You Matter [a bunch]

It is scary of the amount of jobs that are being lost in the past 4 months. American job loss has accelerated at an alarming rate, especially at the end of 2008, and 2009 is keeping the trend strong. Pastor friends of mine has experienced this. I spoke to one pastor luckily enough, who's church administration chose a 5% reduction in pay for all staff instead of having to let go of great leaders. His comment to me was:

We couldn't think of trying to decide who is 'it' to let go. Ministry is what we do and our life is designed to love others. We couldn't even think to have to let someone go.

However there are a couple other churches in Arizona, megachurches, who are on their second and third job cuts. This takes a huge toll on the emotional and spiritual climate of a church.
Having the largest job loss at a level higher than that of the last six decades for America as a whole is a tough reality. There is an implosion in the job market and Lawrence Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute says,"We're seeing a complete unraveling of the labor market and are on track for getting beyond 10% unemployment."

This WILL affect the church. In multiple ways:

• Those needing help and the church being a help financially. [This definitely will be a larger topic in the near future for the church response to this issue]
• The church not being able to 'afford' to keep staff or able to keep paying staff as they are currently being payed.
• The churches ability to pour money into evangelistic efforts.
• The ability for children, students, and even adults in participating in events that costs money. [Blog to come to discuss how do we do ministry less expensive but still good]
• Families that have one or no parents that are working. They will need groceries and clothing for their families. How does the church respond?
  

Okay so here are some things to consider about your current situation and where you are at in life/position. Here are a couple thoughts on perspective:

• If you have a job, count your blessings. Make everyday worth it. Begin, if you're not already, to start working as if your job was dependent on your work ethic. Don't take any day for granted. Your church may feel the crunch even harder as congregants struggle to keep their jobs and pay their bills.
• If your church has cut your income don't revolt. Be thankful that you were considered worth keeping and that the whole team meant more to the church than any one individual. Find ways to bring in extra money, sell a kid or kidney (I think eBay frowns on selling people or body parts), sell the golf clubs, pick up side jobs.
• If you are one of the many that has lost your position due to the financial crisis in America keep your head up. Right now will be a tough season trying to find another ministry position. Here this next line well: Your job does not define your calling, and your calling does not define your job. Live out ministry where ever you are, in whatever location you are. Find fulfillment in living the moment real and not based on your 8 to 5.

Now for the message everyone reading this needs to hear for yourself but also to be your message to others. It is this.

What you do matters. It does! What you do matters a lot.

EVERYTHING you do matter; you matter! Make that your personal mantra and make that your pulpit/soapbox/social megaphone voice. Believe it for yourself and tell everyone you know. Each person that God has for you to meet by appointment is no accident. This is not based on whether you are on payroll at your church of choice or are searching Monster. Everyone you meet matters and everyone that meets you needs you to know that you matter. Walk in those shoes and begin to 'matter' to everyone you meet. You have significance that is more than people may recognize, possibly even more than you realize. Your job or lack of does not define your significance, or maybe it does.

Thoughts?

...read more on "You Matter [a bunch]"!

Frugal: A Trend or Reality?

I have a question: Is a person who is frugal simply green or just trendy?

What is sad is that in a down economy it becomes trendy to be frugal. Is being green with your green just a trend? Because one is sparing and economical with their money doesn't make one trendy however one who is trendy may become frugal because of the look it gives. It is quite funny how many people change their lifestyle based on trends. Now if it is a direct response to their financial hardships, understood. But if it is due to the positive look then quit, knock it off, you look silly. For many the slow down in our economics at least on the consumer side is a simple issue... fear. Many have stopped spending because of fear.

When one changes their values/character/reputation based off trends I personally have a hard time recognizing the integrity in such decisions. Now call me a bigot but I think we adapt to changes that are helpful to better ourselves and others around us. No doubt that many trends could be based off those needs that can better our lives but the changes we make should be based off the issues that relate to our life the most. Trends have a popularity contest of sorts attached. Notice how many people jumped on the global warming agenda. Did I make changes, sure, added a Hot Water Heater timer, you can read that post here. But there are things I have always done, I was taught as a child to always turn off the light behind me, shut the door or I would hear the famous, "Were you born in a barn?" which I still don't understand. The timer, simply because my in-laws did and saved money and that is the basis of many changes for me.

So you have the trend of issues, Gore's and Nobel prizes to be awarded, then you have the issues that affect people where they are in their every day lives. Sure we are responsible for our footprint on earth and have a responsibility to hold those accountable to being on the same page, but let's not throw out the baby with the bath water.

In fact, there is much advice about money management and frugality in the Bible. This comes from Proverbs 6:6-11:

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!

7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,

8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-

11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.

Thoughts? You frugal? If so is because you are trendy or because it helps?

p.s. click on the pic above to get great ideas on how to be green with your green.

...read more on "Frugal: A Trend or Reality?"!

When the Golden Calf Becomes A Bronze Bull

Jesus People Pray That False Idol Will Save God’s Economy

I have so many thoughts that come to mind when I see this picture and read the headline above. "Jesus People," that's me... "pray that false idol will save God's economy." Hmm, ok this is clearly an incorrect assumption of all Christians. Should I, as a Christian, be praying for the economy? Sure. Should I spend $900 in airfare to go pray at the bronze bull in lower Manhattan? Certainly not. Then again, for people to be saying that those here are praying to an idol is ludicrous, they are praying at a statue for the economy, a statue that represents the monetary system...

Here is what one very liberal writer said in mockery:

Did you know that some Christian dingbat has dubbed today the “Day of Prayer for the World’s Economies?” Well here they are, at the Wall Street bull statue thing, praying to Jesus for money. The dingbat has explained, “We are going to intercede at the site of the statue of the bull on Wall Street to ask God to begin a shift from the bull and bear markets to what we feel will be the ‘Lion’s Market,’ or God’s control over the economic systems.” Don’t they know that God taking over the economic systems would be SOCIALISM from SPACE? Also: God will be very mad that they are worshiping a bronze idol here, since his second commandment PROHIBITS THAT, duh? Thank you Wonkette operative “Dan the Man” for the photo. [CBN]

I sometimes wonder about radical Christians that make so much noise in protest or in this case bugling a horn to get people to notice them. I wonder if those that are not Christian, those outside the church get so confused by our actions they don't what a Christian really is. One day they see some radical pastor shooting and killing an abortion doctor and on another corner see other Christians with signs saying "Turn or Burn" and "Gays are going to hell." When will Christians just live life as an example and learn to LOVE? If our demonstrations were in truly loving then nobody could be offended, maybe someone could be offended by a glass of cold water, but the Bible is clear that we break no law if we simply love.

Maybe what they were doing in this picture was right, maybe not. If my friends were going today to pray at the bronze bull I would stay home, that's just me. Maybe this is similar to See You At The Pole, where kids every September stand at their flagpole at school to pray for their nation, school, and friends. I see it a little different. The school represents the kid's mission field. I also see this as a easy way to publicly show they are Christians in a non-threatening way with the hope of starting conversations. See You At The Bull however, to me is a little different.

Is it different? Should it be different? I honor their prayers at the bull and hope and pray that America learns to steward itself better. Then again it was America's greed for money and devaluing the end user/buyer to make some big/quick bucks that has put us here. Lenders creating explosive home loans set to explode after 3 or 5 years and called them adjusting. Yeah they adjust, they adjust out of the reach of the home owners while you sit back and make millions then when it get's tough, big brother will bail you out, yeah the big brother that just a few months ago rolled 10 trillion dollars in debt. I will keep praying in my prayer closet. not for 'them', but us, we all got into this together and now we need to all get out together.

So I offer my prayer...
Lord Help?!?

This is very open ended discussion but what is your thoughts?

...read more on "When the Golden Calf Becomes A Bronze Bull"!

The American Culture Shift: Thanksgiving

It is amazing to see the cultural shift in America from Thanksgiving Thursday to Greedy Black Friday. Up until midnight we are still celebrating what we are thankful for, midnight plus one minute all has changed! Black Friday references to over 20 different historical events, but is most popular for it being the most popular day of shopping and representing the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. This Christmas shopping season is huge among retailers, this is the day that they will open up as early as 4a (Kohls and Mervyn's) and have loss leaders that many times is an item that is sold at below it's value so that the store loses money in order to get the greedy shopper in their doors to buy more. But "Shaun you are being a bigot, we are saving money and therefore stewarding what God has given us." So right you are, but at least be honest with yourself, our mindset has changed.

Americans narcissistic attitude of greedy indulgence till your stomach is so full is the annual American Culture Shift. We over indulge with food on Thanksgiving Day then overindulge in spending the following day. Sure, Black Friday represents that the stores are no longer in the red and can show a clear upturn in their income... for what? At the risk of the consumers going into the red and piling on the credit card debt. Please let us not overlook the true meaning of Thanksgiving, what a day to celebrate. We spend 364 days a year overindulging then take a brief moment out of our schedule on Thanksgiving to be thankful for those 364 days. Clean water, jeans (multiple pairs), house, clothes, food, fast food, cars, fast cars, iPod, iPhone, cable TV, DVR, Big Screen, Stainless Steel appliances, Macs/PCs, Blackberries, pool tables, bikes, quads, laptops, air conditioning, gaming systems, and of course bling, we are in the land of plenty. Maybe you can sit back for a moment and be thankful. What about the bigger things in life, family, breath, health, free will, safety, compassion, empathy/sympathy, emotions, humor, laughter; you know the things that really count that are not able to be purchased but are part of every human, part of every eikon.

This year I want to be simply... THANKFUL!

...read more on "The American Culture Shift: Thanksgiving"!

Money, Missions and PART 2

Why do we keep sending out missionaries when our own country is failing in the Mission Field?

Well Jesus said that we were to go into Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, then the other parts of the world. Well maybe those places represent people groups.

• Jerusalem being your home turf, your city/community
• Judea being your state/country, anything outside of your community
• Samaria being the people groups that are considered less thans, the homeless, the hurt, broken, impoverished.
• Other parts of the world being exactly as it says.
  

If that were the case then at home is the biggest need. When other countries are sending missionaries here it should shoot up a flag to warn us of our predicament. In our district we recently got a missionary from another country here in Arizona. Guess what, flags went up! This is much like the pastor who over exerts himself in his ministry neglecting his very family. The family end up being second place to ministry, the wife feels unloved the kids have their soccer games only with mom. Dad is restless and complains and is bitter. Could America be creating this exact problem as a country as it's missionaries are leaving? We are not producing enough young pastors to keep up with the pastors retiring, something needs to be done fast. I guess at the present time the best option is welcoming missionaries here!

This brings up a whole other point with me, a sort of semantics. I hate the term missionary, it seems to devalue every pastor who feels called to the mission. I feel in a sense how much America is growing in a post-modern mindset that the American pulpit pastor is becoming a missionary and requires the same cross-culture training to enter his world then one going to a foreign country. They must learn the language of their people, of their tribe. America is so multi-cultural with so many sub-cultures. Am I wrong? Is the term missionary slowly adapting it's definition to the American pastor?

----

In AGWM (Assemblies of God World Missions) a missionary typically raises money in their own district but because the churches are so financially strapped and have committed to so many missionaries the missionary needs to go to 18 different districts basically and fly all around the country spending money to make money.

One thought, what about missionaries study the cross-culture issues then work in that country a couple years to become indigenous? Then the argument is that is less time they get to minister. Then I would say, no time is wasted time, as you live and work in the market place you build relationships. But Paul was financially supported? You got me there... but then again our abilities to be more manageable with money has got to be a little better than 2000 year ago! We have millions of inventions, powerful banks (no pun intended), business minds and MBAs, etc, I would hope that the modern age would be able to solve some financial issues. Could it be that we venture to bring in the big dogs, the professionals? I really feel that we as Christians need to step it up some and be the answers and the advocacy to the worlds problems. That they come to us for answers and direction. That happens when believers begin to give in abundance and remove the strain from the local church.

A great friend of mine that I have known for about 13 years said (and I will leave them anonymous)...

That's one of the reasons that I changed my major from missions to teaching...I think the A/G method of funding missionaries is one of the most inefficient models out there. Someone needs to overhaul the system!

So if finances and providing funding is the problem, what's the answer? Any thoughts? We need a full restructure but I don't have the answers! Do you have any solutions?

...read more on "Money, Missions and PART 2"!

Money, Missions and Responsibilities PART 1

This is just a bent of mine that I am not angry about nor upset but am open to figuring out a better way to manage the issue. This is a two part post. Now I want to discuss where a church funds their missions program then the next post will discuss the missionary at large, the terminology and how they personally raise support. Hope not to offend anyone, I got a great few friends in mission work and love them dearly. I just want to throw out my thoughts no matter how wrong I am, correct me if needed, thanks.

Should missions giving come out of General Funds or just what the people give and pledge to missions? This was a question that popped in my head this morning as I sat in a staff meeting as we debriefed about the previous night's board meeting as they discussed the financials for 2009. As we look at MANY churches across the nation they reflect the financial depression of America. Now don't shoot me, I don't say depression as the 1930's, I say depression in reference to the depressed nature of people, they are mentally feeling that we are in dire straights. So again, I propose the question, should missions giving come from General Funds, meaning the general tithes that people give back to the church, or should the people see the needs and become more missional in their giving?

The difference is the heart of the giver. IF people believe in giving to the need AND believe in tithing then churches don't need to give to missions to cover the peoples shortages, they would reach all the needs both communally and around the world.

As I referenced in a previous post, The Pareto Principle explains how 20% of givers counts for 80% of the general income, the other 80% only make up the last 20%. Now our personal church has taken about a 15% hit which is not huge compared to the overall downturn for a lot of churches, but when you look at the Pareto Principle in relation to our situation we are pretty close to the expectation. That means the 80% are not doing their 20% efforts. Now how can I say that the 80% are responsibile of the 20%? You can refer back to my previous blog, Within Reason...

"...the Pareto Principle, the law of the vital few. It is based off the principle of factor sparsity, basically 80% of consequences build from 20% of the causes, the vice versa is true. 80% of greatness is created by the 20%."

Tippers and Tithers:

• Tippers give $10 or $20 a week (typically what's in their pocket or available at the given time).
• Tithers give a percent of their income.

Most church's givers that are tithers are committed and understand the value of stewardship and know that giving isn't an option, it is all God's to being with and he has given it to us as stewards and we are merely giving it back to him. The next MADE series video will address this so keep tuned for the Part 2 of this post and next week and for the video! Your 20% are your established, understanding, experienced people that are faithful, now in this economy no doubt they are affected and might give less or as often but you can still count on them. The tippers are the ones who are project/need oriented. Great people, again, dependable but do not tithe, just give what's in their pockets, $10 here, $20 there. If a need is presented, a project, a mission then they drop that money in for that. The tough thing is they give regularly just not to the same area so the church can not be dependent on that and when things are tight like our economy they are the first to stop giving. They simply are not your 20%.

Maybe we need to be investing in people and projects and allow the congregation to invest in missions? This is a statement that is new to my thinking but I am slowly feeling it may be appropriate. We invest in the people monetarily, spiritually, emotionally, etc, and then present the missions needs and allow them to give to that above and beyond their tithe.

Tell me, am I wrong? IS there ONE correct way? Does this idea help solve any problem or produce its own kinds of problems?

...read more on "Money, Missions and Responsibilities PART 1"!