Church Vision Casting

January 24, 2018February 23, 2018 Pastor Glen Church Leadership Church Leadership, Churtch, Glen Moore, Pastoral Leadership, Vision Casting

Let me begin by saying I take 0% credit for anything I am about to write. These were not my ideas. I am writing them down for two reasons. The first is so that I can remember them and use them at my church. The second is so other pastors or church leaders can use them as well.

Context: I was leading a youth retreat in N.Myrtle Beach S.C. We always take the group to Barefoot Church on Sunday Morning. It is a modern church with cool music, sound biblical preaching, and on the cutting edge in the use of technology. The morning we went we were invited to their Vision Night. They were serving a meal. Now from my experience if you want people to come to a church business meeting you call it something cool and serve food. So that is what I was thinking, so i did not take the youth back that evening for Vision Night, but myself and another leader from our group went. These are the things they did to turn a business meeting into something great.

Invite Everyone: Church members of course. People from the community. Anyone you have info on. Why? Create excitement. Some people are looking for something to get involved with. Yes visitors and kids at a business meeting imaging that!
Free Gift: Everyone who came was promised a free gift. You had to be at Vision Night to receive the free gift.
Greeting: We arrived at 5:30pm. The first greeter we met outside in the parking lot was the pastor of Barefoot Church. He was excited to see us. He was a parking lot greeter, outside, talking to people. (assume sarcastic tone) What a novel idea, the pastor greeting people. Now there were others as well but you could tell the greeters instructions were for the pastor to greet every person first.
Good Food: Under a large tent serving what looked like 400 plus we had our choice of 2 of 3 items. Hot dogs, hamburgers and a boneless chicken breast. All the fixen’s of course with coolers and tubs of iced down sodas and bottled water. It was good and we were full.
The Kids: The doors opened at 6:30 as promised as we walked in I received a card with church info on it and a red ticket which i could exchange for my gift at the end of the meeting. I noticed the kids were were getting a bag as they walked in. Coloring sheets and crayons! So cool. Now you and I both know that compared to an iPad coloring pages will not hold their attention for more than a few minutes, but that showed
they were thinking about the kids coming. It was cool.
Worship: Time to start lights went down, band started and we had worship for 30 minutes. This was the best business meeting i had ever been to. The band and singers lead us in a celebratory time of praise and worship. They took up an offering as well. The pastor explained they they had spent a lot of money on the gifts we were receiving. In no way was he asking people to pay for them. He said,”What better investment than to invest in our own people.” ….yes i gave…i figured being a visitor I had eaten their food and was going to get a gift from them..I did not want my being there to be an expense to their church.
The Message: The vision for the church was cast in the form of a message. Pastor Clay gave a challenge to everyone there. His sub points were
1. Everyone Matters
2. Each Person has a Purpose
3. Systematic training kids and youth into leaders
4. Barefoot Church is a church that changes
The Reveal: There were three things the pastor revealed
1. Theme: “Live You!” Previous to that night they had already painted the theme on two outdoor walls and it was already being used on a lot of their literature and web site
2. Symbol: Again already in use. The pastor explained the meaning of the symbol and then showed a video clip of a young girl drawing the symbol with sidewalk chalk during a children’s event. They use the symbol to share Christ and their church.
3. Shareable Video:
  
  Everyone was encouraged to share it on all social media.
The Gift: Outside lines formed. When you turned in your ticket you received a NICE t-shirt with the symbol, theme and church name. The shirt felt “Under Amor-ish.” In a bag we received nice window stickers, card explaining the symbol and theme. business cards with church info on it.

Every person left excited and EQUIPPED to tell others about Jesus and their church. Everyone was on the same page in understanding the Theme for the Year “LIVE YOU.”

Planning planning planning had gone into this night. As a pastor, I know how important good planning with good people is. This was done right. It was great and I was privileged to be a part of it.

Marriage is Like SkyDiving Part 4

August 20, 2015February 17, 2018 Pastor Glen Family

Part 4

“On our landing, pull both handles down quickly and the as soon as our feet hit the ground, run as fast as you can.” “Roger that,” I replied to the retired Navy Seal still strapped to my back. Well it was hilarious…I pulled the handles, ran as fast as we could and we both lost every cool point we had earned over the past 5 minutes. We fell and rolled for what seemed like a long time…but we were on the ground safely.

In marriage, things do not always go as planned. When things go bad, you have to learn to roll with it together. The temptation will always be to be to attack each other when problems arise, but you should attack the problem together. And then be able to celebrate together when that mission is accomplished. Marriage is not easy. Marriage is work. Marriage is taking risks. Marriage is tough. Marriage is fun. Marriage is a rush. Marriage is two lives becoming one and moving in the same direction. There will be arguments and your spouse will learn your buttons and will push them at times. In the end you both have to agree to make things work and not just thrive but survive.

What do you think would have been the results if I had jumped out of that airplane one my own? Well I would be dead. The retired Navy Seal had made hundreds of jumps, in combat situations. He knew how to read the altimeter, how to open the parachute, how to cut away and open the emergency chute. He had been there and done that. Oh yeah, he had the parachute on his back and I was strapped to him. I would have plunged to my death on my own. Like I said before, my personal space was violated and It was uncomfortable, but it was necessary.

Before you get married, get close to God. It can not be any simpler. You should be in a Bible study, you should be around Christian friends, and you should be serving in some ministry somewhere. If you are not close to God your marriage will suffer. If you go into marriage or are in a marriage without the Lord it is like jumping out of a plane without a parachute. It will be exciting for a little while, but the landing will not go well.

As young couples date and go through engagement, often times they mistake their euphoric feelings for one another as some sort of spiritual confirmation from God. To say that another way, they are so happy in love that they think the feelings they have are coming from God, but they are not. To say it even another way, “They are getting high on their own supply.” It won’t last. A relationship with God is crucial to a happy and successful marriage.

On a scale from 1 to 5, how important is your relationship with God?

2. What is the evidence of your answer to number 1?

(in a bible study, committed to a church, serve in ministry, daily devotion, prayer, Christian friends…)

3. What kind of relationship with God do you expect your spouse to have?

4. Feelings aside, how much do you love your boyfriend/girlfriend?

Marriage is Like SkyDiving Part 3

August 20, 2015 Pastor Glen Family

Part 3

…Green GO! GO! GO! What a rush. Whoops, Hollars, and yelps as we all run full force out of a perfectly good airplane. Adrenaline is pumping as the drone chute leaves my hand to give some control a little below terminal velocity. It’s is like flying. The ground is so far away, it does not seem you will reach it. It is loud, stick your head out of a car doing 120mph…that is the sound, well besides my own high pitched frenzy. There is nothing like 60 seconds of free fall. “Pull the Chord!” There is a loud distinctive snapping sound of the chute opening, and then I am jerked up in the air instantly with such ferocity that every undergarment i am wearing is now in the wrong place. And it is instantly …..silent… So quiet so peaceful, not only physically but emotionally, “I did it, and looks like I am going to live.” There are 4 minutes of air time to the ground. What a view, what a feeling, what an experience.

Getting married so exciting. It’s fun. It is an experience like none other. It can be such a rush of enthusiasm and adrenaline and the next second being so content hugging or kissing the one you love. You will have a great sense of accomplishment. You did it, you really did it and now here you are experiencing loving someone and being loved, the basis of human need. What some describe as bliss you now experience with that person whom you have decided to spend the rest of your life with.

What I have described above are moments. And hopefully they are frequent and typical. But they are not always. There is nothing wrong with that. Once you get through a few rough spots, you will realize that you both can do this. This is real and it is wonderful and it was worth the risk.

On a scale from 1 to 5, how much do you desire to be with another person in marriage?
What is the one thing you look forward to the most when you are married?
What risks is someone taking when they marry you?

Marriage is Like SkyDiving Part 2

August 20, 2015August 20, 2015 Pastor Glen Family

Part 2

Upon arrival at the airfield, we parked our motorcycles, signed some paperwork, and sat in metal folding chairs. We heard the nostalgic click of a VHS tape being seated in the bottom of the player. We then proceeded to watch 30 minutes of short video clips, on the wall in front of us, of an uncomfortable subject matter. We watched chutes that didn’t open, people crashing to the ground, people crashing into trees and all kinds of other unfortunate outcomes. Then the same lady who took my signature stepped to the front of the class and said, “If you are having any reservations or are scared, the time to get out is now before we take off.” Have you ever heard it said, “It’s all fun and games till somebody gets hurt?” Well that is the case in skydiving and marriage.

A commitment to another person for life is SERIOUS. Whether you want to believe it or not, your marriage will effect a lot of people. It is a Covenant not a Contract. It effects you, your spouse, your family, your spouse’s family, both sets of friends, your church and many others. More than that, you and your spouse coming together in the eyes of God makes you one. Mark 10:7-9, …7“FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, 8AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9“What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” I can not think of anything more serious than that, other than your decision to follow Christ. If you are thinking about getting married, congratulations! Remember to count the cost because this is serious business.

If you are a man, are you ready to lead another person spiritually?

2. If you are a woman, how do you interpret that the man is the leader of the home?

But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3).

3. Are you willing to give every part of yourself to another person?

Marriage Is Like SkyDiving Part I

August 19, 2015August 19, 2015 Pastor Glen Family

Being Married Is Like Going Skydiving.

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Part 1

The thundering rumble of both engines in both ears is close to unbearable as the back gate opens of a very crowded tube in the sky. The sun beams in more and more as the door gives angle for exit at 15,500 feet. All of this is in my peripheral vision though, for my head is turned and my eyes are fixated on a bright red light to my left and an unlit green bulb below it. There is a retired Navy Seal strapped to my back which is the closest I have ever been to another man, and ever care to be again. He reaches around me and shows me a double sided boot knife that reminds me of the one I picked up at a flea market when I was 12 years old. He screams in my ear, “If both ‘chutes’ fail I will cut you lose, that will give us both a better chance of survival. He said this as a matter of fact. It’s the kind of thing that makes a man shake his head and chuckle, which I did. Green!! GO! GO! GO!

Marriage is exciting, wonderful, and awesome. Well, it can be all of those things. I love being married. I have been in it for about 16 years now. Not without it’s struggles, being married to someone you truly love and care for is a great choice for your life. So, how is marriage like skydiving?

First of all it is something that you have to commit to. It is a conscious commitment often times spurred by pure emotion, but head and heart must both be in play for a marriage to work. You have to know by now that you will not always “feel” like being in love and married, but because of your commitment you “choose” to make it work regardless of the cost. You have to “count the cost” and be committed to it.

Do you view love as an emotion or choice?

2. How will you know you are being loved by your spouse?

3. How will your spouse know you love them?

Thinking Past The Headlines

July 28, 2015July 28, 2015 Pastor Glen Family

Thinking Past current headlines

1. Gay Marriage-I am Not a Homophobe. From a Christian perspective, this is the first step in a very slippery slope towards the deterioration of Religious Liberty in America. The foundation of this issue comes down to the deterioration of moral fabric of the people in our country. I am not speaking directly about homosexuality at this point. The moral fabric unravels because of individual pride. “Doing right in their own eyes!” It is the money and influence of a few groups that have allowed peoples attention and agendas to be swayed. There is a saying in the south, “I don’t have a dog in this fight.” That saying means that i don’t have anything to do with what is going on, therefore it’s not my problem and I am not spending my time and energy on it. We have to Think Past The Headlines. These politicians who push for the homosexual agenda “DO have a dog in this fight,” but it is not the Gay Agenda. It’s money, power, and influence.

2. Donald Trump-Charismatic, Smart, Loud, Prideful. I know if people could work, make a good living, be able to pay their bills, afford good healthcare, have some kind of retirement and have some extra spending money, it would eliminate a lot of stress. I am not sure if Donald Trump, being the business guru he is, can fix our economy. We are broke! If our country were a business we would be shut down, sued, and everything repossessed. There was a time that if a person were willing to work they could have a paycheck, healthcare, and retirement. Those days are gone and will not return. It was during that time that a home was an investment with a return, now its a liability. We live in very tough financial times. Can any president fix this, I don’t think so, but Donald Trump would be entertaining to watch for four years. Not saying I would vote for him, just saying.

3. Planned Parenthood-Wow, I did not know you could get Human Tissue and Body Parts from a Non-Human!!!! SARCASM of course. It is the reality so many do not want to face. Abortion means you are killing and innocent person. It is just a fact. There is no way around it.

Does Church Size Matter?

July 23, 2015July 28, 2015 Pastor Glen Church

Does the size (number of people attending) of a church mean anything? Sure it does, but what? Well for the mega church it means that what they are doing is relevant to the people in their area. It means that people feel welcome and are quickly and conveniently acclimated to the body. There is probably one to two things that church is known for. They probably have a direction and most people in the congregation know what that direction is. On the other hand some seek out a large congregation because they like the anonymity. They want to be just a face in the crowd. Some like to be a part in order to “name drop” their church. These are people who love to talk about how big their church is and all the great things they do but they are not involved in anyway other than attending worship and or Bible study.

The small struggling church (50-150) may have been the same size for decades because for some reason they are not very appealing to new comers. They might have plenty of visitors but most seem to go somewhere else. Here are some reasons why some churches do not grow.

1. Church is friendly to each other but not to visitors

2. Music in Worship

3. Kids do not like it

4. Mediocre preaching

5. Hard to find parking or a seat

Does this mean small churches are not effective? NOT AT ALL!! Some people genuinely desire to be a part of a small body of believers. They like being able to know everyone and those personal relationships are important to them. They like feeling at home.

A church is a body of believers. Just because a church is small does not mean something is wrong and other the hand, just because a church has thousands does not mean everything is right.