Perrin Ministries Blog

Don't be so weird!

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 13:55:00 +0000

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I saw a video from an online Washington Post article tonight that saddened me. A comic named John Oliver bludgeoned televangelists and "faith preachers" with his sarcasm and a dose of reality. This "faith message" he mocks is one I grew up with, but on some of his points I actually agree with him. He genuinely portrays the way our message appears to "outsiders."

Full disclosure: I do believe in God's ability and willingness to heal and bless us. But I don't think we've done a very good job of sharing God's heart. While there is much truth to what some ministers are teaching, their message often gets lost in the bizarre (and sometimes manipulative) ways they choose to share it.

I'm attaching the link for those that wish to watch it. BE WARNED: This video contains very strong language and brutal sarcasm. If you are easily offended, please don't watch it!!!!! And don't hold me accountable for wrecking your perfect little Christian world. I believe we need to understand what the world around us truly thinks about Christianity in order to engage it. If you choose to watch the video, please read the rest of this article first...

Tweet This: We need to understand what the world around us truly thinks about Christianity in order to engage it.

Pastors, ministers and Christ-followers need to find a way to adjust their speaking style and language to present God's truth to a cynical world. This is exactly what Paul did in Acts 17. It's also what Jesus did by teaching through parables (stories). If we're going to reach a 21st Century audience, we HAVE TO adjust our style (not our message) to engage them.

We need to be careful not to arrogantly protect our *style* of ministry under the guise of, "I'm not going to water down God's Word just to draw a crowd!" Jesus learned carpentry from Joseph, his earthly father. But how many carpentry illustrations did Jesus' biographers (Gospel authors) record Him using in His teaching? ZERO! He adjusted His delivery - NOT HIS CONTENT - to connect with His audience. He spoke of farming, fishing, trees and interpersonal relationships - NOT A SINGLE REFERENCE TO CARPENTRY - so that His hearers could properly understand the heart of God. We need to follow His example!

Tweet This: Jesus adjusted His delivery - NOT HIS CONTENT - to connect with His audience.

For the brave Christians that wish to watch it, here's the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/08/24/john-oliver-has-received-thousands-of-donations-for-budding-televangelism-ministry/

I'm interested in your thoughts on this subject. You can weigh in below. Please keep all comments and replies civil. It's okay to disagree; but let's not be disagreeable.

The Wizard of Oz

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 13:30:00 +0000

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We fear failure. And although we may feel as if failure is the end of the road, it can be the beginning of a new path. Or at least it can help us continue our journey in a smarter way. We mistakenly believe today's failure determines tomorrow's destiny. This is categorically false.

Tweet This: We mistakenly believe today's failure determines tomorrow's destiny. This is categorically false!

Some of history's greatest men and women have overcome failure to create great things. Take, for instance:

Socrates - Labeled "an immoral corrupter of youth."
Sir Isaac Newton - Failed miserably at running the family farm.
Winston Churchill - Struggled in school and failed 6th grade.
Abraham Lincoln - Went to war as a captain and returned a private, failed at numerous business ventures and was defeated numerous times while running for public office.
Walt Disney - Fired by a newspaper editor because, "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." He also failed at a number of business ventures and went bankrupt.
Thomas Edison - Told by his grade school teacher that he was "too stupid to learn anything."
Albert Einstein - Because he didn't speak until age 4 and didn't read until age 7, his teachers and parents considered him mentally handicapped. He was expelled from school and was refused admittance to Zurich Polytechnic.
Vincent Van Gogh - During his lifetime, he sold only one painting... and that was to a friend (and only for a small amount of money).
Michael Jordan - Cut from his high school basketball team.

What's the worst that can happen if you fail? So you have to start over... so you have to admit you aren't perfect... so you are disappointed... so what?!?! A failure is not a life sentence. It's just a normal part of the growth process.

Failure doesn't have the ability to control our destiny unless we allow it to do so. It is not all-powerful. Remember the scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy first discovers the true identity of the Wizard? They find out he's really nothing but smoke and mirrors (and a deep, booming, scary voice) behind a large curtain. The reality is an entirely different thing.

We have to remember that as long as Jesus is alive there is hope! Most failures are neither final nor fatal. And if we choose to learn from them, they aren't futile either. Winston Churchill famously said, "Success is going from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm."

How do we learn from failures? By analyzing them. We have to train ourselves to become more self-aware. We have to ask ourselves some hard questions:

What really happened? (Try to separate the emotion/drama from the event and analyze what actually occurred.)
Why did it happen? (Look for causes, both the obvious ones and the ones that may be harder to discover... prayer will help with this one.)
What was my part in the failure? (Many of the failures we experience aren't entirely our fault, although, for the most part they are self-inflicted.)
What did I do to make the problem worse? (How did my actions/reactions escalate the emotion/intensity of the situation.)
What could/should I have done differently? (This one may take some time to process. You may need to ask someone else that knows you well to help with this.)
What principles can I learn from this? (If we fail to learn from the past we're doomed to repeat it. When all is said and done, this is the step that is the difference maker.)

Now that you've analyzed everything, take a moment to pray and ask God to help you apply what you've learned through this introspection process. You may find, like I often do, that the answers are revealed over time. I was telling my son how I discovered a new principle about an event that happened three years ago. He said I should let it all go. I explained that I'm always wanting to learn from the past, so I'm thankful when God shows me something. I'm not living in the past, just making sure I learn from it!

For further study on this subject Failing Forward by John Maxwell is an exceptional book!

What questions would you add to this list? Join the discussion below.

Fatherhood

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 23:23:00 +0000

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Today I was thinking back to something I wrote 17 years ago. It's just as true today. God is a good Father... and He loves His children.

Last week my wife gave birth to our 2nd child… a little girl we named Ashton. It didn’t come soon enough! Nine months… it doesn’t seem too long. Unless you’re in school awaiting summer break, or away from your loved ones, or pregnant. Then nine months can seem like an eternity.

I remember the first time I held her… she was wrinkly and cried a lot. She was incapable of showing love and affection or appreciation. She didn’t ask to be born and certainly didn’t seem to like the experience much. She brought nothing to the table. She had nothing to offer me… well, nothing I needed anyway.

But I had this incredible, overwhelming emotional experience. I was so excited and so in awe all at the same time. I was filled with such pride… this was MY little girl! I would do anything to make her happy. Nothing was too good for her. I would give my life to keep anyone from ever hurting her. Here she was, not even 15 minutes old yet, and my life was forever changed! I would never be the same.

Driving home a few days later, I began to think of how God, our Heavenly Father, must feel. We have absolutely nothing to offer Him. He revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush experience as “I AM THAT I AM.” He is totally self-sufficient! He doesn’t need humans to make Him feel important. He doesn’t keep us around for self-esteem purposes. He chooses to use us for the fulfillment of His plan, but He could easily invented with another way.

I’m convinced that He created us because He wanted someone to share His love with.

But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. – Titus 3:4-5

The Apostle Paul wrote that it is not because of good works that we have done, but because of God's great mercy that He has chosen us (Titus 3:5). We could never be good enough, or good-looking enough, or do enough or be loveable enough to earn a relationship or favor with Him. He loves us because He has decided to love us. HE LOVES US BECAUSE WE ARE HIS CHILDREN! How His heart must beam with pride over us, even when we mess our pants or spit up or cry (spiritually speaking). No matter what we do - even if we choose a life without Him - He claims us as His children and loves us unconditionally. How incredible! And how totally unlike us! His mercy never wears out or comes to an end (Lamentations 3:21-23 and 1 Corinthians 13:8).

You are completely loved by your Heavenly Father. He could never love you any more or any less. And He invites you to live in a deeply connected relationship with him. It's up to you.

What if things don't work out like you planned? (a leadership thought)

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 15:03:00 +0000

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"Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”- Jesus in Luke 7:23

Click here to read the context in Luke 7:18-23

As you'll recall, John the Baptist's God-given mission was to introduce Jesus to the masses. (see John 1:29-34) And he had proven himself to be a healthy leader by leveraging his influence to help someone else (Jesus) succeed. People began to follow Jesus instead of John, which was all a part of the plan. (see John 3:30)

But at this point in the story John the Baptist had been left to rot in Herod's dungeon. He had fallen from being the famous "prophetic voice in the desert" into obscurity. Now he was languishing in prison because of his fiery rhetoric. (see Luke 3:19-20) And aside from a few disciples, no one seemed to care. I can definitely understand the fact that John felt a bit abandoned and forgotten... and probably even disappointed and disillusioned.

So He sent His disciples to confirm that Jesus was who he (John) had claimed. After all, this wasn't the way a man of God should end his days. Maybe he thought he and Jesus would be able to hang out together. Maybe he expected a little more respect as the first one to truly affirm who Jesus really was. It could be that he thought he would die in peace since he had fulfilled his purpose. Whatever the case may be, we find him questioning whether he had missed God's will or not.

Notice that Jesus wasn't offended by John's question. Isn't it encouraging to know that God's not afraid of your questions? In fact, Jesus gave demonstrative proof (according to Isaiah 61:1-2) that He was exactly who John initially claimed He was. Now John would be able to die in peace, knowing he'd had a part in God's Master Plan.

Pastors: Are you questioning your call? Have things not worked out like you planned, or as you prayed they would? Have you not seen the growth or influence you expected to have? Does it seem that God has forgotten you? You need to know that God is not finished with you until you are dead.

Tweet This: God's not finished with you until you're dead!

After John's disciples left Jesus spoke to the crowd about him. (Luke 7:24-28) Here we can see Jesus' high degree of respect for him. He tells the crowd that John is the greatest man to live up to that time. Why is this? It's because John had completed the work that God had called him to do. He'd had a part in turning a nation to repentance and connecting them to their Messiah. I don't believe it was the scope of God's call upon John the Baptist that got Jesus' attention. It was his absolute obedience to it, even though it meant he would fade into obscurity after his time in the spotlight was finished. John must have felt like a failure. But Jesus said he was a great man of God.

Let me encourage you today: Don't throw in the towel. Keep moving forward. God has a HUGE plan for you. And as long as you're breathing He's not finished with you yet. Unfortunately here on this earth we can't see from God's eternal perspective. But when we get to heaven it will have all been worth it - every moment of sacrifice, every sleepless night of prayer, every time we kept going when we wanted to quit. God revealed Himself to a runaway slave as "the God who sees." (see Genesis 16:13) He hasn't changed!

What words would you have to spiritual leaders that are thinking of quitting? Join the discussion below.

Bait and Switch

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 19:54:00 +0000

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One of the things that churches have become famous for is the old fashioned "bait and switch." It's a marketing ploy where a business lures someone into their store by offering an incredible deal on something the person really wants. But when the person arrives that item is "unfortunately" sold out. The store does, however, offer the person something that is "actually a better product," but it comes with a higher price tag. You took the bait (the incredible deal) to come into their store, but they switched it with the product they actually want you to buy.

As I said, churches often do this under the guise of "evangelism." They offer a HUGE party with free food, a concert or a giveaway, only to use this opportunity to "share the Gospel" with the unsuspecting visitors. The visitors came for the free food, or the giveaway, or just to have a good time, but they were tricked into a heavily evangelistic event. It's a classic bait and switch.

What churches are up against

Let's examine it through the filter of today's cynical church visitor. Millennials (today's young adults) display a large degree of cynicism toward institutions - especially toward churches, which are the face of organized Christianity. This is why the Barna Research Group recently discovered that the number of those that self-identify as "religiously unaffiliated" is rising rapidly. According to the latest research, among this demographic the percentage of "nones" (those with no religious background) and "dones" (those that are done with church) make up almost 50% of the population. And it's over 30% for the general population.

In short, Americans simply aren't looking to the Church for answers anymore. They may indeed be spiritual, but they often choose other ways of meeting their spiritual needs.

Robin and I saw where this road leads during our 13 years of church planting and church leader training in Europe. According to the 2006 European Spiritual Estimate less than 2% of Europeans have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Christianity is considered a historical relic - a lot like the beautiful, but empty, cathedrals that dot the landscape. And because of this the European Church and its leaders have absolutely NO VOICE in society. Being a Christ-follower is counter-cultural. We knew people that were openly mocked for their faith in Germany. This is the future of the American Church, unless we can adjust to engage the prevailing culture.

What the bait and switch looks like in a church setting

Let's examine how the bait and switch event plays out in a typical church scenario. A church member invites their cynical friend to a typical church event. This person comes with their friend, meets a few people, has some fun... and then he/she is preached to. He/she came expecting to have fun, but instead got suckered into a pseudo church service (complete with all the weird traditions that churches are famous for).

They've been tricked! Now how much credibility do you think the church member will have the next time they try to invite this person (or anyone this person talks to about their experience) to a church event? More than likely, none.

We have to rethink our strategy! The bait and switch may have worked a couple of generations ago, but it's not very effective anymore. People today - especially Millennials - have too many other options. What if we, instead, offered a party where the entire goal was to hang out with our church people? What if we offered an event where people just came together for a meal to enjoy each others' company? We should at least teach our people to share what to expect when inviting someone to one of our events. And we should also train our people to not heavily proselytize the visitors. Jesus will probably come up in a conversation. We are, after all, Christ-followers. But we don't need to force it.

Going back to the beginning

In my daily devotional times I've been reading through the Gospels. One of the things I've noticed is that Jesus NEVER offered a bait and switch. When you came to Him, you could always expect to receive "grace and truth." (John 1:14) The only ones to face His wrath and His rebuke were those that believed they were somehow better than others, and that they were capable of pleasing God entirely on their own merits.

Tweet This: Jesus never offered a bait and switch. He offered grace and truth.

We have to get back to representing the true heart of Jesus. One of the church planters I mentor asked his people to invite their friends to "a church service with a baseball game afterwards." After the short service they grilled hotdogs, then headed over to a pro baseball game to have some fun together. No one was under any illusion as to what it was all about. It was a chance for people to visit the church and then watch a ballgame afterwards. And they DID have visitors because this church was up front about what to expect.

Let's rethink how we do ministry. American culture is FULL of marketing ploys. As a result, people have become cynical and choosy about with whom they do business. Let's be authentic and actually EXCEED peoples' expectations. If we do, word of mouth will be our best friend!

How does your church avoid the bait and switch? Join the conversation below. Your comments help others process how to do ministry in today's society.

Immunization from problems?

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 14:25:00 +0000

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During the reign of Herod king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and he had a wife named Elizabeth, who was a descendant of Aaron. They were both righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both very old. - Luke 1:5-7

Some people believe that living a life that is pleasing to God will somehow immunize them from problems - as if serving Jesus is some sort of spiritual vaccination. Unfortunately this is not the case. Zechariah and Elizabeth were both faithfully serving God, but still were unable to conceive. They would have had to deal daily with the stigma of having no children (which in their day was considered a curse). And now they were "very old."

Thankfully God gave them a miracle child. (You can read more about that in Luke 1:8-17 and the rest of the chapter) We know him as John the Baptist. He still does miracles and answers prayers today. You may feel abandoned by God - forgotten and alone. But God sees you, and the totality of your situation. Don't give up hope. Keep trusting. Keep serving. Who knows... your miracle may be right around the corner. Zechariah and Elizabeth kept their hearts in the game and were eventually able to hold the answer to their prayers in their hands.

Things are not always what they seem

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 13:30:00 +0000

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Have you ever felt as if no matter how much you prayed, hoped or trusted in God, He wasn't listening; or even worse - He wasn't going to get involved? It's frustrating when you pray and are doing your best to believe in God's willingness (and ability) to change your situation, but still see no changes taking place.

According to the Reuters News Service, in September 2004, David Page of Norfolk, England held onto a rusty piece of metal that he thought was a bomb for four hours. He was convinced that it was unexploded ordnance from WWII and would detonate if he let it go. He was working when he dug up the device. He immediately called the emergency operator on his mobile phone. She immediately dispatched fire, police and ambulance crews.

“The woman police operator kept saying it would be OK but he kept saying to her, ‘You’re not the one holding the bomb’." The father of five cried as he told her: “Tell my parents and the children that I love them if anything goes wrong.”

When the bomb disposal crew arrived, they told him his “bomb” was nothing more than part of the hydraulic suspension system of a Citroen car. Things are not always what they seem!

In Exodus 14, we find Pharaoh looking down on the Israelites. He had allowed them to leave because of the plagues, but now he was just plain mad! He thought he had them cornered, with their backs against the Red Sea… but things are not always what they seem!

In 1 Samuel 17, we see David facing off against Goliath. As Goliath looked down on this teenager, he mocked him. He thought he would quickly crush David… but things are not always what they seem!

In Luke 24, Satan thought he had Jesus conquered. He thought He had succeeded and God’s Messiah had failed… but things are not always what they seem!

In each of these stories, we find that people overestimated themselves and underestimated God. They weren’t smart enough to realize that God was working behind the scenes.

Perhaps you feel forgotten or overlooked. In 1 Samuel 16, David’s own father overlooked him. He thought David didn’t have the makings of a king, or seemingly of anything important, for that matter… but things are not always what they seem.

I’m sure the Israelites felt abandoned by God on the very night Jesus was born. That same night you could probably hear people singing songs of lament, hoping that God would remember His people. But things are not always what they seem. The Bible says,

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman…” – Galatians 4:4 (emphasis mine)

In January 2001 the small handful of teens at Rhema Bibel Gemeinde in Bonn, Germany prayed for a youth pastor. They asked God to send them someone. Since this was a new church plant, there wasn’t yet anyone to work with the youth. The teens later told me that many of them felt as if nothing happened when they prayed… but things aren’t always what they seem. One month later God told Robin & I to move to Germany to be the youth pastors at RBG Bonn.

God is not only willing, He is also well able to coordinate events and move people to bring His plan to pass. Let me encourage you not to give up on your prayers or your dreams. God is alive and well… and He is working behind the scenes. He is faithful. He can be trusted. We need to remember that just because we don’t see Him doing something doesn’t mean He is apathetic or uninvolved.

Tweet This: God is alive and well. He is working behind the scenes. #faithful #trustworthy

But what if it takes awhile to see the answer to your prayers or the fulfillment of your dreams? If you give up, you’ll never see them. It took Joseph 22 years to see his dreams come true (See Genesis chapters 37-46), but it was well worth it. And Abraham had to wait 25 years to see God's promise come to pass (see Genesis 12). So don’t give up… keep praying, keep serving, keep dreaming. God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)! And remember: Things are not always what they seem!

Dear Church Diva...

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 14:00:00 +0000

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I was reminded today of a bad experience I had while visiting a church a few months ago. And probably because I didn't get enough sleep last night, I felt compelled to write this. I do have a favor to ask of my readers: Please don't passive-aggressively post this on someone else's wall in the hopes that they will read it and change. That's not the point. If you want someone in your circle of relationships to read it, the best way to accomplish this without being rude it to share it on YOUR Facebook page.

After visiting a church recently I have some advice for the "Church Diva" that sat behind me. You know the type... they want everyone to notice them, whether it's because of their clothes, their actions or their attitude. Well this guy must have thought the Sunday morning service was his chance to audition for American Idol, and that I was one of the judges. Now God has blessed me with a powerful set of lungs (read: I'm loud), but I almost couldn't hear myself sing over the sound of his voice. To be fair, he did have a decent voice. But to be honest, I don't think anyone around him was as impressed with his voice as he was.

Actually there are many different types of divas in our churches. There are those that think they are rock stars and we are their stage. Others believe the church exists for them and their family, or for their pet church ministry, program or project. Still others see their church as the vehicle God has designed for them to fulfill their personal ministry. Each of these is selfish - and is dangerous to the Church and its mission!

Here's the thing: the diva mindset is an indicator of insecurity and immaturity. It reveals a person's selfish heart, wanting to be noticed and recognized. But unchurched people - especially Millennials - are turned off by this sort of "showboating." They are hungry for authenticity, and a diva reeks of something incredibly fake.

So for all you Church Divas out there, I have some advice:

1. Congregational Singer Divas: Please stop singing so loudly in church that no one around you can hear the worship leader. This is not your gig. And while you're at it, don't use the worship time to try out your new vocal riffs, especially at volumes that rival a machine shop. In your shower you can belt it out (as long as your family is okay with it), but don't do it in the church service. Please let the people around you enjoy the service. You don't want your distracting actions be what causes a person to "check out" of the service.

1a. Worship Team Divas: And if you happen to be a Singer Diva that is a part of the worship team (I've worked with a number of them over the years), please realize that by you "adding to the flow of the service" or "helping the worship leader" (read: showing off your vocal or instrumental skills) you're just serving as a distraction and creating confusion. Please start thinking about the big picture. Make sure you're not the reason a visitor decides not to return.

2. Church Member Divas: Please stop getting offended when an usher asks you to move over a few seats so a family can sit together, a person wears something to service you don't approve of, or someone asks you to serve. The church was never meant to be a place where you only come so you can get all your needs met. Jesus empowered believers with the Holy Spirit so that they could ALL serve and build up His Body, the Church. (see Ephesians 4:16) If you aren't going to serve, you may be getting in the way of God ministering to people. Please don't just attend... get involved! And don't be the person that will only serve if they offer the ministry YOU want them to have. If you're attending a church, find a place to plug in and help. This life - and especially HIS CHURCH - isn't about you.

3. Church Volunteer Divas: Please remember that the church isn't a springboard for you to find fame and personal significance. It doesn't exist just so you can feel special or important. And the church members aren't your personal "ministry farm team." It is the Church (capital C) of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who has the final say in what a church should look like, the type of people it should reach, the style of music they should play and who should lead it. Please plug in and serve with a humble attitude - the exact same attitude Jesus adopted when He walked the earth. (see Philippians 2:5-8) This is how we will capture the attention of a world that is sprinting away from God.

And now some advice for pastors and church leaders:

God has given us the leadership position so we can direct the people He sends us to an ever-deepening relationship with Him. We are called to be stewards of His grace. But we also need to lead like Jesus did: He loved and accepted everyone that came to Him, but called those with selfish motives to take the next steps toward maturity.

We have to be courageous enough to confront the divas in our churches. I don't mean that we should "put them in their place." But we do need to call out the best in them - and the way they are acting certainly isn't their best. It's always difficult to confront a diva because no matter what you say, they try to put it back on you (as if it's your fault) by giving any number of excuses.

It's really frustrating when people won't take responsibility for their actions. Actually, it's human nature. But when we shirk our responsibility we allow divas to continue to drain the life from our churches. I've avoided tough conversations with divas a few times. It seems easier to ignore their actions rather than have an uncomfortable conversation. But every single time I've done this it has cost me dearly.

Let's choose to courageously confront these divas. God has entrusted us to lead the people we are called to serve. Let's represent His heart well!

What is the most effective way you've found in dealing with divas? Join the conversation below. Your insights can help all of us grow in our leadership skills.

Sacred People (part 4)

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 14:00:00 +0000

In this series of articles we're examining the life of Jesus to see what a truly Sacred Person looks like. And it may not be the most spiritual or holy person, although that's what we've been led to believe. The answer may shock you.

Sacred People (part 1)
Sacred People (part 2)
Sacred People (part 3)

Unholy people

So far we've talked about the need to be authentic and to begin to allow God to expand our small-minded thinking. And we saw in Acts 10 that we need to treat everyone as if they are created in God's image... because they are! As we finish up this series we'll look at ways to practically apply these truths.

When we look at the life of Jesus, we see the will of God in action. He lived a holy life. His disciples record God speaking from heaven about Him:

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” - Matthew 3:17

God was well pleased with Him because He always did those things that please God. He lived a life that was fully devoted to God. This is the definition of a sacred life. Jesus was truly a sacred person! And by looking at the life of Jesus we can see how sacred people should live.

Tweet This: By looking at the life of Jesus we can see how Sacred People should live.

So what does that mean to us? Let's observe the kind of people Jesus connected with. We would expect Him to only associate with His disciples or with "holy" people. But that's not what His biographers (His disciples) wrote about Him. Their accounts were filled with stories of Jesus connecting with very "unholy" people. Here are just a few:

* Luke 19:1-10 Jesus had dinner with Zacchaeus and his friends (other tax collectors and "sinners"). The same thing happened as He invited Matthew to become one of His disciples. (Matthew 9:9-13)

* Luke 7:36-50 Jesus protected a "sinful woman" from the taunts of the religious rulers.

* John 4:1-30 Jesus had a conversation with a Samaritan woman who lived a morally loose life.

* John 8:1-11 Jesus protected a woman from death by stoning, even though she had been caught in the very act of adultery.

* Matthew 19:13-15 Jesus corrected His disciples for trying to "protect" Him from being interrupted by a bunch of kids.

Jesus wasn't afraid of messy people. Actually, He seemed to prefer their company to that of hyper-religious people (hypocrites). He was known for loving the unlovely, giving dignity to the marginalized and serving with no strings attached. Connecting with messy people is a holy thing! Sacred People choose to connect with messy people!

Tweet This: Connecting with messy people is a holy thing!

You need to know, though, that to follow Jesus' example in this will cost you! It will be inconvenient and uncomfortable. It will be time- and energy-consuming. It will be messy. And it will be humbling. (We must serve horizontally - as equals - and not vertically - in a condescending manner).

How do we do this practically?

1. Ask God to change your filter. We have to learn to see people through His eyes. As we grow in our understanding of God's grace, we will learn to value people. It's easy to see how the Apostle Paul’s filter change over the years by examining his writings:

A. Circa 55 AD – "I am the least of the apostles." (1 Corinthians 15:9)
B. Circa 61 AD – "I am the least important of all God’s people." (Ephesians 3:8)
C. Circa 64 AD – "I am the chief of sinners." (1 Timothy 1:15)

2. Pay attention to interruptions. Jesus was often willing to be interrupted. (twice in Mark 5, Matthew 15:21-28, Matthew 19:13-15 and Mark 6:30-44, just to name a few) Opportunities most often come to us dressed up as interruptions. We need to be willing to be interrupted in order to connect with the people God is sending us.

What would the world look like if we truly treated every man, woman and child as if they were created in God’s image? What would the world think of the Church if we genuinely welcomed people - especially people that don’t “fit in”? I believe things would begin to change!

The very first person to commit her life to Christ in our church in Freiburg, Germany was a drug-addicted, alcoholic prostitute. She came because of a flyer we put in her mailbox, but stayed for the service because our team truly welcomed her when she showed up - they got her a cup of coffee, engaged her in conversation, sat with her and showed her the heart of Jesus for messy people. And that Sunday morning she gave her heart to Jesus.

As this world sprints farther away from God, we will encounter more and more "unholy" people. Millennials don't subscribe to the same moral standards as previous generations do. But these are EXACTLY the people God wants us to connect with. Remember, they have been created in God's image and are totally worthy of love and acceptance - just as we are. And we need to welcome them, - just as Jesus welcomes us!

How is your church attracting and welcoming the unchurched? Join the conversation below...

PS. To hear the mp3s of this message click the following links:

Sacred People (part 1) mp3

Sacred People (part 2) mp3

Enemy of the State

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Image source: batr.org

So often we miss the contextual details of the biblical narrative. Most people don't know the cultural context of 1st Century Palestine. We forget that Jesus and the New Testament writers were real people that lived in the real world. We must never forget that the Bible was written in space and time. Unfortunately much of this cultural context is lost on us. Take, for instance, the following example...

Then Jesus called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it. For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his life?" - Mark 8:34-36

The interesting thing about this passage is that his audience knew exactly what it meant to "take up your cross.’’ Crucifixion was regularly used by the Roman occupation force as a means of keeping the Jewish population in line. It was a gruesome/tortuous method of execution, almost always committed alongside major travel routes for maximum exposure. It was reserved for serious offenders - a way of punishing its enemies. When Jesus used this phrase His hearers understood exactly what He was implying. It meant dying as an enemy of the State.

What does that have to do with us? We can’t expect everyone to like us as we follow Jesus. This goes against the part of us that wants to be liked. But we have to understand that as our culture wanders farther from God, genuine followers of Christ will be more counter-cultural.

Our insecurity drives us to seek affirmation. We want to be loved, liked and accepted. But Jesus was telling His audience that in order to follow Him they would end up as counter-cultural enemies of the State. The good news is that the darker the world around us grows, the brighter Christ’s light shines through us. And that’s a good thing because the light is supposed to shine in the darkness. (John 1:5) We need to let our light shine brightly!

Facing Reality

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Image source: adoptanegotiator.org

Reality - what a painful word for leaders. It refers to the status quo we live in. It speaks of the circumstances we are currently experiencing - the inconvenient truth we probably aren't happy with.

A good friend of mine worked at a large church in the Midwest a number of years ago. This church had been plateaued for awhile, and was starting to head into decline. So they made a smart decision: they brought in an outside church consultant. This brings in a fresh set of eyes and removes the emotion from decision-making. A consultant has nothing to lose by being honest. He/she can talk about "the elephant in the room" without fear of consequences.

This church hired a very well-known church consultant to identify problem areas so they could make the appropriate adjustments. They paid a good sum of money for him to analyze everything they did and define their current reality.
I consider this an incredibly wise investment - especially with this guy. I've agreed with almost everything I've ever read from him. He is a great thinker and is excellent at what he does. And if I were in this church's situation, I would hire him as well!

My friend said that this consultant identified some obvious - but touchy - areas that were hurting the church and stunting its growth. He gave them some painful, yet practical next steps to begin to rectify the problems they were facing. Again, knowing this guy, his recommendations are worth every penny! He is outsider-focused and extremely strategic.

But because of the effort and pain that the necessary changes would have required (some of the biggest givers in the church would have been offended, and changes would have to be made to the overall leadership style of the ministry), the church leadership came to the following conclusions:

1. This consultant doesn't really understand our church or its people. (Even though he had spent a considerable amount of time and effort analyzing everything)

2. He doesn't really know what he's talking about. (I have no words for this one...)

WOW... That's crazy! Here is a man that has worked with hundreds of churches of all shapes, sizes and denominations. His strategic and leadership advice is considered golden by myriads of church leaders across the world. And this church chose to absolutely ignore his advice because of the implications involved. My friend lobbied in favor of the necessary changes, but he didn't have enough influence to make a difference in that situation.

Unfortunately this decision cost them dearly. My friend shared with me the results of the leadership's bad decision, some of which he had to clean up. Among other things, the pastor ended up forfeiting his leadership position because of a moral failure. Some of the fallout from his failure could have been avoided - or at least mitigated - if they had only heeded this consultant's wise advice. His suggested changes would have added more accountability into their leadership structure, which would have lessened the impact of the pastor's actions.

The sad news is that this church still hasn't recovered. It is a good church filled with good people, but ignoring sound advice cost them dearly. It always does.

Change is painful! But pastors and church leaders must cowboy up and do what needs to be done. God has called us to lead. Leadership requires courage. And it necessitates that at times we make unpopular decisions. But God is counting on us to do what is best for our churches. After all... our church isn't really ours. It belongs to Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church. And He expects us to do what needs to be done to advance His Kingdom.

Any thoughts? Join the conversation below.

Sacred People (part 3)

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 17:48:00 +0000

In this series of articles we're examining the life of Jesus to see what a truly sacred person looks like. And it may not be the most spiritual or holy person, although that's what we've been led to believe. The answer may shock you.

Sacred People (part 1)
Sacred People (part 2)
Sacred People (part 4)

Unholy people

So far we've talked about the need to be authentic and to begin to allow God to expand our thinking. This time we're going to look at the turning point for the burgeoning Church (found in Acts 10).

As we also learned last time, the Jews sought to maintain their focus on God through isolation. They wouldn't even eat with non-Jewish people. But God wanted to invite "outsiders" in!

In Acts 10 God speaks to an Italian Centurian named Cornelius. He sought the God of the Jews and it got God's attention. An angel appeared to Cornelius instructing him to ask (the Apostle) Simon Peter to come and share the Good News. He acted immediately, sending some servants and a pious soldier. Just as they arrived Peter had a vision from God.

In the vision, he saw a huge sheet being let down from heaven. In it were all sort of non-kosher animals. A voice spoke to him: "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."

As a Law-abiding Jewish man, of course he refused: “No, Lord! I have never eaten food that is unholy or unclean.” This happened three times. As soon as it was over the men Cornelius sent arrived. God instructed Peter to downstairs and go with them. When he arrived at Cornelius' house, he made an amazing statement that would turn the Jewish Christian world upside down:

“You people understand that it is against our law for Jewish people to associate with or visit anyone who is not Jewish. But God has shown me that I should not call any person ‘unholy’ or ‘unclean.’” - Acts 10:28

He learned something that was found in the very beginning of his Torah scroll: Every person on the planet has been created in God's image. The Bible Book of Genesis puts it this way:

So God created human beings in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female. - Genesis 1:27

This is something we need to learn today! We have to learn to view people through God's grace - just as He does with us. We all make mistakes. We have all failed. And we all want God to look on us with grace and mercy, not judgement. Why, then, are we so judgmental when we look at others?

What did Peter learn? Don't consider people unholy (unworthy of God's grace and mercy)! Unfortunately this is exactly how we treat some people. Most people do pretty well when it comes to racial differences (regardless of what the media would have us believe). But what about people at the opposite end of the political spectrum from you (liberal or conservative)? Or involved in another religion (Buddhist, Muslim, Mormon or Atheist)?

What about people that have different moral values than we do - people living together, or involved in pornography or prostitution, those that have had an abortion, abortion doctors or the LGBT community? In today's American culture, Christians are known as "haters." We are so recognized for what we're against that very few people know what we're actually for. In order for us to us to change this we have to learn how to respond correctly.

John, one of Jesus' closest disciples wrote that Jesus was "full of grace and truth" - BOTH are important! We have to learn how to to speak the truth, but to do so in a loving, accepting manner. (Ephesians 4:15) Above all, we need to remember that every person we see has been created in God's image, and is, therefore, worthy of love, acceptance and honor. We can't afford to vilify people or treat them as if they are "unholy." They are not the enemy!

Tweet This: Every person we see has been created in God's image, and is, therefore, worthy of love, acceptance and honor.

Sacred people are those that have learned to love people in whatever state they find them. This isn't the same as condoning what they do. Acceptance isn't the same as approval, anymore than disagreement is the same as hate. But when we learn to treat people with the dignity that God Himself has placed in them we will see their hearts open to the message we believers have to share.

Any thoughts? Join the conversation below.

Sacred People (part 1)
Sacred People (part 2)
Sacred People (part 4)

A Missed Opportunity

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 20:44:00 +0000

Image source: sportz.guru

Our family checked out a nearby church this past Sunday. One of the privileges of this season of our lives (searching for a pastoral position) is being able to visit a lot of churches. Because of our experience as church planters, pastors and in associate pastoral roles over the past 25+ years we know churches inside and out. But because of what we have learned in secular (unchurched) Europe we view every church through the lens of outsiders, especially Millennials and others that are far from God.

In visiting this church on Sunday we saw some things that were really good and things that would cause an unchurched person to never come back.
When we walked into the church we were greeted by four different people, all of whom were genuinely friendly. That was a HUGE thing. The usher at the back of the main room asked us, "Where do you want to sit?" instead of telling us where to sit.

When the service started, the music leader was good, but her drummer was bad. I don't mean not good... I mean bad. He slowed down every song DRASTICALLY. Robin mentioned at one point that she wanted to rush the stage, steal his drumsticks and just keep on running :) Let me add here that you need to work with whoever you have. If you don't have studio quality musicians, that's okay. Give them enough vision that they WANT to improve. If they are unable to improve on their own, help them find a teacher and lessons. If they are unwilling, they either don't understand the why or they don't care. Whatever you do, understand that since the music is at the beginning of the service, your band/singers are the face of your church. Don't put bad musician/singers onstage if you can at all help it.

Moving right along... as the pastor began his message he started with the statement that it would really only apply to a few people in the room. He asked for a show of hands, and there was only one person that it applied to, besides himself. Beyond that, there was no invitation to get involved emotionally. There was no connection point (capturing our attention). He tried to impress us with his theological knowledge. Unfortunately he lost us in the first two minutes and never worked to get us plugged in.

And worst of all, if we had been unchurched visitors we would have walked out and never looked back. His message didn't apply to my life at all... and I'm a pastor! He did have some good things to say in his message. But Robin and I both felt as if he was teaching through his seminary notes. I'm assuming they prayed for unchurched visitors, but they weren't prepared for them. Most pastors and church members have been INSIDE the church so long that they've totally forgotten what it means to be OUTSIDE of it.

Tweet This: Most pastors have been INSIDE the church so long that they've totally forgotten what it's like to be OUTSIDE of it.

If your goal is to reach the unchurched, read on. If not, you can stop here and focus on discipling the people God has given you.

So what SHOULD have happened? The welcoming factor was great at first... Keep it up!

Next, I would say you need to help your church members think through what a visitor experiences when they walk onto your campus. Help them see your weekend experience through an unchurched person's fears, hangups and everyday life. If you honestly don't know what an unchurched person feel when they come to your church, you should invite one and then take them out to lunch afterward. Ask them to be honest with you and ask them for honest feedback. Don't avoid the uncomfortable questions. Ask open ended questions, "What did you think/feel when..." rather than, "Did you like it?" Be sure to ask if they can tell what you 've

You could also hire a "mystery church shopper" - someone who is unknown at your church that will provide honest feedback on how well your church does in different areas such as embodying the mission/vision/values, your welcome factor, facilities, stage presentation, etc.

In my experience, you can't put a price tag on HONEST feedback! A leader's first job is to define reality, not just what you wish it was. If you are truly concerned with reaching the unchurched, you need to know the reality on the ground. You can't take steps toward your dream without first determining where you are now.

Tweet This: You can't take steps toward your dream without first determining where you are now.

Let me add that my family is willing to be "mystery church shoppers" for your church until I get a permanent pastoral position. Robin and I will evaluate the overall ministry, while my girls can help you think through the youth program. Just a thought...

Any thoughts? Join the conversation below...

The Coming Post-Christian Tsunami

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 16:39:00 +0000

Coming soon to online retailers...

The Competition

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 02:38:00 +0000

Image source: golime.co

Leaders are often competitive. It's one of the things that drives us to build strong, innovative organizations. It enables us to persevere through difficult situations without giving up.

But there is also a darker side... one that will destroy everything that God desires to build through us. We end up eyeing everyone that is succeeding around us as "the competition." Anytime we do this we reduce them from human beings created in God's image (Genesis 1:27) to rivals needing to be conquered. And we forfeit the ability to work together to tackle big-picture problems.

The worst part of viewing those around us as the competition? When we view those around us as the competition there is a lot of collateral damage! Innocent people get hurt in the process. Let's look at a Bible example of how this plays out...

Click to Tweet: When we view those around us as "the competition" there is a lot of collateral damage! #leadership #jealously

Then Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they could accuse him. - Mark 3:2

They were so concerned with catching Jesus in a Sabbath Day infraction that the handicapped man became a tool rather than a person in need of help. God commanded compassion, but they instead focused on competition. Competition will deflate compassion every time! The people around us will be reduced to objects that help achieve our goals.

Click to Tweet: Competition destroys compassion every time! #leadership #jealously

So how does this apply to pastors? The longer we lead the more God will bring younger leaders alongside us. This presents both problems and opportunities. We have been in ministry so long that we KNOW we are smarter than these young guys. But never forget that God has invested creativity, passion and gifting into these young leaders as well.

They want (actually expect) to sit at the decision making table with us, even though they haven't yet "earned" it. They've grown up in a different world than we have. We knew we had to pay our dues in order to gain a voice. But they have been raised with the expectation that they can and should make a difference. And if you don't allow them to do so, they will find a leader who will.

In the past I've made the mistake of undervaluing the fresh eyes these younger leaders bring to the table. I missed out on the God-given insight they would have brought. I am now determined to empower as many younger leaders as possible, even when they bring ideas that aren't fully formulated. It's simply an opportunity for me to coach them by asking questions. This is the legacy I want to leave. I encourage you to do the same.

Core Values Must Be Modeled

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Image source: redhillconsultinggroup.com

As Jesus was having a meal in Levi’s home, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. - Mark 2:15

Jesus took His disciples along to dinner at Levi's (Matthew's) house. He modeled for them the kind of people He chose to spend time with. The disciples saw the criticism Jesus got from the religious leaders for hanging with "tax collectors and sinners." But they also saw His heart to connect with people that were far from God.

Spiritual leaders have to model the core values they wish to pass on to those they lead. It's not enough to simply talk about them or teach about them. We must embody them if we want them to be embraced by our team/church. I heard Pastor Rob Ketterling say, "If the unchurched are going to have a voice in my church it MUST be mine." Exactly!

Our First Priority

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 14:57:00 +0000

Image source: prioritiesmichigan.org

"He [Jesus] appointed twelve (whom he named apostles), so that they would be with him and he could send them to preach and to have authority to cast out demons." - Mark 3:14-15

We are ALL "called" by God to serve in full-time ministry. Some are called to serve in a church (pastors), and others to serve in church planting or a foreign country (missionaries). Still others are called to serve in their occupation (painters, bankers, bakers, programmers, etc.).

Notice, though, that when Jesus called His disciples and designated them as apostles the mission and priorities were clear: They were to first be with Him. Then, and only then, were they to go out to preach and do miracles.

It is the same with us... before we go out into our everyday mission field (our occupation) we are to keep first things first. We need to spend time with God, catching His heart and allowing Him to refresh and empower us. Then, and only then, should we head out into our calling. Spending time with God provides meaning and empowerment to spread the message and bring His power to a broken world.

The Blood, Sweat and Tears of Evangelism

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 02:16:00 +0000

Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.” They left their nets immediately and followed him. - Mark 1:17-18

When Jesus invited these men to become His disciples (that was the point of this "follow me" invitation) they realized exactly what He meant, for they were fishermen by trade.

Jesus wasn't referring to the holiday weekend, relaxing, cast out a line and wait for the fish to bite kind of fishing. He was referring to the long days/nights of blood, sweat and tears, labor-intensive occupation of net fishing. It involved throwing a round, weighted net over the side of the boat, waiting for it to sink and then pulling it back in - often with little or no results. (See Luke 5:5 and John 21:3) THEY KNEW WHAT HE WAS IMPLYING AND STILL THEY LEFT EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW HIM!!!

Far too many believers are unwilling to put in the time, effort and prayer necessary to truly share the Good News of God's grace to their relational circle. We want something that is socially and financially convenient and that fits into our busy schedule and our lifestyle. This isn't effective. It won't produce the results God intended for us to have. God's way of reaching people requires a lifetime commitment to discipleship (following Him by growing in our trust and obedience to God). If we will simply follow Him, HE will MAKE US fishers of men and women.

All He asks for is our commitment to follow. If we'll do that, He'll take care of the rest!

Sacred People (part 2)

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 04:10:00 +0000

In this series of articles we're examining the life of Jesus to see what a truly sacred person looks like. And it may not be the most spiritual or holy person, although that's what we've been led to believe. What we discover may shock you.

Sacred People (part 1)
Sacred People (part 3)
Sacred People (part 4)

Getting out of the box

The Jews in Jesus' day lived by rigid legal standards – some established by God and others added by men. These rules were put in place to keep their hearts and their focus solely on Him. This included isolating themselves from people that didn’t serve their God. As a matter of fact, Jews wouldn’t associate or even eat with non-Jews. This tradition continued with the believers in the early years following Jesus' resurrection and return to heaven. Their churches were made up entirely of Jews or converts to Judaism.

But God never planned to keep the message of the Jewish Messiah (Jesus) just for the Jews. His plan all along was for men, women and children of all nations to be a part of His family. In order to make this a reality, God had to get the Jewish believers out of their isolationist box! A radical worldview transformation was necessary for this to happen. Jesus warned that this would happen:

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.

Mark 2:22

In Biblical days, wine was fermented in specially prepared animal skins (wineskins). The waterproof skin would expand with the juice as it fermented into wine. But once a wineskin had been used it couldn't be used again, or it would burst and the wine would be ruined. While old wineskins could store already fermented wine, new wine required new wineskins.

When God chose to invite "outsiders" (non-Jews) to join in the Christian faith, He selected Peter the Apostle, one of the main leaders of the newly formed Church to do so. And it required a MAJOR overhaul of Peter's belief system. It would so radically expand Peter's worldview that it was just like new wine - it could only be poured into a new wineskin (a new way of thinking).

It's much the same for us... in order for us to live like Jesus - a "friend of tax collectors and sinners" (Luke 7:34) - we have to allow God to change our hearts. This is what He did with Peter. And it's exactly what He desires to do with believers today. He wants access to our fears, insecurities and prejudices. The good news is that it leads to the Sacred Life that Jesus desires for us to have.

How has God transformed your worldview when it comes to people that are far from Him? Join the conversation by adding a comment below.

In part 3 of this series we'll look at how God changed Peter's heart and transformed his worldview.

Sacred People (part 1)
Sacred People (part 3)
Sacred People (part 4)

Sacred People (part 1)

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 06:37:00 +0000

Sacred People (part 2)

Sacred People (part 3)

Sacred People (part 4)

Just be real

The lady that cuts my hair is a trip! (in a good way) She has multiple tattoos (almost a full sleeve), multiple piercings, WILD hair colors and likes "eccentric" clothing. She's nothing like me, except for our mutual gift for sarcasm and honesty :) One day she told how she used to go to church with her parents, but never really fit in because she asked too many questions. Questions make religious people nervous because they bring up uncomfortable topics. Apparently in a church you’re supposed to stick to the script! So she finally came to the conclusion that, “I don’t belong in a church.”

Unfortunately I could tell you story after story after story that has exactly the same ending. This breaks my heart! We have FAILED in our primary assignment – to represent Jesus to a broken world.

The Jesus I read about in the Bible ruffled the feathers of the religious leaders because He hung out with unholy people. He was a regular guest at parties of disreputable people. This wasn't what holy people were supposed to do! He quickly gained the reputation as a “friend of sinners and tax collectors.” The religious people meant to shame Him into submission with this title. He wore it as a badge of honor.

When we think of the term "sacred," images of these religious leaders, monks, nuns and priests come to mind. Jesus wants to redefine the term for us. When we take a look at His life we see what it truly means to be sacred.

A doctor once told me that there are more sick people walking around on the street than there are in the hospital. He said, "At least the ones in the hospital are getting help." In the same way, people inside our churches deal with the very same issues, problems and attitudes as those on the outside. We just don't feel safe being honest about it.

In many churches there is an expectation that a good Christian doesn't have struggles. Because of this many believers have learned to put on a good "game face." We refuse to admit weakness. It's as if we think it's a sin to be real.

But if we are going to truly represents Jesus' heart, we MUST learn to be real. We have to make our churches safe places to process life. We have to stop putting ministers on a pedestal and realize they are just as human as everybody else. We can't afford to be fake any longer. If we are ever going to impact a world that is sprinting away from God, or is at least “done with Christianity” we MUST learn to be honest about our struggles. Sacred people are authentic. As a matter of fact, it is this very vulnerability that gives us credibility in the eyes of outsiders.

What things are you doing at your church to make it a safe place for people that are far from God? Join the conversation by adding your comments below.

Sacred People (part 2)

Sacred People (part 3)

Sacred People (part 4)

The Ministry of Quality Control

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Wed, 06 May 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Image Source: serasrecords.com

Months ago I had a conversation with a pastor over lunch. I had recently visited his church and, I must say, I liked it a lot. His church had an amazing band and had a lot of young people serving in prominent positions in the church. It was growing and had a lot of positive momentum. By outward appearances, everything was working... and it was working well.

When he told me how many visitors they'd had recently I asked him how he was doing quality control with their visitor experience. He replied, "That takes care of itself. People vote with their feet and and with their finances. As long as people keep coming I know it's working." I was honestly shocked to hear this, although I didn't let him know that I was.

Last weekend Robin and I visited a large church in another city led by a pastor we respect a lot. We were directed by the parking lot crew to park near one of the church entrances. It was a large building so we didn't know where to go. We walked in 20 minutes before the last of the multiple services was to start. No one was there to greet us. We wandered aimlessly, confused by the signage. Although it indicated multiple auditoriums nowhere did it say which one hosted the adult service. We wandered the length of the building - past the youth room and an auditorium apparently used for the new members class - looking for the main auditorium. In the 4 - 5 minutes it took us to find the main room we passed by several volunteers. We received three smiles (I counted) as volunteers stood at their posts, but NOT ONE PERSON said hello, welcomed us or offered to help us find our way around.

When we got to the main auditorium there was a young lady that smiled at us as we entered, but she never offered a handshake or a hello. She simply opened the door and smiled. We went in and found a seat near the front. A couple of ushers came by and said hi to a couple near us. They left before the service started, not even acknowledging us as they walked by.

The service was good, and everyone on stage did a great job. When it was over they dismissed everyone. We walked to our car, which we discovered was near the back entrance. Again we walked past numerous volunteers, but this time we didn't even get a smile. We got in our car and left. I was sad. This church had a LOT to offer, but they had FAILED at connecting with visitors.

Most pastors have been in church so long that they forget what it's like to be a church visitor. In a church service it's easy to tell if the band or the preacher is any good. It's pretty obvious when the seats are dirty or there are water stains on the ceiling. But unfortunately we can't always tell what outsiders really think about their visit to your church. When it comes to something as important as visitor experience, we need to find a way to truly get a feel for what a visitor - especially an unchurched visitor - experiences.

Of course you should always ask visitors for feedback, both positive and negative. But we don't always get a straight answer because many people simply tell the staff what they want to hear. That's why we recommend things such as inviting a "mystery guest" - an outsider that no one knows - to come and give honest feedback. Robin and I have done this as a service to a few churches. When we were in Freiburg, Germany I sometimes invited unchurched people from the community to visit. I told them I would take them out to dinner afterward in exchange for honest feedback, which had the double effect of getting an unchurched person to visit and getting honest feedback from a true visitor.

Another idea is to take your leaders to the parking lot and walk them through what a visitor sees from the parking lot to the main auditorium, including the Kids Church, nursery rooms and bathrooms. You may need to help them get started - "there's grass growing in the the parking lot cracks," "no clear signage to the Kids Church rooms," etc. Have them rate everything. You should also have a staff member experience this during a church service.

Whatever you do, NEVER take something as important as your visitor experience - or any of your core values, for that matter - for granted. We can never take the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality with what God has entrusted to us. We have to constantly evaluate and improve our ability to serve the precious people God sends us. Many visitors will only give us ONE CHANCE... we can't afford to squander it. Maybe churches should create a Ministry of Quality Control.

What do you do in your church to evaluate your visitor experience? Please join the conversation by posting a comment below. Everyone benefits when you give your thoughts.

As I said, Robin and I have already done this for a few churches. If you'd like us to visit your church and give honest feedback, we'd love to help. You can contact us here.

How God Rescues [mp3]

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 01:41:00 +0000

I spoke at Pipe Creek Community Church in Pipe Creek, TX on Sunday. What a great church! The basis for my message was Exodus 3:7-10.

You can listen to the mp3 by clicking here, or download it to your computer by right clicking and choosing "Download Linked File" or "Save linked file as".

I Lost A Student Today

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 05:26:00 +0000

Image source: planoallergydoctor.com

We were told last night that a young man from one of our past youth groups ended his own life last week. He was a sharp college student in California with a promising basketball career. When we were his youth pastors he was just beginning high school.

It hit Robin and I quite hard. Our hearts go out to his family. His parents were very loving and supportive, as were his siblings. We have been praying for them a lot since we learned of the tragedy.

While we will never know just what he was truly struggling with, we do know that he was loved everywhere he went. He was respectful, courteous and kind. When we knew him he had a deep love for God, even though he was fairly shy. Apparently he came out of his shell as he grew older.

It got me to thinking... youth pastors only have a few years with the students God sends them. These students have real hopes and dreams, and have been created by God for a significant purpose. Unfortunately they also bear all-too-real hurts, disappointments and pain. Many carry hidden scars.

Sadly we sometimes get too busy to notice that the people around us are hurting. When I was a youth pastor at a megachurch I was often so busy preparing to minister to students that I missed God-given opportunities to connect with them. What's really dumb about this is that these same students were the very reason I was there in the first place. How crazy is it to be too busy getting ready to invest in students, only to miss the face to face opportunity to do so?!?!

Youth pastors (and church leaders): Please choose to be present when you're with your people... and most importantly, when you're with your family. We have only a limited time with them. And if people are truly important to you, you will make time for them. We have to intentionally slow down. We need to ask God to help us notice the people around us.

This is EXACTLY what Jesus did. He was willing to be interrupted, or, as John Maxwell says, "He walked slowly through the crowd." Mark writes that as He was heading out to heal the synagogue leader's daughter, a woman with uncontrollable bleeding forced her way through the HUGE crowd to get to Jesus. She touched his clothes and was instantly healed. Jesus realized that God's power had gone out from Him, so He turned around to find out who had done it. When the woman told Him her story He commended her for her faith. All this happened while He was on His way to heal a man's dying daughter. Jesus wasn't in a hurry!

Youth pastors often thrive on last-minute preparations and flying by the seat of our pants. And that forces the youth leaders that serve with us to also be unnecessarily busy. We need to become better stewards of our time, finishing our preparation early enough to be fully present and focus on the people right in front of us. This also empowers those that serve with us to do the same.

While I did my best to pour my life into this student, I'm sure there were opportunities I missed. And I'll never get that chance again. It's one of the regrets I will carry with me. I'm determined from here on out to make better use of the influence God has given me. I don't want to miss the chance to impart hope to someone who's hurting. It's absolutely what Jesus would have done.

Rest in peace, my friend!

The Role of the Arts in the Church

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 13:30:00 +0000

Image source: baumoi.com

In my conversations with church leaders I often get the question about the role of media and the arts in the Church. Most of the time you can boil their objections down to trying to “dress up” the message of the Gospel, as if it couldn’t stand on its own. The typical argument is that some churches are trying to repackage the Gospel to make it “seeker-friendly”, and in doing so they are watering down the message.

While I have seen this done more often than I care to admit, I have also seen many churches that are accessible, yet producing both converts and disciples.

A number of years ago we took a road trip Paris. While there we took the kids to see the Notre Dame Cathedral. What a beautiful church! As I was explaining to the girls about the meaning of the different stained glass pictures and the carvings, it hit me: The Early Church (and the Church of the Dark Ages) explained the message of the Gospel to an illiterate people through images and stories. And this is exactly how today’s Church will be able to explain the message of the Gospel to a biblically illiterate, media-saturated culture!

Tweet This: How do you explain the message of the Gospel to a biblically illiterate, media-saturated culture? The arts! #PostChristianity @jonperrin

What do you think? Add your voice to the discussion!

Becoming a Better Lover

jon@perrinministries.org (Jon Perrin) — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Image source: pixshark.com

Like that title? I thought it might pique your interest. I want to take a few moments and consider how growing in your relationship with Jesus can make you a better lover.

I guess maybe I should give you some background. A number of years ago I taught a series called “Redefining Relationships“ to a college group. As usual, we talked about everything from friendships to sexuality. Since this church was made up primarily of singles, this subject hit home with many of the group members. Those that weren’t facing the battles of purity were still surrounded by sexuality from the media and pop culture at every turn.

Anyway, in this series, I made a passing reference to the fact that becoming more intimate with Christ can make you a better lover. I got quite a bit of response from that statement, so I decided to develop the thought further. I thought this would also be a good subject for married couples. A healthy marriage is like a healthy garden… it requires a lot of effort to weed, water, feed and nurture, but the results are well worth it.

So, I want you to drop your religious inhibitions, take off your holier-than-thou glasses and track with me as we delve into the subject of becoming a better lover. Maybe it would be best if we started with a verse or two from the Bible, so you won’t think I’ve gone off the deep end.

For our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. When he lived on earth, he was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin. Let us, then, feel free to come before God’s throne. Here there is grace. And we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it. - Hebrews 4:15-16 TLB

Humanity

One of the things God has been teaching me lately is about humanity. Some people from the faith tradition in which I was raised taught that becoming more like Christ made you either less human or super-human. For instance… many people concentrated on the statement “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). They taught that in order to please God better, you had to ignore your feelings, pretending they didn’t even exist. While I do think there absolutely is a truth there, the impression I got was that serving Christ Jesus and becoming more like Him made you oblivious to the world around you. To do any less wasn’t being very spiritual or pleasing to God.

I find fault with that theology in the story of Abraham. The Bible says that Abraham “faced the facts”, not “ignored” them (Romans 4:18-21) and was still able to believe.No, being a Christ-follower doesn’t make you a robot.

The above passage states that Jesus connected with humanity at the deepest level. He got elbow deep in humanity, so to speak. He could’ve come as a king, a statesman or at least a nobleman, but instead He chose to come as a baby, born into poverty. After returning from being an intercontinental political refugee, He grew up in a blue-collar family. He chose to meet the people where they lived, not teach in the “seminaries” or the king’s palace. He was the champion of the marginalized, the outcast and the “sinner”.

In studying the life of Christ, I see that He was uniquely human. He experienced humanity on a different level than any of us. He was the model of God’s original intention for His highest creation: mankind. In that context, I believe I can safely say that, contrary to popular religious opinion, becoming like Jesus will make you more human. Because of that, I believe that falling in love with Him can make you a better lover as well.

Tweet This: Falling in love with Jesus can make you a better lover! http://bit.ly/1GIVtaU #itsnotwhatyouthink #SafeForWork @jonperrin

Why is that so?

* Becoming like Jesus means developing a respect for others – As I already mentioned, Jesus considered all people worthy of respect, regardless of their socio-economic background. One of the biggest relational problems I hear about in pastoral counseling is related to respect. “He doesn’t treat me properly.” “Well, she doesn’t respect my decisions.” Sound familiar? Statements like these are based in a self-centered worldview. Unlike us, Jesus was other-centered.

He gave dignity to the impoverished, the sick, the mentally/emotionally disturbed and the social outcasts (untouchables) by His presence, His attitude and His words. His hands and His words brought healing and meaning into their lives. The religious leaders of His day were appalled that He would stoop to the level of eating with tax collectors (Mafioso) and other “sinners” (Matthew 9:9-12). I think it is amazing that even prostitutes felt at ease in His presence. It was the religious leaders that bore the brunt of His rebukes (for the pride-filled, judgmental attitude of their hearts).

* Becoming like Jesus involves sympathizing with people – He didn’t ignore people with problems. When Robin & I were visiting my brother in Philadelphia, he laid out the ground rules. Among them was, “Never make eye contact with a beggar.” He was just trying to protect us, but I think you get the point. We would rather walk on the other side of the street than have to tell someone we can’t (or won’t) help them.

Tweet This: Wanna be a better lover? Become more like Jesus! http://bit.ly/1GIVtaU #itsnotwhatyouthink #SafeForWork @jonperrin

Jesus, on the other hand, was moved with compassion at the sight of the crowds (Matthew 9:36, Matthew 14:14, Matthew 15:32). In the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead (John 11:1-45), Jesus’ humanity is displayed very clearly (verses 33, 35 & 38). Some scholars say that He was “overcome with emotion”. Either way, we see in Jesus a man who wasn’t afraid of displaying His human side. He connected with Lazarus’ family and the mourners in their grief. His compassion in all of these instances created the perfect atmosphere for God’s miracle-working power to be displayed. He truly “walked a mile in our shoes.”

* Becoming like Jesus causes us to be open and vulnerable – On His last night with His disciples before His torture and execution, He shared an intimate dinner with them (The Last Supper). He made a very vulnerable statement to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:34). Doesn’t sound like much of a Savior, now does it? He was inviting His closest companions into His private agony.

We, on the other hand, close ourselves off from people, isolating and insulating ourselves from possible pain and disappointment. We’ve learned that letting someone too close is a very risky and scary thing. After all, we’d probably just get hurt again, and we will do anything to avoid pain. Part of learning to be vulnerable is inviting others into the ugly, painful, broken parts of our lives, not just the facade we want everyone to see.

* Developing intimacy with God helps us to develop intimacy with those around us – The process is the same. It starts with acquaintance. It is developed through time, conversation and shared experience. And it requires all the other characteristics we’ve just discussed (respect, sympathy/empathy and vulnerability). As we learn to trust Him, we develop the ability to trust others.

There are many other things we could discuss along these lines, but then this might become a book (or two). Suffice it to say that becoming more like Jesus makes us better lovers, friends, coworkers, students, parents, and children… more human! My desire is to live my life in such a way that God’s original plan for my life shines through. I hope it is your desire as well. The best way to further your relationship with God is to spend time daily with Him in Bible reading and prayer, regular church attendance, and in delving deep into community with a group of believers that meets regularly for Bible study and accountability. This is also a great way to investigate what genuine Christianity is all about.

Tweet This: Becoming more like Jesus makes us better lovers, friends, coworkers, students, parents, and children. @jonperrin