Monday, June 16, 2008
Last week I put up a post that bemoaned the fact that it appeared that two weeks ago a number of people blew off church because I was not speaking.
Here’s the exact post…
An Open Letter To Those Who Attend CCV
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
This past Sunday one of the great pastors in our country spoke at our church.
Yet, a significant number of you chose to either sleep in or blow off church to do something else.
Attendance on Sunday was 1091, which is just pitiful for our church.
Many leaders at CCV wonder if people chose not to come because you knew I was not speaking.
Please understand that if that turns out to be the case, honest to God you won’t hear me speak until 2009. I will hire first year Bible college interns who can barely chew gum and talk at the same time to rotate the speaking responsibilities for the next 6.5 months.
I will not have any part in helping build a church around a person, personality, or particular style of preaching.
Yesterday, after I had a chance to speak on Sunday about the subject with the people at CCV, I removed the post (not at anyone's encouragement or suggestion).
Why? Two reasons…
1. The post was really about “CCV church family business,” and as such was really not appropriate for a broader forum like a blog. Maybe I could have blogged about it 2-3 months after the fact, but not while it was unfolding.
2. My tone in the post was condescending and harsh.
For these two reasons I took the post down.
I’d like to sincerely apologize.
Sometimes I get it right.
This time I didn’t.
I’d Like To Apologize…
Community-Wide Surveys
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Yesterday “Lumpy” Rutherford at Christ’s Church in Albany, NY emailed me and asked if we had ever completed a community-wide survey, so I quickly shot him what we did last summer. You just can't ignore a guy named Lumpy. I thought you might be interested in seeing what we did and what the results were as well.
Last summer our entire staff went door to door in our community and asked three questions:
1. Why don’t people go to church in this area?
2. What are the greatest needs of people in our community?
3. What would our church have to do or offer to get you to seriously consider attending our church?
Here were the responses:
Why don’t people go to church in this area?
1. Because I’m too busy
2. I don’t see any need to go to church
3. I’m Catholic, I’m not supposed to go to your church
4. I know I should but it’s my only day off to rest
5. It’s irrelevant
6. There’s nothing for my kids and they hate it
7. I have been looking and still haven’t found what I’m looking for
What are the greatest needs of people in our community?
1. I have no idea
2. A greater sense of community
3. More time together as a family
4. Community service opportunities
5. We don’t have any needs a church can meet
What would our church have to do or offer to get you to seriously consider attending our church?
1. I’m Catholic, there’s nothing you could do that would make me want to attend your church
2. Good kids/teen programs
3. Fun community events
4. Relevant sermons/music
5. A non-judgmental atmosphere
6. Varieties of times/convenience
7. Sense of community among the people
8. Activities that bring the family together
I love doing these surveys because:
1. It makes my heart burn for people far from God even more
2. It helps us avoid “groupthink” as a staff by soliciting the actual impressions of our church by objective people we’re trying to reach
3. It makes me more sympathetic to the college kid who gets the door slammed in his face while he’s selling magazines.
4. It reminds our entire leadership why we’re doing what we’re doing
But then again, I hate doing surveys like this because:
1. It makes me feel like a telemarketer
2. I hate answering the door myself when survey people want to talk to me
3. Everybody wants church to be like a spiritual version of Oprah's Favorite Things. Ever seen that episode?
Women start freaking out and crying as Oprah strolls out and starts giving away stuff like a crazed woman -- "Humpback whales for everyone! You get a humpback whale! And you get a humpback whale! You get a car! And you get a mid-sized Junior High School in Topeka! And you get a small European country! Whhhheeehhhhuuuhhh!"
Taking feedback you get from a survey like this is tricky. People want churches that look like them. We lead churches so people can start looking more like God.
Here's what I wrestle with: how seriously should we take feedback we get from surveys like this?
Gene Appel's Challenge: "What Will People Remember You For?"
Monday, June 09, 2008
“What are people going to remember you for when you’re gone?” Gene asked over and over again. “Work? Money? Your hobby? Or something that will last beyond the grave?”
I can honestly say that in over 20 years of attending church, yesterday had to be one of the most moving services I have ever attended. Many CCV’ers shared the same sentiment.
Yesterday Gene talked about leaving a legacy and how the three most important things we can focus on are faith, hope and love. The greatest, of course, is living a life filled with love for those around us.
The most moving part of Gene’s message for me was when he talked about losing his father at the age of 14, and how his most powerful memories were of the way his father would read a passage of scripture to his brothers and sisters every morning at breakfast.
Not a dry eye.
Not a heart untouched in the room.
At the end of his talk he asked everyone to write down a legacy statement, a few words that capture how we would want to be remembered once we're gone.
Here’s what I wrote down:
“I want to leave a legacy like the one my dad left me – undying love and devotion to my wife, my kids, my sisters, my friends, and my church family.”
Have you written a legacy statement or something like it for your life?
Lots – O – Stuff Happening
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Here are a few things I want to highlight for you CCV’ers who should be working but are reading this blog instead …
Gene Appel Speaking This Sunday 
We’re fortunate to have Gene Appel, former Lead Pastor guy at Willow Creek Community Church’s main campus, speak for us this Sunday. It’s going to be an amazing time and the place is going to be packed! Make sure you bring a few friends and have them stay for the church picnic afterwards. It’s going to be a great day! I’ll see you Sunday. 
This past Sunday we invited CCV’ers to stay after church to hear a presentation about how they can invest in an organization called The Church Development Fund. The “CDF” is an incredible lending organization with a HUGE missionary’s heart. They’re the group that provided the loan for our current campus. Their entire mission is to help Christians invest part of their savings for solid a rate of return and to use that money to build dynamic churches across the country. If you missed that meeting you can get more information and open up an account online HERE. FYI -- If you're a church leader who reads this blog, you owe it to the kingdom to get your church on board with the CDF. These guys are as sharp as they come!
Sadly, The CMT Awards Come To A Close
The CMT Awards came to a close on Sunday, but not without showing one final profoundly spiritual country music video. For those of you who asked, here it is again…Cletus Take The Reel…
Building Casas Por Christo
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
In a little over a week 30 people from CCV will head down to Juarez Mexico to build two homes for families in need.
Maria Albarado is a single mom with a 14 year old son named Jonathan. Together they live in a wooden shack in the slums of Juarez. She’s 39 years old and makes $70 a week.
Javier and Maria Velazquez and their three children -- Consuelo (20), Areli (10), and Itzel (5) -- live in a thrown together shanty no larger than the shed in the backyard of many Americans. He makes $75 a week for a family of five!
CCV’ers…because of your hard work, prayers and generosity Jesus is about to change their world.
Love God. Love each other. Love our world. That's what it's all about!
Man do I love the people of this church!
F.Y.I. -- Here’s a video of the trip we took last time. Expect another one in a few weeks.
Countdown To The CMT Awards
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
I’ve lost my mind.
Up until four months ago I thought the only people who listened to country music were those who skipped routine dental visits so they could buy extra beer and pork rinds for when the cousin they were engaged to came over to watch Wrestlemania and NASCAR.
Now, unbelievably, and I’m sure this will come as a great shock to those within the church I serve; I’m slowly changing my mind.
While I’m still convinced most country music lovers contemplate going to family reunions to pick up women, I’m actually, and it shocks me to say this, starting to like it.
Rascal Flatts. Sugarland. Toby Keith. Kenny Chesney. Taylor Swift. Keith Urban. Martina McBride. Four months ago I had no idea who any of these people/groups were. Then, out of nowhere, I made the decision that I was sick of listening to classic rock and alternative rock and wanted to learn a little bit about a musical genre I knew nothing about. So I forced myself to listen to 92.5 WXTU “Philadelphia’s Country Station” everyday for four long months.
And I’ve been surprised.
So much so, that, believe it or not, we’re going to do our first-ever (and more than likely last) country-music inspired sermon series.
In two weeks we’re going to launch a 4-part series that’s a take off of the 2008 CMT Awards. We’re calling it the “CMT Awards.”
The CMT stands for “Corinthian Moral Troubles.”
When you read through the pages of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians), you begin to wonder if you’re reading the lyrics to a country music song – there’s always someone fighting, drinking, and cheating on somebody.
After Paul founded this tiny church in the cosmopolitan Greek city of Corinth in 52 a.d., he left to start more churches in other cities. In his absence the people in that new church began making immoral lifestyle choices that jeopardized the life of the church.
So Paul shot off 1 Corinthians, challenging them point by point to change their ways. Their immoral choices were beyond anything we read about anywhere else in New Testament! Paul essentially awarded them with what could be called the “CMT Awards” – The Corinthian Moral Troubles Awards. Their crazy lifestyle choices took the prize!
So starting on May 11th we’re going to look at those awards, and the issues that prompted them. We’re going to do so because, quite honestly, Paul could have just as easily written that letter to any church today, even our own.
Well, that’s the series in a nutshell – 1 Corinthians with a little country twang.
I just have four simple requests:
1. Do not make out with your hot cousin in the back row during the worship service, unless she's Carrie Underwood.
2. Do not bring beer coolers or dogs into the church building.
3. Please park all trailers in the back section of the parking lot.
4. Post a comment and give me your favorite country music song and I’ll pass that on to our Art’s team. We're looking for ideas.
God help us. God help us all.
Wounds From A Friend Can Be Trusted
Thursday, April 24, 2008
This week we had another Leadership Team meeting. I continue to be amazed at the godly people God has assembled to guide this church.
One of the things on my agenda for after the meeting was a one on one with Paul Williams. Paul has been a personal friend and mentor for many years.
In March the CCV staff finished our annual 360 degree reviews where everyone on our staff had an opportunity to weigh on the positive and negative aspects of each other’s performance. It’s pretty affirming and painful stuff all at the same time.
Once that process was over I emailed Paul the complete file and we agreed that after the Leadership Team meeting in April we would meet for my review.
“Brian, you know I think the world of you, don’t you?” he started.
“Yes, I believe that 100%. I trust you completely.”
“Then please understand that what I’m about to share comes from a heart that loves you and only wants to see you become all that God has called you to become.”
Then he took a deep breath and shared two things:
1. He shared a story from his own life where he struggled with what he was about to share with me. That put me at ease. Right off the bat he made it clear that he wasn’t positioning himself as someone who didn’t understand my struggles.
2. Then he slowly said, “Brian, I think ______________________.”
My chin immediately dropped.
I just sat in silence and listened to what he shared.
I thought, He nailed it.
He IMMEDIATELY nailed the core theme that emerged loud and clear through the reviews.
As he expounded point by point though, two things became abundantly clear to me: First, I needed to change. Second, Paul was not judging me, but cheering me on.
I told Paul that I agreed with everything he said, without exception, and that I also continue to be overwhelmed by his love and graciousness towards me.
Together we made a plan to help me proceed, and then he put his hand on my shoulder and said, "You know I love you and think the world of you, don't you?"
I said, "Absolutely."
Proverbs 27:6 says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted.”
I know that first-hand.
Sushi and Full-Frontal Nudity
Monday, April 21, 2008
Here are some things happening in my world…
Two New Books To Read
I’m excited about two new books I picked up to read this week:
100 Ways to Improve Your Writing
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Time Off Last Week
Last week I took two vacation days to shovel 2.5 tons of rock around my yard (the previous owners used rock instead of mulch…go figure). It was great just working in the yard and clearing my head. The weather was stunning -- 70 degrees and sunny every day. My back still hurts though!
Art’s Pastor Search
We’re narrowing our search for our worship pastor and really excited about the possibilities. We should have someone hired by June 1.
Youth Pastor Search
We’re accepting applications for our Student Ministry Pastor position. If you are interested send your resume to Kevin Stone at Kevin@moviechurch.com. Our goal is to have someone here by mid July.
Sushi and Full-Frontal Nudity
On Saturday Lisa and I went on a date to the Tokyo Japanese Restaurant in Skippack and ate sushi. Skippack is just gorgeous this time of year. Because dinner went so long we didn’t make it in time to see Expelled. Rushed and not sure what to see, we followed the crowd into Forgetting Sarah Marshall (knowing absolutely nothing about the movie). Dumb idea.
Within 2 minutes we were staring at a guy’s penis. A few minutes after that we in line to get a refund for our tickets.
Listen, I’ve been to a few rated R movies and have NEVER seen anything like that. What the heck is going on? I’m with Jud Wilhite at Central Christian in Las Vegas. There is no “culture war” going on any longer. There may have been a war at one time, but we lost.
Do you hear that? The culture war is over. We lost.
Thanks Matt and Carrie!
Sunday, April 06, 2008
For those who were not at CCV’s Sunday morning services today to hear this firsthand, I want to share that it is with both sadness and excitement that Matt Silver has accepted the position of Youth Pastor at Mountain Christian Church in Bel Air, MD.
Six years ago Matt came to CCV selling shoes at the KOP Mall, and now he leaves as one of the finest Youth Pastors in the country.
Let me share a few things to help everyone process this announcement.
1. Mountain Christian Church has a huge need. They are a church of 3,500 and have been through 5 youth pastors recently. They have a strong ministry, but it isn’t as outreach-oriented as the leadership would like, and Matt’s skill set will make an immediate impact there.
2. Carrie’s family attends Mountain Christian Church. Her mom is on staff there. Her brother and his wife attend there. With little Ian and one on the way in June, we can all understand the pull to be close to family.
3. Youth ministry is a tough job. Matt has been away more than another staff member at CCV. Impact and RIOT take lots of trips, as does any other youth ministry. And while Matt and Carrie have a great marriage, we can all understand that it just helps during those times to be close to other family members to help out with little ones.
4. Matt and Carrie will be right down the road and we will see them all the time. Not only will he come back here to speak on a regular basis, but our students will see him at PCTC, the Eastern Christian Convention, Indian Lake, and a whole host of other events.
5. Matt goes to Mountain with my full support, our staff’s full support, and our Leadership Team’s full support. This isn’t a situation so much where Matt is leaving us, as it is a situation where we are sending Matt. One theme that runs throughout the Bible is that the church always “sends out” its very best leaders. That’s certainly the case with Matt and Carrie.
6. We have a very clear transition plan for how we are going to go about finding a replacement for Matt and cover student ministry activities until that person arrives. We have hired 4 great summer interns to work with our students (Melissa Jaworksi, Adam Flora, April Tatta, and Brendon Foulke). They will all begin teaching from the stage on Sunday nights at Impact and RIOT and become the point people for going on trips and our summer camps. To guide them, Frank Chiapperino will function as our interim youth guy. As you know, Frank was our youth pastor before Matt came along.
7. Our goal is to have Matt’s replacement here by mid-summer, so we are actively looking nationwide for great candidates. If you know someone that is interested they can email me at brian@moviechurch.com.
8. Matt and Carrie’s last Sunday is April 27th. On that night we will have a big reception at the building from 6-7:30pm. Kids, students, and adults are all encouraged to attend. We’re going to show funny videos that Matt has been in. I’m sure the students will want to say a few things. Then we’re going to have a big prayer time and send them off well.
I want to encourage you to bring cards that night telling Matt and Carrie how thankful you are for all they’ve done. And I want to encourage you to pack those cards with as many gift cards and as much cash as you can. When someone serves well and ends well here at CCV, that’s always what we do.
Matt and Carrie, we love you and are appreciate everything you’ve done here at CCV!
With great affection,
Brian
Check Out Michael Jr. On November 14th!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
On Easter Sunday we announced that Michael Jr. is going to be our headline act at Comedy Night on November 14th. Mark the date and start pumping your non-churched friends to join you. It’s going to be a pretty cool night.
Look for more information at the end of August, but in the meantime check out his website at http://www.michaeljr.com/ for some pretty funny clips. Here’s just one of many.
Are You Ready For Easter?
Thursday, March 20, 2008
I wanted to share some thoughts about how to prepare our hearts and minds for Easter. But I decided that the best thing I could do was provide a link to a video our Art’s Team edited and showed before our celebration of the Lord’s Supper two weeks ago.
My Sermon That Addressed Obama's Church's "Black Value System"
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
Here's a LINK to the message I gave the Sunday after that blog was posted where I discussed why I brought this up in my blog and the relevance it had to addressing "favoritism" in the church. You can listen to it online or podcast it.
We've been going through the Book of James in a series we've entitled "The Games We Play." That Sunday's topic was favoritism (James 2:1-13). Showing favoritism to anyone based on race, gender, socio-economic status, country of origin, etc., is simply unacceptable for followers of Jesus whether they are white, black, asian, hispanic or whatever.
Sean Healey Interview
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Back in the Fall we did a series called "Switch." Each Sunday we shared a new story from someone in our church who had made a small, medium-sized, or massive change in their life.
I just found this interview of Sean Healy while stumbling around our archives. Sean is a good friend and has been a leader around CCV for like forever. When he shared his story there wasn't a dry eye in the room. I wanted to share it so you could be inspired as well. Enjoy!
CCV Worship Experience Survey
Monday, February 7th
CCV family, please take a few minutes and fill out this survey regarding your thoughts and feelings about our Sunday morning worship services. We're trying to make some serious decisions about the future direction of our Sunday services and we need your honest feedback.
You can access the survey by clicking HERE.
Thanks!
Brian
Wrap Up on Mad Money
Wednesday, January 23rd
We just completed our three week series called Mad Money. We called it that because when people live by God’s principles in their finances, people INITIALLY think they are crazy. It was a play off of the passage in 1 Corinthians 4:10 where the apostles called themselves “Fools for Christ.”
Doing life God’s way can seem foolish, at least initially, especially in the area of our finances. But over time, as people continue down the path of American greed and we continue down the path of frugality and generosity, people will begin to realize, “Maybe these guys aren’t so crazy after all!” As Christian financial counselor Dave Ramsey says, “If we live like no-one else now, we can live like no-one else later.”
In the sermon series I challenged everyone to make three commitments. Each week’s sermon was focused on teaching one commitment…
1. I COMMIT TO LIVE WITHIN MY MEANS AND AVOID CONSUMER DEBT
2. I COMMIT TO TITHE AN AMOUNT THAT EQUALS 10% OF MY INCOME TO GOD THROUGH CCV
3. I COMMIT TO CULTIVATE AN APPROACH TO LIVING THAT CONSISTENTLY BUILDS WEALTH INSTEAD OF DEPLETING IT.
Since the series was only three weeks, I left out the fourth commitment that I would have loved to have put in there to round it out...
4. I COMMIT TO ALLOW GOD TO USE THE WEALTH HE HAS ENTRUSTED TO ME TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Yesterday a new guy to CCV emailed me and shared with me his story. I thought it was pretty inspiring. Here it is...
Brian,
I scheduled myself off today from everything to spend time walking and riding my bike in the cold with my family today. After some hot chocolate, I listened to all three Mad Money sermons via the website. Yes, the cold did not short circuit any brain synapses. I actually wanted to listen once again to the hope that these messages will give people if they only apply them.
You see, Karis and I just started attending church here for about a month now. We have 2 great young boys, Dominic and Gabriel and we had a home church back in the State College area that was fantastic. We have been purposely "Living like no one else now in order to live like no-one else tomorrow" for many years now. Four to be exact. We have tithed every bit of 10%+ to our local church and we have never gone without anything. We have no consumer debt at all and our cars were paid for in cash. We moved from a near 3000 sq.ft house with land to a small modest townhouse that is almost half the square footage of our last home. We made it a goal not to forgo the most precious gift I can give my family -- my undivided attention to my God, wife and children.
In the beginning when I decided that "enough was enough" we found it to be very difficult to cut back since it was our habits that lead to many financial decisions that could have been better handled if we had proper thinking. We found it difficult to say no to friends when they asked us to go out to the movies, dinner or ball games. We shamefully said "no" since we didn't have enough in our budget that month to do the things we thought we were entitled to do. My wife started cutting my hair. My personal spending, clothing allowance and sport entertainment was severely cut in order to meet our financial goals. My wife made some drastic sacrifices as well. Our bad habits outweighed our duel professional and business incomes.
Today, we are in an area of greater influence. Karis is home with the boys and is not concerned about tomorrow’s bills. I am doing what I love to do and we continue to live well below our means. At my current age of 40, we have a written goal for me to retire from daily work at 46, but this will not by any means help me to retire from my mission.
John Maxwell shares. "Let me spend a day with you and I will tell you where you will be in 5 years.” My habits and thinking got me to where I was then and where I am today.
I humbly write this to let you know that it was someone like you that shared this information and it set us free. I pray that other families vigorously apply what God placed on your heart and mind to share.
Mario
Thanks for Feedback!
Monday, January 21st
Thanks everyone for your feedback on the email that I posted on Friday. You'll notice that I took it down. My goal was to post it for a few days to gather some initial feedback to help us formulate a comprehensive church-wide survey that we will be asking everyone to take in a few weeks. Your thoughtful comments really helped me hone in on what questions to ask and how to ask them. Thanks for taking the time to comment and please make sure you take the church-wide survey coming out in early February!
90 Day Tithing Challenge
Tuesday, January 15th
For the past two weeks we’ve been in a series called Mad Money. We ripped the title off that nutty guy, Jim Cramer, on CNBC.
We’re called it Mad Money because when people begin living by God’s principles in their finances, their neighbors, friends and co-workers INITIALLY think they're crazy. However, as Christian financial planner Dave Ramsey says, “If we live like no-one else now, we can live like no-one else later.”
People may think we’re mad for bucking the culture’s pressure and doing finances God’s way, but they won’t think we’re crazy five years from now when their still in debt up to their eyeballs and we’re debt-free, enjoying having money in the bank, and watching God do some pretty amazing things through the tithes and offerings we give to him.
In this series we’re asking people to make three commitments:
The first week we covered Commitment #1: I COMMIT TO LIVE WITHIN MY MEANS AND AVOID CONSUMER DEBT
Last week we covered Commitment #2: I COMMIT TO TITHE AN AMOUNT THAT EQUALS 10% OF MY INCOME TO GOD THROUGH CCV
The third one we’ll cover this weekend. It’s a commitment about building wealth.
As a part of last week’s message we handed out commitment cards for people to take our 90 Day Tithing Challenge – tithe for 90 days and if you don’t see God’s blessing and hand in your finances, the church will refund your money.
Here’s what was on the card:
90 Day Tithing Challenge
___ I already give to God, through CCV, 10% of my income and have seen God’s faithfulness in the area of my finances. I commit to continue to give a tithe equal to 10% of my income throughout 2008. I do not need to participate in the 90 Day Tithing Challenge.
___ I would like to test God's faithfulness by accepting the 90 Day Tithing Challenge. I agree that starting next Sunday, my household will give to God, through CCV, a tithe equal to 10% of my income. At the end of the 90 day period, if I am not convinced of God's faithfulness to bless my life as a result of my obedience to his word, then I will be entitled to request a refund of the full amount of contributions made during this 90 day period.
I understand the following requirements:
*I understand that this form must be completed and received by the CCV Finance Team at the beginning of the 90 Day Tithing Challenge starting next Sunday.
* I understand that my tithe must be paid online, or by check or cash in an offering envelope, so that my tithe can be properly documented.
* I understand that I cannot seek a refund for any contributions made prior to the beginning of the 90 Day Tithing Challenge. I also understand that I cannot request a refund until the 90 Day Tithing Challenge is complete.
* I understand that any request for a refund must be received by the CCV Finance Team within 30 days of the end of the 90 Day Tithing Challenge.
I’m proud to say that 317 households filled out the card! Pretty cool stuff.
If you’re one of them please email me over the next 90 days and share with me your story of God’s faithfulness and blessing in your life! I love watching/helping people do finances God’s way and reaping the benefits of financial freedom – not getting rich, but getting free.
Cool stuff.
A Different Kind of Christmas
Tuesday, January 8th
The Sunday before Christmas I killed my sermon for the day and went on a twenty-five minute rant that began by me saying,
“People just don’t get how stupid and anti-Christian Christmas has become."
And ended with,
"Should we celebrate Christmas as a family? Absolutely. But just realize that God wants you to celebrate the holiday of Christmas no more than he wants you to celebrate the Holiday of St. Patrick’s Day. A Christ follower could never celebrate Christmas the rest of his or her life and God would be cool with that."
I thought people were going to tar and feather me and kick me out on my can. Instead, at the end of my 25 minute talk, people applauded.
I talked about how the Bible never told us to celebrate Jesus' birth and how Christmas came to be in the first place and how by promoting the "holiday of Christmas" the church gives people the impression that we condone living an unchristian lifestyle (ie. God is cool with going into debt and God himself has created a holiday to bless us with more material stuff).
You can listen to it online or podcast it by clicking HERE.
Anyway, I share that because there's been such a surge at our church to create a counter-cultural approach to celebrating Christmas next year that we're creating a "CCV Christmas Covenant" that we're going to ask all of the families at our church to read, sign, and practice this coming Christmas.
Here's a preliminary cut at a first draft that I shared in my message this past Sunday:
CCV Christmas Covenant
As a family we will seek to make Christ the center of our Christmas holiday celebration by…
1. Creating a modest budget and commit as a family not to buy any gifts on credit (and share budget as a family if appropriate).
2. Going together as a family to serve the poor at an outreach event set up by the church.
3. Adopting a child/family locally or oversees and purchasing items they need in proportion to the money we spend on ourselves. (Question – “Are we sacrificing to give this gift?”)
4. Reading the Christmas story (Luke 2) on Christmas Eve as a family and asking each other something like, “What’s the greatest gift Jesus gave you this year?” and ending with someone praying.
5. Create a family “savings jar” and save money as a family from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve and bring that offering to CCV’s Christmas Eve services and give towards the annual benevolence event to take place the following year (On Christmas Eve we raised enough money to build 2 homes in Mexico for two impoverished families and send 40 volunteers...pretty cool stuff).
6. Make a gift “from the heart” for each person of the family (cannot be purchased…meant to be a memento that expresses the love we have for that person).
Let's do Christmas different next year...both at CCV and beyond!
Cheryl Flora Video
Thursday, December 6
As promised here is the Cheryl Flora video from this past Sunday. Her story was the last of four "Switch" stories we shared over the last four weeks. For those of you who struggle with the same thing Cheryl struggles with be encouraged. As we talked about this past Sunday, Jesus is more powerful than any "demon" we'll ever face.
Elders, Deacons and CCV’s Leadership Team
Thursday, November 14th
A good friend of mine asked a great question about my post yesterday. Essentially he asked what is an elder, a deacon, and how do they relate to CCV’s Leadership Team. I thought I’d answer that question today. Here goes…
Elders
I and the ministry staff members at our church are considered the “elders” of the church and must meet the character qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. We are considered “elders” in the sense that we are charged with the actual day to day spiritual leadership, oversight and nurturing of the congregation.
Leadership Team members must also meet the character criteria of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, but don’t serve in the actual caring and nurturing capacity. There’s a reason for that -- as the church grows the staff must increase to nurture and care for leaders who care for everyone, but you can’t have a governing board that continues to grow. Imagine making key ministry decisions in a room full of 89 people. The Leadership Team will always remain no larger than 7 people. There may come a time when we have 89 ministry staff members.
However, just because ministry staff other than me meet the “elder” character qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, that does not place them on the Leadership Team.
CCV’s Leadership Team members meet the qualifications of “elders” but delegate the day to day running of the church to me and the staff but retain the ultimate decision making on the budget within that team.
The Leadership Team oversees me as I oversee the staff.
Deacons
All home team leaders, lead VK teachers, student ministry coaches and any other ministry team leaders must meet the character qualifications for Deacons as set out in 1 Timothy 3.
Essentially any non-staff leader of people at CCV is considered a deacon.
Hope this helps Sean!
Brian
