The High Road of Restoration

Eccl 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”

When I hear about the failures of people like John Edwards, Ted Haggard, officers convicted of a scandal or others who has fallen, my heart breaks. What’s worse is it seems almost as though we are happy to see others fail. We send letters and emails . . . did you hear about (fill in the blank) . . .?

Proverbs 18:8 is true: “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.”

Rather than condemn those that fall and add to their pain, should we not try to restore them? Try to help them? Perhaps the reason they fell in the first place is because we weren’t a very good friend.

The second part of the Ecclesiastes text says:

“Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Eccl 4:11-12)

I recently heard about an officer convicted of a sex crime . . . I don’t know him at all, but my heart sank as I saw the matter splattered all over the internet. I paused in reflection and wondered, “Does he have anyone to help him up? There are plenty who will throw rocks and say “I always knew that guy was weird.” But is there anyone spiritual who cares enough to stand with him?

Galatians 6:1 says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.” Those that choose to kick a brother when they’re down simply aren’t spiritual.

Is there someone you know that needs a friend right now? Is there someone you know that has fallen and needs to be restored? Why not take the high road – reject the “choice morsels” of gossip and gently restore your friend.

What’s Your Dream?

Let me ask you a question: When you lay in bed at night and dream, what do you dream about? When your heart is stirred what do you find yourself thinking about, wanting, desiring?

Give it an honest go . . . what do you find yourself wanting?

Do you think about the steps toward that promotion you feel you’ve earned and deserve? Do you think about the new home or car that could be in your foreseeable future? If you could have anything you wanted what would it be?

Jesus had a lot to say about wanting. He even taught us what we should and should not want. Beware, it’s a tall order. He put it like this: “Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink.” (Luke 12:29) Looking inward at what we want and desire is something we must do regularly if we are going to walk after Jesus. Do we want what Jesus wants? Do we do what Jesus did?

He went on to encourage us with these words: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:32-34)"

When we have a heart like Jesus we will do what Jesus did. (Matt 15:19) The goal of every disciple (talmid) is to be like the Rabbi. (Luke 6:40) The closer we become to being like Jesus the more we will give . . . the more our life will look like His.

So when you dream what do you dream about? Do you dream of ways to advance the Gospel, build the Kingdom and make earth more like heaven? Or do your thoughts and dreams mostly center around you?

Bronze Serpent of the Modern Day

In Num 21:8-9 God instructed Moses to "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. It was an image that facilitated worship and led to salvation.

However, before long the image that facilitated worship became the object of worship. The Bible says that the Israelites were burning incense to it. (2 Kings 18:4) At least until Hezekiah came along. “He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles.” And if that wasn’t enough to tick off an entire nation look at what he did next: “He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it.” 2 Kings 18:1-5

Hummmm . . . I wonder . . . have we aloud any image or practice intended to facilitate worship to become the object of worship?

Hezekiah refused to let a nation become distracted by such objects. 2 Kings18:5 says, “Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.”

What’s he known for? Following God and tearing down the distractions. I wonder if people in the Israelite community hated him. I wonder if leaders in the community slandered him. I wonder what kind of opposition he went against to make such radical change.

How about you? Are you willing to do the same? For me . . . I’m still waffling on the edge. Some have said, “Let it go Bret, it’s not worth it.” But I think it is.

What about you? What idols need to come down? What will it take? What do you think?

A Leadership Dilemma

One of the greatest threats to the future of the Army is the shortage of officers. The number of appointments requiring skilled and gifted leaders out numbers the officers available to fill those positions.

The problem could be seen as two-fold: The training of the leaders we already have and the recruitment of leaders we need. The Southern Territory is attempting to address the issue of training leaders through a leadership training school that (when functioning as they plan) has great potential.

However, the issue of recruitment still remains a challenge that must be addressed. The problem with recruitment is that the responsibility for recruiting new officers is laid almost solely on the Corps. That means that ultimately the future of the Army is the responsibility of the Corps. Leadership training is important, but if the Corps fails to recruit potential leaders then the leadership training program will have no one to train.

As I scan the landscape of the Corps I see the future of the Army. It seems to me that the leadership of the Army would be willing to do whatever it takes to breathe new life into the Army. The question is this: Are we simply praying that God will bless what the Army is doing or are we seeking to walk along side and be a part of what God is doing?

Do you see the future of the Army the Corps responsibility? What do you think?

Being the Church

Last week God gave me three opportunities to serve and reveled to me what it means to be the church in action.


The first opportunity came when a guy in his early 50’s and who is mentally disabled came to our church and showed me a citation for $1,050 because of garbage in his yard. He stated that if he didn’t clean up his yard they would throw him in jail. (Apparently they have been trying to get him to clean up his yard for quite some time).

Last Friday two guys from our church, a thrift truck driver and I went to his house with a John Deer (brush hog on wheels!), weed-eater, shovels, and a thrift store truck and cleaned up his yard.


Another opportunity came when a guy was unable to collect his SSI check from his payee. According to him, the payee stiffs him every month and only gives him money when she feels like it. I went with him and collected his remaining $100.

I am now his new payee. I’m working to get free from having a payee altogether.


The third opportunity came just last Sunday morning. God had given me a word that he wanted me to share with a lady in the hospital. So I dropped by the hospital before church to give her the word. Unfortunately the lady was sleeping (due to heavy medication) and I was unable to give her the word. Come to find out, God tricked me. He had something else for me to do.

On the way out of the hospital a guy stopped me and asked if I could help him. He had been living in a hotel and his wife left him because he could not find work. She took his car and left him stranded with no place to go.

I visited with him for about a half an hour, took him back to the hotel and paid for one night. His mother would come the next day and pick him up. I prayed with him and went to church.

On my way to church, God said to me: “Bret, through what other organization can you do all that?”


There’s no doubt that we face many challenges within our organization. But if we will just listen and obey the Spirit of God we can find incredible opportunities to carry out His mission and be the church. With all the restrictions, we still have incredible freedom.

God is Good

Over this past weekend my wife and I went to conduct revival services at the Birmingham, AL ARC. God was so good. We had a great time and got see God work in a unique way. Max Lucado talks about living life in your “sweet spot” . . . I was definitely living in that spot this past weekend.

One of the highlights of the trip was the surprise of attending the concert with Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman and Louie Giglio. It was awesome. What’s more is the message that Giglio delivered. When it comes out on DVD (and it may be, I haven’t checked yet) run out and buy it as soon as possible. He talked about how big God is and how small we are. He was so profound I really can’t do justice trying to explain the message in this short post. All I can say is you’ve got to hear it. It changed how I see God.

All that to say, God was especially good to me this weekend. Praise His name!

The Army's role in the Kingdom

Here are a few thoughts that I posted on Larry's blog at http://questionsforthejourney.blogspot.com/

What if the Army’s role in the Kingdom was not to “do church” but rather be a social arm of the church?

What if we stopped “doing church” all together and partnered with another church and the officer serve as a local volunteer leader within the partnering church (just like any other normal working person)? The officer, then, would run the Salvation Army in his/her community.

What if we concentrated our energy and resources into one or two areas rather than 15?

What if we just kissed the “denominational” thing goodbye and became an agency, an arm, an avenue for other believers to serve in?

The idea is to let the “church” do what they do best and we would do what we do best.

Although there are many challenges and questions to this idea, I have thought it through enough to know how it might could work.

What are your thoughts?

My Dilemma

OK, Christmas is over . . . but I’m busier now than I have ever been. I am in the process of moving our main Thrift store.

And I’m torn.

Loving is hard. I love God . . . truly. I want to serve him and be the best I can be for Him.

I love my wife. I want to be there for her in the way that God has called me to be.

I want to be the dad God has called be . . . I love playing ball with my kids, spending time with them, hanging out and helping them with their homework and reading them bible stories and night.

I want to love the people in my church . . . I want to love the work I do . . . I want to love those that are unloved, that have no one.

But here’s my struggle: My heart’s just not that big. How in the world am I supposed to do all this?

Hence why I haven’t blogged for a while . . .

No blogging for a while

Happy Thanksgiving . . . Merry Christmas . . . Happy New Year . . .

No blogging for a while . . . too busy!

Have a great day!

Bret

Leadership Deficit – Follow Up

I spoke at the college’s chapel service yesterday. There were probably 200 people or so in attendance. The talk went really well. I handed out a flyer and invited people who wanted to know more about serving God in full time ministry to attend a meeting that took place tonight at 7:00 p.m.

The students were freshmen and sophomores . . . after the talk I could tell that everything pretty much went in one ear and out the other. No one came to the meeting tonight.

Even though we didn’t have a response this time around I’m going to continue developing the recruiting strategy.

Our leadership council met last Sunday night and we discussed the idea of reaching out to the college. We may have a pizza night, game night or something and try a different approach . . . an approach that would allow us to develop a relationship with the students.

If you have any ideas on college ministry I would love to hear ‘em.

Leadership Deficit?

Thomas J. Tierney has written a piece entitled, “Understanding the Nonprofit Sector’s Leadership Deficit.” He points out that even though America’s nonprofit sector is expanding rapidly; they are facing a crisis that could undermine all their good works – a leadership deficit.

A study of organizations with revenues greater than $250,000 a year indicated that those organizations would need to add more than 56,000 senior managers to their existing ranks. Cumulatively, over the decade from 2007 to 2016, they will need to attract and develop some 640,000 new senior leaders—or the equivalent of 2.4 times the number currently employed. To put this challenge in context, filling the gap would require recruiting more than 50 percent of every M.B.A. graduating class, at every university across the country, every year for the next decade. (The Leader of the Future 2 p.96)

So how does all this effect our organization? John Maxwell is famous for saying that “everything rises and falls on leadership.” A lack of leadership will have many repercussions -- low morale, a lack of accountability, poor performance and a culture of mediocrity are just a few.

I am presently working on a leadership recruiting strategy for the army. Next week I speak at a Methodist college in an effort to recruit potential leaders for our organization. The recruiting plan is simple. Go to a college, preach at a chapel service and invite those who want to learn about new ways to serve God to come to a meeting at The Salvation Army. At the meeting, I’ll tell them all about the opportunities that exist within the army. Those that are interested can start participating in Corps worship, leadership training classes as well as serving as they are ready and able. When they finish college, they could possibly be ready for Officer’s Training.

This is just one small way to meet the present and future demand for leaders. Got any other ideas? I would love to hear them.

What are your thoughts on this whole “Leadership Deficit” thing?

Killer Guitarist

Throw rocks and call me a sinner . . . Zakk Wylde rocks!

Mission and Priority Programs

Before I begin with this post let me preface by saying that some have suggested that my posts possess a critical and negative tone. I’m sorry about that . . . really. I don’t mean to be negative. But when we begin to offer alternatives to present or older forms of organizational structure then people often get defensive as if I’m attacking what they believe in.

Others have implied that offering new forms of church/organizational structure means that we must accept that what we’ve done in the past was wrong. It’s not that old ways or forms were wrong. It’s that a new culture demands new forms. Our commitment to mission in a post-modern context requires us to change.

So please read my posts with an open mind and know that I am really trying to be positive . . . even though the suggestion that things must change is seen as negative . . . thanks!

Now, about priority programs . . .

The struggle I have with priority programs is the thought that mission can be effectively carried out through them. Sunday School, youth programs, prayer meetings and etc. can be very beneficial and facilitate the discipleship process in many ways. But to make any one of these a “priority” and expect every church in the division or territory to follow a specific schedule and spend time and energy trying to increase attendance is missing the mark just a bit. Do you agree? Or not?

The feeling, then, would be that if the numbers were up then these activities would be working. However, if the numbers were down then we would be led to think that our people weren’t praying enough, our quality needed to be improved or maybe we need to be more aggressive in promoting our Sunday School.

As a mission we need to think cross-culturally. We need to discover how we can cross into the broader culture through proclaiming the gospel of Jesus. On the contrary, the priorities of Sunday School and other programs can easily serve as methods for feed our own sub-culture. Recruiting and assimilating others into our culture can easily be misunderstood as evangelism and discipleship.

A missional ministry is cross-cultural in nature and adapts to its ministry context. This means that in some Corps the worship style, format, time and place of gatherings might need to be questioned in an effort to fully engage and reach those we serve. Our own identity as an “army” might even need to be questioned.

Is it possible for an organization to sacrifice God’s mission on the altar of tradition? Promoting our brand of religion and marketable services can easily be misunderstood as mission.

So, what do you think?

Don’t be afraid to ask hard questions. We’re not being critical. We’re just trying to make the leap to a new cultural context.

Leadership and Cultural Shifts

Modernity is a term used to describe the condition of Western History since the mid-1400s. This period is said to be characterized by industrialization, the rise of capitalism and social movements, urbanization, mass literacy, and the proliferation of mass media.

Post-modernity, on the other hand, expresses the idea that the modern historical period has passed. It is characterized by globalization, consumerism, the fragmentation of authority, and the commoditization of knowledge.

Making the leap from modern culture to post-modern culture can be quite a challenge. In modern culture the gospel is contextualized. The communication is verbal, linear and abstract. Communication in the postmodern culture, however, is different. It consists of sound, visual images, and experience, in addition to words. In modern culture, the church became even more hierarchical and rationalized as it mimicked Henry Ford’s hierarchical, assembly line construction so as to maximize productivity. The result was the dehumanization and disempowerment of people. In the post-modern culture, leaders seek to deconstruct the hierarchical organizational system, decentralize its power and distribute leadership roles so as to empower people for mission.

Our organization has clearly been shaped and influenced by modernity. The conflict between these two cultures has never been more obvious. So the question is this: How do we, as leaders, respond to this dilemma?

The answer is this: We must take the risk and make the leap. This means we may have to rethink our inherited ways of organizational structure and leadership. It means we may have to give our leaders permission to lead even when their style and methods breakdown our traditional values and challenge our perceived identity. It means we must be willing to abandon any mandate, policy or practice that hinders leaders from fulfilling the army’s mission in their unique ministry context.

So what do you think? Help me wrestle with the issue of organizational structure and leadership.

To Bury or Not to Bury

John Maxwell once said, “One of the greatest enemies of success is success itself.” Many times, as a group or organization begins to succeed, someone will say, “OK, we’ve found it!” They’ll build a fence around it and say, “Don’t touch anything!” And the very method that brought success one day begins to bring failure.

Methods that once brought success bring failure? Hmmmm . . .

I can think of a few things that probably need to be buried. But as I survey the landscape of our organization I can’t help but to think that there are a few things that need to be resurrected.

What would Booth say if he could have five minutes to speak?

Perhaps he would say something like this:

If we fail in anything, it is not for us to say that our failure proves the Lord’s will. It may just prove the contrary. God’s will is always, and everywhere, that sin should be destroyed, that devils should be sent back to hell, and that all men should be saved. If we fail through the unfaithfulness of those about us, let us admit it, and that our failure is of the devil, and go to work and get things altered and mended. – General William Booth –

If you cannot go to the rescue one way, go another. – General William Booth –

“If I thought I could win one more soul to the Lord by walking on my head and playing the tambourine with my toes, I’d learn how.” – General William Booth –

Some men's ambition is art. Some men's ambition is fame. Some men's ambition is gold. My ambition is the souls of men. – General William Booth –

Hmmmm . . . maybe there are a few things that need to be resurrected.

Making Disciples

When Jesus called his disciples to follow him, he wasn’t just expecting them to learn from him or learn about his teachings, but rather he was expecting his disciples to be like him. His followers had the same expectation- that they would be like their rabbi. This was the desire of all talmidim (disciples) in Jesus’ day. They wanted to be like their rabbi.

This explains why Peter stepped out of the boat to walk on water. Jesus was walking on water and Peter wanted to be like his rabbi, so he took a step of faith and walked on water.

In Luke 10 the seventy-two whom Jesus sent out returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." (Luke 10:17). Why did they return with joy? Because they could see that they were becoming just like their rabbi.

So what does this mean for us? As leaders and disciple-makers we must ask ourselves this question: “Am I the kind of person I want my followers to become?” Paul said to his disciples “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Cor 11:1)

This question really resonates with me as an officer and challenges the practices and priorities of the organization that I am a part of. Look out our/your leaders . . . is that what you/we want to become? Are they setting an example that we want to follow? Are we setting an example that honors God, glorifies Jesus and challenges others to be more like Him?

Any thoughts?

Financial Support to Lebanon?

Have you been following the war in Israel? If you have then you are aware of the enormous damage done to both Israel and Lebanon as a result.

Hezbollah, a known terrorist organization (according to the press) are leading the rebuilding campaign in Lebanon. “In Sreifa, a Hezbollah official said the group would offer an initial $10,000 to residents to help pay for the year of rent, to buy new furniture and to help feed families.”

Hezbollah is seen to be the “winner” by the Lebanese government and people. They are “winning the heart” of the Lebanese people and spreading anti-Israel and anti-American theology (this of course already existed before the war).

So here’s the question: Should America offer financial support to Lebanon even though Hezbollah has not been disarmed? Will America be seen as “paying off the ‘winners’?”

Is this what Jesus meant when he said “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you?” What do you think?

Balancing Benevolence & Accountability

Today on my way home I saw man standing at an intersection with the infamous sign –

Homeless
Veteran
Hungry

I stopped and walked over to talk to him and asked in a friendly tone “where are you going to stay tonight?” He pointed in a general direction and spoke of a building that he would sleep behind.

I asked him if he had been to any of the homeless shelters in town (we don’t run one but there are three in the community). He explained, “They won’t let me in any of the shelters.” “Why not?” I asked. He said, “Because I drink.”

Did I mention that this guy reeked of alcohol? I said to him, “So, you’re basically out here raising beer money.”

At this the guy got pretty ticked . . . “What do you know about being homeless!” I said, “I know more than you think.” He said, “Well I’m a veteran!”

I told the guy that I could help him. “I don’t want your kind of help! I’m sorry I even came over to talk to you!” He said as he walked back to the center median.

I got back in my car and drove up to him and handed him my card and said, “When you’re ready to get help call me and I’ll help you.” The guy refused to take my card and I finally had to drive away as I was holding up traffic.

I have to say, I’m really disappointed in myself. I usually handle situations like this with a lot more grace and finesse.

So here’s my question: Would I have been better of just giving the guy some money (although, he raised at least five bucks while we talked) and not challenge his drinking problem? Perhaps then I could have at least opened a door to minister to him in the future.

Or do you think challenging the guy was the right thing to do?

What’s the best way to handle a situation like this? As it stands right now, the chance of me ministering to him in the future is pretty slim.

What do you think?

Worldly Religion?

In most religious movements, religious and spiritual practices are activities that are done apart from the culture. The church has become a culture of its own with its own language, music, dress code, and lifestyle. In most cases it has created a chasm between “us” (Christians) and “them” (non-Christians) and failed to connect with and engage the culture in a way that brings people to following Jesus.

What’s the church to do? Tear down the walls? Build a bridge? Risk getting dirty?

What did Jesus do? He left the comfort of his home . . . his “culture” (heaven) and entered another culture (earth) and became just like the earthlings. No . . . he wasn’t “just like” us, he became one of us. Born like us, ate like us, sweat like us, slept like us and died a physical death like us. And why did he do it? He did it to save us.

So if the church is to follow the example of Christ should we, too, not leave our own culture and enter another? (It’s sad to have to suggest this . . . but it’s true, the church has created a sub-culture of its own. Those on the outside have a hard time understanding it.) Should we not leave our culture and enter theirs and learn the language and become “like them” in the same sense that Jesus became like us?

Look at the cultural context of your community . . . what would it take for you to become “like them” in an effort to reach them? Jesus left his home and mingled with sinners yet never compromised his integrity, values, or “biblical position.” Can we not do the same?


Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy . . . Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp . . . Praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute (Ps 33:2-3; 149:3; 150:4).

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” (Ps 24:1)

A “Worldly” Church?

It’s funny how people separate “Christian” and “secular.” In the previous church my wife and I led, a gentleman left the church because we offered dance instruction in our performing arts program. “I won’t be a part of a church that has anything to do with dancing!” he said. And he left.

The truth of the matter is that dancing belongs to God. If anything belongs to Satan it’s only because he stole it or tricked someone into thinking it’s his. I laugh when people suggest that Christians are “copying” secular forms of art. Who are they kidding? Those art forms belong to God and should be given back to Him as an expression of worship and thanksgiving.

So who says you can’t rock-n-roll in church . . . or rap . . . or dance . . . for the glory of God?

Some have suggested that the church is becoming too “worldly” and watered-down. The problem is that they generally make those assumptions based on what they see people wear, what music they enjoy and how much technology they incorporate into the worship gatherings rather than genuinely looking at people’s relationship with Christ and how they live it out.

I believe that the church needs to look like the world. (Wow! A church like that might even be normal!) In doing so, I believe we would help the world see God. We would make the secular sacred. No separation between “secular” and “sacred” . . . it’s all sacred . . . we give it to Him for His glory and honor.

Any thoughts?

How do you define "The Salvation Army?"

Go ahead. Really think about. A church, a mission, a movement? Give me your best definition. Expound on it a bit if you can. To say that The Salvation Army is a “church” or a “mission” is too vague.

I ask this question because I believe we are in need of a definition, maybe even a new definition. Every program and organization has what is called a “life cycle.” It begins with Startup (or Birth) followed by Growth. Growth is sometimes divided into an early growth phase (fast growth) and a maturity phase (slow growth or no growth). However, maturity often leads to Decline. When in decline, an organization will either undergo Renewal or it will suffer Death and bankruptcy.

So . . . give it your best shot. How do you define “The Salvation Army?”

Oh, How I Love Timbrels

For anyone who loves timbrels!

Someone sent this to me some time ago. I forgot about it ‘till I stumbled across it the other day . . . thought I would share it with you.

Will the gay debate tear the church apart?

Did you catch Larry King Live on CNN tonight? They were discussing whether or not gay and lesbians should be ordained as clergy as well as discussing different positions on the subject. I tried to call in for an hour and was unable to get through . . . so here’s my response to the gay & lesbian issue:

Jeremiah 17:9 says “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

Several Homosexual ministers stated that they loved God and were listening and following the Spirit of God. But because the “Spirit” was sanctioning a lifestyle that is clearly unscriptural, I believe their own hearts were leading them astray.

The matter of homosexuality as well as any other sin is a heart matter. Can a person be born gay? Possibly, the sinful nature can affect people in many different ways. That doesn’t mean it’s OK.

Jesus said Matt 15:19-20 “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.” (Matt 15:19-20)

In Acts 15 as Peter spoke to the Council of Jerusalem in regards to the Gentiles receiving the Spirit of God he said, “He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.” (Acts 15:9)

So what happens when a heart has been purified? Out of the heart will come pure thoughts, a holy life, a life that honors God and obeys his word.

The Spirit of God will not lead anyone into a lifestyle that contradicts His word. The word must be our standard, not what we think or feel.

As far as gays go . . . I wish they wouldn’t be so offended by my position. I am all for giving gays their space. However, when it comes to the Word of God, He has spoken.

Feel free to comment . . . challenge . . . throw rocks . . .etc . . .

Survey Results

So far we have had a total of 45 responses to the survey. The survey is still open so if you haven’t had a chance to participate there’s still time.

Here are some of the results:

Territories Represented

USA South. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Canada & Bermuda. . . . . . . . 8
USA EAST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
WEST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
UK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Australia South. . . . . . . . . . . 2
Australia East. . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Finland/Estonia. . . . . . . . . . . 1
Latin America North . . . . . . 1
Hong Kong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Sweden & Latvia . . . . . . . . . .1


What generation of Salvationist are you? The majority of participants are first and fifth generation or more.

First .................33.3% 15
Second .............17.8% 8
Third ................13.3% 6
Fourth ................6.7% 3
Fifth or more ...28.9% 13


Which of the following best describes your Salvation Army involvement? Corps Officers and Soldiers are the majority.

Cadet .....................................6.7% 3
Assistant Corps Officer ......8.9% 4
Corps Officer .....................33.3% 15
Divisional Officer ................2.2% 1
SA Employee .....................13.3% 6
Soldier ................................33.3% 15
Attendee (Non-Member) .2.2% 1
Ex Officer ............................2.2% 1
Ex SA Member ..................4.4% 2
Other .................................15.6% 7
TOTAL ...........................................45


Would you prefer wearing an alternative uniform such as an official polo shirt and slacks during times of corporate of worship?

Yes ..............................................28.6% 12
I feel this way sometimes ...........19% 8
Unsure .........................................4.8% 2
No. ...............................................28.6% 12
Do not care ....................................19% 8
Total Respondents ....................................42
(Skipped Question) 3

Those that took a firm stand are divided with 29% (12) saying “yes” and 29% (12) saying “no.” Those that responded: “feel this way sometimes,” “unsure,” or “don’t care” make up 42%. Depending on the context, these respondents could go either way.


Young people are embarrassed to tell their friends that they worship at The Salvation Army.

Agree ...........................15.9% 7
Somewhat agree ........20.5% 9
Unsure ........................20.5% 9
Somewhat disagree ...22.7% 10
Disagree ......................18.2% 8
Do not care ......................0% 0
Total Respondents ......................44
(Skipped Question) 3

The responses for this question are evenly distributed. However, as we look at how different generations responded new issues may arise.


Changing the name of The Salvation Army’s Worship Center to something like “New Life Worship Center” could help the Army attract more people.

Agree .........................6.8% 3
Somewhat agree ....27.3% 12
Unsure ......................9.1% 4
Somewhat disagree .6.8% 3
Disagree ..................47.7% 21
Do not care ...............2.3% 1
Total Respondents ..............44
(Skipped Question) 2

The majority of respondents disagree that changing the name of the worship center could help attract more people.


Generational Differences

The uniform

The most interesting finding about the uniform question is how the generational difference seems to affect the response. For example, 38% of first generation sallies said that they would prefer wearing an alternative uniform during corporate worship. Another 25% said that they “feel this way sometimes” and 19% didn’t care. Only one first generation respondent said “no” to the alternative uniform.

Of the fifth generation sallies, 50% said they would prefer wearing the army uniform in corporate worship and 16% did not care. Only 15% (2) of the fifth generation sallies would prefer wearing an alternative uniform.

The stigma

58% of fifth generation sallies either “disagreed” or “somewhat disagreed” that young people are embarrassed to tell their friends they worship at The Salvation Army. Only 17% “agreed” or “somewhat agreed” that young people are affected by a stigma.

Compare that with 50% of first generation sallies who “agreed” or “somewhat agreed” with the statement. 29% of them “disagreed” or “somewhat disagreed” that young people are embarrassed to tell their friends they worship at The Salvation Army.

The name of the worship center

The generational differences are especially visible when addressing the question to whether changing the name of the worship center could help attract more people or not. 63% of first generation sallies either “agreed” (19%) or “somewhat agreed” (44%) that changing the name could be helpful. 66% of fifth generation sallies “disagreed.” Only 1 fifth generation “somewhat agreed” with the statement.


Survey Limitations

The limitation of this survey is that it does not (and probably cannot) take into account the unique context of each respondent. Our history, background, and personal experiences will affect each of our responses differently. The challenge is to identify those differences so as to strategically address the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that exist for our organization.

Another limitation is the number of respondents. With only 44 participants it is impossible to accurately assess the landscape of the army. However, you can see how a survey such as this that included every officer in a single territory could be helpful in understanding issues and challenges that exist in the army.


Temporary Conclusion

I’ve not expounded on every issue that the survey raised. The purpose of this exercise was for all of us to learn from the experience, to have fun, and get additional feedback on developing future surveys. Future blogs will give updates on the results as well as comments that were made in the survey.


Thanks to all who participated. If the survey raised more questions than it answered please help me taking one more short survey and sharing your impression and giving feedback.

Click here for the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=471672149698

Salvation Army = Stigma?

I’ve heard it said before. However, it never really hit me as hard as it did last night. You have to understand who it was that said it. It was a 70 year old saint (who I really respect) who struggled with whether or not to leave the church when I moved the pulpit. You can imagine my surprise.

Here’s what he said: “Captain, one of the reasons the young people don’t like to come is because they get made fun of for going to church at The Salvation Army. They don’t like the uniform and most of our people are old.”

This statement was made as our men’s discipleship group discussed why our church was not successfully reaching people and what we could do about it. I said, “What do you think we should do?” He responded, “I don’t know Captain.”

After some more discussion I threw out this idea: “What if we changed the name? What if we simply said, ‘I worship at the New Life Worship Center.’ Do you think that would change things a little? It’s not that we would no longer be ‘The Salvation Army,’ it only means that ‘New Life’ would be a ministry of the Army, very much like ‘The Loaf’ at The Salvation Army in Lawrenceville, GA.”

I asked the same gentleman, “What do you think would be best: wearing the uniform I wear on Sunday or wearing this (alluding to my black slacks and SA polo shirt)?” He said, “That” (referring to the polo shirt). The rest of the group agreed.

After a full hour of discussion we identified many barriers to effective outreach and ministry. Two them, at least as our group (eight men) saw it, was the name and the uniform.

Changing the name of the worship center and changing what we wear will not, by themselves, fix our problems. Our challenges are much bigger. Nevertheless, things must still change. Here are some thoughts:

What is our mission? Is to make uniformed wearing Salvationists or is it to make radical followers of Jesus? Is our ministry about us or is it about the Kingdom of God?

Is it possible for our religious tradition and commitment to external expressions of worship to actually hinder our mission to make disciples?

Feel free to respond. . . be open and honest. . . (Leave an anonymous comment if you need to) . . . you won’t offend me, I promise.

And just for fun, take this survey . . . it’ll take about two minutes. It covers the uniform, the mission, and the name change idea. I’ll post the results in a week or so.

Click here for the survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=176371849198

(For some reason the link sends you to different pages of the survey each time. If it sends to any page other than the first simply hit the "back" button at the bottom of the page, that will get you to the beginning.)

Salvation Army Plays Host to Hard-Core Bands

A while back I posted a blog about "The Loaf" at The Salvation Army in Lawrenceville, GA. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published an article about it on May 4, 2006. Click Here to check out the article. It's awesome! Praise God for Salvationists who clearly understand their mission.

Just a Note

This blog is just a note. . . I’m going to be out of pocket for around two weeks. Susan and I will be on vacation next week. . . when we return, we have our annual “Toast of the Town” (annual fundraiser) and two United Way presentations. . . all in the same week we return from vacation. . . When all that’s done. . . I’ll be back on-line. . .

Blessings,

Bret

Easter Outreach

This past weekend (Easter) our church held evangelistic meetings on Thursday and Friday evening and on Saturday had a Community Egg Hunt. Our guest for the weekend was BB Angelo. If you’re looking for a family friendly evangelist that will reach children and adults alike, you should consider BB Angelo. He was great. . . God used him to share the Gospel and bring others into His kingdom.

On Saturday the Community Egg Hunt attracted over 550 people. We had a Jumpy Castle, a Giant Slide, and an Obstacle Course. There was free food, prizes, 5,000 eggs, two live shows by BB Angelo and best of all, 17 people came forward and accepted Christ. It all happened between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.

Here are some photos of the event as well as some more information:

The event consisted of two live shows with BB Angelo, 3 egg hunts for children over 6 and two for children 5 and under. The eggs had a scripture verse, candy and/or toy and some had prize tickets in them. If a child got a prize ticket he/she would get to go to the prize table and choose a toy. If the ticket said “bike” then they won one of five bicycles.

During the live show BB periodically gave away “lucky seat” prizes and toward the end of the show gave away a scooter. The first show had an attendance of about 114 or more. The second show had around 154- it was standing room only.

BB shared the gospel and gave an invitation in both shows. Because of time constraints he was not able to invite people to come forward in the first show. But in the second show 17 came forward to give their life to Christ. We were able to visit with the group of 17 and each person filled out a welcome card for follow-up. We are following up this week.

You can get info on BB Angelo at www.bbangelo.com. He's worth checking out.

Praise God for a great weekend. He is good . . . He is risen. . .indeed!

“ROOTS” or REBELLION?

ROOTS is a Salvation Army event and community. As an event, ROOTS is currently held in the UK, Canada and US South. As a community, ROOTS exists online and through the huge network of people that have attended ROOTS, who are passionate about discipleship and mission in the 21st century.

The purpose of ROOTS is to call people to biblical Christianity, radical discipleship, contemporary communication of the gospel and a passion for the lost. These are at the ‘root’ of The Salvation Army as part of the Christian Church. (www.rootsonline.org)

At the Roots event the dress code is optional for everyone. One of the complaints that I’ve heard is “why are we promoting ‘ROOTS’ when they Army won’t let us do ‘ROOTS’ in our own Corps/Church?”

Another term that has come up in the past few years is “grassroots” ministry. The idea is that the people take ownership of their Corps/church and initiate new ministries that are lay driven. What if a Corps wanted to become a “Roots” Corps . . . and the Corps Council/leadership voted to make the dress code optional and adopt the Roots purpose statement? What if the Corps/leadership voted to make the dress code optional just like the ROOTS event?

Would that be an illustration of “grassroots” or would that be rebellion?

Would the officer/pastor be bound to the Army’s dress code or could he/she join the lay leaders in the “contemporary communication of the gospel” and support the “grassroots” initiative of the church?

Roots or Rebellion? Are our leaders sending mixed messages?

What do you think?

Is "church" a waste of time? (Part 2)

In my previous post I challenged the idea of “church” and suggested that we put more emphasis on training and preparing for ministry and less emphasis trying to increase church attendance. After some dialogue, on this site and my Xanga (www.xanga.com/armytalk), I fleshed out the idea that there is a difference between personal transformation and religious practice. Those who are saturated with the church culture may have difficulty separating these two. Personal transformation that leads to community transformation is what we’re after. In order for this to happen we have to connect with the culture God is calling us to reach.

My church is in the process of developing two new ministries. One of those is a teen ministry that will (at least I think this is where God’s going) connect with the “rap” culture. The mission of the ministry will probably read something like this: “The mission of (whatever we call it) is to glorify God by engaging and challenging the youth culture to bring spiritual revival, social reform, and racial reconciliation through alternative forms of art.” (If you have any suggestions on this mission statement please let me know, I would love to hear them. Also, any ideas on a name for this ministry?) Spiritual revival, social reform, and racial reconciliation will be the focus of this ministry.

The avenue in which we would pursue these goals would be through “alternative forms of art.” My vision is to create a venue in which teens & young adults can express themselves through rap/music, dance, even poetry if it comes up. This ministry would be modeled after “The Loaf” which is a ministry of the Salvation Army in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

The Loaf

The Loaf, rather than connecting with the rap culture, connects with the “hardcore” culture. They have shows (or gigs/concerts) once a month on Friday night that attracts more than 300 kids. At their last event they had around 450. The Friday night events evolved into “Loaf Worship” which takes place on Sunday night and connects with the same culture. Loaf Worship, which just began three or four weeks ago, is having an attendance of somewhere between 40 and 50. Most of those are the result of the Friday night gigs.

The Loaf Format

The Friday night gigs usually consist of around six local bands. They will sometimes bring in a “headliner” to generate interest. (At the first event Mortal Treason was the headliner.) Each band, with the exception of the headliner, will normally play a 15 to 20 minute set. Doors open around 6:30 p.m., the show begins at 7:00 p.m. and goes ‘till around 11:00 p.m. to mid-night. It’s $5.00 at the door with free snacks. It’s awesome. Here are some photos off their web-site to help you get an idea of the atmosphere.

Our rap ministry could look something like this. Have you seen Eminem’s movie “8 Mile?” If you have, then you know what kind of venue I’m thinking about. The difference between “8 mile” and ours is that ours will be positive and missional.

Here’s the question in regards to church: Where does this thing (The Loaf or our new ministry) go? You obviously could add (as they’re doing) a culturally relevant worship and discipleship component. But then what? I mean, think about it . . . What’s the chance of any of these kids finding home in any of our churches? What if they are called to ministry? Does our denomination/organization have a place for them? I guess we do. . .as long as they change and become like us . . . as long as they’re willing to leave their culture and learn a new language.

What happens when a culture or generation arises that does not value our religious traditions and practices? What happens when the people whom we are called to reach does not respect or appreciate our form and expression of worship? What do we do? How do we respond?

Feel free to comment. I’m interested in your response.

Check out The Loaf’s web site for more info at: http://www.attheloaf.com/

(PS If I respond to your comment I will respond on this post.: )

Is "church" a waste of time?

Most of the churches that are growing these days are growing primarily from transfer and biological growth (there are, of course, exceptions). So basically, if you’re running a church with all the “traditional” elements, then you’ve got to do “church” really well to attract people. The result is, you spend a LOT of time, energy and resources making church “good” so that you can attract either church people or church people who really need to get back into church. All the while people, who really need us to reach out to them on their level, are going to hell in a hand basket.

What about making church a little more productive? What I mean is, maybe we shouldn't center on “worship” in the "traditional" Sunday morning sense. Instead, we could make Sunday morning worship time more like an ongoing “training camp.” The purpose of getting together would be to train and prepare for ministry.

The attitude could be like this: “If all you want is a church to serve YOU, then go somewhere else. This isn’t the place for you. We are an army - a mission. We expect everyone here to enroll in a discipleship training course and be serving others OUTSIDE THE CHURCH in some way. We have service opportunities and expect everyone to engage in ministry.”

Anyone who could not find a ministry could join others in a “think/prayer tank” (that meets weekly) where they would seek God and discuss ideas for reaching others with the gospel. Those who have an idea are free to find volunteers, organize others, and engage in ministry.

The purpose of a ministry such as this would not be to get people to attend Sunday school or the Sunday morning meeting. Each ministry would uniquely connect and engage a sub-culture of the community. Each ministry would have a discipleship component that helps new believers grow personally and spiritually and empowers them to serve others.

What do you think? I’ll post part II in few days. In that post I’ll give some ideas that we’re working on and I'll clarify some of my comments a little further.

Tell me what you think. Is “church” a waste of time?

(PS If I respond to your comment I will respond on this post.)

Gideon the Revolutionary

Judges 6:25-27 says this:

That LORD said to Gideon, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering." 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him.

What is a Revolutionary? A general definition might be “one who advocates and organizes extreme change from the current status-quo.” Apply this to a Christian context and you find someone who is radical in their commitment to Christ and organizes extreme change that challenges people to move toward God.

Gideon was a revolutionary. Although he originally had misperceptions about God (Judges 6:13), he quickly obeyed God’s command to tear down the altar of Baal and build an altar to the Lord.

Gideon lived in a day when the hearts of God’s people turned to other gods. The worship of Baal was openly practiced and socially accepted. Tearing down an altar not only challenged the status-quo but made a bold statement about the sin of God’s people.

Gideon’s actions were so offensive that the men of the town demanded that he be put to death (Judg 6:30). (These people were serious about their religion weren’t they?) Gideon started a revolution. As a result, the power of God was displayed in magnificent ways and a nation was set free from oppression.

But where did Gideon’s revolution begin? It began at home. Notice what Judges 6:25 says, “Tear down your father's altar.” Before Gideon could get a nation right he had to get his own family right. This is biblical. What does 2 Chron 7:14 say? “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Do you want to start a revolution? It starts at home. Do we as Salvationists want to turn a nation back to God? Then it begins with the Army.

Here are some questions for us to ponder: What altars exist in our lives? I don’t doubt that many of us have erected altars to God. The question is have we destroyed the altars built to other gods? As Salvationists we hold high the banner of Christ. But are we not guilty of holding our own flag just as high? Maybe even higher?

One God; one altar; one purpose; one mission.

What do we really say?

No one will argue that an effective ministry must be a relevant ministry. Although meeting felt needs is an essential element of relevant ministry, the importance of communicating the gospel in ways that are culturally relevant cannot be overstated.

The Apostle Paul spoke of the importance of cultural relevance when he said, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” Paul was willing to adapt from one cultural context to the next. “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law. . . so as to win those under the law. . . To the weak I became weak, to win the weak (1 Cor 9:20-23).” Paul was willing to sacrifice his own personal preference and traditional expressions of worship all for the sake of the Gospel. Are we willing to do the same?

In his book “Radical Outreach,” George Hunter points out that “culture communicates” and language is only one of the “primary message systems” in a culture that communicates meaning (or blocks its communication). He mentions that there are at least nine other “primary message systems” that, rather than learning consciously like language, we “acquired” unconsciously. He mentions “space” ( i.e. standing too close to someone on an elevator) as a message system and how it relates to the cultural context of a community. Time & play (i.e. having fun) are also message systems that communicate.

He mentions another message system that I’ve always been aware of but never knew how to define - it’s called “materials.” Materials are “extensions” – such as clothes, furniture, buildings, weapons – for almost everything we do with our bodies; and that material, and how we use it, communicates.

So here’s the question: What does our uniform communicate? Is the uniform an effective tool for communicating the gospel? Is it relevant? Is it effective? Should officers be permitted to wear something other than the present uniform? What are your thoughts?

GO FASTER!

In Judges chapter 2, the Bible records this:

“After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths (Judg 2:10-14)."

Here’s a question: How does a whole generation grow up and not know the Lord? After all, God instructed Israel to “Impress [my commands] on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up (Deut 6:7).”

Thom Rainer says “Our recent research on the younger generation, the bridgers (born 1977 – 1994), indicates that only 4% of the teenagers understand the gospel and have accepted Christ, even if they attend church. Of the entire Bridger generation, less than 30% attend church. America is clearly becoming less Christian, less evangelized, and less churched (Surprising Insights From the Unchurched).”

Is our nation becoming less Christian? If a whole generation grows up and does not know the Lord, whose fault is it? Do we care more about our own personal comfort, religious tradition, and “branded” methods of ministry than we do about reaching the present generation? If the mission is the mission then mission accomplished is all that should matter. Add any string, hindrance, or barrier and you divert the mission.

Our founding General said this:

Does salvation keep pace with the increase in population? Make the calculation in your most favored Christian cities, and you will find we are terribly behind in the race. Do we keep pace with the devils in energetic and untiring labor? Do we go as fast as death? Is he not always stealing a march on us? Oh, say no more! We’ll close our ears, my comrades, to this cold, unfeeling, stony-hearted utterance of unbelief! LET US GO FASTER!
– William Booth–

So. . .what do you think? Do we attach strings to our mission? Are we effective? What else can be done to be more effective in ministry?

Mission, Fundraising and the Army

Do you struggle trying to find balance between the Army’s evangelistic and social mission? Do you feel that government money and/or fundraising divert the mission of the Army?

In his book, Origins Of The Salvation Army, Norman H. Murdoch discusses the historical context in which the army’s social services evolved. It seems that the issue of accepting government money and fundraising has been an issue for the army since the 1880s. Here’s what he says:

“Growth was the preeminent future of the Army in the early 1880s. By 1885, however, Booth was adopting new goals and tactics which drastically altered the army. He had founded an urban mission to preach salvation from sin in East London slums in 1865. By 1874, he had given up the normal mission program of mixing salvation with soup as being beyond his financial resources and counterproductive in that social service programs attracted a following of ‘soupers.’ In fact, by 1876, he was aware of his inability to deal with the slum clientele and turned to the ‘respectable’ working class. Among this population, the Army experienced significant growth in the early 1880s. But as the decade progressed, the soul-saving methods of Booth’s formative years no longer were working as they once had, even with the working class.

By 1885 – 87, the army stagnated, just as the Christian Mission had done in East London by 1877. It was in this climate that Booth would turn toward social salvation. Thus it was the Army’s failure to grow as a revivalist sect, that turned it in the direction of social services. The Army soon became a religious sect with a social service ministry (p. 116-117).”

“As the army lost personnel and money a new approach was in order.” “In late 1888, Booth was for the first time asking government aid for his rescue, slum, and shelter work ( p.155).” “By the 1920s, most of the army’s income in the U.S. came from federated community funds. As the army sought ways to increase its income, it tempered its aggressive Christianity in both verbiage and action. Spiritual programs became irrelevant to its survival (p.171).”

Here’s my point. The army wouldn’t have survived if it weren’t for government money. The army tempered its “aggressive” Christianity and bowed to the almighty dollar (according to Murdoch). Are we still doing that today? Do we temper our message for community dollars?

What if we quit fundraising? What do you think about officers working second jobs?

It appears, from Murdoch’s book, that the Army has always struggled to be affective and bear fruit with the “social services” method of outreach. What do you think? Should we stop fundraising? Stop accepting government money? Can the army bridge the mission of evangelism and social services and be effective?

Relevant or Relic?

Which of the following definitions best describe the values, practices, and objectives of your church or denomination?

Relevant: Related to the matter hand, to the point; pertinent. Applicable to current social issues; distinctive.

Relic: Something that has survived the passage of time, an object or custom whose original cultural environment has disappeared; something cherished for its age or associations with a person, place or event; an object of religious veneration; anything old, leftover, or remaining; the remains of a dead person; a corpse.

Any thoughts?

What Do Leaders Do?

James B. Richards has written a book called “The Lost Art Of Leadership.” His idea of leadership is that “the key to success is not using other people to fulfill our dreams but helping them fulfill theirs.” He says that “leaders inspire commitment by demonstrating commitment to their people and to the philosophy and goals of the organization. . . people who know they are genuinely cared for are much more likely to give themselves freely and wholeheartedly to the organization and its mission.”

As church leaders, God calls us “to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Eph 4:12).” Part of helping people fulfill their dreams is helping them understand who God created them to be and what He wants them to do. Helping people discover, develop and use their spiritual gifts is one way to help people find fulfillment and purpose in life.

Committing ourselves the development and growth of our people will not only change them, but it will change us and it will change others. Someone once said, “If I could win and disciple five people, I would do well. However, if I could help five people win and disciple five other people, I would do better.”

Blessings,

Bret

How Do You Define Success?

I define success in terms of Kingdom impact. For example, if I help 1,000 people with rent, utilities, and food but lead no one to Christ and add no one to my church then, as far as I’m concerned, I’ve failed.

Jesus said to “Go and make disciples. . .” Our mission statement (for the Southern Territory) is to “make radical followers of Jesus. . .”. This is my gage for success. The challenge comes when I begin to evaluate my ministry and look for tangible results. When I don’t see the results I’m looking for I naturally begin asking tough questions, identifying barriers and looking for practical solutions that will yield results.

Here’s an exercise for you. Divide your yearly worship attendance by the total number of meetings and get an average worship attendance for the year. Get yearly averages for the last 10 to 12 years. This will create a visual image of how your church is doing in terms of attendance and can serve as an evaluation tool in measuring the effectiveness of your church. Here is an example of a Corps here in the Southern Territory.

The dark blue represents the morning worship and the pink represents Sunday school. The highest average attendance in morning worship was about 50 back in 1993. In 2005 this church averaged 48. Sunday School attendance has dropped from 58 to 34 over the course of 13 years.

Is this church effective? What’s your church look like? Does your average worship attendance reflect the number of seekers recorded each year?

Probe, prod, explore, investigate and ask hard questions. Are we effect? If so, how? If not, why not?