I believe that those who have a real concern for communicating the gospel to the people God has sent them to will find great value in research that explores and exposes cultural and religious trends. So, of course, I want to share a few things with you that are worth noting.

The ARDA Archives have been updated
I've blogged about The Association of Religion Data Archives before (some great stuff there). Well, the website has recently been updated with several new improvements and features.

ARDA's GIS Maps now have an improved interface that is much easier to use. It provides one-button access to a report for the displayed error and changing areas is as easy as enter a zip code and clicking a button. Try it out at here.

Our U.S. Congregational Membership feature now includes advanced reports. View membership reports for any selection of counties, metro areas or states that you want! Our advanced state reports provide quick links for maps of census divisions. Try it out here.

ARDA's National Profiles have been updated. The Adherents page for each country and region has been updated to include agnostics. The Socio-Economic page includes education measures such as the adult literacy rate and gross enrollment rate.

Check out the Census 2000 Foreign-Born Population Map Series by Selected Countries of Birth

These state level maps show percent distributions and some detailed socio-economic characteristics from Census 2000 for the foreign-born population in the United States and Puerto Rico for selected countries of birth, such as Mexico, China, the Philippines, India and El Salvador. Comparative maps for the native and total foreign-born populations are also provided. The socioeconomic characteristics include poverty rate, public assistance income, labor force participation rate, language ability and year of entry for noncitizens. Internet address. (Check it out)

Getting Current: Recent Demographic Trends in Metropolitan America
The Brookings Institution has released some helpful stats in their March 2009 report on recent demographic trends across the United States. It's a 28 page report that breaks down trends concerning migration, immigration, aging, educational attainment, and poverty in the United States. The report reveals:

Migration across states and metro areas has slowed considerably in the past two years due to the housing crisis and looming recession.

Racial and ethnic minorities are driving the nation's population growth and increasing diversity among its younger residents.

The next decade promises massive growth of the senior population, especially in suburbs unaccustomed to housing older people.

Even before the onset of the current recession, poverty rose during the 2000s, and spread rapidly to suburban locations.

There's a lot more. Download the report here (PDF)

Here is my interview with a French pastor, Julien, who tells a fascinating story of his journey to be a bi-vocational church planter in France:

A neat journey...

Here are two interviews worth your time.

First, I interview Luigi who talks about the church he is a part of in Venice. It is a fascinating story of an indigenous believer now serving as an elder at his church. Second, is Scott. Scott is the real deal-- a church planter with a heart for the people to whom God has called him. I was told that less that 10% of missionaries return to France after 1 five year term. Scott is coming up on his third term. He has my respect and you should give him a moment of your time.

Luigi in Rome, Italy
Luigi, like many in Italy, grew up Catholic, but was later led to Christ through the ministry of an American missionary. After a year of hearing the gospel, and then attending worship he says he could see the difference between the religion he grew up with and the gospel and was converted. He is now an elder, leading worship and preaching at Christian Bible Church (it sounds much cooler in Italian). He stays connected to the community through his fulll time work in the electronics business.

Luigi talks about the religious culture in Rome (people are Catholic, but typically do not attend church but 2-3 times a year) and explains why the church of Jesus Christ in Italy needs partnership from their brothers and sisters in the States.

Scott in Marseille, France
Here I talk with Scott at the Notre-Dame de la Garde about gospel ministry in the post-Catholic city of Marseille. Here there is a very small Evangelical presence and a growing Muslim population in the midst of a very secular culture. Scott shares some of the difficulties of missionaries coming into this area, and explains that the key is relationships and time. He also talks about how North American Christians and churches can get involved.

I continue to be challenged (and increasingly burdened) by the work here in Europe. You can follow along with the Upstream Collective at http://thejetset.wordpress.com/.

I am very happy to see that many are finding encouragement and direction in the book, Lost and Found.

If we are going to take the Great Commission seriously we have to figure out how to best communicate the gospel to and connect with the younger generations - especially the unchurched. So, I was very impressed with the continued good work of my friends at Threads. They created this video that gives you a peek into the stats and perspective you'll find in the book. If the video interests you, you should order the book. ;-)

Back in March I posted a multi-part interview with Andy Stanley that focused on communication. That exchange generated a lot of conversation. Some of you helped to make the conversation profitable, and a few of you... well, not so much. Well, just after this past Easter I spoke with Andy again, this time for an interview to talk more about the issues of preaching and communication. Here is that conversation in two parts. I look forward to healthy, charitable dialog in the comments.

Ed:I had the privilege a few months ago to be visiting there at the church which kind of prompted me to begin this blog series... When you're preaching and when you're communicating, what is the goal that you have for the listener? What do you want them do, be, act, or change as you communicate with them?

Andy: Well, actually I think the list that you just gave me is the goal and I think it depends on the kind of sermon. And so, I think every communicator needs to step up to wherever he or she's communicating with a specific goal, and sometimes it is "I want them to know something," sometimes it is "I want them to do something," sometimes it is "I want them to change something." So, in 35 or 40 minutes of a lot of words coming out of my mouth, in my mind, there's always a specific goal. This past Sunday for us was Easter and I wanted our congregation to understand something. It wasn't an application sermon. It wasn't even a "here's something you've never thought of before" sermon. It was a "I want you to understand something" But I think that's going to shift with the topic and shift with whatever series a communicator's in. That's a good question.

Ed: You and Layne Jones coauthored the book, Communicating for a Change, and many people have found it very helpful. What do you think are some elements that pastors and communicators who are doing messages, what do they need to bring to the message so that people can experience or be motivated to experience that change?

Andy: I think a big part of it is passion. And I coach our communicators. Every week I'm in some sort of coaching environment with our communicators on staff, and one of the things I say to them frequently is I say, "Look, you've gotta imagine there's a 21-year-old guy that's sittin' two/thirds of the way back and he's givin' church one more shot. What, where in your message is the passion to reach out and grab that guy by the throat and say, 'You can't leave here without hearing or doing or understanding.'" And so, when it comes to change, I think it's one thing to look at our outlines and our, whatever script we have in front of us.

That's one thing, but I think we have to step up there with somebody in mind or a type of person in mind because, for me, that's what I think fuels me to communicate for change or to communicate for a life change or to communicate to understand something that's never been understood before. And in my world - and you've been around me enough to know - every once in a while, I pull my stool out to the front of the stage and just it on it as close to the edge of the stage I can and lean as far as I can into the audience, and that's sorta my visual way of saying, "Okay, look, if you forget everything else you've heard today, you got to know this one thing, you gotta hear this one thing." And I think from the stage, that's the compelling change part. Here's what's gotta change.

Ed:When you communicate, you're known and have really promoted and encouraged people to consider that one-point approach to really make it simple, make it clear, make it compelling. Why is that? Why one-point? Because many of us were taught to have these three points, four points. Why have you narrowed the focus down to one thing?

Andy: You know it's interesting, and I'll answer the question directly, but actually at Dallas Seminary, we studied Haddon Robinson's book on preaching which all of us have been exposed to or was a textbook, and the thing is, Haddon taught us to preach one-point messages. I mean, if you look at biblical preaching or you look at his text, he teaches "What's the one thing?" The problem is: nobody did it. Even when I was in seminary and we were using that book as a textbook, even in class, nobody drove us to, "Hey, what's your one thing?" So, I feel like I'm doing what I was taught to do in seminary because I felt like that was the model. But the thing I think - and I shared this in book - the thing that really turned a page for me was, when I was in seminary, I was invited to teach a chapel for a Christian high school and I had this really amazing message I thought, and that morning when I got, or actually it was the night before, as I was lookin' over my notes, I thought, "You know what? They don't care about any of this." I've got all this stuff and all this content. They're seniors and juniors and sophomores in high school. They have chapel every week. They don't care. And they're not gonna remember any of this. And I just felt compelled to say, "Okay, if they're only gonna remember one thing, which they probably won't remember anything, but if they're gonna remember one thing, what do I want it to be?" And I rewrote my whole message towards that one thing. And that was a defining moment for me in terms of preparation and communication and I've just sorta stuck with it since then.

Ed: How do you keep from just making up statements or points, finding scriptural footnotes to kinda make a predetermined point?

Andy: Well, for me, I really, really, really want the text to speak for itself. And there have been so many times I've gone into my preparation with an idea in mind, come out on the other end with a completely different idea, and I really to the best of my ability, I want the text to speak. And I think once we've done our due diligence in terms of really, really, really doin' our textual work, using the languages, usin' the helps, whatever a man or woman or uses to prepare, I think from that, that' where we ask the question, "Okay, what's the thing the author is tryin' to communicate? What's the thing God was tryin' to illustrate through this story? What's the idea that comes out of this narrative?" So, I really think it's all in the text, but it just takes a long time sometimes to get there. And as I've told our staff and I tell my wife frequently, sometimes it's really not until Saturday night or even sometimes Sunday morning when it finally dawns on me, this is the thing that I've gotta carry with me to the platform today. So, it's hard work, for me anyway.

Ed: Well, like you said, "I want the text to speak for itself." What do you say to people that say, "Well, Andy, if you want the Text to speak for itself, just work through it verse by verse"? What are the advantages and disadvantages of that, and how do you come down there?

Andy: Well, I think anyone who listens, not to a sermon I've preached, but anyone who listens to a bunch of sermons I preach know that I, my favorite thing is to take a passage and to work through a passage word by word, verse by verse. I love to do that. That's what I was trained to do. So, I think on any given Sunday, I preach exegetically. What I don't do is pick up where I left off last week with the very next verse. Now, I've done that through the book of Jonah, done that to the book of Nehemiah, but typically, we're picking a topic, and then I'm picking passages that I think speak to that topic, and then I'm exegeting those passages.

I think preaching verse-by-verse through books of the Bible is a fun thing to do. I love listening to that kind of teaching. That's actually how I do my quiet times. My quiet time is verse by verse, take as long as I need to to work through a book of the Bible and write down insights and observations, but in terms of what happens on a Sunday morning, as I'm lookin' at my audience and as I look at the Text, even the writers of the Text don't give equal weight to everything, and verses, I mean, and these books of the Bible, especially the epistles, were written to be read holistically.

I think when I get to heaven, Paul is gonna say, "Wow, you found a whole lot more in there than I originally said because I meant for somebody to stand up and read the whole book of Ephesians at one time to the local church, and gosh, you spent six weeks pickin' through there." So, I think sometimes, if we're not careful, we miss what the author's trying to say because we spend so much time on three or four sentences that the author said as they made their entire argument. And honestly, I think that's a little dangerous, and I think both of us would agree and everybody listening to your podcast would agree, we have heard preachers and communicators make more of Text than the author originally intended because they decided, "I'm only gonna cover these five verses or these six verses this particular Sunday." And I think we can actually miss the message of the author doing that sometimes.

But I do wanna say, I don't think it's a wrong way to preach or an inadequate way to preach. And obviously, John McArthur and others have made a career and have built very, very mature believers and very strong churches around working through books of the Bible over and over. So there's, it's just a preference thing I guess.
And there seems to be a bit of resurgence of that.

Part 2b will drop later in the week. In the mean time jump into the meta and share your thoughts and practices concerning preaching in ways that connect the truth to the people God has sent you to.

Hello from Rome! They Jet Set Tour keeps us moving, so I am pretty tired and heading to bed, but I wanted to get a video up of part of my interview of Steve Miller, campus pastor at The Journey (Tower Grove campus) in Saint Louis, MO. Steve talks to us about how a church in the States can be involved in church planting and advancing the gospel internationally.

It's been a great trip -- exciting to see all that God is doing here in a place most Americans really do not understand. Stay tuned for more updates from The Jet Set Tour!

Here I talk with Michael Carpenter (blog - twitter) about the church he has planted (Matthew's House) and how they might be involved in global church planting. It is a good reminder that "missional" involves joining God on His global mission.

Take a look:

Kary Oberbrunner, Pastor of Discipleship and Leadership Development at Grace Church in Powell, Ohio and the author of The Fine Line, Called and The Journey toward Relevance, is doing something cool over at his blog; a series of concise interviews called "5 Questions with...". I was happy to be the latest contributor in that series. Head on over the Kary's blog to see his post. The interview is below.

How did you get from there to here?

I started my first church at 21 years old in the inner-city of Buffalo, NY and fell in love with being on mission. I planted there and in Erie, PA and started reading all I could on ministry and mission. I planted for 10 years, then became a seminary professor, earned a Ph.D., and wrote my first book. Now, I basically do research, write, and speak to pastors and church leaders.

Give us the Big Idea behind Lost and Found.

Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them is a book that shows the younger unchurched people are open spiritually (even more so than their older unchurched counterparts), but are closed to church. However, instead of just telling you that, we looked at churches and ministries that were actually reaching the younger unchurched.

Please identify one of your leadership weaknesses that's been exposed while in ministry.

I fail to take care of myself when I lead others.

How have you closed that leadership gap?

God has recently convicted me of that very thing and I have sought to lead myself into better spiritual, emotional, and physical health.

Don't worry about sounding arrogant or bold, but what are some God-sized dreams He's placed in your heart?

I would like to help evangelical churches across the Western world to take their biblically-driven theology and apply it as they live on mission in their contexts.

As I mentioned on Twitter last week, I received an email from Barb Winter that the great American missiologist Ralph D. Winter passed away Wednesday night May 20th. Ralph had been battling the resurgence of the multiple myeloma that has plagued his body since 2002 and the lymphoma diagnosed in early February of this year. Several mini strokes plus drop foot in both feet following his surgery in March complicated his recovery. Ralph was 84.

His influence in the church and the world for missions is unrivaled. Time Magazine tagged Winters as one of America's 25 most influential evangelicals. His book, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, is an essential read, proving formative and motivational for thousands of believers who begin to see God's heart for world evangelization.

I had the chance to know Ralph when he contributed an essay to a forthcoming book I am editing with David Hesselgrave. His keen insights are, as always, challenging.

He will be missed.

I'm out of the country at the moment, but I'll be back soon enough - just in time to travel some more. At least this time it's closer to home and my whole family will be with me.

Here are some events coming up:

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary D. Min. Seminar

In early June (1st - 5th) I'll be a guest professor at SEBTS teaching a doctoral seminar titled, "Practical and Strategic Issues in Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth." I love my time teaching at seminaries and Southeastern is an amazing school.

Advance09

Be sure to not miss Advance09 that same week. Piper, Driscoll, Chandler, Akin, Greear, and many friends... you won't want to miss it.

Here is something for the Fall:

A Note from Bob Whitesel to GCRNet (ASCG) Leaders

My friend Bob Whitesel sent this out about a future conference and I am passing it on to you. Be sure to click on the link to see the program. Some great speakers there.

As you know, we have an exciting Annual Conference for The Great Commission Research Network coming up Nov. 11-12, 2009 in New Orleans, hosted by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Hope to see you in New Orleans this fall.

I recently had the opportunity to engage the public concerning exclusive truth claims at USA Today. Is there Only One Way? was the topic - one that I obviously am passionate about, and one that many who attend church appear to be confused about. You can read the introduction here, and I am reproducing the article here on my blog. If you want to follow the conversation that followed in nearly 100 comments be sure to go directly to the USA Today site.

Is There Only One Way?

Recently, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released a survey regarding the beliefs of Christians and their views on entrance to eternal life (http://religions.pewforum.org/reports/reports_2). The first article released by Pew included these findings:

"Most Americans agree with the statement that many religions - not just their own - can lead to eternal life. Among those who are affiliated with a religious tradition, seven-in-ten say many religions can lead to eternal life. This view is shared by a majority of adherents in nearly all religious traditions, including more than half of members of evangelical Protestant churches (57%)."

I wrote about this issue on my own blog (www.edstetzer.com) in "Are Evangelicals Really Universalists?" as a response to an earlier Pew Research project (http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2008/06/are-evangelicals-really-univer.html).

Our team at LifeWay Research (and many others) felt the definition of "religion" might lead, for instance, some Pentecostals to say that Lutherans can find eternal life through their "religion." In other words, some would hear "religion" and think "denomination." (Pew, as a professional organization, always releases the questions they ask and such analysis and questions are normal in our field.)

So I (and it appears many others) contacted the good people at the Pew Forum to share my concerns. They were gracious to listen to my concerns and subsequently re-asked the questions in a follow-up survey with a more closely worded query. In their most recent study (http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=380), I believe they have asked better questions and brought the issue into a sharper focus.

In their new study, Pew research states that 65% of all self-identified Christians believe eternal life can be obtained through a non-Christian belief system. Furthermore, they found that 80% of that group can "cite an example of at least one non-Christian religion that can lead to salvation."

In summary:

Pew Study 1: In the first study, Pew posed the statement, "My religion is the one true faith leading to eternal life, OR Many religions can lead to eternal life," asking respondents to agree with one or the other (or neither), to which 57% of members of evangelical churches agreed with the latter. (from the full report: http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report2-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf)

Pew Study 2: In the follow-up study, Pew still used the word "religions" in its survey questions, but followed-up with clarifying questions for respondents who indicated that many religions can lead to eternal life. They write, "All respondents who say 'many religions' were asked whether Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism can lead to eternal life . . . In total, therefore, each respondent had the opportunity to name up to four non-Christian faiths." They then found that 80% of self-identified Christians who agreed that many religions can lead to eternal life actually cited at least one non-Christian religion that leads to salvation.

The refinement between the two studies is helpful. With the clarifications and follow-ups added to the "many religions" language of the survey, we can be more certain that Christian respondents were not comparing apples to a different brand of apples, so to speak. By actually citing non-Christian religions that they believe can lead to salvation, Pew has done well to remove the concern that "religions" could be misconstrued by Christians as including other Christian denominations.

Theologians call people with such views universalists or pluralists.

Universalism is a term with a wide meaning, so let me define it as the belief that there are multiple means, ways, and methods to gaining an eternal reward or salvation from the divine being after death. (Some argue a difference between universalism and pluralism, but they overlap in many ways and most news stories used the term "universalism.")

Only one group from the Pew research fell into a majority view when it came to the issue that eternal life can only be obtained through faith in Jesus Christ--white evangelicals at 64%. All other groupings and evangelicals as a whole were shown to believe that actions are necessary to obtain eternal life.

The Pew article said, "The poll also finds that roughly one-third of Americans (30%) believe that whether one achieves eternal life is determined by what a person believes, with nearly as many (29%) saying eternal life depends on one's actions."

Looking at this (and other) data tells us a few things: Americans are very universalistic, self-identified Christians are mostly universalistic, evangelicals are somewhat universalistic. (Those who report evangelical beliefs are slightly universalistic and I will address that later.)

To further the discussion, let's talk about the core issues of exclusivity of beliefs and how that affects culture, religion, and human interaction.

How do you view those who hold such exclusive beliefs? Why do you think that people increasingly seem to hold universalistic and pluralistic beliefs?

Let's make it personal, as well: Many faiths believe there is only one way to God, heaven, righteousness, etc. If you are a person of faith, does your faith teach that? If so, why does it matter?

Today, while I'm off traveling in Germany, I want to point you toward a new article written by my friend and co-author Philip Nation. He's a great friend and a pastor/preacher I trust. Our book Compelled by Love was listed by Leadership Journal as one of the three most significant books for making missional disciples.

Here's the diagram of their "missional tree."

Much of what I write here at the blog and do in my ministry is geared toward pastors, planters, and denominational leaders. It's a great life of comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. But my hope is that at the end of the day, I will have given my life for Christ and the people of His church. And, Philip talks about that at length.  So, let me encourage you to read Philip's new article "A Summer that Counts" at LifeWay.com under the Adult Ministry section.

Having served in multiple places in ministry from being pastor of a rural congregation to education minister at a suburban megachurch, he's got a pretty good grasp of what it takes to help normal Christians make ministry count. This time around, he's giving a few tips for you to pass along to your church members about how to make it a missional summer. Let me encourage you to read it and pass the link along to a few friends. I think Philip's insights can be a a benefit to all of us.

Bill Craig, Director of Lifeway Leadership and Adults, talks about Philip's article in his adult ministry newsletter:

Ahhh, Spring! When the weather starts getting nice outside I start thinking about those long, hot, sunny, Summer days just around the corner. How can I avoid the lawnmower and get to the lake, the golf course, or the seashore as often as possible? If you’re like a lot of other people, you may already be wondering about how to get the most out of your summer. Take a vacation. Spend time with family. Read some good books.

How about making this summer your Summer of Love? Well, not a Summer of Love like the hippies back in 1967, but a Season of opportunity to share God’s love with those who desperately need it. This week’s Adult Ministry article includes 8 tips from Philip Nation that will help you make your summer count by focusing on practical ways you can live with missional purpose, sharing God’s love by expressing real love to your family, friends, and neighbors who need it so much.

I was introduced to this idea of missional living through Compelled by Love. Philip Nation and Ed Stetzer wrote this book to help believers start living and thinking like missionaries—recognizing that even if they never leave their neighborhoods, they can reach people every day for Jesus Christ. At LifeWay we thought that message was important enough to create a seven-week, video-based Bible study that would help you explore what it means to live missionally, and discover how you can start living that way today.

Read Philip’s article and consider making this your Summer of Love. Days filled with the warmth of God’s love, spread to the people you meet wherever you are—at the lake, at the golf course, even at the quick stop, buying gas for your lawnmower. Then imagine the impact your church might have if it were full of missionary-minded believers Compelled by Love!

Yesterday, I was struck by the "red carpet welcome" given to church planters of the Church of God (Cleveland). I was speaking at the National Church Planting Lab and when I came arrived I saw this: every time a church planter walked in, they came down a "red carpet" to the applause of volunteers.

Symbolic? Yes. Do they have difficulties in the COG? Of course. We all do. But, kudos to Michael Knight (national church planting director and COG bishop) for symbolically laying out the red carpet for church planters.

I was moved by the gesture.

I wonder if it was so meaningful to me because I have seen church planters:

-attacked because they used different methods and music
-accused of being _____ (Purpose Driven, Reformed, emerging, contemporary, etc.)
-opposed because their were planting in "my" area
and the list could go on and on...

What if, instead, church planters were welcomed into your denomination, into the area where your church served, and maybe even into your church's strategy?

What a difference that would make.

The symbol blessed a lot of planters today. The reality would bless a lot more.

As I mentioned yesterday, I am in Kentucky today, Virginia tomorrow, and then I will be heading to Germany tomorrow afternoon to spend some time in Europe with the The Upstream Collective. I am speaking to a non-denominational group in Frankfort, Germany and then am off to Rome and Marseilles.

I do two of these trips a year with Upstream as part of my role with the International Mission Board. We think it is important to take pastors and mission leaders globally to give them a taste of missions overseas and to help them find ways to connect with missions internationally.

Please pray for us as our group prepares to go. We will be blogging and twittering about these as we go on the trip.

We shot some video while I was in Rome last year. They are raw, but authentic. Take a look at this one featuring Jason who is doing church planting in Rome. He talks briefly about the religious culture, spiritual climate and how a focus on Jesus helps to overcome some anti-Christian bias.

Obviously you hear a lot about Rome but you may not know as much about Marseilles. Marseilles has a large immigrant population from people in North Africa. The city also has a large Jewish population. Meet Scott who works in Marseilles as a church planter. Scott talks about how they are utilizing Third Places in Marseilles to connect with the French and tell them about Jesus Christ.

We are planning a trip this Fall to Asia. For more information about this trip go to the Upstream website to fill out the initial application. The dates are September 19 - 27th and we will be in Taiwan.

I will be out and about the next few weeks.

Monday: Church of God (Cleveland) National Church Planting Lab

Monday I will be up in Madisonville, KY teaching church planting lab for my COG friends. The Church of God (Cleveland) is one of two Christian denominations among the 25 largest that are growing. I have had the privilege to speak at the National Lab before in addition to some other events with the Church of God. Take a look here for more information.

Tuesday: InnovateChurch

Tuesday, I will be in Lynchburg, VA speaking at InnovateChurch sponsored by Thomas Road on Liberty Mountain. Because I have to leave early afternoon, thanks for Francis Chan for switching times with me.

Immediately after I speak, we will be meeting with people interested in pastor coaching networks. The InnovateChurch website explains:

Where do you go AFTER the conference? What do you do with all the challenging content, information, and inspiration you receive?
---We'd like to suggest NEXT NETWORKS.---
We're partnering with Ron Sylvia and Ed Stetzer of NEXT NETWORKS to offer you a coaching experience. On TUESDAY of the Innovate Church Conference Ron and Ed will be hosting a free luncheon, explaining the coaching that NEXT can provide.

I am looking forward to hanging with my twitter friend, Jonathan Falwell.

Wednesday (and the next 10 days), Germany, Italy, and France:

On Tuesday night, I take off for Germany. I will speak to a group of mission leaders and pastors in Frankfort, then take a group of pastors to Rome, Italy and Marseilles, France. My daughter, Kristen, will be coming along with me. You can follow along on the blog and on Twitter.

Then, we get into June... which I will write more about next week. But, for now:

June 1-6: Teaching at Southeastern

I will be teaching a doctrinal seminar and hanging out with my family in Raleigh Durham. My syllabus is here.

June 4-6: Advance09

I will be speaking at Advance09 and doing a panel discussion with John Piper and Mark Driscoll. You can visit the web page here. I look much more excited than the other speakers. ;-)

See you on the road, on the blog, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

This month Leadership Network and Lifeway Research conducted national research projects to find out how churches are being affected by the current economic slump. Warren Bird and I recently got together to talk about the findings from both surveys in this fast-paced interview with Dave Travis.

Weathering the Storm - How Churches Are Holding Up in the Current Economic Downturn
Download (it's free, people!), listen, and give your thoughts below.

How is your church being impacted by the recession? And, what are you doing in the midst of the recession?

Here is an excerpt from my recent blog on our economy research:

LifeWay News has posted the story with downloadable graphs here.

In this morning's USAToday, you will find Cathy Lynn Grossman's article pointing out the growing numbers of people in need looking to the church for help as we continue through this economic crisis. She includes research that Lifeway Research recently completed. Cathy brings out a few important details and provides some helpful examples.

Nearly two in three pastors (62%) report more people from outside their church asking for help, and nearly a third (31%) see more such requests from church members, according to a survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors.

.....

The survey, by LifeWay Research, a Christian polling firm based in Nashville, finds that 40% of pastors say they have church members out of work, and 37% say their church has increased spending to help the needy. (The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.)

What we found is that while the needs are greater at this time, most of our churches are ready and working to serve those in need and may be in a better place than other sectors of society. The average church actually saw their offerings grow by 4 percent in 2008. Only 12 percent of churches saw their giving decline by 10 percent or more in 2008.

This doesn't mean our churches aren't experiencing difficulty. These are challenging times that demand sacrificial giving by membership and wise spending by churches. And, depending on where they are in the country (and thus the severity of the recession), the situation can be and is different.

We just released this article at LifewayResearch.com that provides much more information about the economy research.

This last year has also brought changes in how those within congregations approach expenditures. Thirty-five percent of churches have a heightened sense of caution within their congregations about trying new things that cost money. A small number of congregations (11 percent) have seen increased reluctance to attend church functions or church-sponsored events that carry a cost or admission charge. Among the other effects the economy has had on churches:

• Seven percent delayed hiring that was planned.
• Six percent reduced staff salaries.
• Four percent laid off one or more employees.
• Four percent reduced insurance benefits for staff.

With these challenges comes greater opportunities for our people to demonstrate love, kindness and support to one another and those outside of the church. In fact, these difficult circumstances are motivating churches to mobilize people for the work of mercy ministries. Be sure to read the USA TODAY article, "In times like these, more people are going to church for help." and "Bad economy challenges churches but provides opportunities" by our team at LifeWay Research. And, as always, you can find the full PowerPoint at LifeWayResearch.com or download it directly here.

How is your church being impacted by the recession? And, what are you doing in the midst of the recession?

I am in Atlanta today talking about two research projects from LifeWay Research.

The first focuses on younger evangelicals and their views of social justice. I am presenting that data at the Flourish Conference. Thus part of that will deal with our recently released data on global warming which was all over the news a few weeks ago. There is much additional data which I will comment on here when it is published.

This afternoon, I am at the North American Mission Board presenting data on first generation immigrant groups and their receptivity to the gospel.

Below is a recent blog post I wrote on our global warming research. Below that is information about our soon-to-be-completed research on first generation immigrant groups.

Lifeway Research recently conducted a phone survey of over 1,000 randomly selected Protestant pastors concerning global warming. The question was not just whether or not global warming is happening, but if it is happening and is the result of anthropogenic greenhouse gases.

Participants were asked to indicate their level of agreement with the statement, "I believe global warming is real and man-made," and it turns out that Protestant pastors are split right down the middle. 47% agree (either strongly or somewhat), and 47% disagree (either strongly or somewhat). But the study is also interesting in that it shows that these views tend to settle in particular denominations, locations and ideologies.

Here's some of the breakdown...

75 percent of pastors in mainline denominations agree global warming is real and man-made, but only 32 percent of pastors in evangelical denominations agree. Pastors in rural areas are less convinced than large-city pastors. Forty-three percent of rural pastors and 55 percent of large-city pastors agree. Pastors in the Eastern and Western United States are more persuaded, 60 percent and 53 percent respectively, than pastors in the South (45 percent) and Midwest (40 percent).

When the pastors' personal beliefs are factored in, the differences grow even more pronounced. Among pastors who consider their political ideology liberal or very liberal, 93 percent agree that global warming is real and man-made, and 79 percent of self-perceived moderates agree. Among those who identify themselves as conservative or very conservative politically, however, agreement is only 37 percent and 16 percent respectively.

Go and read the entire article here, and the PowerPoint presentation of the data is available here.

Here is some information on the people groups research we will complete this summer (excerpted from an earlier blog post):

The latter project, focusing on first-generation immigrants, is some desperately needed research, and the first of its kind. The need for this study "stems from the fact that between 1970 and 2005, the foreign-born population in the United States doubled from about 5 percent to more than 12 percent. By 2050, half the U.S. population is expected to be of a different race than non-Hispanic white."

Why does this matter?

Well, the NAMB leadership explained it this way:

"Out of all the people groups in North America -- and there are 587 based on ethnicity and language -- we need to decide which groups to address first," said Van Kicklighter, senior church planting strategist for NAMB in Alpharetta, Ga. "Who are the most receptive? Which groups are most readily engaged in the Gospel or spiritual things?"

You see, research like this can help us better what people what people believe and how they behave. It can uncover presuppositions, prejudices and preferences, and therefore help us to see what we as the church can emphasize with ease, and what we will have to work at building a case for. I believe in research because it can aid us in developing strategies and determining emphases that allow us to preach and teach with precision. So, I'm grateful for what the North American Mission board is doing as they seek to plant biblically faithful, culturally relevant, counter-cultural churches for the glory of God.

So, a full day of research... but that's a good day if you are me. ;-)

Here is a picture of our team looking for your attendance numbers for the Outreach Magazine/LifeWay Research Special Report that will be published in Fall 2009. If you are a church currently running over 1000 on weekend worship, please fill out this form and fax it to our offices (FAX # is on the form). We would love to hear from you!

In his new book, The Divine Commodity, Skye Jethani challenges the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ who live above the culture of consumerism. This means we need to not only recognize the problem of consumerism (in the world and in the church), and change our behavior, it means we must develop a counter-cultural worldview that is deeply rooted in Scripture. I asked Sky a few questions related to the book, read the interview and ask Skye relevant questions in the comments. He'll be on the blog today to interact the the readers.

You're book critiques consumer Christianity but you doing so by selling a Christian book. How do you reconcile that?

My wife asked me this repeatedly while I was in the process of writing it, and it's something I hear frequently. "Aren't you being a hypocrite?" (If I had a dime....) I think the key is to understand the difference between consumption and consumerism. Consumption is a behavior that we must engage to survive. We must consumer food, water, air, and other resources. And many of us consume books, media, websites, etc. The Divine Commodity is not a critique of consumption (a behavior), but consumerism (a worldview). Consumerism is a way of viewing yourself and the world, and I believe it stands it opposition to the worldview taught by Christ. Consumerism places the consumer at the center of the cosmos, and affirms that the goal of life is to satisfy one's unmet desires, and avoid discomfort, by consuming goods, experiences, and other people. When this gets applied to Christian faith it warps our understanding of self, mission, church, worship, community, and even God.

You state that the church today lacks imagination. What does that mean?

Working for Leadership Journal, I've gotten around to a lot of churches and ministry conferences. Everyone seems to agree that the church in North America is struggling, and the explanations tend to fall into two categories--church leaders are told they either lack the right resources or they lack motivation. I disagree. We are the most resourced Christians that have ever lived (nearly $7 billion a year in Christian books and merchandise alone), and I don't believe the men and women I know in ministry are lazy. They care deeply about Christ's church and his mission. (Sadly many of these ministry conferences are driving sales of new resources or burdening pastors with shame and guilt, but failing to turn the tide of decline in the American church.)

I think our true deficit is imagination. We've embraced the mission of Christ, but we simply cannot wrap our minds around how to do what Jesus envisions. Without having "the mind of Christ" but desiring to be faithful to his command to "go and make disciples," we reinterpret the mission through the only lens that makes sense to us--the one we've inherited from our consumer culture. This explains why our churches are run like corporations, our worship has become entertainment, and why Christianity has become more of a brand than a counter-cultural calling. What we need are imaginations illuminated by God's Spirit to see a new way. That's what my book seeks to unveil by prescribing spiritual disciplines of re-formation and new ways of thinking about faith, church, mission, and God.

Explain the title. How has God become a commodity?

A commodity is something that is not valued for what it is, but for what it may be exchanged for. A subsistence farmer values rice because of its inherent rice-ness; because his family eats it to survive. But once he grows more than enough rice for survival, it becomes a commodity. He doesn't value the surplus rice because it's rice, but because it may be exchanged for something else--tools, clothing, etc.

So it is with God. Those holding a consumer world view see everything as a commodity--assigning value based not on a thing or person's inherent identity, but their usefulness to the consumer. In Consumer Christianity God has not inherent value apart from what he can do for me. As one sociologist studying American faith has put it, our God isn't the one revealed in Scripture--almighty and holy--but a consumer deity part divine butler and part cosmic therapist. Unfortunately many churches are failing to deconstruct this warped understanding of God, and in their attempts to attract religious consumers they may actually be reinforcing the idea that the individual, not God, is the center of the universe.

The art and story of Vincent van Gogh runs throughout the book. What connection does he have to modern consumerism?

In truth van Gogh has no direct connection to modern consumerism, but he plays a critical function in my book. Few people know that van Gogh was a devout Christian who studied to be a pastor and served as a missionary. But he later had a significant falling out with the institutional church. Still, his faith endured and is reflected in many of his paintings. His story of wrestling with faith and a culturally-captivated form of Christianity parallels my struggle and the struggle I've heard from many of my peers.

In addition, van Gogh's art--apart from being stirringly beautiful--is also a window into our imaginations. He expresses biblical truths in a form beyond the didactic. I really consider him a prophet-painter. His paintings help take the reader into the realm of imagination that I believe is so lacking in our churches today.

What is something church leaders can do right away to begin combating the influence of consumerism in their churches?

I think we can start returning the prophetic voice to the pulpit. Consumerism has banished many of these leader to the wilderness--or the ivory tower of academia--where few can hear their call to repentance, surrender, and renewal. They make us too uncomfortable, and when attracting a large crowd is the definition of a successful ministry, those pastors with prophetic inklings are never going to make the cut.

That being said, there is hope. I believe a lot of folks--particularly the younger generation of evangelicals--are longing for preaching that moves beyond the positive. They recognize that sometimes the only way to reach the positive is by traversing the negative--that the only way to new life is through the cross. I believe preaching, at its best, should inspire. It should pull away the curtain of shadow and darkness that covers our eyes so that we can behold a vision of the beauty of Christ and his kingdom. This requires two things. First, it means naming the lies and distortions (the dark curtain) that veil our sight. Second, it requires the illumination of that which is right and true and beautiful about God.

I am convinced that the most opaque curtain in North America blocking our view of God is consumerism. Therefore, it is our responsibility as preachers to name this darkness, show how it is warping our view, and pull it back from the eyes of our people. But critiquing the darkness is never enough. Once the curtain is removed, we must shine the light and illuminate a flaming vision of life with Christ in his kingdom. This is the inspiring sight that should fill our people and lift them to new heights. We must help them see the treasure in the field for which they would sell all they have to buy. This is what I hope to accomplish, with God's help, whenever I ascend to the pulpit, and it is why I was compelled to write The Divine Commodity.

Tomorrow and Tuesday I'll be speaking at the Missional Church Planting Conference at Sojourn Community Church at an event sponsored by the Kentucky Baptist Convention and Campbellsville University. It includes a host of other great speakers and lasts for four days, so be sure to check out the full info here.

I have to say that I am genuinely excited about the gospel-centered, missional approach to church planting that we're seeing in more and more parts of my own tribe. i wish such a "missional church planting" focus would be welcome in more places, but, for now, I will celebrate it when it is welcomed. So, thanks Sojourn Church, Campbellsville University, and the KBC for making this event possible.

If you're near Louisville you should check out the Missional Church Planting Conference running Monday through Thursday (May 11-14).

Details below from their web page:

Where? Sojourn Community Church 930 Mary Street Louisville, KY 40204

When?
Monday-Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Monday Dinner/Q & A with Ed Stetzer: 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday-Thursday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

What?
Is God calling you to plant a church? Are you already involved in a church plant? Are you interested in church growth processes and principles? Join us for a four-day conference that will challenge, encourage and prepare you for this great calling.

On Monday and Tuesday, we'll learn from Dr. Ed Stetzer as he covers a variety of key topics, such as planting models, teams, systems and much more. All participants will also have some Q&A time with Stetzer at a special Monday evening dinner.

On Wednesday and Thursday, you'll gain in-depth insights from four church planting experts, along with breakout sessions and personal testimonies from High Impact church planters in Kentucky. Add in some worship and fellowship, and you've got what we believe will be a highlight in your journey to explore or dig deeper into church planting.

Here are a couple of things about upcoming conferences for my weekly "Saturday is for Seminars" post:

First, for this week:

May 14, 2009

Flourish Conference is the first ever national pastor's conference on creation care. It features a fascinating line up.

Check out the website and get in on it if you're going to be around Duluth, GA this week.

I will be presenting some new research from a poll of 4000 Protestant pastors on their views of social involvement and action, breaking their views down by age, type, etc. Should be some interesting data.

And, here is an upcoming conference for you to consider.

The Great Commission Research Network

The Great Commission Research Conference is coming up Nov. 11-12, 2009 in New Orleans. This is a multi-denominational gathering hosted this year by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Check out the website at GreatCommissionResearch.net and download the brochure here.

I will be presenting data from our research on 5000 churches and if they are seeing gospel transformation in lives, their church, and the community.

Hope to see you soon!

According to Gallup and the Coexist Foundation Americans are more likely than Europeans to be classified as "integrated," meaning that respondents seek to know more about and learn from other religions. The integrated believe that most faiths make a valuable cultural contribution, respect differing perspectives and feel that they are respected themselves.

According to the study 33% of Americans are integrated, with only 20% of British, and 13% of German participants fall into the this category. It also reveals that 35% of British and 38% German respondents are considered "isolated." Those considered isolated tend to not be associated with a particular faith group and are not interested in learning about other religions. Only 15% of Americans are "isolated." In between these groups are the "Tolerant" who have a live-and-let-live attitude toward people of other faiths, and believe in mutual respect. This group makes up the biggest percentage for all groups surveyed.

There is much more to the study that is worth discussing (so go and check it out here), but do the numbers surprise you? What does this mean for the church? What challenges and/or opportunities does this reality create for us in America?

Yesterday, I weighed in on multi-site (see the comments in yesterday's post).

For background, I have written about it in an intentionally provocative post "Questions for McChurch" and then dialogued more about it in a follow-up post here.

I was asked what I think about multi-site in a recent conversation with my friend Alan Hirsch. Alan and I were at a meeting sponsored by the Upstream Collective and Christian Associates.

Here is my response to the multi-site question in video format.

Feel free to weigh in with your own thoughts below.

Everyone's talking about multi-site churches these days. There are books, seminars, and today we have several thousand multi-site churches in North America. Some of you read my series of posts on the subject last year. Well, last week 9 Marks released it's May/June eJournal.

It's good to see 9 Marks putting out an eJournal that doesn't just criticize mulit-site churches, but also includes a defense of them from men like J.D. Grear, Matt Chandler and Gregg Allison. The whole journal can be downloaded here, and I encourage you to check it out. I won't break down everything said in every article, but I will point out a few of the things that caught my attention.

In the 9 Marks eJournal the most consistent criticism of multi-site churches seems to focus on the issue of the church being an "assembly."

The Greek word ecclesia most often translated as "church" means assembly or gathering. The oft heard mantra "one church many locations" is a contradiction in terms. An un-gathered "church" cannot know one another, love another or bear one another's burdens in the same way a single assembly can. -Thomas White, 9 Reasons I Don't Like Multi-Site Churches

The word ekklesia denotes a literal assembly. Therefore, it should not be used to designate a body of Christians who are not characterized by literally assembling together in the same place. -Grant Gaines, Exegetical Critique of Multi-Site: Disassembling the Church?

I have heard this complaint before, and always wonder if such dissenters are actually arguing that a local church must gather the whole body together (in one place at the same time for worship) in order to function biblically as a church. If so, would the argument against multi-site churches equally apply to a church with multiple services in one location? According to Jonathan Leeman: absolutely.

Both the multi-site and multi-service church models remove "the gathering" from the necessary ingredients of what constitutes a particular church, since neither model requires all the members of a church to gather together in order for them to be a church. Instead, both models equate the local church with its leadership and its corporate structure, since it's the leadership and corporate structure that are the only things that the separate assemblies uniquely hold in common. Leadership is the church. Neither the multi-site church nor the multi-service church is a church. -Jonathan Leeman, Theological Critique of MultiSite: Leadership Is the Church

J.D. Grear addresses this perspective in his article, A Pastor Defends His Multi-Site Church,

Some argue that since a local church is by definition an assembly, a multi-site strategy fundamentally skews the nature of a local church. The essence of a New Testament local church, however, is not "assembly" but "covenant body." If the local church is essentially an assembly, then it only exists when it assembles and only when all the members are present. "Assembly" is a much-needed function, but "covenant" is the essence.

J.D.'s article is a thoughtful, reasonable and biblical defense of a multi-site church. (For full disclosure, I have preached at the church J.D. serves and greatly appreciate his church.) Gregg R Allison also offers a Theological Defense of Multi-Site using a four-fold grid (biblical, theological, historical, and missional) to evaluate this popular trend. This is also very good and worth a read.

Much of the criticisms in the other articles assume too much about churches (if we're allowed to call them that) that have gone multi-site, but some legitimate concerns are raised. For example, what about pastoral care? Jeffrey Riddle raises this issue in his article, Richard Baxter and the Multi-Site Movement.

Gregg Allison addresses this issue by pointing to Mars Hill in Seattle.

The response from responsible multi-site churches is that the pastoral team at each campus/site is responsible to provide the full range of pastoral care for its campus/site.

For example, at Mars Hill Church in Seattle,

Each campus must have its own paid staff appropriate for a church its size such as a campus administrator and children's leader, along with some unpaid elders and deacons to administer such things as premarital counseling, small groups, membership. For this to happen each campus must have its own budget that the campus pastor and other elders spend as they see fit, within certain established guidelines for all campuses...." (Vintage Church, 253).

 

Another common question and/or criticism is, "Why not just plant churches?" This is a concern I have, for I believe some churches have opted to go multi-site instead in place of planting. But this is not always the case. In fact J.D. argues that going multi-site is helping his church to develop church plants and planters.

The multi-site strategy does not preclude church planting. Rather, it fosters it! Not every church planter is equipped to be a senior teaching pastor. Campus pastors need to be men who are gifted leaders and good communicators, but not necessarily preachers. Many guys who are great leaders and pastors do not enjoy doing what I do each week, spending 20+ hours preparing messages and deciphering vision. As campus pastors they exercise leadership within their gifts in a way that they could not as church planters. Many of those not gifted to be the senior leader or primary teaching pastor would still make ideal campus pastors.

As you plant new campuses, you will notice some who begin to demonstrate the gift set to lead independent churches. This seems to be how the Jerusalem church operated. They noticed leaders emerging in the ministry who had the capacity to plant churches and they sent them out.

Finally, it has been our experience that multiple campuses provide a leadership pipeline for developing church planters. It provides a place to hone the skills necessary for teaching and leadership. The multi-site strategy is integral to our church planting strategy.

 

Thus, we have found that the multi-site strategy does not in any way eclipse church planting. In fact, it provides an opportunity to determine who has the right gift set to plant and pastor. As it stands now, new churches fail more than half the time. Wouldn't it be helpful to have an in-between stage in which leadership abilities can be tested?

 

And some ask whether or not this can be done while maintaining a congregational church polity. Greg Gilbert points out in his article, What Is this Thing, Anyway? A Multi-Site Taxonomy, there are different models of multi-site churches. Of course, some are less biblical and healthy than others, and Gilbert's piece is helpful in thinking through some difficulties for those who maintain a congregational polity.

Can a multi-site church remain congregational? In Have We Ever Seen This Before? Multi-Site Precedents, John Hammit shares the following account.

This past November I heard of a multi-site church that seemed to avoid most of the aspects of multi-site churches that have been troubling to me. This church, Highview Baptist in Louisville, Kentucky, is one church that meets in six locations. Each of the six campuses has a pastor that teaches his flock, but there is one senior pastor, a single deacon body, and a single budget. However, the whole church also assembles in one location quarterly for services that include baptisms, the Lord's Supper, and the conducting of the congregation's business (accepting new members, discipline of members, voting on matters of official business).

 

I asked the person describing this church why the six congregations do not simply avoid the inconvenience of the quarterly meeting and become independent churches. His reply was that the six pastors do not want independence and the accompanying isolation. They enjoyed being part of a larger body and sharing each others' joys and sorrows as one body.

Like most church models, multi-site churches can be healthy or unhealthy. On the one hand we need to carefully think through the biblical and practical issues related to this approach and not just jump on what, for many, is a new trend. As Matt Chandler confesses in his short piece,

...after studying the issue, we decided to go multi-site. Yet we still have some serious concerns and questions about the multi-site idea even as we participate in it. The problem that haunts us is a simple one. Where does this idea lead? Where does this end? Twenty years from now are there fifteen preachers in the United States?

On the other hand critics need to do a better job at interacting with multi-site models and not assume that all function in the same way. The multi-site phenomenon often grows out of a good problem - a rapidly growing church! I appreciate J.D.'s words,

The multi-site model is messy. As with all large churches, it is easier for important things (like people!) to fall through the cracks in multi-site churches than it is in a single-campus, smaller church. Growth from evangelism always invites chaos and disorder into the church. But it is a wonderful and welcome problem.

If you are interested in more information, I have addressed this issue before at the blog and you might want to read part 1 and part 2 of my dialogue with Geoff Surratt. 

And, one more thought just for fun. I had to chuckle at the book review of Multisite Churches: Guidance for the Movements Next Generation by Scott McConnell (a LifeWay Research book).  I love a review that begins with, "Me reviewing this book is like a PETA employee reviewing a hunting manual... I don't think churches should be multi-site... Strictly speaking, I don't think that multi-site churches even exist."  Only at 9Marks.  ;-)  (Though you gotta' appreciate the disclosure.) But, in that spirit, I will write my review of Finney's Systematic Theology tomorrow.

What are your thoughts on multi-site?

Look for it next year... and follow Tiffany here. (Tiffany is the source of a certain t-shirt that my wife likes a lot.)

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is now offering a new Ph.D. in Applied Theology concentrating in Missions with a track in North American Missiology. This degree is available to church planters, pastors, and others working in the field of North American Missiology with at least three years of field experience. The successful candidate will also meet all the admission requirements for Southeastern's Ph.D. studies. Sound good? Of course it does! SEBTS is an excellent seminary that continues to grow a reputation among serious students of the word and practitioners of ministry.

Here is some of the information now available for this new degree (and note that it does not require relocation to Wake Forest).

[Please see Moving to Health Pt 1 before you read this-- it explains why I am a bad source of advice on weight loss.]

As I mentioned in my last post on the subject, I get a lot of questions about weight loss. Since I speak at conferences, people can often see you once a year and they notice a change. (Here is a pic of me speaking at a conference in North Carolina last year just before I started my plan to get healthy.) And, my last post received elicited many emails, comments, and Facebook messages. So, I am writing a bit more about weight loss. But, let me remind you that I am still moving toward health-- I have not achieved it.

One of the more interesting things about losing weight are the comments you receive. They revolve around several themes that I think might be helpful to consider. And, many of them are myths.

Here are three common comments that I believe are myths:

First, fat people are lazy and slothful. Of course, some fat people are lazy and slothful, but so are some skinny people. But, I was not (and am not) overweight because I was lazy. I don't feel it helpful to layout the "I work hard" evidence, but it is there. I was fat because I worked too much and used food as energy that I lacked because I did not get enough rest. And it's pretty simple. If you consume more calories than your body burns = you gain weight.

Second, overweight people can just stop being overweight. I have tried to lose weight one hundred times. I have started fad diets. They did not work. Most overweight people want to lose weight but find they can't. Part of it is genetic (My mother's side of the family are big people - and I take after them). I do not know a single fat person who is excited about being so.

Third, making comments about someone's weight will motivate people to lose weight. You cannot shame people into change. It does not work.

The most common question I am asked is how I lost the weight. Well, here is my strategy. I have lost 110 thus far and would like to lost about 50 more (though I am just planning to eat healthy until I get to a healthy weight... and then continue to eat healthy).

1) I saw a doctor. Before I did anything else, I saw my doctor, did a bunch of tests, and followed his advice.

2) I stopped dieting. That's right; I am not on a diet. I changed my lifestyle. If I was on a diet, I would go off it one day. Now, I just eat differently.

3) I started exercising. That is probably the most significant change. I exercise 5 days a week for an hour each time. Now, it took me a while to get to that point, but I am in the habit now. I will explain my exercise plan in the next post.

4) I created accountability systems. For me, those were public. I announced it at church (9000 members), on Twitter (about 4000 followers at the time), and on Facebook (about 3000 friends at the time). For me, having thousands cheer you on encouraged me-- and at times, fed my ego as I lost the weight and people noticed. But, I am O.K. with that-- I need the encouragement.

5) We worked as a family. When one person starts eating differently, it can be a real pain. So, we talked about it and all made some changes for the better.

6) We encouraged each other. Far too often, Donna and I were like two drunks-- when one was sober, the other would offer a drink. Instead, we decided to encourage one another. Now, Donna has lost over 70lbs and I have lost over 100, so we exhorting each other to health, rather than pulling one another down.

Now, both of us are not done. We have a ways to go, but we are doing it together.

I will write one more post in the coming days...

Feel free to comment below by sharing your ideas, suggestions, or thoughts... and I promise I won't make this into a fitness blog. ;-)

Here's my most recent article from the newest issue of Outreach Magazine. In this column, I address the issue of declining churches and what are the common factors that helps them succeed in turning around. Check it out below. Of course, if you are a subscriber, you have already read it. If you are not a subscriber, well, get on it by clicking here.

Networking for Comeback Change

Turning around a declining church is not easy. Most won't make the change. And, that should not surprise us. Sick people and sick institutions don't naturally change by themselves.

In Fast Company Magazine, two studies were compared--one in which "90% of heart patients can't change their lifestyles" and another in which 77% of patients did. The difference? The latter provided "support groups with other patients, as well as attention from dieticians, psychologists, nurses," etc. In other words, left alone, most patients choose death over change. When in a setting with relational support, the numbers are almost reversed.

And in Comeback Churches, we saw the same pattern in churches--those who changed often did so with help from others.

The Potential of Learning Community

What if more churches and church leaders decided to get real with each other and challenge each other to make a kingdom difference? What if even 20-25% of the 80-85% of churches that are plateaued and declining in North America decided that they were willing to do whatever it takes to see God turn their church around? What if a group of pastors decided that business as usual wasn't going to cut it--they were going to join together to impact the lostness in their communities?

For that to happen, pastors and churches are going to have to be willing to enlarge their thinking, network with other church leaders, and begin to establish some intentional learning relationships. Change is possible. Churches can make a comeback, but they are often going to have to look outside of their immediate church context for help. Left alone, we choose death over change, with others help we can make better choices.

Expanding Your Ministry Worldview

Often, one of the reasons that churches get caught in the trap of plateau and decline is that we are only looking at things in their own little fish bowl. We become comfortable in our own little environment, watching each other swim around in circles. As far as activity goes, things look OK. But, no new fish are entering the bowl.

To see a better future, we often need to "jump out of our fish bowl." If things are stuck or stagnant in your ministry, start looking around at what God is doing in some other churches and ministries in your community that are growing through conversion growth. They don't have to be churches from your denomination or group (really, you will survive if you build a few friendships with some other gospel-centered, like-minded churches). It would be good to look for some churches that fit fairly close to your theological beliefs and philosophy of ministry. And learn from them.

Create Leading Relationship with Other Pastors/Ministries

Then, here comes the tough part. Admit you need a little help and ask for it. In the book that I co-authored with Mike Dodson called Comeback Churches, we talk about the need for intentional, strategic leadership as a vital key for making a comeback. So, find some other pastors that are demonstrating that kind of leadership in other churches and ask them to give you some pointers.

Maybe part of the problem is that you are not a great leader, BUT that does not mean that you can't become a better one with some good coaching from a strong leader, or even some peer coaching from others on the same journey. Every pastor can improve leadership behavior and skills and we often do that by observing others farther along than we. I am not a natural born leader, but I am a better leader because I have let others speak into my life.

If you don't make the effort to step out of your fish bowl, it is not likely that anything will ever change. There is no shame in being plateaued or in decline. The shame would be in knowing that is where you are and doing nothing about it.

Build Accountability Into Your Relationships

No one really likes to hear this verse, but it's true--"No discipline seems pleasant at the time but painful, later on however, it produces a harvest of peace and righteousness for those who are trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11). If you can, build an intentional, accountable network of pastors who would like to see some things change in their lives and ministries. The only way that will happen is through being more disciplined.

One key to having a group like that make a difference is to have at least one pastor involved who has displayed strong, intentional, strategic leadership. Ask that pastor to guide the process by suggesting what issues to address and what books to read. Get real with these pastors and pray hard for each other. Maybe you need to start encouraging each other and holding each other accountable to be witnesses and share the gospel.
Where from Here?

Doing some of these things probably won't be easy or pleasant if you choose to do them . . . at first. But, what's the alternative? Swimming around and around and around in a little fish bowl? Here's the point--If you are stuck, find someone else who can help you get unstuck. Remember, your best thinking got you where you are.

So, if change is going to happen, it will probably not come from you, or at least you alone. It will come more readily when you and your church learn from others and thrive on the counsel of others. "Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22, HCSB).

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