North of Normal

In our C3 planning meetings Monday one of the things we talked about is something that I’ve continued to process.  It’s a danger zone that any church can find itself in if we’re not both intentional and strategic (many churches are intentional without being also strategic - intentionality will lead to incremental and occasional growth, but when strategy is combined it will lead to crazy growth).

1.  The danger of becoming Institutional.  Any church, regardless of style, will be naturally drawn overtime to turn inward and shift toward an institutional mindset.  We have to fight this tendency by staying barbaric in our pursuit of the vision.  We have to make sure what we’re doing flows from a movement, not toward stagnancy.

2.  The danger of being distracted by the novelty.  While we are intentionally creative and plan engaging services, we must remember that only God can change lives.  Yes we need to be prepared and ready, but the primary focus is not on the novelty of what we’re doing, but on the Spirit of God who can and does change lives.  We’re in Central Florida and can’t outdo Disney, nor do we attempt to.  Our passion is not to have something cool in the service, our passion is to see lives changed, so we communicate as creatively as possible.

3.  The danger of mimicking a model rather than implementing the best ideas and practices for our movement. So many newer churches lack authenticity because of their pursuit to be like someone else.  We need to always be learning from others while yearning for God to show us what our flow and purpose is.

4.  The danger of chasing every opportunity.  This one is difficult for me.  If I’m not careful, my desire to reach as many people as possible can cause me to make decisions that fragment and distract us.  As we grow it becomes easier to think “we can absorb that” and we begin to invest resources and time in things we’re not ready for yet.  We must be true to the C3 Reality and keep a laser focus on our core strategies.

5.  The danger of compromising because of our eagerness to reach people. If we ever have someone say, “I’ll join your church and give major bling as long as you do this ministry“.  The temptation will be to rationalize how those funds could be used, so why not?  No.  There’s too much at stake and we will not prostitute the vision God’s given us for C3.  Don’t misunderstand, we’ll take your bling, but not with strings attached - only God is God and he sets the vision.  We said “Bye-Bye-Bye” to people who thought their money mattered more than reaching people, and I would do it again in a heart beat.

6.  The danger to become entrenched in our way of doing it. We can become just as “traditional” as the traditional church.  We can hold to what has worked to get us here and our practices can become sacred.  We must always be open to and implementing change.  We cannot lose the entrepreneurial spirit that got us here or we won’t get there.  We must always be uncomfortable.

At C3 we’re always mindful of these things.  We moved “right where YOU are” not to become what we were before, but to intentionally and strategically be a part of your life.  It’s our desire to be right where you are in life with engaging and relevant worship experiences that translate to every day of our lives.

I can’t wait for Sunday - get people there!