Cash For Clunkers

The "Cash for Clunker" program seems to be a success. More than 600,000 older, fuel inefficient cars have been traded in for newer, more gas efficient cars. It seems to have been great for car dealer and the customer. However, I read about one person who was tempted to trade in for a new car , but did not do it ; she loved her old clunker and just could not get rid of it , even if it was a gas guzzler and inefficient.

I wonder if we need a 'Cash for Clunker" program for the local church. In my last post, I suggested that maybe a church should look at the programs it currently offers -What programs, people, or projects produce the most stress, pain, or financial pressures? What should a church stop doing because it is no longer effective? Are there any 'clunkers'???

The truth is most congregations have a hard time stopping or dropping a program or ministry. We just love it too much to let it go. May be a cash incentive would work? Now I doubt if there are any denominational funds for a cash for clunker program, so I am not sure from where the funds would come. But the truth is when we continue ineffective programs it is already costing a congregation valuable resources- time, talent, people, and money.

Any thoughts?

Health Care for Churches

Health Care reform is dominating the news. Whatever one's view on the various proposals, it is clear that there is need for reform of the health care system as well as the need for the average citizen to live a healthier lifestyle. This got me to thinking about health care for the church.

How is your own spiritual health? Do you have a balanced spiritual diet? Are you running on empty; are you growing weary in well doing? Are you exercising with the spiritual disciplines that can strengthen your well being? What brings you joy in life? What feeds your soul, your mind, your body? Is it time to take some spiritual inventory in your life?

What about your congregation? What programs, ministries, projects, people bring about the most joy; that add spark and life to you and your congregation? On the other hand, what programs, people, or projects produce the most stress, pain, or financial pressures?

What is the ratio between the amount of time your members spend sitting in meetings or groups as compared to being out in the community in mission and ministry? Is there a ministry or project that could 'stretch' your church and in turn strengthen it?

I would invite you to email or stop by the PRC for a 'check up' or a 'check in' with one of our consultants who could help you think through some of these questions. For susbcribers to the PRC 'health care system' , it will not cost you anything extra ; it is part of your susbcriber fee!

Let me know.

Looking at the evidence

I have been called (summoned actually) to serve on jury duty this week. Whether I am chosen or not remains to be determined. Being called to serve as a juror is an important part of our judicial system. It takes citizens from their normal routines , sets them apart in a small group, asks them to examine the evidence ( the facts) , come to some conclusions, and a decision. These decisions affect the lives and directions of the people in the litigation.

This process reminded me that it would good for church leaders to take time from the normal routine of church life, to ask a small group to look at the evidence, the facts, of church life, and come to some conclusions and decisions about the ministry and mission of the church. Jim Collins in his book "Good to Great" states that companies, organizations, that move from good to great are willing to take a realistic look at their situation, face the cold hard facts, (look at the evidence) in order to make decisions that will help the organization become great. The principle is called the Stockwell principle after the Vietnam POW James Stockwell who realistically looked at his difficult situation, but was also hopeful of being released. Other POWs who simply lived in the hope, or wishful thinking, that they would be released at any time often did not survive their imprisonment. The difference was looking honestly at the facts.

Has your church taken time out of its normal routine and looked at the evidence, the cold hard facts? It could make a big difference in the future direction of your church.

Len Sweet at the PRC

About 70 people had "Conversation and Coffee" with Len Sweet today at the Parish Resource Center in Lancaster, PA (http://www.parishresourcecenter.org/) .

It was great!!! Len challenged us immigrants living in the "Google World" to grasp the importance of image and experience as over print and reason. For most of us who were 'born' ( at first I typed 'book' -talk about Freudian typing) in the Gutenberg age, we need to learn to communicate the gospel in a image world. I would invite you to a conversation on some practical ways we can do this.

Len spoke about young adults 'twittering' during a speaking engagement he had and the tweets were posted on a screen. One said, "Len has lost me , are you following what he is saying?" Instead of blowing that statement off, he noticed it and responded to it. It allowed for further dialogue and connection with his audience. To many of us that is 'foreign'. But as I thought about it, in the black and pentecostal traditions, the 'amens' and 'shouts' and the 'talking back to the preacher' are the 'tweets' in those traditions. They help the preacher to know he/she is on target; it is their instant feedback.

Do you have ways you have made your worship/ministry more image enriched? How are you communicating in a "google' world. What are your questions/concerns. Let's chat.

Dave

davidloughery@parishresourcecenter.org