serve vs. volunteer

If the local church is driven by task management then all we ask people to do is volunteer to be "a part" of the church.  If the local church is driven by discipleship then what we do is ask people to serve the community.  Serving the community is what Jesus came to do (Matt. 20:28) and in serving the community we become more like Jesus..."that's people becoming the church."

We need to stop looking at volunteerism as asking people to do something for church leadership.  Rather, we need to look at it as something they do for their community and for the least of these.  Jesus said when we serve the least of these, we serve him (Matt. 25:40).  And when we serve Christ we become more like him.   That sound like discipleship to me.  Leaders need to see serving in the local church as a part of an individuals discipleship process.  That way there is longevity in service and there is greater purpose behind asking people to serve.

"Serving the Community...Becoming the Church" I like the way that sounds.

Life In the Hinge

For many years now, I've often thought that my generation would be a pivotal generation.  One that would help turn culture and the future of the church.  My friend...let's just call him Dan Serdahl for now...uses the word hinge to describe it.  He always has the cool ways of saying things. 

It seems like "life in the hinge" is one that has many unexpected moments.  One of those unexpected moments has been summed up by a question by another friend...let's just call him Eric Bryant.  EB asked me the other day, "So what's the deal with all these worship leaders becoming church planters?"  I think It's life in the hinge.  When Jesus is up to something that changes paradigm and goes against the current culture, unexpected things happen.  Like guys who are great at making music and leading worship all of a sudden feeling the nudge towards something crazy.

That's what Jesse Butterworth called it when he described his story to me last week.  It was a story that sounded all too familiar.  It's strange...here are two guys that didn't really see themselves as church planters at first nudge but still had a feeling like there was something more to ministry and something more to church leadership that what they were currently experiencing.  I guess we just weren't connecting the dots? 

I look forward to the hinge.  I embrace the hinge.  I own the hinge.  What I want to ask my generation is are you willing to be a pivotal generation even if you don't get to see the fruition of your dreams and aspirations?  Are you willing to live life in the hinge so that the generations that follow get to live out life in the new world, the new dawn, the new life?  We may not ever be able to step foot into the promise land, but someone has to lead the crew through the wilderness.

That's life in the hinge.

3am

I don't know what it is about 3am lately but it's becoming a companion of sorts.  "Oh.  Hello 3am.  How are you today?"  3am is fine.  3am is always fine.  3am is faithful, consistent, even predictable and me waking up to my friend is becoming more predictable as well.

Being tired of laying in bed, feeling a mild level of guilt for not praying like all those spiritual people do when they wake up in the middle of the night, I did what any sensible person would do.  I created a blog.  Actually, I created another blog.  Truth be told, it wasn't because of some epiphany or radical transformation in my life that I started a new blog.  You see, old emails and passwords are difficult to remember at times and make for great reasons to start new blogs.  Plus, I hadn't posted on my old blog in two years.

So let me be the first to welcome you to my new blog.

Visit any time and check in as the Blue's continue to find out what it means to be on mission with Jesus as we discover the new journey we're on.