Is This Church Ready for Rebuilding?

Is This Church Ready for Rebuilding?

by | Jun 23, 2023

As I worshiped on a recent Sunday morning, I couldn’t help but ponder the question of whether this church, which I’d been attending for over a decade, was ready for rebuilding.

I genuinely appreciate this church. It boasts an excellent downtown location and is filled with wonderful people. However, it has experienced numerous changes: the dismissal of long-time musicians, a well-liked pastor with a hidden addiction, frequent pastoral appointment changes, and the pandemic. While the church once held three services a week, it now only offers one. Many familiar faces have disappeared.

So, can this church rebuild? The answer is both yes and no.

Yes, this church can rebuild if:

  1. The church is willing to SIMPLIFY.

Cut the dead weight: ditch any church ministries without a leader. Lacking a champion, many ministries need help to survive. If the person in charge is no longer available or has lost interest, and nobody else is stepping up, it’s time to say goodbye. If that ministry isn’t serving the church’s purpose and vision, then you might be better off without it. Creating a Culture of Renewal® participant, Pastor Lisa Anderson, saw a boost in attendance just by choosing the right ministries for her church. Plus, she’s got a new Young Adults class in the works and a preschool program that’s already a bona fide hit. Sometimes simplifying is not about doing less, but more about doing something different that will have a better result.

 

  1. The church embraces SOCIETY.

Don’t let your church get stuck in isolation! Connecting with your community and drawing in those who haven’t heard of your church is crucial. Pastor Lisa took the initiative to open up events like mom group meet-ups, Valentine’s Day dinners, and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations to everyone. Partnering with local businesses and organizations can help you spread the word beyond your walls. It’s all about creating an inclusive environment that welcomes people of all beliefs and backgrounds.

However, it is not just about embracing society; the quality of relationships within your church matters. Pastor Lisa had several significant conversations and interactions that marked a relationship shift. These included discussing disaffiliation, looking at where the church is currently, and celebrating successes together.

 

  1. The church cultivates SPIRITUALITY.

People are deeply hungry for spirituality that makes a difference. Let prayer and Bible study move you beyond a discussion about God, or a rehearsal of beliefs, into the realm of experiencing God. Getting out of the four walls and into nature can help, too. It’s easy for church life to stray into the mundane. Too much focus on budgets and buildings can tempt you to forget the miraculous. Don’t allow that to happen.

Pastor Lisa focused on prayer, making the church more intentional in writing prayers out and opening the church every week for people to come and pray, providing scripture for reflection.

 

Ready for Rebuilding?

If the church is willing to simplify its activities, embrace society, and cultivate spirituality, it has a good chance of rebuilding.

However, rebuilding will only be attainable with one more crucial element in place.

It’s not money, younger people, or an ideal location.

The most critical element for rebuilding is a willingness to dream like Jesus. To rebuild sustainably, the church needs a big, bold, God-sized vision – compelling and risky enough to require growth in faith, interdependence, and partnership with God. Only a vision of this magnitude will draw people into the rebuilding phase.

If you are ready to rebuild, join me for my upcoming seminar, “How Christian Ministries are Achieving Success: An Introduction to Creating a Culture of Renewal®,” where, together, we’ll look at what it takes to build a sustainable ministry and create an atmosphere where renewal can occur.

Or join me for a personal consultation and learn how you, like Pastor Lisa, can become a vital part of our Creating a Culture of Renewal® journey. Let the transformation begin!

 

Copyright © 2023 rebekahsimonpeter.com.  All Rights Reserved.

Greening Our Faith

Greening Our Faith

by | Apr 19, 2021

Greening Our Faith

Going green is all the rage. But what does it really mean? For persons and communities of faith, it’s more than just changing light bulbs, although that’s important. Going green at its core is about recognizing our right relationship with both our Creator and the creation.

It revolves around the question: What’s the purpose of creation? Or even more importantly: Who or what is at the center of creation?

If you answered “me,” you’re not alone. We tend to have a pretty ego-centric or anthropocentric view of things. Even in the church. (Jesus died for “me.”)

As if we humans are at the center of the universe and the rest of the creation exists simply for our sake.

The Bible doesn’t hold that same view.

According to Genesis 1-2, we humans are not the center of creation; we are the stewards of creation. That’s an important distinction. We’re told to multiply and fill the face of the earth. But so are the fish of the sea and the birds of the air.

The difference between us and them is that we’re to have dominion over them. Dominion does not mean dominate, defeat, or deny. It certainly doesn’t mean to make extinct.

Instead, to get at the meaning of dominion, think domain. God’s ruling authority over the domain of creation has been extended to us. We are authorized to rule in such a way that the “goodness” of creation is nurtured and cultivated. Not extinguished.

You might call this view of creation biocentric. It’s the creation that is the center of God’s focus—of which we are a part. An important part. But not the whole enchilada.

An image signifying going green

Everything has a right to exist simply because God created it. (That brings to mind the question of mosquitoes. But where would bats be without them?)

In other ways, the Bible’s view of creation is decidedly Christocentric. Consider this passage from Colossians 1: 15-17: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” That’s a high view of both Christ and creation.

In the final analysis, though, the Bible is breathtakingly and unapologetically theocentric: “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6 Even sea monsters and stormy wind fulfill God’s command. (Psalm 148) God is both the center and circumference of all that is. All our living, loving, worship is ultimately to be directed toward God.

So what’s our right relationship with Creator and creation? To praise God with our being and our actions. And to be a good steward of creation, so that by its very being, the creation can also praise God.

We would do well to recover these biblical perspectives on creation.

We find ourselves in the precarious position of loving the Creator while violently abusing the Creation. Click To Tweet

Humanity has now become a force of nature—through our massive population growth, our extensive technologies, and our unsustainable ways of living. We are overriding the delicate balances of the natural world. The consequences are disastrous.

Through the burning of fossil fuels—coal for electricity, oil, and gas for fuel and transportation—we have pumped enough carbon dioxide into the air to raise the earth’s temperature and to change the earth’s climates. Dramatically. Something no other human civilization has ever done.

A happy person in nature

As a result, air temperatures are rising. Oceans are warming. Ten thousand year old glaciers are melting. Permafrost is thawing. Antarctic ice sheets are breaking up. Ocean levels are inching up. Extreme weather events are the new normal as forests are burning up. The earth is crying out to us.

We who have been charged with being stewards of creation have somehow become sinners against that creation. The National Council of Churches reported in a 2005 letter to Church and Society that the earth is crying out to us.

What can we do in the name of going green? Change light bulbs. Move away from a “consumeristic-throwaway-approach” to life. Drive more fuel-efficient vehicles. Eat lower on the food chain. Support women in developing countries to gain control over their own lives so that birth rates go down. Reduce individual and congregational CO2 footprints.

But chances are these actions will be no more than knee jerk reactions if our understandings are not grounded in Scripture and theology.

Going green doesn’t start with the energy bill. It starts in the reading of Scripture. It builds through recognition and repentance. It’s underscored in the pulpit and the prayers of the people. It takes root in a growing awareness of our right relationship to Creator and Creation. It culminates in changed lives—and changed light bulbs.

Join me for a free seminar, How to Create a Culture of Renewal, in which you’ll learn the barriers to achieving renewal, the miracles renewal can bring, and how to take your next step—a “must attend” for church leaders.

The Sabbath Effect

by | May 23, 2013

Jonathan Ormes, retired NASA scientist, and I made plans to meet while I was on my way to lead a women’s retreat on the topic of sabbath and the environment. I wanted to talk with him about my theory that practicing sabbath is an environmentally friendly discipline.
“Absolutely,” he said. “In fact, we can tell from space where and when people are observing the sabbath all around the world.” “Really?” I asked, “from space?” This was better than I thought.
He said, “We can see that levels of nitrous oxides-byproducts of fossil-fuel combustion, among other things-fluctuate during the week. They go down on Friday in Islamic countries; down on Saturday in Israel; and down on Sunday in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Those levels don’t go down at all in China; the numbers stay pretty steady throughout the week. This lowering of nitrous oxide levels is called the sabbath effect or the weekend effect.” In other words, the less people drive and the less industry produces, the cleaner the air.
Listening to Dr. Ormes, I marveled at the convergence of science and spirituality. The Scriptures call us to be stewards of the creation; science lets us know how we are doing at it. According to Dr. Ormes, not too well. For the elevated presence of nitrous oxides during the week is connected to ozone smog and acid rain, which are dramatically changing the atmospheric composition.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that the intended outcome of sabbath observance-being refreshed (Exodus 23:12; 31:17)-can also be translated as “paused-for-breath.” Childhood asthma is on the increase, as are other respiratory difficulties. All are linked to the quality of our air. Sabbath rest literally clears the air and gives us breathing room. In fact, sabbath reveals itself as the first environmentally friendly biblical covenant. Sabbath is good for people and the earth. It is not a stretch to say that faith grounded in the Bible is “green.” Sustainability is built into the very fabric of creation.
Which day should you observe sabbath? Some Christians are adopting the practice of the early church by honoring the creation on the seventh day of the week, Saturday, and the Lord’s resurrection on the first day of the week, Sunday. Others reclaim the dual emphases of creation and Christ together on Sunday. Another option is to carve out mini-sabbaths at another time during the week. It may not matter as much which day you set apart as how you start to synchronize your life with the rhythms of creation so that healing may begin.
Sabbath is important for reducing our stress and our impact on the planet, but do not make it impossible to experience sabbath. If you cannot start with a day of rest, how about an hour? Then month by month expand that hour until you have reached a full day of rest. I invite you to try it. You just might like it. I will be right alongside you

The Sabbath Effect

by | Sep 29, 2010

Jonathan Ormes, retired NASA scientist, and I made plans to meet while I was on my way to lead a women’s retreat on the topic of sabbath and the environment. I wanted to talk with him about my theory that practicing sabbath is an environmentally friendly discipline.
“Absolutely,” he said. “In fact, we can tell from space where and when people are observing the sabbath all around the world.” “Really?” I asked, “from space?” This was better than I thought.
He said, “We can see that levels of nitrous oxides—byproducts of fossil-fuel combustion, among other things—fluctuate during the week. They go down on Friday in Islamic countries; down on Saturday in Israel; and down on Sunday in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Those levels don’t go down at all in China; the numbers stay pretty steady throughout the week.  This lowering of nitrous oxide levels is called the sabbath effect or the weekend effect.” In other words, the less people drive and the less industry produces, the cleaner the air.
Listening to Dr. Ormes, I marveled at the convergence of science and spirituality. The Scriptures call us to be stewards of the creation; science lets us know how we are doing at it.  According to Dr. Ormes, not too well. For the elevated presence of nitrous oxides during the week is connected to ozone smog and acid rain, which are dramatically changing the atmospheric composition.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that the intended outcome of sabbath observance––being refreshed (Exodus 23:12; 31:17)––can also be translated as “paused-for-breath.” Childhood asthma is on the increase, as are other respiratory difficulties. All are linked to the quality of our air.  Sabbath rest literally clears the air and gives us breathing room. In fact, sabbath reveals itself as the first environmentally friendly biblical covenant. Sabbath is good for people and the earth. It is not a stretch to say that faith grounded in the Bible is “green.” Sustainability is built into the very fabric of creation.
Which day should you observe sabbath? Some Christians are adopting the practice of the early church by honoring the creation on the seventh day of the week, Saturday, and the Lord’s resurrection on the first day of the week, Sunday. Others reclaim the dual emphases of creation and Christ together on Sunday. Another option is to carve out mini-sabbaths at another time during the week. It may not matter as much which day you set apart as how you start to synchronize your life with the rhythms of creation so that healing may begin.
Sabbath is important for reducing our stress and our impact on the planet, but do not make it impossible to experience sabbath. If you cannot start with a day of rest, how about an hour? Then month by month expand that hour until you have reached a full day of rest. I invite you to try it. You just might like it. I will be right alongside you.
This blogpost is excerpted from Green Church:  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rejoice! by Rebekah Simon-Peter and published by Abingdon Press, 2010.  Buy your copy here:http://www.amazon.com/Green-Church-Reduce-Recycle-Rejoice/dp/1426702922/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285765665&sr=1-1-spell