Who Does The Church Exist For?

Since about 1995 I have been having a debate with mostly myself, but not always. I know the year because it was the year Rick Warren's Purpose Drive Church was released. Since then there have been days I have won the debate, thus settling the issue. And there have been days the debate has raged on. The debate centers around the question, “Who does the church exist for?”

Over the years my answer to this question has flipped flopped many times. Sometimes I am sure the church exists for those outside the church, the yet-to-be Christians. Sometimes I am sure the church exists for those inside the church, the all-ready-Christians.

The reason this debate continues in my head is because it has profound implication for my philosophy of ministry, the purpose of church and the way I teach Scripture.

The reasons for both answers are really simple.

If church exists for the yet-to-be Christians:

• The environment needs to be non-threatening.
• The teaching needs to be accessible, easily digestible and highly applicable.
• The structure needs to be simple to engage with.
• The motif centers more on grace than law.
• The reason for church is about introductions to the faith.
• The tolerance for immaturity is high.
• The hope for involvement is low.
• The inside church culture is almost seamless with the outside church culture.
• The approach is spoon feeding.
• The greatest sin is to be distasteful.
• The vocabulary is common and ordinary.
• The expectation is on the mechanism or institution to make converts and disciples.

If the church exists for the already Christians:

• The environment is not as important has the information.
• The teaching is challenging, comprehensive and direct.
• The structure is true to Scripture.
• The motif centers more on truth than relevance.
• The reason for church is about equipping the faithful.
• The tolerance for immaturity is low.
• The hope for involvement is high.
• The inside church culture does not need to match the outside church culture.
• The approach expects self initiation.
• The greatest sin is “easybelieveism.”
• The vocabulary is theological and biblical.
• The expectation is on the people to make converts and disciples.

However, I think for the last 15 years of ministry I have been advocating for the answer wrong (not matter if I was for the insider or the outsider.)

Q: Who does the church exist for?
A: Everyone who needs Jesus.

Debate over.

Letting Other People Speak For Me

Some time last year I acknowledge that I have feeble, weak and anemic prayer life.  Not a crazy or shocking revelation, but an honest one none the less.  It stemmed from wanting to be more connected to God and yet not being able to talk with him or express my heart and mind to him.  After reading Scot McKinght's Praying with the Church, I decided to do something to strengthen my prayer life.

The course I took was to write out and memorize some prayers.  Some were Scripture (Ps. 22 and the Lord's Prayer) and some where not. The point was to have something to say to God right on the tip of my tongue and to develop a routine of regular prayer. This worked great for a while, but after losing my flash cards I fell out of practice and forgot most of what I memorized.

However, this week I picked up the practice again. I started with a prayer I wanted to pray every morning:

"Lord, God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day.  Persevere me with your might power so that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity and in all I do direct me into the fulfilling your purpose through Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen."

Its not long or fancy, but it has had an impact on me even though I started memorizing it just this week. Here's how:

1. Memorizing prayer have given me a better sense of connection with God.  This prayer is better than one I could written or recited, thus allowing my heart to express, with someone else's words, what I could not pull together.
2. I find myself coming back to this prayer several times a day.  Just in the quest to memorize it, I am practicing it when my mind has idol time or is just wandering.  It is interesting, I find myself thinking more about God and talking with him than I did before.
3. This prayer will at some point serve as a model for me as I strengthen my prayers and and I return to freestyle prayers.
4. I don't know where this prayer originated, I got from a Phyllis Tickle's book The Divine Hours:Prayers for Autumn and Winter, but for some reason I feel connected to a larger community who may be praying this same prayer.  I feel more connected to the history of the faith I shared with millions of people throughout the world and throughout history.
5. I believe this prayer is adding to spiritual development. It feels healthy to growth in that which is good and right, instead of always lamenting my arrested development and sin.

Hopefully this time I will not lose my flash cards, but continue in this discipline or prayer and memorization. 

Thoughts on Shared Leadership #5

You would think having several minds working in collaboration with each other there would not be anything a shared leadership team could not conquer, solve or fix.  Well you are wrong!

Even though the model is useful for creating powerful synergy, it does not overcome all obstacles. Sometimes it creates them.  So other “experts” are needed. 

Recently, we have needed some of these experts.   Those people with a skill in a clearly defined and refined area that have helped us navigate some topics and issues we are not fully equipped to handle.  These experts have:

• Shown us new ways of solving problems.
• Helped clean up some of our past attempts of problem solving.
• Given us fresh ideas and a new perspective.  They have expanded our horizons and pushed us out of comfort zones.
• Pointed out blind spots and potential pit falls.
• Equipped us with information and resources.
• Given us advice advice and warning, as we move forward with plans and visions.
• Done for us would we could not do ourselves.

All of this takes a great amount of humility and the recognition of our individual and collective weaknesses. In the end shared leadership is not about having all the answers.

Another Story of Stealing and NewFound Freedom

Another story from Tuesday night...

"I wanted to give you a little update on something. Last night your message was really hard for me. I have been dealing with the guilt of stealing from two long time friends for a long time. About 10 years ago I was a nanny for two different families and I stole money from both of them. Since then, I have watched their kids grow up and two of the girls were even the flower girls in my wedding. Needless to say, I am very close to these families and see them in person every so often to this day. When you asked us to go repent for what we have stolen it was like God punched me in the face and said "See! I have been putting this on your heart for 10 years to go confess what you did and ask for forgiveness, so GO DO IT NOW!" when you told us to do that last night my stomach turned to knots and I knew it was finally time to face the music of what I had done to these people who are my "friends". So when I got home from church I sat down and wrote them both letters. I guess I should have tried to tell them in person but I was already ashamed enough as it was. So I wrote both of the families letters telling them that I stole from them, asking for their forgiveness, and letting them know how horrible I felt for betraying their trust and friendship the way I did. I have never told a soul on earth that I stole from them so this was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I'm so ashamed of myself for stealing. Especially because I love their families so much. I also put a hundred dollar bill in each one of the letters. I mailed them out today so they should be receiving them soon. I have no idea what the future holds...if they will be mad, relieved that I confessed, disappointed, or just plain shocked. I'm really nervous and every time I think about the fact that they will be opening those letters in a few days I get sick to my stomach. I don't feel much relief or like the guilt has been lifted..only shame and sadness. This might seriously damage my relationship with these two families and that makes me so distraught.


Well, sorry to write a book, but you said you wanted to hear the updates if people did what you asked. Overall I'm glad I sent those letters of confession and I really hope that they can find it in their hearts to forgive me and still have a relationship with me. I guess only time will tell. Thank you for pushing me to my limit last night. Even though I did this out of guilt, I know, without a doubt, it was the right thing to do."

A Story of Stealing

This past Tuesday in our series on the 10 Commandments called, "Newfound Freedom" TNL was called to make right what they turned wrong.  We were challenged to not only to stop stealing, but to make any needed restitution.  We were encouraged to not be restricted by our theft, but to find freedom in contentment by:

• Getting rid of or paying for the music, movies or software you have burned, downloaded or pirated.
• Giving back any money or property we have "illegitimately acquired."
• Make proper restitution or compensation to those we have defrauded, cheated or swindled. 

Here is an email story from someone who took this challenge seriously.

"So after TNL, I went over to my friends house I had sat and took care of their dog for them over last weekend. I went over to accomplish three missions.


1. was to give them back their key and garage door opener.
2. was to get paid cause they wanted to pay me for taking the trips out there to do that for them ...&
3. was to tell her I ripped a couple of CDs onto my computer and did not ask permission to do so before I did it, asked for an apology if it were stealing.


I told them the reason I was I apologizing, which was what we were asked to do from our church and second I want to make sure I am walking in God's will. I told them I feel a lot of uncertainity is in my life right now and I do not want to be doing things that are causing this for myself. In other words, I do not want bad carma coming back biting me in the rear or consequences, for that matter. 

The wife told me to chill! She said to me taking the cds was okay and offered me a glass of wine!" 

I am continually encouraged by people's sensitivity and obedience to God's voice in their lives.

6th Least Religious State: Colorado

The Pew Research Center recently released a comprehensive survey that analyzed how religious each of the 50 states are really.

The state of Colorado may be more irreligious than others, but Colorado Springs is home to one of the biggest churches in the country. As of last year, the majority of people in Colorado were listed as unaffiliated in the religious department. And according to the Pew Research Group, less than 30 percent of people in Colorado attend religious services on a weekly basis.

Percent who say religion is very important in their lives: 44

Percent who say they attend religious services at least once a week: 29

Percent who say they pray at least once a day: 49

Percent who say they believe in God with absolute certainty: 63



See Main Street for the rest of the list including the top 10 Most Religious States.

Great Thought

Here are some great thoughts from Jared Mackey, TNL's Ministry Core Pastor. He shared this with the TNL Leadership Co-Operative yesterday.

“Most organizations spend their time marketing to the crowd. Smart organizations assemble the tribe. Crowds are interesting, and they can create all sorts of worthwhile artifacts and market effects. But tribes are longer lasting and more effective.”

Tribes,  Seth Godin

At the heart of The Next Level Church there is a core, the partners and shareholders; those who invest their skill, resources, time, and passions. They are the ones who cultivate and create this community. The church is, and always will be, defined by the people who initiate, invest, and invite. The known figures, the pastors or staff, may tell the stories and hold the wheel, but they are not the force or the movement.

The thing itself is you. You are the people whose lives have been changed and not only observed, but participated in the change in the lives of others. You are the people who make this a place where “you are accepted here just as you are”.

Together we are becoming the church God intends us to be. Together we want to be a source of inspiration and a place of perspiration. Together we are a place where pictures of preferable futures become practices of the present day. Together we are more than a collection of individuals with shared belief; we are a community of faith.