It’s not that we don’t like the idea of church and real faith, it’s just that church seems to be too event focused and we want something more.  We are all tired of the monologue style of service.  We agreed that we all loved music and worship, we liked the community of friendship and the hanging out but the presentation part of church needs to change.  It needs to be more interactive, more relational and allow real experience with one another.  What this is all going to look like in the end, I don’t know.   That’s the fun part, let’s keep working at this experiment until we get where we need to be.  Let it evolve into something that we can all really be proud to be a part of.  Yes, I used the word evolve, the word itself isn’t evil, it’s a very definitive word.

The whole experience needs to be re-thought.  We have some ideas but I am not going to share all of those yet.  Maybe later.    We want people to have a quality experience from the time they walk in, not just a polished event experience but the whole package.  We have a ways to go, but we are excitied about the journey to get there.

I mean can you see Jesus on the last passover as they are celebrating the passover lamb and Jesus says “do this in remembrance of me.” That he thought forward in time and saw a million churches gathering in a service with little cups of juice and crackers and this is what he intended? The early church celebrated this as they had meals together. They didn’t hand out little crackers and cups of juice. It was integrated into real life, not religious life. Real faith, not temple faith. Jesus , was clear on ending the time of the temple. Jesus was clear on his opinions on the professional religious life. Jesus taught to live life in faith. Not to create another environment of man made rituals that gave the appearance of faith. Faith and Jesus are to be lived and experience in the real life that God gave you. Your life is the journey of faith.

Enjoy,

Pastor Chad 

Maybe the Church Should Become a Little More Like Wal-Mart…

What is the price or value of a soul?

$215,000.

That’s the price that Wal-mart has put on each of their customers. A couple weeks ago, I happened upon a documentary on CNBC about the inner workings of Wal-mart. It was a very interesting program. One of the main things that stood out to me is that Wal-mart has done extensive research into their business.

If, for example, I go into my local Wal-mart store and get bad service; can’t find what I need; have to wait in the checkout line too long; or anything else that really makes me upset, Wal-mart knows that they have a lot to lose. In fact, they’ve calculated the value of what I’m worth to them. If I get mad at Wal-mart and never return, I have just cost the company (on average) $215,000. That’s how much sales they have figured they will lose from the average customer over their lifetime if they don’t come back…

Wal-mart puts a high value on me and every other person and family in my community.

Many churches, on the other hand, seemingly couldn’t care less about the people in their community. Sure, we give them lip service, but when it really comes down to reaching our target, many of us are too busy arguing about carpet color, worship styles, and how much to ‘give’ to missions in Africa, all the while missing the main point of reaching our own community for Christ.

Wal-mart provides diapers and socks and hemorrhoid cream for a profit.

The church offers eternal life and salvation for free.

Shouldn’t our communities know we value them at least as much as Wal-mart?

FOR DISCUSSION: Here’s today’s questions for you:

–Does your church value people more than Wal-mart?
–If so, what does that look like in your community?
–Who is better at reaching their audience in your community? Your church or Wal-mart?
–Does your church even have a specific target audience?
–Does your church have a specific plan to reach that audience?
–If your church shut down today, would your community notice?
–And if they noticed, would they care?
–What is your church offering your community that no one else can or does?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and response.

Todd A. Rhoades
Editor / Publisher – MondayMorningInsight.com

PS—Please know that I realize that not everyone is a huge fan of Wal-mart. And no, I’m not calling for the commercialization of the church or for the church to take the same business tactics as a giant corporation. I’m also not comparing the church to Wal-mart’s hiring practices, their growth and expansion strategy, or their position on gay workers and benefits. Just to be clear… I’m just saying that Wal-mart knows their target and does everything in their power to reach their target more effectively. That by itself is something that I think most churches can learn something from.

]]> http://chaddvoracek.com/blog/2007/06/12/should-the-church-become-more-like-walmart/feed/ 0 http://chaddvoracek.com/blog/2007/04/14/god-doesnt-live-in-my-box/ http://chaddvoracek.com/blog/2007/04/14/god-doesnt-live-in-my-box/#comments Sat, 14 Apr 2007 06:13:23 +0000 Chad Dvoracek http://chaddvoracek.com/blog/?p=28 God doesn’t live in my box. I know it is nice and shiny and furnished with all my great thoughts of how God should be, but…he still doesn’t live there. My box is filled with all kinds of theology, most of which I think is correct might I add! but…God still isn’t and can’t be defined by this. God is bigger and greater then anything I can think, say or read. My view of God doesn’t contain Him but more accurately it is a very slight sliver or glimpse of what God is.

The other night the youth leaders were fasting and praying over the youth meeting for a few days before. They all sensed that God wanted to do something but they didn’t have a clue as to what. As the meeting started this was explained to the youth in a very short talk. Darrick, our associate/youth Pastor, said…”ok, God wants to do something tonight…go find a place to wait on God.” Maybe a few more words then that but not many. Then they started playing some heavier Christian music. I thought, the youth leaders are nuts! We have some first time visitors and they are going to not understand and the music really isn’t the right kind for worship! I liked the music, just not my choice for seeking after God. I was so very wrong. Not only did God move but in an incredible way. Nobody walked away from that meeting un-touched by the God who lives. Some came to meet Jesus for the first time, angels and mankind were rejoicing together!

God doesn’t live in my box. He never will. If I ever think that I have things all figured out, I have truly lost my way, my purpose and my pursuit of God Most High!

I think our situation is not unique nor are we the only church in the world that must ask this question. I would contend that our whole model and system for being, must change. The generations following this current system of function is leaving the church and not returning. Look at any study tracking youth and college age students and see how many are walking away….walking away from the church & walking away from the faith. Why is this?

What is it that what we have created as a organizational system has become more repellent to a healthy faith then it is attracting? All across this great United States, the American church as an average is in decline? Pastors are leaving the ministry in droves, churches are closing their doors…yet we still saddle up the dead horse every week with hopes that it may rise again.

I don’t think the issue is in lost theology or misplaced doctrine for we truly have an advanced and highly developed theology, more so than most of the two thousand years preceding us. Sure, there are issues that are different in all denominations, areas of doctrine that we disagree on, but for the most part in the evangelical church we agree on a lot of the major points.

Some say we lack prayer, but I know a lot of praying people that are having zero impact on their community. Some say we lack the Holy Spirit, yet I know many that claim the baptism of the Spirit, yet the church still declines. We have a tendency to over-spiritualize things. Sin and materialism could certainly be an issue, but I know some very devout people that lead Holy lives, yet without fruit.

Could it be that we have just somewhere lost what it means to be a Christian? What it means to live as a follower of Jesus? Have we not, just maybe, scrambled our priorities and evolved as an organization that is more focused on fulfilling our desires then it is on serving the living God?

What do you think? Who are we anyway and who do we need to become?