:::. joshbrickey.com .:::

Random Link Love...

 

Wow...I've been out of town way too much over the last few weeks, but I'm back!  Just to catch you up on what's been going through my mind lately, I thought I'd share with you some links to things that have inspired, intrigued, or just simply made me laugh over the last few weeks.  

• These Leadership Quotes have really rocked my world.  What's sad is most churches and organizations don't really have the...ehem...um...guts to do anything about it.  
• This Video is one of the funniest videos I've seen this year.  
• I think Steven Furtick hit the nail on the head with this post. It sucks to be my fault, but often it is.
• Jesus is not only a friend of Sonseed (if you don't know who that is, watch this video , he apparently is also a friend of the David Crowder Band!
• Check out how to make a homemade butt crack detector.  I know some people that need to make one of these.  
• Absolutely loved this post about what people REALLY mean.  If you don't follow Perry Noble's blog, you're really missing out. 

  What has been on your radar lately?  Any interesting links?

There's gotta be more...

I have had some thoughts that have consumed me over the past few years. It may not be on my mind all of the time, but it's definitely on my mind a solid majority of the time.

Have you ever had dreams and goals that you cannot shake? What things are constantly on your mind and constantly in your heart? Whatever those things are, those are most likely the vision that God has placed within you. So many times as Christians, we take the safe road whenever we are making decisions. We typically don't like to take risks and we love to take comfort in what we know will "work.' Yet, I can't help but think that when we play it safe, we're disobeying God. Hear me out. That doesn't mean that we are to do things completely on a whim, and know that God's dreams will never contradict values and concepts set forward in the Bible (i.e. neglecting your family, using people to get what you want, etc...). But it does mean that we do need to pursue His dreams no matter what.

So I ask again, what is it that God has placed on your heart?

Maybe it's time for you to pursue that career that you have always wanted (even though your current one is safe)

Perhaps it's time to help that person that you can't get off of your mind (even though you don't know what's going on in their life).

It might be time to go ahead and adopt an orphan (even thought you can't afford it---but miraculously have the money to make payments on a new car).

Whatever it is...pursue God without reservation.

Innovative Ministry...

Yesterday was a great day! I experienced two things yesterday that I have never experienced before. First, we took our student leaders to NewSpring Church's Greenville campus for church. It was the first time that I have experienced a video venue first hand. I have to admit, it was incredible! I've heard some people say, "well...it just can't be as effective without the pastor physically standing there and teaching. With the quality of teaching and the quality of technology, it was as if Perry (the pastor) was standing right there. Heck...I even heard people respond to his comments out loud as if he were standing there.

The other thing that I experienced was part of a collaboration between Life Church and Carlos Whitaker called LifeShare. Last night, our whole family watched the LifeShare event and sang along to a live worship stream. It was simply 'Los leading worship from the downstairs of his house and with over 100 other people joining in from around the country. Some say you can't have community online, but I beg to differ.

I think that the web is revolutionizing the way we do ministry. We can reach more people than we ever could have imagined if we take advantage of what's available.

Tomorrow I'm going to share some new tools I've found online, but I'd love to hear your response to this question: Do you think that the Church can develop true community online? Either leave a comment by clicking "Comments" below, or if you have a webcam, post a video reply to the video below. This might get interesting.

True Community?Video for my blog to discuss the question: Can the Church develop true community online?

Brother Josh

Apparently, I have arrived. In the past week or so, I have had TWO different people refer to me as "Brother Josh." I don't know what I did to garner the recognition, but I must have finally made it to the magical threshold of respect that causes someone to call me "brother."

Now...let's be clear, there are many different uses of "brother," some of which I had received plenty of times before. For instance, some use it as a way of expressing a greeting between friends (e.g. "What's up my brother?). Quite often, it's used in church as a kind of shorthand for "brothers in Christ." But the way it was used in the past couple of weeks was different. Let me explain.

I once served at a church where I was reprimanded for not referring to the pastor as "Brother Hezekiah" (Names have been changed to protect those in question). I simply referred to him by his first name while speaking which OBVIOUSLY meant that I didn't respect him. When I asked if that meant that I should be called "Brother Josh" they told me "No...that's different." Hmmm.

So...I must have made it to the this new level of Brotherdom. I've arrived to a certain level of ministerial respect. I don't think I did anything in particular Maybe it's just that I am coming close to creeping out of my twenties and losing some hair. That obviously means I'm getting wiser.

Now if only I could take the next step and move up to a cooler title like "Bishop Brickey," "The Right Reverend Josh," or maybe even "Pope Joshua I." Maybe I can get one of those cool cars, too.

Wow....

I heard a quote today that really got me thinking. It was something like this:

If you’re goal is to reach people that no one else is reaching, you have to do things that no one else is doing.

Wow...if that doesn't make you want to brainstorm and get creative in ministry, nothing will. Let's face it...most churches are simply offering another option to the things that are already offered at other churches. What's the result? Church hoppers and churches not reaching out to those who aren't being ministered to. I think it's time for churches to think way outside the box to reach people.

And what about those ministries that are just another option? Maybe we should seriously consider whether they are working. Some should get the axe. Others need to be tweeked.

I pray that churches will do whatever it takes, just short of sin, to reach those who aren't being reached.

Crocs, Beanie Babies, and other ramblings

For so many years, my experience as a Christian showed me churches that were primarily focused on developing relationships with the people already inside of the church. The main ways to attract outsiders was to have a weeklong "revival" (which...ironically implies that your church is dead) or by "Vacation Bible School." Don't get me wrong...I saw a lot of close knit relationships develop through the church, but there just seemed to be something missing in the development of the church.

I have been thinking a lot about innovation lately. Why is it that most churches are some of the least innovative places and so resistant to change? It's not just in traditional churches. It's "contemporary" churches as well. While the methods used may have been considered innovative 15 years ago, it's definitely lost it's effectiveness now (Some things of note in 1993: Sega Genesis, Beanie Babies first released, and Leonardo Dicaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape).

Let's face it, we have to seek ways to be on the cutting edge of innovation. It's bigger than Facebook, Twitter, or text messaging (if you don't know what those are...look them up). Sure we can use those things now (and should). But we need to create ways of ministry that are constantly fresh and innovative. Let's think outside of the proverbial box. Heck...we should be nowhere near the box. Let creativity be more than simply filling in a template for a weekly worship service. Let creativity be more than a clever joke in a sermon. Let creativity be more than an email prayer chain.

Here's my prayer today: God...not only now, but when I'm 85 years old (let me make it that far please)...I hope that I am open and searching for new ways to teach about you and introduce people to you. Oh...and please let Crocs go out of style. They are so ugly.

Why?

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about what church should look like. I guess the question I've really been asking is this: Why do we do church the way that we do it?

Don't get me wrong. This is not about questioning traditions. It's about making sure that every single aspect of what we do as a church has a purpose. AND...THAT purpose lines up 100% with the main purpose of the church.

Let's take a typical worship service at our church for example. Some of these things I see the point in, others I do not. Here's some questions to ask ourselves about each element.

*Countdown- Do people need a countdown to let them know when it's starting? Does there cell phone not sync up with the satellite?
*Opening Song - Why have a song to signal the start of a service? Kind of like the national anthem maybe?
*Welcome- Why do people need to be welcomed during the service? Did multiple greeters and other people greet them on the way in?
*Worship Set- Why have music at all? Can worship only begin with upbeat music and work gradually to slower, apparently "more worshipful" songs?
*Offering Prayer and Special Song- Why does this need to be in the middle of the service? Can people only give if there is some background music playing?
*Bumper- Why do we need a video that transitions between the offering song and the sermon? I wonder how Jesus could have been effective without it.
*Sermon- Why does it have to be a live speaker giving a lecture? When was the last time you invited your friends to a lecture?
*Invitation- Why should we give an invitation every week? Do you think one more verse will bring them down? (I see that hand).
*Closing Song- Why does it have to end with another song? Was six not enough?

Obviously, I said a lot of things tongue in cheek. I see a lot of reasons that we should do some of the things mentioned above. The main thing is, we have to know why we do what we do. If what we do does not line up with the vision and purpose of the church, we shouldn't do it. (What is the vision and purpose of your church? Sorry...I couldn't resist.)

What questions do you think should be asked about church life?

Ed Stetzer at WiBo

NOTES FROM STETZER:
* For many of us in ministry, somewhere along the way we’ve gotten the idea that it is sinful to say “Why God?
* Main Idea- Doubt
* You can’t get to faith without doubt
* For most at the conference , ministry is not going to look like what you see on stage.
* Ministry pornography – Unrealistic picture of a ministry that you are never gonna have.
* John 14: Thomas tells Jesus that he doesn’t get it. Jesus lets him know that He is the way, truth, life and the only way.
* The misapplication is to say that Thomas is bad for doubting. We need to be able to ask “Why?” in the midst of hurt.
* Do you know what they call people who are happy all the time? Mentally Ill.
* The Bible never promises we will always be happy.
* The Gospel never lasts through the first tragedy if we teach people that we’re to always be happy.
* God is not afraid of your questions.
* God is not in heaven hoping you’ll have your best life. God is in heaven longing for people to be forgiven of their sin and delivered from the curse of sin.
* Saying “I don’t know” to a lost person is not a sign of immaturity
* God doesn’t promise answers, He promises us Himself.
* God doesn’t always speak happiness…He always speaks peace.
* Jesus = Lord = He calls the shots in my life (this leads us to repentance)
* God’s enough for me in the midst of hurting.
* My Lord & my God will help us through our unbelief.

Perry Noble at WiBo

NOTES FROM NOBLE:
* Ministry is the toughest job on the planet
* How many times have you gone home and said “I love Jesus, I don’t love the people that love Jesus”
* We are called by God- Jesus wanted you
* Are you doing what you’re doing because you’re called?
* Too many church planters start churches not because they’re called, but because they’re pissed off at the pastor and want to do it theirself.
* John 3:13
* "We don't volunteer for this stuff. We are called. If we're volunteering, we're stupid."
* We have to understand our priorities. We have a tendency to forget them.
* John 3:14 - He called them to be with Him,
* The first calling on our life is that we would be WITH Jesus.
* If ministry ever takes away from our time with God, we have been conforming to the ideas of others and not what’s most important.
* If we would spend more time with Jesus and less time on what others are doing, we would see significant growth take place.
* Way too much imitation and not enough revelation in the church
* We are called to go out to preach (John 3:14)
* God is not green, Kermit is. We can save the planet and people on it could go to hell.
* “It will be a cold day in hell when I preach a message on recycling and neglect to preach about Jesus Christ.”
* He called them to have authority (John 3:15)
* The time has come for us to stop walking in fear but to walk in the authority that God has given us.
* “Do you really wanna be a prostitute for the rest of your life, or do you want to serve Jesus the way that He called you to?”
* Do what God tells you to do and let Him handle the results
* You have to understand the temptation.
* If you’re a pastor, there is no bigger target in your church than on your back.
* John 3:19 – Judas walked closer to Jesus than most of us will ever know, but he didn’t finish because he fell into temptation.
* Satan desires to have you. How are you gonna protect yourself?

John Burke at WiBo

NOTES FROM BURKE:
* The main problem of man is that we want to be God.
* How many years have we spent telling people about a spirital product that we haven’t been taking in ourselves
* Christianity is scandalously simply, yet difficult for adults to live.
* The goal is relationships.
* All human problems are relational.
* “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” This tells us that what he was saying must be important.
* Stay connected, fruit happens.
* We have to think hard and strategize about how to make community happen
* Galatians 5 – Walk in the Spirit, moment by moment, and everything else will follow
* All of us already know these things. We just don’t do them that well.
* The reason that Christianity has such a negative connotation in society is because we’re not doing what Jesus did. Jesus Himself said that He had to do what the Father did.
* It is freeing when you realize that God causes the growth and we that our goal is simply creating the environment.
* We have to learn to have “ears to ear” and teach others to respond in faith when those God thoughts enter our minds.
* BIG IDEA- Stay Connected