I’ve often heard (and perhaps said) “I’ll take any warm body!” when it comes to staffing volunteer positions in a church plant. I’m joking, of course (kinda), because as a former volunteer director I know the danger in viewing people as cogs in your church machine. In fact, it can lead to the situation described by a potential volunteer:

Please tell (her) she is welcome to sign me up to help, just know I am not un-enthusiast as much as I may look!!…I love to serve in the greatest need areas, but I have been so misused and mistreated within the kids ministry realm over the last (few) years, i.e. being called at a moments notice, working 3 to 4 Sundays a month, and even when I was on the prayer team for a Sunday having to leave that post to go serve in the children’s ministry because others would rather serve somewhere else. So, my motivation lacks luster! 

You need to make sure you’re monitoring the spiritual and emotional health of your volunteers as closely, if not more so, than their proficiency of the task at hand. Even if we’re a non-profit legally, we’re not spiritually. Don’t tell people to “suck it up and get it done” if the reason they’re fried is because you’re a bad leader. Care for the people fulfilling the vision more than you care for the vision, because people should be your vision!

Pastors and minister who’ve never worked a 9-5 job are more susceptible to this because even though you might be as hard of a worker than non-ministry types, it’s a whole different rhythm to understand and take into account. If that you be sure to ask trusted volunteers their opinions on what you’re asking/requiring of them. Sure, there will be times you need to push everyone past their comfort level, but you’ll be better informed to what that level actually is.

When’s the last time you asked your volunteer leaders about their spiritual health? Are they asking each other? Are you encouraging “one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness?”

How do you and/or your church prevent volunteer burnout?

Even though it’s one of the many “location-based” social media services (Gowalla being the other primary one) my perception of the service is that it’s a business-based service, not a location-based one. I think businesses are really missing the boat by not embracing these services, because it encourages people to come back! Why is this a bad thing!?! Business owners, go register your business, offer incentives, and get people to come back more and more!

Anyone remember those punch cards you used to get at Subway, 6 subs and one free? It should be the same thing with these check-ins. Every five check-ins, free cup of coffee at Starbucks. Three at Chili’s, free chips and salsa. How is this a bad thing for businesses?

I’m also using it because as great as Twitter is, it doesn’t easily help you meet local people, while FourSquare does. I see who else frequents the same places I do, can follow them on Twitter and start following and entering into convos with them. As someone who’s new to a community, it’s a great way to find people who I know have similar social media/nerdy interests. If someone has a better idea, I’m all ears.

With just a few week’s usage, here’s a few of my tips. Feel free to add some of your own.

• If you’re going to tweet your location, give the same context as if you’re tweeting with no check-in. Who cares where you are- WHY are you there?
• If there’s no interesting reason for being someplace (you’re getting gas) don’t tweet it out. You can check in without letting everyone else know but still keep up with check-ins and points.
• Add tips and to-dos for locations. As with all social media, adding value is a key.
• Go to the website and change your settings to not let everyone else know if you become a mayor or a badge. I changed the badge setting a while ago, but just made the decision on the mayor thing as well.
• If you’re a church planter this is another key service to register your church with. Anyone who checks in at the YMCA we meet in (or anywhere else within 1000 meters) will see the church there, be able to see the info I’ve posted about it and see our Twitter stream. If you’re rental facility won’t let you keep permanent signage up (most don’t) they can’t tell you to take this down. Plus, tech-savvy folks will know you’re a church which attempts to reach into their demographic.
• If you own/work at a business where customers frequent (Starbucks, yes..tire sales, not as much) GET ON THIS! Why would you not find inexpensive ways to bring back customers who are more likely to be brand evangelists?!

That’s what I’ve got from a few weeks of check-ins. Yours?

I’ll debate the merits of such a service in another post, but as annoying as some people think FourSquare is, I think we need more. I think we need something which describes our emotional location, not just our physical one. I call it…FiveSquare!

• @blloyd is checking in from the depths of meeting hell
• @angelrios is checking in from improper affection for a beverage
• @churchplanter is checking in from perverted emotional attachment to Sunday attendance
• @someone’s wife is checking in with no guilt from lying about having a headache
• @highschooler is checking in with an overinflated sense of self-importance

Think it could catch on?

What other checkins can you think of?

Lots of things make a sermon “good” or “great”- timing, jokes, illustrations, articulation, purity, holiness and truthfulness just to name a few.

But there’s one thing, in my opinion, that can make any sermon, no matter how much it has of the above, a bad sermon.

How to make a sermon bad: Don’t make Jesus the hero of the sermon.

You may have an entertaining, powerful, funny, enjoyable sermon without Jesus as the hero, but it won’t be a good one.

Jesus, and only Jesus, is the hero. He’s not a supporting cast member. He’s the man.

That is all.

So, Larry King is getting his 8th divorce, and Elizabeth Taylor is possibly getting married for a 9th time. Jesse James and Tiger Woods are, well… you know… Even Newt Gingrich is on his 3rd marriage. Yet the idea of same-sex marriage is what is going to destroy the institution of marriage? REALLY?!?

What’s your response, Christian? Can any argument be made? Our inability to distinguish our actions from the rest of the world has made us look foolish when pushing a political agenda but not living up to our personal moral one.

You know what my response was? Nothing on Facebook. Went and got my wife flowers. The only comeback we have is to live out our gospel.

What about you?

Here’s a link to Mark’s breakdown of the video.

The Early Church from Granger Community on Vimeo.

While we can’t go back and change past experiences, we can live with greater intentionality and focus for the rest of our lives, which is the path Miller travels in this book. In the process of editing a previous book into a movie screenplay he learns what a great story is, realizes his life isn’t one, and determines to start living a great Story.

However, a succinct summary of the book doesn’t do it justice. Miller’s writing style, very stream-of-consciousness, drifts without getting lost, is funny and lighthearted right before it pierces you with depth and insight. He seems just like the kind of guy you’d want to grab a drink with, be it carbonated or fermented. If  you’re not the kind to pick up such a book, it’s the very reason you should. You need to be stretched to dream, wonder, reflect and imagine what you life is and what it could be.

I do want to add on caution to the book. As with Blue Like Jazz, Miller’s writing seem to strike their deepest chord with long-time or disaffected Christians. Since I’m neither, I never resonate as deeply with his writing, though I’ve seen it’s impact on others and appreciate the healing it’s brought them. However, I would be wary of a non-Christian reading this book, as they may come away thinking the way to a better story with God is to “try harder,” one of the most dangerous and horrifically wrong things a non-Christian can think about God. Someone who understands sin and redemption, but never quite found their groove or purpose in Christ (Ephesians 2:10) will find a sympathetic and challenging voice in Miller. Had I read this 12 months ago, before I started planting Trinity New Life, this would have been a great encouragement to take the steps to do so, and I hope it plays the same role in the lives of other Christians.

Oh, and if you want a review of the book covering more of the actual content, check out Ross Middleton’s review.

Have you read it? What did you think?

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”

- Romans 13:8

Let’s make sure we’re putting something down on this debt today!

“So, my Reformed friends, let’s not only read 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John (that is, John Calvin, John MacArthur, and John Piper), let’s go plant some more churches. My emerging church friends, let’s take a pause from the theological rethink and head into the neighborhood and to tell someone about Jesus. My missional friends, let’s speak of justice, but always tell others how God can be both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” My house church friends, let’s have community, but let’s be sure it is focused on redemption. My Baptist friends, let’s focus more on convincing pagans than Presbyterians. And, my charismatic friends, let’s focus less on getting existing believers to speak in tongues and more on using our tongue to tell others about Jesus.”

BRAVO, Ed. Bravo!

Read the full article here.