Friday, April 28, 2006

I'm packing up and moving out...again!

ToddBlog.net is now live!


Check out my real blog at ToddBlog.net!



Well friends, after a short BlogSpot stint, I'm preparing to move up once again. I'm going to become an Official Blogger.

This blog will stay alive, but all new posts will be on my brand new, fancy-pants, hosted site:

ToddBlog.net

Take special notice of the .NET as there is a ToddBlog.COM already.

I look forward to seeing all of you at my brand new blog!

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

A holistic community of worship and ministry…



Thanks everyone for your insight on the last post. I’m still unsure of what I need to do, but I will continue to be in prayer and I ask for the same from you.

Something I do know is that creating an alternative worship gathering is too small. I don’t want to gather a bunch of people (or a small group) together for a big worship hootenanny and then go our separate ways. I think that misses the point of what “church” is about.

It’s no wonder that so many people today can be “religious” without becoming part of a church. What is church today? It’s a building we go once to three times a week to a worship service. A simple Google Image search for the word “church” will reveal that truth!

What if we changed our definition of church? Or rather, what if we went back to the original definition of church – a holistic community of worship and ministry?

What if our churches became more than gatherings? What if they became holistic (influencing peoples’ spiritual, physical and emotional needs) communities of worship and ministry? Wouldn’t that be something people want to be a part of? Wouldn’t that atmosphere restore the importance and influence of the Church?

The Church is precious and essential to living a fulfilling life in Christ. So let's reclaim the church. Let's reclaim it with our language and our attitude. However, greater than that, let's strive to transform our local congregations into churches!

Who's with me?

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Church plant or worship gathering?



I’ll get back to the “why” series after this post, but hopefully this post will foster even greater discussion.

For a while now I’ve been struggling with what to do to reach my generation. Should I approach my leadership and ask them to change or adapt the Sunday morning service to make it more emergent friendly? Should Hayley and I leave, looking for a new church home? Should I, with a team of like-minded individuals, attempt to start something new?

I feel like approaching my leadership and asking them to change is the wrong way to go. Who am I to change the way my fellow congregants worship? They’re perfectly happy with the way Sunday morning looks, and have little to no desire to see anything different. And while I recognize the importance of stretching and growing, I also appreciate the importance of peace and harmony. Adding instruments, videos and a radically different service style would not promote peace and harmony.

I also hate the idea of leaving our current congregation. I know Hayley wouldn’t enjoy that and leaving Central would upset people that I’ve grown to love.

Which leaves the final option: starting something new. I feel like this option is the best, but I’m not sure to what level this “new thing” should go. Should it be an alternative gathering on Sunday nights? Should it be a concerted church plant effort? Do we need to get the support and blessing of congregations to do this or do we just go for it?

So many questions, so many barriers and so much that needs to be done. So, I ask all of you for advice and guidance.

What should I do?

Monday, April 17, 2006

Just ask "Why?"



In marketing, it’s essential to ask, “Why are we doing what we’re about to do” before any campaign, project or promotion. That seems obvious and simple, but if you look at some billboards, television and radio ads, promotional giveaways and newspaper ads, it becomes obvious that many organizations fail to ask the question.

I believe that churches should take this same strategic approach to everything that they do. Church attendance is dwindling, emerging generations are not coming into contact with God and the post-Christian environment is hostile towards modern Christianity. Something’s got to change.

We need to step back, look at what we’re doing and ask “why?” Why do we preach 30-minute sermons? Why do we have sermons? Why do we do communion the way we do it? Why do we have small groups? Why do spend $X on X?

This process isn’t fun, easy or safe, but it is essential if we’re going to be relevant in this generation.

So, even though we all attend different churches in different states, (for the most part anyway) let’s get the conversation started.

Today’s topic:
Why sermons?

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Eucharist



One of the staples of the church of Christ faith has been its observance of the Eucharist. Every Sunday, Christians in the church of Christ brotherhood break bread (or Matzo, pie crust or some other unleavened treat) and take a sip from a small cup (each has their own, typically). The elements are also brought to those not sitting in the sanctuary, so they can partake (nursery, bouncers, etc.) If one is unable to attend on Sunday, usually an opportunity is provided to take it on Sunday night.

The emphasis is typically placed on the day that it is taken, not on the reason WHY it is taken. This is, in a word, bad.

While reading a blog post on Evotional.com I had a realization.

Celebrating communion is something that we should do as often as possible, maybe everytime we come together. However, I don't know if it is necessary or best-used as a part of the corporate worship service. Very rarely is the focus of the service on communion. It's usally done as quickly as possible with cursory devotional to "prepare our minds" for what we're about to do. (A quick aside: when I was in high school, my fellow tray passers and I would draw up "plays" for the passing out the trays. We would figure out the most efficient way to pass out trays. It was pretty awesome.)

I think we've missed the point.

The early church came together to break bread. (Acts 20:7) This verse has been used to argue that communion can ONLY be taken on the first day of the week. However, the emphasis of that verse has been distorted. Rather than arguing for a certain day to partake in the bread, the verse "argues" for the purpose of coming together. How many of our churches come together to "break bread?" If an unbiased outsider were to visit our church and we asked them why they thought we were meeting, would they say to take communion? Probably not.

We need to be intentional about taking communion. We need to pay attention to what we're doing and why we're doing it. I have no problem with traditions as long as they serve a purpose. I fear that our every Sunday tradition has lost its purpose.

Churches that take communion every Sunday without being intentional are no more "right" than a church that takes it sporadically. Let's stop missing the point.

Monday, April 10, 2006

On more AD post...



This Maeby my last post on the loveable Bluths...

Check out this MSNBC Commentary about Arrested Development.

Maybe it was time for the show to bow out, after all. Where would we go from here? How could Michael return to his family without turning from long-suffering and loyal to a simple glutton for punishment? And what would be funny about George Michael and Maeby in a normal teenage relationship? No, “Arrested Development” has developed as far as it can, and I can accept that, let go and look forward to new shows from the people responsible. Still, there’s a Pismo Beach motel called the Blue Seal I pass frequently, and it always makes me think “Ah yes, Lucille.” - Wendell Wittler

While I could've enjoyed several more seasons of the show, I have to agree that it's best to not drag it out.

Farewell Bluths.