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Rethinking Small Church Ministry

The Future Belongs to the Underdogs and Innovators

This headline is a quote from a post in the Marketing Agency Insider. The post discusses how traditional marketing firms are doomed if they don’t learn to adapt to the new world and offer a hybrid approach to helping companies reach new people with their products and services.

The article’s advice and analysis may be applied to the emerging church and its outreach efforts.

Things happen slowly in the church. Church structure is designed that way. Stability and normalcy are rewarded. Innovation is something to applaud and forget. It seems like every promising innovation is derailed by reverting to the old ways — the structure. Successful churches are those that are still doing things the same way with membership that can still support the old way, even if both membership and offerings are in steady, long-term decline.

Applauding survival has created a crisis among mainline religions that has been growing unchecked for decades. Still, church leaders talk about change but implement very little.

The article we quoted talks about five things that will cause a major shift in the way things are being done in the marketing world. Each can be applied to church and mission.

  1. The emerging church will find alternative funding streams. They will no longer rely on the offering plate as the sole support for mission.
  2. The emerging church must integrate its services and use every technology available.
  3. The emerging church must concentrate on efficiency in delivering services and that includes creating new, cost-effective leadership structures.
  4. The emerging church must find ways to lower operating costs. We cannot continue to support budgets that are top-heavy in management and real estate with very little money left for mission, education and service.
  5. The emerging church will find new ways to measure its successes and be accountable for its mission dollars.

The article concludes that it is the risk takers who are going to emerge from current turmoil. It concludes (slightly paraphrased to apply to “church”) that a new prominence will be afforded to the risk takers who fight to remain nimble, always thinking like startups and acting like underdogs. Their presence will be a disruptive force for years to come, shifting the balance of power and raising the bar for what’s possible when seeking new partnerships in mission.

2×2 has been saying all of this for a while!

Denominations should be concentrating on helping every congregation tool up for change that bears these five points in mind. Instead, congregations hear about “drafting mission statements” and “stewardship” and preparing to “call a pastor” and maintaining existing church budgets — which have the status quo as their foundation.

18 Jan 2012

What to Do with Leftover, Gently Used VBS Materials

The internet served us well this week. A Baylor University student in Waco, Texas, found 2×2 and our interest in reviving Vacation Bible Schools in small congregations.

Virginia Smith served an internship through the Western Kansas Conference of the United Methodist Church. They trained four college students to provide VBS leadership to five congregations last summer. Virginia reported that the smallest group they worked with had about 15 students and the largest had between 50 and 60.

We had a long chat about the VBS-aid concept which 2×2 is promoting and the similarities and differences to the Kansas project.

The experience prompted her to start a web-based service project. She shared her web site with us: vbs247.webs.com

Virginia collects leftover VBS curriculum from any denomination or publisher. She reviews the material to assess the condition for acceptable reuse. She photographs the material and adds the items to her web catalog. Congregations can visit the site and purchase the materials for less than half the original price. The items are priced by condition. Unsuitable items are not sold.

The site does not seek to make a profit. The cost of materials goes toward running the web site and handling the materials.

If you are a small church and think you cannot afford pricey VBS materials, visit Virginia’s web site.

13 Jan 2012

Closing Churches Creates Pariah Parishes

The announcement of church closings is a common scenario in the Roman Catholic Church. Roman Catholic church structure places property ownership in the hands of the bishop.

Not so for Lutherans. Yet in recent years, Lutheran “bishops” are assuming the powers of the Roman Catholic “bishops” and declaring churches closed without the participation of the congregations. As resistance builds, the process becomes uglier and more heavy-handed.

The true measure of a denomination's strength may be how it treats its smallest congregations. Declaring churches closed is asking for trouble. Churches with any life must resist if they are to act on their faith and beliefs — which is what religion is all about.

Once lines are drawn, parishes that resist become pariahs. Gossip starts. No one wants to be involved.

How does a denomination guarantee that determinations of viability are about the parish and not about the denomination?

More congregations will face the mysterious “viability” test. They may not even realize they are being tested.

The signs that this may be happening are

  • no cooperation from the denomination in finding pastoral help
  • pastors sent as caretakers who do nothing to grow the congregation
  • failure to communicate with the congregations (letters unanswered, phone calls not returned)
  • in general, the absence of the denomination until . . . .

Once a congregation is labeled “not viable” word spreads. There is little a congregation can do to change minds. Pastors will disappear and the congregation will find themselves limited to working with lay talents and retired pastors whose careers can no longer be influenced by the denomination.

Any measure of a congregation’s strength made by a denomination, itself in fiscal crisis, must be questioned.

Redeemer is notorious at this point.

One clergy member commented that closing Redeemer doesn’t matter. “There are plenty of churches in that neighborhood.” There were plenty of churches. The Congregational Church on Midvale closed and the building is now the office of a Lutheran Social Service agency. The Methodist Church closed. The Baptist Church closed. The members of St. James the Less were evicted by the diocese. St. Bridget’s is endangered.

The Presbyterian Church faced challenges but has managed to revive their ministry with the support of their denomination. The Episcopal Church, located on a remote street, was assisted by SEPA Synod in creating a ministry plan. Yes, the same synod that determined their own ministry in the heart of East Falls was not viable was assisting the Episcopalian congregation on the fringe of the neighborhood.

At the time Synod declared “synodical administration” on Redeemer, it was the fastest growing church in East Falls.

Decisions are being made about neighborhood ministries by people who know nothing about the neighborhoods.

Money is the issue in East Falls. Redeemer was a small congregation with cash. When Bishop Almquist targeted Redeemer in 1998, we had received a $300,000 endowment a few years prior. We resisted his action successfully, but we became a pariah parish.

In 2007, after nearly a decade of Synod neglect. we still had operating funds and a rented property. The congregation was active and growing. Synod was operating on a recurring six-figure deficit budget. With giving down, the only way out was to look for congregations to close.

Five years after being declared not viable, and more than two years after being physically locked out of their house of worship, Redeemer still meets weekly for worship. Redeemer still develops mission projects which are gaining national interest, if not interest from the denomination. Redeemer remains viable. Imagine what might have been done with the support and respect of church leaders.

One might think that mission and scripture play a role. Love, helping the needy, reconciliation, forgiveness, sacrifice . . . just words when denominations attack their congregations.

Synods must solve their own fiscal problems . . and not on the backs of its small neighborhood churches. The true measure of a denomination’s strength may be how it treats its smallest congregations.  

SEPA member churches, find a voice . . . or you may be next.

13 Jan 2012

Measuring the Potential of Church and Ministry

Today we are witnessing the end of the Medieval Era. The Church may be the last vestige of Feudalistic Society — where communities operated, lived and served under a select group of people who protected them.

That is the model of today’s church which found its enduring structure in the Middle Ages.

Today, Philadelphia is reeling over the proclamation from Roman Catholic leaders, based on a “Blue Ribbon Commission” report, that will close or merge dozens of neighborhood parish schools. There are strong hints that this is Stage One, with church closings to be announced next year. Dangle the string in front of the mouse a bit longer.

Decisions made by church hierarchy tend to be based on their own needs and resources more than the needs and resources of neighborhoods. There was a day when loyal lay people would not venture such criticism. Yesterday’s newspapers show that day is over.

Neighborhoods are beginning to recognize that the Feudalistic Church is no longer serving their needs and mission. It is existing to protect itself. It is a bitter pill for the most dedicated church supporters. We wish it weren’t so.

Hierarchies could make changes in policies and traditions at the leadership/service end, but it’s easier to dictate change to the rank and file.

Catholics are not alone — but they are in today’s spotlight. What results from the wisdom of the Catholic leadership remains to be seen. It is likely that the decision will accelerate any existing decline.  Affected congregations will lose a core part of their ministry focus. Their loyalties will not automatically transfer to consolidated schools — the hearts and souls of people just don’t work that way. The parishes who survived will not reap a windfall in support. The Church will be weakened. People will drift. Resources will be further strained. Substantial spoils of closed churches/schools, contributed by generations of neighborhood families, will go to enrich the unyielding hierarchy.

These decisions were likely based on statistics. Statistics tend to work against lay people. They are minimally involved in either collecting or reporting data. The data recorded may mean very little in a fast-changing world.

A fresh approach might be to stop measuring the people who are there and start measuring the people who are not there. Instead of measuring the services the church provides, measure the needs of the people who are not in church. This is a very biblical approach — something every congregation talks about doing, while they are measuring and reporting useless statistics.

Think about it. . . if you measure what you have, you are valuing and protecting the status quo. The church becomes a protective organization, making decisions to hang on to things as they are and hope for slight progress doing things the same old way.

If you start measuring needs and counting the people who are not in church, you are opening your community to service, mission and outreach. It will change your focus and thinking. The Bible is full of mandates to do just that.

We just have to get as good at measuring potential as we are at measuring failure.

09 Jan 2012

How Do You Measure “Church” in A Digital Age?

The things we measure are not always the things that count.

Churches have vital statistics. Most people in the pew pay little attention to them. Pastors often pay little attention, too. Denominations have a hard time collecting parish data and sometimes they make up their own statistics.

Maybe it’s too depressing. Maybe we measure the wrong things.

Typical parish statistics include:

  • Worship attendance
  • Number of baptized/confirmed members
  • Percentage of members attending worship
  • Number of members involved in Sunday Schools and VBS programs
  • Regular giving by members
  • Endowments and property assets
  • Operating expenses and debt
  • Contributions to benevolence (what the local parish sends to the denomination)
  • Contributions to mission
  • Ethnic and racial makeup of a congregation
Little of this says anything about what a congregation does or is capable of doing in the modern world!

In most congregations, at least in the ELCA, most traditional statistics are dropping dramatically.

Some of these statistics are rather old fashioned.

Once upon a time, a parish had to give money to centralized authority to be dispersed for mission. Today, congregations can and do choose mission efforts in the community and bypass their denominations, which skews that statistic.

Operating expenses assume a pastor’s salary and property as foundational expenses. Neither may be necessary anymore.

There are many other things in a congregation that can be measured (but aren’t) and there are even more things that are difficult to measure.

If we start looking at other sources of data, our view of parish ministry might change.

Internet ministries are very measurable and can be very helpful in directing church ministry. Very few congregations bother or work only half-heartedly in a self-focused way.

2×2 concentrates on internet outreach — and we’ve only begun!

Here are some statistics on our first 10 months of internet ministry.

2×2 published its first post in February 2011. We had practically no traffic for six months. In mid-summer, we began publishing daily and the site has grown since. There was a slight dip at Christmas time but we have already recorded our most traffic ever only four days into 2012, so we expect the statistics to continue to grow — as long as we continue to work at it.

We have recorded 2100 site visits. For the last two months, 2×2 has consistently registered 100-150 views each week. We have about 70 subscribers/followers who receive our posts by email and so are not counted in site visits data. Our average daily on site readership is about 25. So it is fair to say that 2×2 has 100 daily readers.

2×2 has been visited by someone in all but three states with regular viewership in several states. We have viewers around the world with regular readership in several European countries, Canada and Australia.

We can follow our reader’s interests and provide content accordingly. 2×2 readers are most interested in Social Media and the Church and Children’s Sermons. Our articles on Multicultural Ministry were republished by a reader in Texas. The Editorial Calendar we created to correspond to the Lectionary has been downloaded dozens of times.

2×2 has a presence beyond its online ministry that is more difficult to measure (like most ministries), but in 2×2’s case, it is made all the more difficult to measure because the members of 2×2, who are also members of Redeemer, East Falls, have been excommunicated from the ELCA — without discussion or congregational vote — with the denomination claiming our property and financial assets against their own denominational rules.

Imagine what might have been accomplished if our abilities had been measured!

The church needs to take a fresh look at how they measure ministry.

04 Jan 2012

How Long Should A Children’s Sermon Be?

Someone plugged this question into a search engine and found 2×2. So here’s an answer:

The length of a children’s sermon depends on what you hope to accomplish with the children and the congregation. Five minutes is enough if all you plan to do is give very young children some attention during a one-hour service.

A shorter sermon is also appropriate if you are “talking at” the children. In other posts, we have advocated for using children sermon time to accomplish much more.

The children’s sermon can be learning time for the entire congregation and can help fill huge gaps in education that churches are encountering as Sunday School attendance drops and becomes more sporadic.

A children’s sermon can be used to introduce new concepts to everyone listening and grow your congregation’s skills as a worshiping community.

Here’s a format that expands the function of the children’s sermon and involves the congregation in this part of the service.

  • 1-2 minutes
    Take a moment to make the children comfortable. Ask a few questions? Were they part of an event at church during the week?  Is there anyone or anything you can pray for later on?
  • 1-2 minutes
    Tie the message to the scriptures of the day. In this case, the sermon time should be delivered after the scriptures. Ask the children if they were listening and refer to the lessons. Over time, this will encourage them to listen to scripture readings.
  • 3 minutes
    Present the body of your message. This is the meat of your sermon.
  • 1-2 minutes
    Pray with the children. Use various formats and involve the children.
  • 3 minutes
    Teach something. Sing a hymn together. Give the children an assignment for the next week. Ask them to listen for something that is going to happen later in the service. Introduce a member of the congregation that the children may not know. For example, if there is an upcoming congregational event, introduce the lay leader of the event and invite that person to talk to the children about their project. Make this interactive time. Involve the entire congregation. Remember, everyone is listening!
  • Dismissal
    If your children will remain in the service, this might be the best time to hand them a children’s bulletin insert tied to the day’s theme. It will occupy their attention in a related way as the adult sermon is playing out.

This format takes about 10-12 minutes. That may seem like a lot, but it is a short amount of time that can reap big rewards. Your children will feel less on display and more part of congregational life. New relationships within the congregation will be forged.

27 Dec 2011

Structuring the Church for Change

The need for change is a common topic in church circles. It is also a hot topic in the business world. It isn’t easy for either sub-group of society, but the business world is more likely to succeed. The people who can be catalysts for change are rewarded in the business world but are barely tolerated in the Church.

The Church wants change. Leaders say so. Pastors say so. Congregations say so. But the structure they work within is medieval. It is set up to nurture longevity. Change in today’s world is not oriented toward longevity.

The business world recognizes the need for dramatic change and is undergoing major restructuring. Business leaders are rethinking the fundamentals of how they provide services, including the way they are charging for their services. They are looking for ways to provide recurring funding streams, so all of their business is not hinged on cyclical activity. They are communicating with their clientele differently. They are interacting with vendors and customers differently. They are consciously putting service before dollars — and they are seeing that it makes all the difference.

The Church can learn from this. The care and nurturing of an archaic infrastructure stands in the way. Before they can consider “change,” congregations are expected to do a litany of costly things the same way — call a pastor for unending term calls, maintain a building, and hold all the same services and events. Mission is secondary to all of these, something for a core group to work at as resources and energy allow. To grow within this structure, a congregation must find more like-minded people who relate to existing leadership. That’s a huge challenge.

The cost of the infrastructure is putting the Church out of business. A bare-bones active church budget with a full-time pastor and building to maintain requires the steady support of 100 families. Yet that size community or larger becomes unwieldy in providing the atmosphere many people look for in a church. The Church is asking for people to buy into a costly infrastructure over which they have little influence or control. Most people take one look and say, “No thanks!” The Church would do well to remember that participation in Church is voluntary.

The Church needs to think about the world today and the pace of change in society and in our individual lives. Few of us play out the easily defined traditional roles — bread winner or homemaker. Most people change jobs and careers frequently. Multitasking is the order of the day.

If the Church does not recognize this it will become an institution for the aging — the people who have a connection with what the Church was and not what it needs to become.

The Church must address the following issues in a new way:

  • the way we train church leaders
  • the way we call church leaders
  • the expectations of church leaders
  • the education of all church members
  • the roles and expectations of the laity
  • the purpose of property and assets and how they are maintained and used for mission
20 Dec 2011

16 Traits of a Creative Church

Creative people are often not welcome in the church.

That may seem like a bold statement, but there is some truth in it. Creative people insist on change. The Church talks about wanting change, but it is often presented by people who are rather transparent in their real goals. They want the Church to change their way. They want the Church to be more secure financially. They want the congregation to give and get along.

If the formula is so simple, why are most churches in decline?

If Churches are to embrace change they must embrace creativity, and that is a rare commodity within the rigid framework that many churches have. In some of our Ambassador visits, we have encountered congregations that post in their bulletin or web sites a list of ways newcomers can contribute: sing in the choir, serve on a committee, join the altar guild, usher, read lessons, etc. That list can be a formidable barrier to thought leadership or creativity. There is a sense that people are pegs that fill the Church’s predrilled holes.

Today’s Church needs to explore the concept of “creativity” and the power (and change) that word can create.

Creative people solve problems. Often “creative” is used to describe talent. “John is a creative person. He plays the organ so well.” But what problems did John solve? It is indeed a blessing to have talented people. But creativity is something different. It’s an atmosphere . . a way of thinking. When creativity is nurtured, talented people come out of the woodwork! You might be surprised at the talent you didn’t dream was there!

Here are some traits to nurture in your creative congregation.

  1. Creative congregations are motivated by mission. It begins with a personal sense of mission and is later applied to a group’s sense of mission.
  2. Creative congregations foster prayer.  Prayer reminds us of Whom we serve and why we have a mission. Many opportunities should be provided for individual and community prayer.
  3. Creative congregations discourage labels.  If your Church has been exploring a problem for some time they have probably subconsciously labeled every aspect of the problem. “Those people are adversarial.” “The pastor won’t like this idea.” “Old members won’t go for it.” “The community is going to object.” “We don’t have people who can do that.” Get rid of the labels. Just stop it!
  4. Creative congregations challenge the advice of “experts.” Would the Church be facing such problems today if the “experts” had all the answers? Experts have some answers. However, experts can have their own agendas. They want to see their pet solutions put into place. Don’t ignore them — just don’t be afraid to challenge them. Creativity requires fresh thinking. If every problem is approached with a “must do” list, you will end up with the same solutions, proposed by the same experts.
  5. Creative congregations explore ideas. They ask the question “What if . . . ?”
  6. Creative congregations look for order in confusion. By sorting through a mess, you might find some treasures. By rearranging the chaos, you might find exciting connections between ideas.
  7. Creative congregations embrace serendipity. The unexpected can spark the change you are looking for. In church work, serendipity can walk through your door any Sunday. It can be a new person, a new community event, a new learning, a new pastor. Embracing serendipity can change the definition of success and failure. Make it a habit. So what if only three people showed up at your special event. What did you do with those three people that gave them something to talk about  the next day?
  8. Creative congregations are patient . . . to an extent. They know that the creative process takes time. They know the discipline required to work at it. As long as the process has direction, their people will exhibit patience. But if the process is stone-walled, they will leave. Water and watch creativity grow. Ignore and watch it wither.
  9. Creative congregations are tenacious. They will work hard at a project given an environment that allows them freedom to make a difference.
  10. Creative congregations network. Change requires fuel. Networking with other churches and neighborhood groups provides the opportunity to share objectives and ideas. This helps congregations find resources and ideas.
  11. Creative congregations are expressive. They are confident in their mission and are not afraid to say so — as individuals or as a group. Provide venues for members to express themselves. These might be within worship, a parish newsletter, or as part of discussion groups. Create a congregational blog!
  12. Creative congregations follow their instincts.  It may be the Holy Spirit nagging at you.
  13. Creative congregations are courageous. A truly creative congregation is going to be challenged. The Church must at times challenge hierarchical and societal policies. Congregations that have fostered creativity are best equipped to face such challenges.
  14. Creative congregations challenge naysayers. And there will be plenty of them.
  15. Creative congregations constantly reassess. They are not afraid to admit they are wrong. They try new ideas, assess progress and tweak with abandon. Failure to try will leave you with the same old church. Good ideas that may one day fulfill their promise will be abandoned too soon.
  16. Creative congregations are not afraid to have fun. People discover themselves in games and laughter. Provide many opportunities for your congregation to enjoy themselves. Send your members to church camp! You will be creating creative people. Creative people create creative ministries.
12 Dec 2011

Small Churches Can Reach Out to Unaccompanied Children

Our Ambassador visits have revealed some stereo-types of small churches. We heard some professional leaders referring to them mockingly as “old-folks homes.”

Offensive as this terminology is — some congregations are aging. Unfortunately, leadership mindset sees this as the end of ministry. Pastors adopt, sometimes with the encouragement of denominational leadership, a caretaker approach to serving. There are no plans for growing the church or any reason to look for mission opportunity. They are playing a waiting game.

It may be up to the laity to turn things around.

Our ambassadors have seen some small, aging churches making the transition to becoming welcoming places for families and children. They invariably have only supply pastors or part-time professional leadership. Imagine what might happen if the leadership saw this as a door opening for ministry.

Our own church made this transition and grew from a church of seniors to a church of young families.

Our transition began when we noticed a number of children returning week after week without parents. At first a couple of girls (about aged 10) came and sat in the front row. After a few weeks, they brought an older brother (about 12). Soon they started bringing younger children.

We weren’t prepared to deal with this. That’s not the way church works! Parents bring their children to Church and Sunday School.

Things have changed!

We have noticed some similarities in other churches we visited. The early focus of our visits was the urban church. In cities, children pass the church as they walk home from school. Curiosity brings them back. Yes, their parents should accompany them. But children are playing the cards they have been dealt. They may come from homes with only one over-taxed parent. The parent may know the children have gone to church and consider it baby-sitting, or the parent may be at work unaware of that their children have turned off the TV and wandered out on their own. In the worst case, the parents may not care. In that case, the church must not turn their backs on the children because they have arrived on their doorstep in an unconventional way. Small churches with aging memberships can be particularly attractive to children who are seeking.

Young children have some things in common with older folks. They are crossing paths in life. Children are dependent growing into independence and older folks are independent growing into dependency. Young children often like the attention of seniors who can understand them in a way their parents don’t. They have time for them when their parents are preoccupied. It is validating to seniors.

Congregations can see this as a nuisance that must curtailed, or they can see it as outreach coming to them.

There are good reasons to discourage unaccompanied children.

  • They do not contribute to the offering.
  • They do not behave.
  • They are lively, energetic and strong and may seem threatening to the frail.
  • They may be there only only for donuts at fellowship.
  • Raising them is the responsibility of the parents.

Or

  • They may, in their own ways, be seeking.
  • They may enjoy the music.
  • Older children (as young as 11 or 12) may have been left in charge of yournger siblings and are following an instinct to parent them.
  • They might might feel part of a family of God when their own family is dysfunctional.
  • Raising them is the responsibility of the community of God.

Here are some first steps to take when children start coming to church by themselves.

  • Make sure an adult sits nearby, perhaps in the pew behind them.
  • Teach the church service. Pastors can give a brief explanation as your worship moves along. The adult sitting near them can whisper in their ears. “We are now going to stand to honor the reading of the Gospel that tells us about the life of Jesus Christ.”
  • Engage the children in conversation. Find out where they live and who their parents are.
  • Plan to visit their homes with the pastor. You may be hitting a brick wall, but you may find a parent receptive to help. At the very least, the parents should know with whom their children spend Sunday mornings.
  • Pray for them. Assign each child to an adult as a prayer partner. Engage the children in the prayer if possible, but they don’t need to know you are praying for them!
06 Dec 2011

6 Reasons for Pastors and Congregations to Blog


Our Ambassadors study web sites as we prepare for visits. A few have snappy web sites or adequate, static sites. Some have barely functioning web sites. A surprising number have no internet presence whatsoever.

Now and then we come across a web site that features a Pastor’s Blog. This raises our interest. Blogging is a passion of 2×2’s. We have come to expect disappointment. The blogs are often no more than a few posts, months apart, and the most recent post is often years old. The blog posts tend to be personal musings aimed at the congregation’s existing community. No wonder they ran out of steam!

Ministry opportunity is being lost! Pastors should blog. Congregations should blog. Here’s why:

  1. Blogging is team work. Maintaining and growing a blog is work that should be shared. Working together on developing a good congregational blog will help your members and leaders bond, build community, and find ministry and mission opportunities.
  2. Blogging provides direction. Blogging is a tool to help your congregation stay connected with the people you serve. Posting content several times a week is good lubrication to keep your ministry from getting rusty. You will be looking constantly for issues to address. You will meet new people and organizations. Who knows how this could impact your ministry?
  3. Blogging builds trust. Bloggers wear their hearts on their sleeves. Publishing daily in a forum where your thinking can be challenged as easily as applauded keeps your thinking grounded. Readers will notice, respect and trust that you have others’ interests at heart.
  4. Blogging helps you reach out. Blogs help seekers find you. This won’t happen with four posts a year though! You need to treat your blog with the same importance you treat the preparation of a sermon or worship service. It is likely that it will be read by many times the number of people who attend worship! (2×2 started our blog nine months ago. We now have 100-150 new readers every week!)
  5. Blogging expands your point of view. Blogs allow for interaction. Your readers can comment on the ideas you present. Commenters influence the dialogue. They may applaud your efforts; they may point you in a different direction. Good bloggers listen and respond to all legitimate comments whether they agree or not.
  6. Blogging returns us to Christ’s approach to outreach. Congregations often exist with a fairly narrow focus on the world, fashioning ministries around tradition and doctrine. Outreach efforts often focus on trying to find people who fit into the community culture as it already exists, with thinking that mirrors their own. In contrast, Christ’s approach was to build upon encounters with the least likely prospects. With disciples grumbling in the background, Christ approached lepers, the possessed, children, women, criminals, rulers, church authorities and outcasts.

There is power and momentum in blogging. It takes work, but it is work that can  bear fruit and multiply.

04 Dec 2011