Catalyst, NYWC, Open Space and Future Conventions Part 4

Every meeting, every time we gather either transforms us more into who we are made to be, or solidifies us more into our broken past.

But not only every meeting. Every conversation.

I'm still learning this and getting my head around this, so please bear with me.

This has huge implications for both the future of the church and the future of events, conventions and conferences hosted by convening organizations.

I've got big hopes for the future of the church and for events that will transform the church.

Everyday I spend time with Senior Pastors, Executive Pastors, Youth Pastors and of course the non-paid people of the church. I'm convinced that the single greatest barrier to the growth of God's church in America had little to do with stubborn congregations (though there are some) or the unwillingness of congregations to engage in their kids lives (though this certainly happens), but the greatest barrier to the growth of God's church in America is the posture and leadership style of the most mature within the church, most often pastors.

The future of ministry has less to do with the pastor vision for his/her people and much more about the ways in which the pastor brings people together.
Less to do with what the pastor says, than the environment the pastor cultivates.
Less to do with managing power, and more to do with navigating critical conversations.

This has big implications for events like NYWC and Catalyst

The collective wisdom, experience and potential in a gathering like NYWC is staggering. Staggering and humbling. It should bring us to our knees. God is unleashing his kingdom within the world through these folks. Young and old.

It's too bad that we settle (often unintentionally) too often for collecting experts to pass on answers, opinions, and experience to us. We settle because the experts like it this way. We settle because people will pay big money with big hopes for life change from the experts. Don't get me wrong. the experts have their place. Just like the rest of us. We all have something to contribute.
This is why Open Space at NYWC is a small step in the right direction.

But there is resistance to the status quo. More than one expert has challenged my thoughts asking me, "What about the collective ignorance of the people?" To which I ponder for a moment and wonder aloud, "Our ignorance or theirs?"

There were attendees who said things to me like, "I didn't pay $250 to hear from a 30 year old talk about his opinion on something." It's the kind of thing that makes you wonder about professionalism of ministry and the consumption and entitlement the whole system breeds in all of us.

All meetings and gatherings either thrust us into transformation or solidify our past and connection to the status quo.

Put more bluntly: Most solutions offered at conventions only lead back into the problem. They don't transform, they further root us into dependence on the problem. Furthermore, they don't lead us toward faithfulness, but rather entitlement.

Most gatherings in the church or events are information exchanges. Perhaps it's the reduction of the gospel to an idea others need to agree with, or the individualism of our past. It really makes no difference. Those can be deconstructed elsewhere. Information is useless without transformation. Useless is putting it nicely.

Transformation comes from engagement not simply from information.

Transformation is undermined by both the overwhelming need the attendee has to find solutions or wonderful experiences and the Convener to make it worth their while and remarkable or twitter worthy.

How is transformation in the hearts of people passed on in 140 characters anyway?

Both seem like great motivations, but both are transformation killers.

Transformation and entitlement are mutually exclusive.

Transformation and expertise are mutually exclusive as well.

There is a better option for us all.

I'm optimistic that it's coming because I believe both the convener and the attendee are becoming more willing to question the old ways of gathering. They are willing to look at themselves, their motivations, the ways in which they come together and their expectations of each other. Only this will break down the biggest barrier facing the church in the US.

I know I'm ready. Change me God.

more soon.

Catalyst, NYWC, Open Space and Future Conventions Part 3

From Catalyst's blog

There's an interview with Seth Godin by who I assume is a Catalyst staff member. When Seth is asked about the future of what's next for him, here's his response. Seth is right on the money here.

Seth: "What's next for me, is what's next for you. I think we're gonna now see and explosion of people who are going to do things that are remarkable. That are worth talking about. That are extraordinary. And everyday I'm encountering more and more people who are doing that. So this idea that we need to go to the stadium and watch Bob Dylan sing the song isn't as likely going forward as it's going to be that we're all going to set around a circle and sing to each other. that people are doing things in industries and venues that I never would have expected just a couple years ago. And this homemade model, homemade leadership, homemade insight, homemade difference making is going to explode in the next few years. I think that's where it's going to come from. Not from me."

Catalyst Interviewer: "So what's next for you is what's next for me."

Seth: "I think so."

Catalyst, NYWC, Open Space and Future Conventions

I've held my tongue for too long.
I need to get something off my chest.

The best conventions for pastors or youth ministry really aren't all that good. the world has changed and they haven't. Sure there are conventions like Catalyst that come off as cutting edge, (and maybe they are) but they will go the way of the pay phone in the next 4 years.

This and other conventions are put on by big-hearted good people.

Loving people. People who are using their creativity and gifts.

But it's killing the church.

If you think the best way to be a catalyst is to gather 15,000 people, sit in a big room facing a stage for 3 days then I'd like to revisit your understanding of transformation. It also says a lot about how much you actually believe in the 15,000 people you talk at/toward for days on end. It says a lot about your understanding of discipleship. It says a lot about the potential the 15,000 have to make a difference for those in the room and the world. The way you gather people says something to me. No matter what you have to say. Inspiration and motivation is nice. Giving lip-service to leadership or empowerment though is laughable. The way you convene says volumes about what you really think about the abilities of the people in the room. You know what they need. And you give it to them. You hold all the power and you probably feel a great deal of responsibility. To be fair, the people have bought in. They don't think they can do it with out you. They'll pay thousands of dollars to come hear you, the experts, speak to them and tell them the answers. The leaders need you. Their churches need you. Maybe you should supply preaching thru video to them... You and the other conventions are full of passionate people who believe what you say. again, all these are good people.

good people who believe the lie that there is an illusive answer to their problem, or situation that will save them. You save them from their ignorance and in doing so, you add to it by feeding the monster.

For years conventions have made leaders into followers and disciples into consumers. Whether it be a breakout session/lab or a main stage, church leaders give you the responsibility for their decisions and in doing so, they get to play the victim rather then the empowered. in doing this you get to meet their needs, but in reality you get to justify your own style of leadership or service that you provide. Convention attendee's collude with you by accepting your terms and definition of their needs. This is the breeding ground for entitlement. The convention providers feel the stakes raise every years (is the a world record to break? a guy to dive from a 30 ft tower into a 1 ft deep kiddie pool or the next cool artist or speaker?) Not only do the convention speakers feel it, but so do the attendees. They want more. and why not? They can burn thru a steady stream of products that claim to have the answer to all that ails them and feel the freedom of not being responsible for the actual answer.

All this in the name of the kingdom.

There's a need for a new kind of experience.

One in which power is given back. In which people are given back responsibility for their ministry and their lives and the way they gather shows it. Where the people of the church is actually valued in practice, not simply as the hope of the world. The kingdom isn't build by great leadership, but by great disciples.

Disciples empowered by God, not by you. You have no power to give them that doesn't already belong to them. Unless you've been hording it.

So it's time. Stop building pay phones. Stop stock piling quarters.

Open space at the NYWC is a good start. it's a step in the right direction.

What say you?

For my tulsa friends

I'm wondering if the idea of a church in Tulsa is able to talk on different, less traditional forms. At least organizationally.

What might a church in tulsa look like if it empowered it's people to be the church. Instead of the starting point being centralized with a grandiose agenda, or mechanism.

What might church look like if it believed in people, viewed them as generally competent to make good decisions for their lives?
What might a church look like if people of a church believed this about themselves?

What might church look like if the viability of the community was completely dependent upon people holding themselves accountable (individually and maybe corporately) for the well being of their neighbor?

What might a church look like that gave away every penny it brought in for the real needs of those neighbors?

What if church was a way of life, something you live into each moment of the day, something you are, and/or something we call the space the people of the way inhabit every room they enter?

What if this local community was defined more by the way they believed rather than what they believe?
What if the people were self selected themselves to be in this church because of how they live, rather than where they meet?

What if this way was committed to a variety of expressions and even competing agendas of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness?


Eikon in tulsa has taken a few forms and I'm wondering aloud here about it's future. MY original plan was to have multiple houses for groups to meet and be the church. I don't have time to make my plan happen. I'm not sure my plan is all that great.

What would you see as a benefit to you in a church like this?
What do you see as the connecting point to your dreams for this community?
What are the characteristics you currently live in your life and how might a connection to this kind of church be helpful or not?

What say you?

Downfall of Creating Experiences

I read this post from Brad who I think is the lead guy of Catalyst.

It’s been a while since I last read Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore’s book The Experience Economy. If you haven’t read this book, trust me. Go buy it and start reading it right now. If you have a product or service that you offer (we all do, whether in business, church, or the non profit arena), it is imperative that you grasp the context of the Experience Economy.

I am reminded of it because in a conversation yesterday someone asked me how I would recommend they keep their product from becoming a commodity. From just being lumped in with all the other similar products in their space, and being seen as just an option instead of the only option. Where price determines what the consumer chooses vs. other factors like emotion, connection, and memories.

In the book, Pine and Gilmore lay out the four levels of economic value : commodities, goods, services, and experiences. Progression happens by moving from commodity to experience. Think about coffee. Coffee beans are a commodity, ground coffee is a good, a cup of coffee at dinner is a service, and a latte at a trendy cafe is an experience.

Or about birthday parties for kids- a cake is a commodity, a customized cake is a good, a birthday party with friends is a service, and a full fledged laser tag birthday celebration is an experience. Think about Apple stores. Disney World. You get the point.

The question is how are you creating an experience with the product or service that you offer? How are you allowing your customer to be so engaged with your product that they connect emotionally? Does your product or service creates memories for your customer? Do they want to tell their friends?

There is also a fifth level of economic value, which is transformation. Incredibly hard to reach this level, but our goal should be to get there.

I've been thinking about this for a while. Lifechurch.tv has been handing this book out for years to staff and potential staff, or they've told potential staff to buy it.

Brad states his ideas and philosophy very concisely and it helps me understand why Catalyst, Life Church and the like are successful at drawing great crowds. We did youth ministry like this 10 years ago, but never, ever as good as these guys do worship "experiences". Frankly there will be no one who does the experience better than the churches now creating these experience. The Perry Noble's, Ed Young Jr.'s, Craig Groeschel's and Andy Stanleys all create fantastic experiences because they are amazingly observant, intuitive and masters of dealing with perception. How they are perceived. How their churches come across to the people who attend them.

I'll say it again. We are seeing the churches that are creating the best produced "experiences" we will ever see.

But my hunch is that it will prove to fold in on itself. Because the trajectory of moving commodities to transformation and the managing of perceptions has two edges to it. There's the side that will be wildly successful at least in getting people in the door for an experience, but there is a darker side, which we can't quite see yet. The very reasons creating experiences is "successful" is the very reason it will fail.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not hoping for doom or failure for these churches. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, and the fact that the leaders of these churches are often hard to get time with doesn't help me understand. I'm sure that there are people they are talking to though and maybe I just need to be patient. It's a significant fault I must confess.

Creating experiences is (not) the future though.
The people who are working out the future of the church in the western world are people you've never heard of. Ordinary folks who don't create experiences, but only provide presence. Being present is enough. The experience often, we may find out gets in the way of something else.

But until then I'll say it.

There is no greater example of modernity and the church than what we see in these churches right now. If you are a part of one and it works for you right now, I'm glad. We shall see if it is the future or if this is the final glorious (and amazingly technological) expression of a church that is no longer relevant.

Much love to the leaders of these churches. They are risk takers, and striving for faithfulness in their contexts. God bless them and the people they lead.

Church in a Brothel

Craig Gross on Ministry in Sin City from Url Scaramanga on Vimeo.

what do you think?

Bob Hyatt on Video Venues Part 2

I love this part at the end.

And the community that, for instance, pays the tax of listening to a slightly less coherent message, or one with a less-than-Rob-Bell-mind-blow factor, or slightly less entertaining/engaging than Mr Driscoll, is making an investment.

They invest in the teacher they are being taught by. By engaging, listening, giving good feedback (both encouraging and constructive) they help that elder they love, that elder who loves them and is doing his or her best to explore God's Word with them, to learn how to do it better and better.

And in so doing they invest in the future. The future not just of that elder, not just of their community, but of the Church as a whole as we all benefit by more and more people exercising their gifts, gaining mastery in how to do what God has gifted and called them to do.

To me, video venues are at their heart, miserly. They are a symptom of a church who refuses to pay the community tax and invest in the future. They (along with mega churches and even personality-based smaller churches) try to parlay the gift of one or two people into something bigger and bigger, and like short-sighted Americans driving bigger and bigger Hummers say: Who cares about the consequences to future generations? I got mine.

Please understand: I recognize that the vast majority of those engaged in video venues have, at their core, a passion for seeing people come to know, love, and follow Jesus. I get that. And I even get that God uses the silliest of methods to bring people to Him. I'll bet I could even find someone who has been saved through the Evangecube.

But just because God honors our silly methods occasionally doesn't mean we shouldn't look for better ways, perhaps less silly, perhaps ones with fewer unintended consequences.

Link

America less Christian..

I saw this article this evening. It states that America is less Christian than 20 years ago. I'm not sure this is news. It was interesting that the article pointed to a rise in individualism as part of the cause. Again, not really news.

Here's my take.

The article is extremely generous. It's worse than this.

Why?
Because in growing segments of the evangelical church there is fundamentally no difference between the individualism of those who deny being Christian, and the individualism that many evangelical churches preach. This will not last because it is empty. An individualism, me first mentality, wrapped in the language and ideas of Jesus, isn't the way of Christ, because it makes Jesus an accessory and the programs of the church a way to keep my kids out of trouble and help me become a better educated individual. So Bible Studies and programs fill our calendars, and we sit in pews of large churches, and maybe watch our pastor on a screen, while we learn more about Jesus, then we walk out as isolated and alone as we were before.

There has never been a time in history where church has been done better for the individual. Ever. Attending a church with more choices for me and my family. A cafeteria from which I can consume.

It's not done getting better for these churches either. They are still on the upswing and will be for the next 3-5 or so years. But after that they will collapse under their own empty weight.

don't hear me wishing the death of churches. I'm not. I'm simply stating what I see.
Church leaders are free to make their own choices about what kind of churches they are leading and building. They will also have to live with the consequences of life after the bubble bursts. And it will.

All this to say, the article is understating the issue.
the problem for the evangelical church is that it will read the article and think it demands more of the same from them.

But there's more to the story...and there are good things happening in the church as well. I believe the best days are ahead of us and the more I work with church leaders around the country the more encouraged I am by their resolve to think outside of this individualistic, american faith. The risk of breaking off of this american gospel doesn't seem to be one denomination or movement. Southern Baptists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Churches of Christ all have leaders workout out what leadership looks like. It seems to me additionally that all of our hands are dirty in this too. We are all effected/affected by this. This should bring humility to lives, not judgement.

I have a lot more to say about this and there are certainly some flaws in my thinking, but this is what I thought of when I saw the article.

What do you think? To you see hope? How do you read the article?

40

incredible illustrations by a British illustrator named Simon Smith and put them to an Explosions In The Sky song.

My response to Craig Groeschel

Craig Groeshel has a post about being authentic and real when speaking in a church. He encourages pastors to "bring you" to the table. Here's his post.

It seems incredibly ironic that a pastor who has built his church on video venues would talk about the importance of bringing all of himself to the message. But I'm learning here. and it would be the height of arrogance think I know best and sort of passively aggressively post stuff here without engaging him.

So I posted the following in the comment section of the post. He's a busy guy and frankly may not want to mess with a peon like myself. But we'll see. Below is my response to his post.
--------------------


Craig, I'm not sure how to say this bro. I hope you hear my heart in this comment, not as critical, but as curious... I love your content here on this post and I believe in what you are saying so much. But I frankly find it misleading. (unintentionally misleading)

You don't bring yourself to people every week my friend. (can I call you friend?) You bring a representation of yourself, with no soul, no body, no real life, only a thin version of yourself. It's probably better say, that you don't bring yourself to everyone. Because some people are present with you when you give your speech.

A thin Craig, online, or on a screen is not you and it will always be a poor substitute for you. It's not the real you. It's a dis-incarnate you, with frankly a dis-incarnate gospel.

Which is simply a poor far less than ideal way of being real. Mickey Roarke was real in the Wrestler. Phillip Seymore Hoffman is amazing in his roles. Meryl Streep and other actors are amazing. There is a part of the real them in the role on the screen. A thin authenticity. they are real, in the same way a speaker is presented on a screen. Regardless of if they are talking about God or not.

Am I wrong? help me understand. because I believe in you and your ministry,and your gifts. It just seems misleading to say you on a screen is real.

Our Future too?

(thanks to Andrew)

Video Venues and the Death of Preaching

Bob Hyatt has a great series going.
Here's the link.

It's a pretty bold statement to say that video venues will eventually mean the death of preaching... but I think I can make the case.

In his new book, Flickering Pixels (which I encourage you to check out!), Shane Hipps makes this point:

"Every medium, when pushed to an extreme, will reverse on itself, revealing unintended consequences. For example, the car was invented to increase the speed of our transportation, but having too many cars on the highway at once results in traffic jams or even injury or death.
The internet was designed to make information more easily accessible, thereby reducing ignorance. But too much information or the wrong kind of information reverses into overwhelming the seeker, leading to greater confusion than clarity. It breeds misunderstanding rather than wisdom...
In the same way, surveillance cameras, when there are too many that see too far, reverse into an invasion of privacy."

In other words, what was originally meant to make us go fast now slows us down, what was meant to make us smart now increases our ignorance (well, never our ignorance... just other peoples', right?) and what was meant to make us feel safe now makes us feel exposed.

This is the rule: Technology, taken too far, creates the opposite of what it was intended to create.

Still doubt it? Ask yourself- Email was meant to keep you in touch and ease communication, right? But when you are trying to process 100 emails a day, you don't feel in touch, you feel crushed. You're not communicating- you are wading through spam, forwards, fyi's... Your emails get shorter and shorter, more and more terse, and mis-communication happens more often than not.

Reversal.

So, what about technology in preaching?

First came architectural improvements to increase the range of a speaker's voice. Then microphones to throw the voice even further. Then radio, television, tape and CD ministries, podcasts, vodcasts... and the seed of the video venue, the "overflow room." All with the goal of taking the gift of preaching and extending its reach and impact.

So far, so good, right?

But now, we have all this technology. We're not only recording the sermon, we're video taping it and we have discovered we can send that video, not just to the next room, but to a building across the campus, across town, across the state, around the world...

Now, the preaching gift of one person has the ability not simply to reach the back row, but the next town, state, continent. And we're not just talking about Spurgeon publishing his sermons or Schuller putting his on TV or Driscoll putting his on iTunes...

NOW we're talking about not just influencing local preachers by making the "best" communicators' sermons available... we're talking about replacing those local teaching elders.

Talk about pushing something to an extreme.

The technology that once enhanced the preaching of others, influenced and enriched it? It's making it superfluous. Start up churches and smaller churches that used to have a team of three or four elders (or in our case, seven) who would be called on to teach on a regular basis now have a video screen and a "campus pastor" that gets to preach at most once a month.

Staff member angst

I just got off the phone with my friend Jay and he spurred a thought. (thanks Jay!)

I'm not sure a week goes by where I don't hear about someone on a church staff feeling angst in one way shape or form because they serve on church staff in which the leaders believe or function from a "command and control", "consumer" or "attractional" style of leadership.

All three of these things are often related in my mind. The core issue for each is responsibility. In each of these settings the leader views themselves as the expert and the person who much influence others to live in "god's will". that is to say, that the leader knows best. So power and authority are big topics in these environment. The top gets it, and the followers fall in line with the vision from this leader. We'll take care or your kids, don't worry about it. We'll teach your the right way to read your Bible, don't worry about it. We'll plan and organize ways for you to lead, so you can use your gifts. I assume you get the idea. I've written about this in other places,so I'll move on.

there are those on church staff within these churches get frustrated. they may not completely understand where their frustration is coming from, but they often use words like missional, or service, or owning their life with Christ.

Often, the frustration leads to resentment. Resentment that things don't change fast enough. Resentment that they can't lead their ministries how they want to. Resentment that the leader hold the power and won't share it so that the staff person can be faithful.

do you see the irony of this?

Let me say it clearly.

Your identity as a follower of Christ is not wrapped up in your job. Or it doesn't have to be. You are not your job and your ministry had better extend beyond your job description. The youth pastor who encourages small groups for teens, but has no real peer community themselves will only feel resentment because their identity is wrapped up and consumed in their job.

Waiting for the top to give you permission to personally live missionally is the definition of irony. It's both rejecting the system as a power holding organism, and waiting for it to give you authority to live.

Create space in your life for ministry outside your job. The top may never get it. But you have a personal life. Live it. Create some margin, and be the kind of person you hope to be. Lead the kind of ministry you hold to lead.

I'd give you permission, but I'm not sure you need it...

Do you want to keep doing this?

Sunday night was the first anniversary for the eikon community. After our meal I asked the question I hope we will ask every year.

Do you want to keep doing this?

I don't care how big we get, or how small we become. This is a question I want to ask every year. Do we want to keep doing this?

Nothing is a given. We aren't entitled to be living this way. We aren't going to do it simply because we have. Community is work. Suburban living is too hard to waste anyone's time with unimportant things.

Do you ask that question in your context? Could you? What would happen? Why?

Penn (of Penn and Teller) on evangelism

Penn seems like a smart guy. I'm fairly certain he is based on the seeing him speak on tv or interact with people. I can't tell you how great this video is. You really need to watch it. Things that stood out to me was his description of the man who gave him a bible and his line "How much do you have to hate someone not to proselytize?"
What do you think?

Penn reminds me of several friends I have. I'd love to hear more of his story (from him, please don't email any links) and hear more about where he's coming from.




(thanks to Ed)

"I'm not one of those... Christians"

The Onion does it again.

Link

Money Quote:

"My faith in the Lord is about the pure, simple values: raising children right, saying grace at the table, strictly forbidding those who are Methodists or Presbyterians from receiving communion because their beliefs are heresies, and curing homosexuals. That's all. Just the core beliefs. You won't see me going on some frothy-mouthed tirade about being a comfort to the downtrodden."

(Thanks to Bevan via email)

The Risk of the New

It happens in the staff meetings where someone has yet to throw in the towel to become bystanders, or onlookers. Where one or more staff hope from something new. During the meeting a moment occurs, the group is presented with a new idea, a moment of inspiration that's not yet fully formed. It popped up 3 minutes ago, everyon got excited, until - and you know what's coming don't you - someone throws the wet blanket. They ask How? They may do this for their own personal joy, or they may simply be "practical". This person may ask, How will we pay for it? or How long would it take? or Has it worked somewhere else before?

"How?" when asked to early, kills transformation. "How?" is what we ask when we already know the answer. "How?" is the voice of the status quo. "How?" is the voice of the oppressor. "How?" is an excuse to be unfaithful.

Ideas that are 5 minutes old, are not worth asking How? about.

How? is what we ask, when we resist risk. When things look to big, for us, or God to do, we ask "How?" New things always require risk, engagement, and the opportunity for loss and possibility for a negative reaction.

If the only decisions your church staff make, don't cost anyone anything, are they really worth doing?

Simply because we don't have the answers now, doesn't mean it's not a good idea.

Transformation requires risk. Asking How? too soon will always assure that you never risk anything.

This doesn't mean you won't have problems. Problems aren't exclusively the property of risk. Problems will find you when you try to keep everyone happy as well.
It can become a downward spiral for a lot of churches.
But that my friends would be another post of the future.

The Quote that won't go away (in a good way)

A quote I wrote in May of 2001 popped up again on Christianity Today's Out of Ur. Here's what I said.

"Conversion in the U.S. seems to mean we've exchanged some of our shopping at Wal-Mart, Blockbuster, and Borders for the Christian Bookstore down the street. We've taken our lack of purchasing control to God's store, where we buy our office supplies in Jesus' name."

Here's the original post. Give me some grace, it was 2001.. yes and parts that talk about authority make me cringe. I don't think I've actually said that again since 2001, but maybe I should.

Thanks to Skye to hanging on to that little quote for so long. Skye if you read this, we're both speaking at the NPC in San Diego in Feb. let's have a conversation. I'm interested to read Skye's book that he's writing on consumerism.

Consumer Church and Eikons

I used to think that consumerism could exist with the church as a means to sharing the gospel. Then I thought about how it didn't belong, but struggled to put my finger on why. I would say things like, "The way you win someone is the way you keep them." but I'm beginning to think this is even not a real answer.

In my mind I'm trying not to be some reactionary guy who declares the sky is falling. No one listens to that guy for more than a few minutes and they listen for all the wrong reasons. I don't want to come across as some purist who can't see gray between the black and white or who doesn't see his own faults in the midst of his critique.

But I am landing in a place where I'm able to articulate in a new way something I've felt for several years now. Consumerism is taints the gospel at it's core.

Consumerism is de-humanizing because it allows individuals to feed on the idea that they are at the mercy of others, who freely take that authority from them.

In this sense consumerism is anti-gospel. The gospel demands that you take up your cross and follow, to find your true identity as eikons of God. It simply can not be delegated, or done by someone else. You can not give this responsibility to someone else. your pastor, friends, family, husband, wife, or kids can't do this for you.

If this is the case then churches who feed the consumeristic tendencies of the people within their community they are in fact subverting the gospel by taking the power, authority and responsibility for being an eikon from the very people they are trying to help.

Consumerism by it's very nature works against individuals from becoming fully human. because it keeps them from the identity that is rightly theirs.

What will you tell others?

Think about a situation in your past where you took a risk. Where you laid out a plan for change, or new initiative and it didn't work. What story do you tell about it today?

If you fail at the current risky project you are facing, what story will you tell?

Who's fault is it that it didn't work?

The story you tell about why the project failed tells a lot about you and how responsible you are for your life. It tells about how you see yourself related to the rest of the world. Do you see yourself as a victim? Do you see yourself at fault? Do you take responsibility for your actions as they are connected to others?


We've all met the youth guy who can do no wrong, who's story unfolds telling how he has never had a pastor who that knew what he were doing. We've meet the pastor who's never served a congregation who could keep up with their ideas. We've met the new guy to the church plant core team who was burned by every single church they have ever attended and is so glad they found you, because you "get it". We tell a lot of stories.

What kind of stories do you tell?

What kind of stories will you tell?

The art of being a whole human being is taking responsibility for your life. Of refusing to be a consumer who can no longer meet their own needs, or the needs of others.