ShareFest is This Weekend!

Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of “sacrifice”—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets. - Hebrews 13:16, The Message

This weekend, nearly 40 churches from across the Valley will take these words to heart.  We'll go into neighborhoods, schools, yards, and trailer parks to pursue one simple mission together: to demonstrate the love of Christ in practical ways.  Without a doubt, ShareFest is one of my favorite weekends of the entire year.  I get to see people go on-mission together, reach out to their neighbors, and do so without any agenda other than serving in a Christ-honoring manner.  You can find out more at gjsharefest.com and see which projects still need to be adopted.

This year, I'll be working with a team of high school students and adult leaders at The House, our local shelter for homeless teenagers.  Our team will help The House become just a little bit friendlier of a space for at-risk kids by improving their yard, landscaping, laying down rocks, and hauling away materials from previous improvement projects.  The House has come a long way since it was launched in 2012, and it's our privilege to serve them this weekend.  I hope you'll join me in praying for a wonderful weekend across the Valley, that all of our volunteers would stay safe, and most of all, that God's love would be made clear to people who might not otherwise get a chance to see it.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis

What is the "Long Tail?"

(c) Disney/Pixar

I mentioned the book The Great Evangelical Recession by John Dickerson in a previous blog post, and as you can imagine, it’s still kicking around in my brain.  Heavy on facts but also on hope, it’s a must-read for any church leader.  One of the concepts discussed in the book is called the “Long Tail.”  Essentially, the concept describes a pattern in the business community where companies could make big bucks on a big-name product, thus making any risk on smaller/edgier products more tolerable.  Movie studios, for example, used to be able to rely on big-budget ‘tent pole” movies (think summer blockbusters like Iron Man 3) to provide enough revenue to keep the wheels turning and also to cover the cost of smaller projects (like 12 Years A Slave) which may not bust the box office but might win critical acclaim during awards season.  The term “long tail” comes from the physical proportions of something like a dinosaur.

“The mass in the muscular neck and head are about the same volume as the mass in the powerful long tail.  Similarly, the money made in all the little non-hit [movies] is about the same as the money to be made in the few big hits [like Iron Man 3] in the neck and head” – Dickerson, p. 203-204

The ‘Long Tail’ approach, according to the book, worked until the internet made it irrelevant.  Now, like the movie example, studios can make their products available anytime on iTunes and gain just as much revenue from smaller, popular movies as they do the big-budget explosion-fests.

Similarly, the church is facing a regression from the “long tail” approach to ministry.  Throughout most of the 20^th century, big-name speakers and ministries (Promise Keepers, Billy Graham, etc.) were sure-fire bet to reach people for Christ, make an impact in communities, and keep themselves financially solvent.  Part of what’s led to the decline of those efforts is big-name implosions (Ted Haggard) and the incredibly debt-heavy approaches to financing many of those ministries’ more ambitious projects.  We also live in a post-modern, post-Christian world.  While many ministries and leaders were once able to leverage their influence effectively in a Christendom-model of ministry, those strategies are declining rapidly.  My friend Nate Stratman, who leads a great youth ministry at First Pres. Colorado Springs, has noticed this trend in his context: http://natestratman.com/2014/04/17/2-growing-trends-youth-ministry-just/

The point is this: the church needs to learn how to leverage our smaller, more personal ministries to better reach people for Christ.  Rather than staging large events with a rip-roaring band and a dynamic speaker, smaller, more intimate conversations and interactions with neighbors, coworkers, and others who do not yet know Christ is becoming more and more necessary – and more fruitful.

Now you might be thinking, “Duh.”  That’s fair.  But for many people – especially those who were touched by one of the “big tent” meetings or a dynamic speaker many years ago, this new ministry philosophy is hard to embrace.  Serving a church where both groups worship and serve together is a challenge, but a welcome one.  I’m excited to see what God calls us to do and be as we proclaim the hope of Christ in ways that make sense to our neighbors.

Shalom,

Travis

"I Need Africa More than Africa Needs Me"

Last week, I went to a conference in Washington, DC, which was hosted by International Justice Mission (ijm.org).  You may have heard about IJM’s remarkable humanitarian and justice ministry through their president, Gary Haugen, and the special messages he’s shared at the Leadership Summit.  My experience was unlike any conference I’ve ever seen. 

First, the audience: never have I seen so many young people attend a Christian event.  Usually, I see a lot of homogeneity at conferences I attend; at this conference, the diversity of ages and ethnic backgrounds was remarkable.  It was an unexpected gift to be around so many young people who are all engaged in the work of biblical justice.  Second: the content.  IJM’s mission involves working in the developing world to free slaves, break people out of cycles of poverty and violence, and equip local justice systems to bring an end to crimes like sex trafficking, forced labor, and other issues.  Each of IJM’s field offices was given a conference room, which they set-up with prayer stations, audio-visual presentations, and interspliced everything with regular calls to guided prayer.  Christ-centered content, prayer, more content, more prayer - that was our rhythm for three days, and it was as much of a spiritual journey as it was an informational event.  Finally, seeing connections between the gospel and the work God is doing through committed, Christ-centered, capable people on IJM’s staff was truly amazing.

Back to the title above.  One of IJM’s staff members shared this quote in relation to his work in helping churches connect with justice, both locally and globally.  While the people of Africa are certainly in-need, the best way to serve them like Christ is to bring a humble heart to the table.  I need Africa more than Africa needs me.  I need the Holy Spirit to lead me and our mission team to Uganda (Laurel Walters, Sean Moats, Beth Dixon, and Janis McBee) with a spirit of humility before our hosts.  We come to learn, to pray, to grow, and to see what God is doing among our brothers and sisters in the developing world.  That’s the kind of attitude I hope to have when we leave for our trip during the first week of June.  Thanks for your prayers.

Shalom,

Travis