subgroups across local school campuses, taking new leaders and placing them in charge of these subgroup so others can spread to other parts of the state to make the idea of going global a reality.


Now this is much easier said than done but, when i wrote this out...I had high expectations that I could get a core group of people together to succeed in every aspect of this ministry idea. Live is ever changing as is this idea of global:fiveone...next time, you'll see what ever happened to the ministry idea and what global:fiveone is all about at the present moment. Until next time...

Make some waves!
KdM

global:fiveone - was...pt.2

global:fiveone began as my idea for ministry, check out part one to catch up. Here are the values of global:fiveone:


Biblical Truth
........................................................
We believe in the accuracy, truth, authority and power of the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God.



One God
........................................................
We believe in a personal God who has revealed Himself as One. God exists in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - each distinct, yet all of One essence.



Uniqueness of Christ
........................................................
We believe Jesus Christ to be the virgin born Son of God who lived in flesh, died for the sins of the world, was buried, rose again and ascended to the Father according to the Scriptures.



Grace Life
........................................................
We believe that the death of Jesus Christ was the final and complete sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Salvation is obtained by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. All who repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are born again to eternal life as children of God.



Indwelling Power
........................................................
We believe that life on earth is to be lived in the power of the Holy Spirit, who indwells believers, enabling them to live distinctive lives in the life and power of Christ, glorifying the Father in heaven.



God's People
........................................................
We believe that those who have placed their faith in Christ are knit together in one Body, the Church, a distinctive community of faith expressed in local clusters, engaging culture on every front with God's hope and love... a Church for which Christ will personally return.



The Knowledge of the Holy
........................................................
Created by and for God, we seek to passionately pursue an intimate relationship with God in response to His great love for us. To know God is the ultimate treasure of the soul.



Whole-Life Worship
........................................................
More than outward forms, theologically informed worship must encompass our entire existence, whereby in all circumstances our words and actions bring glory to God.



His Renown
........................................................
We echo and affirm the confession: "the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." All things exist for the glory of God.



Community of Faith
........................................................
The worldwide Body of Christ functions best in localized communities of believers. Seeking to serve the local church, not replace it, is a value that is affirmed by our staff and leadership as they worship and serve within the context of their local fellowships.



Mobilization
........................................................
Believing that God seeks worshippers from all peoples, we desire to inform, challenge, equip and mobilize believers for participation in God's global purposes among the nations.



Cultural Impact
........................................................
Desiring to see all people worship God in Spirit and truth, we endeavor to engage the culture through creative Biblical communication, one to one sharing of the message of Christ and acts of compassion toward those in need.



Spiritual Awakening
........................................................
We long to be a catalyst for awakening among God's people around the world, renewing them to their full potential as His people in this present age.


Empowering a Generation to BE the Church!


Be sure to check out part 3 as I give you the rundown on how global:fiveone planned on bringing these ideas to fruition.

YouVersion.com

Over the past couple of months, I've been apart of the alpha and beta testing stages of a new online community unlike you've ever seen. YouVersion is a website run by a LiveChurch.TV development team...they've developed an online bible that has become an interactive community, it really takes the bible and injects it into the viral video/myspace/facebook age. When you sign up you'll get a email kind of like this, explaining what it's all about....

-----
Dear Kyle,

Welcome to YouVersion.com. You're now part of a revolutionary online community! Whether you've been studying the Bible for years or are simply curious about its claims, YouVersion will allow you to read, share, ask questions, and learn from others in an exciting and interactive new way.

Now that you're signed up and ready to go, let's explore some areas of YouVersion you'll want to check out.

Discover
Easily find a passage in one of many translations. Search by reference or use the Table of Contents to locate a specific scripture.

Contribute
Share what God's Spirit is showing you, and read how He is moving in the lives of others. Contribute images, video, text or links to passages, or email something meaningful to a friend.

Reflect
You can journal about what you're reading, as you're reading it. And even better, what you write is linked directly to what you are reading so you can easily reference back to those special passages.

Remember
Mark references with tags that make sense to you, and find what you want, when you want. It's like your own personal concordance. Or you can star anything you'd like to remember.

We hope you'll take some time and explore YouVersion today. We believe that this tool is going to create a whole new way of uniting relevant media and web content with scripture, community and collaboration. And we couldn't do it without you.

Sincerely,
The YouVersion Development Team
-----

For me, this is going to revolutionize the way I read the bible...it's now more than ever the living word of God.

Go check it out...



.: YouVersion

global:fiveone - was...pt.1

In this multilog, global:fiveone will be explained...from its conception to the future of this little section of web space.

What WAS global:fiveone?

In January, Louie Giglio and the Passion Conferences group really convicted me to do something significant for the cause of Christ. More than singing songs or just watching from the side lines, I wanted to create an outlet for people who wanted to join me on this conviction. Over the first few weeks of January, I really felt a verse in Galatians speaking to me:

Galatians 5.1 - It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

This is the verse that I wish this whole world cold grab a hold of. So many people don't like Christianity because the claim that it takes away your freedom but really following Jesus is supposed to set you free. Though it's not a pass to do everything without consequences, it is a more rewarding freedom than living your life anyway you like it...something only someone who has experienced it could understand.

This freedom is what I wanted to take to the world.

With my global hopes for this vision...there was only one possible name:

global:fiveone

I began compiling a portfolio to present to someone who could help and foster this, in my opinion, awesome college ministry.

Here is the official mission statement of the global:fiveone ministry.

Mission: global:51 exists for the sole purpose of awakening an overlooked generation for the glory of God, uniting students in worship and prayer in the knowledge that through Christ we are set free.

In part 2 of "was..." I'll show you the values of the global:fiveone ministry.

What's the BIG IDEA?! part 4

The last 10 pages of the book...here's something to leave you with

"The launch team was gathering for its first meeting. In a matter of days the new church would go public with its very first worship service. It was definitely an emerging church, but you could also say that it was seeker targeted. The members of the launch team didn't know much about church growth, but they were completely pro-numbers even though they were organized around a house church were gung-ho and those who would give up; leaders and followers; the wealthy and the unemployed; men, women, and children. It wasn't the most gifted or best resourced of new church plants, but it did have one thing that ever new church needs: a certainty about its mission.

Jesus cast the vision for this emerging, seeker-targeted house church, and he relayed a really Big Idea: Acts 1.8

As the disciples listed to Jesus, one word stood out glaringly: "witness." When this group of spiritual entrepreneurs heard him say, "You will be my witnesses," they didn't think he meant "sharing their story" or "inviting people into a small group." What they heard him say was marturios, and they knew that word meant "martyr." The one thing that stuck in the hearts and heads of those members of the launch team was that starting this local church would be a huge risk - and it might even cost them their lives."

Challenge 1: Take bold risk
"And you will be my witnesses"

Challenge 2: Be Spirit-Led
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you."

Challenge 3: Continually Reproduce
"In Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."


"A movement church is a church filled with Christ followers who are willing to trade their lives to see Jesus' really Big Idea realized."

This book had very interesting practical ideas for church planning and networking. It seems as if the Big Idea is a excellent tool for organization and effective ministry just as long as the Big Idea model doesn't become the IT of ministry...the Big Idea should only be used as a tool and not never compromise the integrity of a church or the message of Jesus.

What's the BIG IDEA?! part 3

The skin and bones of the book, part 3 takes the reader through the steps of putting the Big Idea into motion. So, there isn't too much that isn't directional but here are a few excerpts that I found interesting:

The Big Idea part 3

"Unfortunately, the word trust is used - and misused - so often that it has lost some of its impact and begins to sound like motherhood and apple pie. That is why it is important to be very specific about what is meant by trust. In the context of building a team, trust is the confidence among team members that their peers' intentions are good and that there is no reason to be protective or careful around the group. In essence teammates must get comfortable with one another."

"Our motto has always been that the best idea wins no matter who thought of it"

Plenty of excerpts on this... but it can summed up like this:

"We are on a mission from God - a mission to help people find their way back to God. We can't imagine a more compelling mission. It deserves not simply our individual best but our collective best, and for us, that means collaboration."

What's the BIG IDEA?! part 2

Well, I'm almost finished with the book so I thought I'd start posting the excepts of the other parts of Dave Ferguson's book The Big Idea. And now...Part 2

"Visionary companies do not brutalize themselves with the "Tyranny of the Or" - the purely rational view that says you have either A or B, but not both. They reject having to make a choice between stability or progress; cult-like cultures or individual autonomy; home-grown managers or fundamental change; conservative practices or Big Hairy Audacious Goals; making money or living according to values and purposes. Instead, they embrace the "Genius of the And" - the paradoxical view that allows them to pursue both A and B at the same time."
quoted from Jim Collins

"God's dream for his church is also a greatness filled with paradox:
The first will be last, and the last will be first.
The greatest will be the least, and the least will be the greatest.
The rich will become poor, and the strong will be weak.
Try to save your life, and you will lose it; lose your life, and you will save it.
What once was gain is now counted as loss.
In losing this life, you gain life eternal."

"Remember, the Big Idea is a tool for you to use to transform people into Christ Followers. The Big Idea is not the boss - you are!"

"B-asic
I-ntegrated
G-lobal"



Check out part one directly below this post to be directed to GenesisChurch.TV's "One Idea" in action.

What's the BIG IDEA!? part 1

So I decided to catch up on some of the reading that I missed out on before I was hired @ GenesisChurch.TV. The crew finished a book titled The Big Idea by Dave Ferguson a few months ago and have implemented the theme for our upcoming Fall Launch and rest of our calendar year (August07-August08). You can check out our One Idea to see how we are using the ideas of this book @ Genesis.

With me catching up to the idea I decided to give you excerpts that catch my attention. The book is divided into chapters that are grouped into parts. After I finish each "Part" I'll post excerpts from the book and take from them what you can.
And...
here...
we...
go!

"I no longer call myself a Christian. I no longer try to convert people to Christianity. It's not that the title is wrong but that as a label it has come to mean something far different than what it means to follow Jesus. Being a Christian has been reduced to the expectation of niceness. How pathetic. How boring. How easy. How insignificant. And even that expectation of niceness doesn't have to be fulfilled. because the greater expectation is hypocrisy - the practice of beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not live out. Who would want to be associated with that?
I am a Christ follower. I follow Jesus step by step as his spirit moves me in his community called the church. When Jesus steps, I follow. When Jesus speeds up, I increase my pace. When Jesus slows down, I slow down too. The direction, the speed, and the ultimate destination of my life is determined by keeping in step with Jesus' Spirit. Simple. Clear. Not easy!"

"It is possible to be in company of others and still feel isolated. Community specialists call this brand of isolation experienced by the majority of Americans as 'crowded loneliness.' It is the most dangerous loneliness of all because it emits a false air of community that prevent us from diagnosing out dilemma correctly. We have exposure to people, but not a deep connection to people."

"The direction of the Big Idea was what gave the mass a missional velocity and brought about a movement that turned the world upside-down."

Jesus' Big Ideas:

"Follow me"

"Love God" "Love others"

"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."


Until next time,
KdM

What does your site DO??

Why Your Fancy Web Site Sucks?
(Filed under: Web Sites)
by Tim Wall, Guest Blogger

Your web site really sucks when you try to be fancy. Yes, I'm talking to you, Mr. Front-Page-Guy with your blinking animations and scrolling text. But I'm also talking to you, Mr. High-End-Web-Guy with all that stunningly beautiful functionality few people care about or use.

No matter our skill set, we all fall victim to the insatiable desire for fanciness. I know I did. I had lots of resources. I was working in a big ol' church with a big ol' budget spending lots of time and money creating new features that, once implemented, were rarely used by more than 5% of our congregation. That's right. I wanted to innovate. I wanted to be different. I wanted to be fancy. Too bad I didn't actually create something useful.

Fancy web sites suck. So, here's how you can keep things simple:

1. Write fresh, new content and put it on your web site.
2. Repeat step one multiple times daily.

Content keeps people coming back. Content meets the needs of your congregation and your community. They want to know what's happening at the church. They want to know what your pastor is thinking. They want to know how your children's minister feels about the latest kids movie. They want you to speak into their lives.

Sounds simple, right. So, why do so few churches do this? I think it's because we're all too busy treating technology and the web like some kind of novelty item. Newsflash: the web isn't new anymore. You don't need to experiment with it. You just need to use it, and use it well.

Look, there are a handful of churches (and I do mean probably less than 10) who have the resources in place to innovate on the web. Let them do it. Let them create the new functionality and push the limits and do the new stuff.

Let them take the risk that nobody will use it. What do you say the rest of us just cut out the fanciness and get back to the basics. If you are not updating content on your web site at least once a day, you don't have time to put energy or resources into anything else.

Great content, all the time. Great content, all the time. Master that and then we'll talk about that fancy new media player you've always wanted.

Optimus Prime = God?

from TheResurgence:

I had a sermon to preach about Optimus Prime some day. For better or worse, WIRED magazine beat me to it. Pointing out that while geeks have Batmen and Star Trek toys in their cubicles, even the jocks have Transformers decorating their workspaces, WIRED writer Scott Brown explores the reasons why in the July print edition.

"…in 1986, the original Prime did something that distinguished him from most other cartoon heroes. He died. He died for freedom, for righteousness". Brown goes on to assert that American culture – American males – are looking forward to the July 4th release of the "live-action" Transformers movie for "more than galvanic summer thrills or simple nostalgia. They're looking for redemption, as men."

While Brown forgets to mention Optimus did resurrect from the dead to "light our darkest hour" in 1987, missing the exclamation point on his Semi-Christophany, he strikes a narrative chord that is unmistakable. Bouncing between comparing Prime to a father and "Our Father..." the WIRED writer demonstrates how this hydraulic hero became a surrogate object for kids to respect, mimic, and yes – even worship:

"Prime practically parented the latchkey kids of the mid-‘80s. He was our Allfather at a time when flesh-and-blood role models were increasingly few and far between".

Indeed. While I had a solid Christian dad and stay-at-home mom at our tiny home in Kent, I remember scrambling to the television when voice actor Peter Cullen would command the troops to "Roll out!" and my second father – with a voice like John Wayne playing Abraham Lincoln – would contort into a Mack Truck, rev his engine, and roll his crushing 16-wheels down the heroic highway, barreling over the face of evil with unstoppable resolve. An action figure, Rubik's cube, and Tonka toy all rolled into one, combined with an unshakeable morality and sacrificial love, even the "tech specs" on his packaging in 1984 proclaimed his mission to bring freedom to "all sentient beings". 23 years later, his steely face is plastered on a poster with a single word: "protect". It's no wonder so many boys laid their weekly allowance on the energon altar.

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
Psalm 68:5

True to postmodern form, Transformers emerged in the 80s with a marketing ploy few realized would have such a dramatic impact on our generation. Before the 80s, toys were rarely so linked with a "ready-mixed narrative". George Lucas' merchandising success with Star Wars – coupled with the deregulation of television advertising to children in 1983 – opened the door for this phenomenon. Toys were tied to a sweeping story (and usually a story that demanded you buy them all). Little did we know it would do more than simply enhance merchandising; it would give a generation something to believe in when dad and the local parish had failed; it would give boys an animated role model… and perhaps even a Cybertronian god.

This is why so many people I know are polarized: excited or exacerbated, feverish or furious, titillated or ticked off, by the Michael Bay directed / Steven Spielberg produced return of Optimus and the bots, transforming into box office revenue on 2007's Independence Day. This is why a holiday once owned by Will Smith has handed over the fireworks - and 150 million dollars - to the 21st century version of Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots. This is why MuteMath is delivering yet another version of the memorable theme song, reminding us that "Autobots wage their battles to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons."

The question on everyone's lips:

"When Papa comes truckin' home, will we recognize him?"

With a lack of faith in earthly fathers, and lacking a relationship with God, who is our Father, I can see the grand attraction of a robot that is both "Optimal" and in his "Prime". Intentional or not, there is something godlike built into the stoic Autobot Commander, a titanium trinity imaging a loving Father, a sacrificial Son, and even an indwelling Spirit represented by the "Matrix of Leadership" he carries in his heart (or cab). To a lesser degree, he also represents a rugged, brass-knuckle, rubber-meets-the-road manliness that contemporary culture has slowly leeched from its men. Optimus Prime is a desperate grab for God, daddy, and lost masculinity.

"With bated breath and shaken faith we await the return of our Almighty Rig. Because without Prime, we're stuck with whiney Spider-boys, metrosexual pirates, and koan-spouting kung-fu Christs in designer sunglasses and unisex clubwear… Because these days, the only real men left are giant robots."

Just a toy? Purely nostalgia? WIRED certainly doesn't think so, and neither do I. Truly, there is something going on here that is more than meets the eye.

The CHRIST in worship

Thanks Tim Hughes for this:

I've been thinking a lot recently about our values in worship; asking myself questions like, why is it that I lead in a certain way? What is it that I am passionate about? What is it we are trying to achieve in a corporate time of sung worship? To me it seems the values behind what we do are absolutely essential. The style and practice may vary, but the values need to be clear and considered. As I've pondered on these questions, this is where I've got to. The worship that our Father in Heaven desires is:

1. Christ Centred

In Revelation 4 and 5 we see the worship that surrounds the throne; the 4 living creatures, the 24 elders, and thousands upon thousands of angels. What is the object of their worship? Who is it that lies at the centre of their worship?

'Then I saw a Lamb looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne.' Rev 5:6

Speaking of the supremacy of Christ Paul writes in Colossians, 'He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.' Col 1:15-20
Our worship must be centred around the person of Jesus Christ!

2. Holy Spirit Led

When we worship we must seek to be led by the Holy Spirit. He is the chief worship leader. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals Jesus, and through Jesus we can worship the Father.

As Richard Foster says of worship:

“It is kindled within us only when the Spirit of God touches our human spirit. We can use all the right techniques and methods, we can have the best possible liturgy, but we have not worshipped the Lord until Spirit touches spirit.”

As worship leaders we are left with 2 choices in the way in which we lead - initiation or response. Initiation is often how we lead, trying to force people into worship and making things happen in our own strength. Far the better way is to lead by responding to what the Spirit is doing. There lies the blessing. Bob Sorge helpfully comments,

“He [God] is honouring those leaders who are coming carefully into his presence, waiting upon Him to initiate toward us, and then helping the people to respond back to the Lord with their reciprocating initiative. In this model there is much less of a tendency toward hype because the Holy Spirit is seen as the one responsible for moving the people to worship - not the worship leader or musician.”

So when leading worship seek to be led by the Spirit. That involves asking questions - what are you doing today? Where are you moving? What response do you require of us?

3. Real

People often attend church tired, weary and broken. We must allow people space and freedom to be real and honest in their worship. God doesn't want us to pretend. In the midst of a suffering world, we must be up front that life at times is tough, but God is always good. An important aspect of worship is our honest and genuine response to God. Only then will we be able to find true hope and strength.

4. Intimate

John 15:15 says it all,

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my father I have made known to you.”

We are called into an intimate friendship with God. We don't just love and respect Him from afar; we can enter close and draw near. What an amazing truth. This is an essential part of our worship, allowing people to receive and respond to the incredible love and mercy God has lavished upon us. That is why we don't just sing about God, we sing to Him.

5. Sensitive

As worship leaders we need to be sensitive to those we lead. Not leading them aggressively or out of frustration, but out of love and gentleness. I think we need to lead with a 'gentle authority.' Sometimes this is hard when people seem slow to engage - if you're anything like me you get more and more angry with people. But actually I need to learn to be sensitive to where people are at, to pray that God gives me a love for them. Only then will I really be able to lead them into an engaged encounter of worship.

6. Transforming

Again Richard Foster comments in his fantastic book, 'Celebration of Discipline,' “Just as worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends with holy obedience. If worship does not propel us into greater obedience, it has not been worship.”

Genuine encounters with God will leave us sharing in His heart for a broken world. We have to care for those around us - the last, the least and the lost. Worship can’t just be songs - it has to radically transform us and consequently impact society around us. As we see in Amos 5, songs without actions are a meaningless sound to God

“Worship without mission is self-indulgent. Mission without worship is self-defeating.”

So there you have it, our values in worship.

Christ Centred

Holy Spirit Led

Real

Intimate

Sensitive

Transforming

living a verse

Two saturdays ago, i was @ GenesisChurch.tv washing the vans. That is typically something I do without a second thought but this past time was different. That same morning was the day that our church ended their week long fast called "Seek Week." As I washed the vans outside dozens of people were worshiping, praying, eating, and just enjoying time with each other in God's presence.

It hit me as I started to wash down the first van...I could hear Jerad leading worship through the back door of the annex and I just pictured people singing and praising God as I dipped my brush in the soapy water...and to be honest, I started to get a little jealous. Here I was, in the cold, and by now wet morning, washing a van while everyone was inside worshipping God. It was at that moment that a Bible verse, my favorite, popped into my head...Colossians 3.17: "And WHATEVER YOU DO, whether in word or deed, DO IT ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

At that moment, I realized that my worship was washing a couple vans...I was washing two dirty vans in the name of the Lord. That jealously turned to joy and a smile crossed my face as I continued to worship with everyone inside of the Annex.

In the spirit of Colossians 3.17...what are you doing "in the name of the Lord"?

Turn the mundane and ordinary into something significant.