See Grapplers Church in Action! (Video)

Would love some feedback on our new promo!

Incredible & Creative G.O.S.P.E.L. Video

I've sat and watched this video a couple of times now. I'm thinking of using it in one of our small group meetings. The message is simple yet profound and the delivery is incredible! Listen to it a few times and try to pick out one line that really sticks with you. It's pretty cool. Enjoy.

LIFE from Kevin Eloy on Vimeo.

Am I going to Hell for getting more tattoos?

This Thursday, I am going in for my 10th tattoo and yes I am an ordained and practicing minister. I've lost count of how many my beautiful wife has. And most disturbing, we often get our kids fake tattoos at carnivals! Many Christians are doing it these days and many are still opposed. Here is a great video for you to "wrestle" with God over the idea that tattoos will send you to hell.

And how about a couple pics of our tattoos ;-)

Two!

"The Smallest Indivisible Unit in the Kingdom of God is two."

GRACE! A hard and unattractive concept in our society.

(Warning: For the the easily offended, wanted to let you know up front this interview says B.S.)

I watched this video a few weeks back. It has stuck with me ever since. It reminds me of our arrogance to think we understand what "Grace" and "Justice" is. God's ways are not our ways, God's thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are higher. It makes me pray that God would help me be patient and loving when I don't understand and would love to see my idea of "justice" served ;-)

What if your church was like this?

At Grapplers Church one of our key issues is that most of us have set in traditional churches for years and are asking "is this it?". I am devouring an surfeit of books on new church and cultural shifts. I think this video shows a clear direction of where the church should be heading. Comments?

Ever seen a church flyer that cussed?

This is a flyer from Revolution Church in NYC -http://www.revolutionnyc.com/. What is your feeling about a church using such a method to reach the unchurched or the X-churched? I understand the why they are doing it and I think its effective "marketing" for reaching their "niche". But the question to wrestle with, is it Biblical? And does it reflect Jesus well? I hope to receive many comments. Start wrestling ;-)

Script on the flyer says "As Christians, We're sorry for being self-righteous judgmental bastards. Revolution NYC A church for people who have given up on church. "

Owe no man?

With over 550 creditors, and around 50 million dollars owed, (a 36 million dollar mortgage), the Crystal Cathedral is being sold to a real estate investment group to pull the church out of bankruptcy. LA Times:

This is not an attack on Robert Schuller. I read the above article in the LA Times and it made me reflect on a couple questions. The kind of questions biblical leadership everywhere should be wrestling with.

1. If God was in this, what went wrong?

2. Either way (if God was or wasn't), how has the prevailing American mindset that bigger and richer is better, infiltrated our churches to such a degree? Even suppossedly backed by the scriptures!

Doesn't scripture tell us it's harder for a rich man to get into heaven? Doesn't scripture teach us to owe no man?

Were there elders that sat in this church and helped make these financial decisions? Did they look at scripture for guidance?

We have seen too much of this in the modern church arena. 550 creditors????......Be careful Mega-Church leadership, be careful.

Why even "Christians" are staying home from church!

An alarming number of Christians are staying home on Sunday mornings and the trend is affecting today's church. Believers who have become "stayaway saints" are alternately worrying and exciting church leaders, pointing to what is being seen as either a serious threat to the spread of the gospel or the actual cusp of a revolution that could usher in the sort of revival many have prayed for and dreamed of for years.

A 2005 study by The Barna Group, a California-based Christian research organization, found that about 13 million Americans whom the researchers identified as being born again were "unchurched ... not having attended a Christian church service, other than for a holiday ... at any time in the past six months." People aren't leaving the faith, but they are leaving the traditional church.

Traditional pastors better wake up and smell the coffee, it's just not about serving coffee. Pastors are either stuck in their traditions and saying "I aint never seen it done like that before!" (The famous last 9 words of a dying church)....or they are using western fortune 500 marketing concepts to build a business (see attached video).

Either way pastors, people are turned off by both. What the church needs is biblical, transparent, and authentic communities built.

Put the marketing books down, take a breath, crawl into your prayer closet, and read the book of Acts. We need to see some real Christianity at work, not another succesful biz.

9 Things Church Leadership Needs to Grapple With

1. If it’s harder for a rich man to get into Heaven, while all the teaching on prosperity?

2. Christ has called us to love and even bless our enemies. The church needs to find new ways to embrace Islam and homosexuals instead of smear campaigns and hatred.

3. Transparency from the leadership. Words like “I’m sorry. I don’t know. I need help. And I need a break” would make you more relevant. We’ve already experienced leadership that knew it all and never messed up.

4. Accountability and delegation in the leadership. There is more talk about elders than pastors in the Scriptures. They are under utilized and we are killing pastors because of it.

5. How the church collects money. You had better be able to defend your stance on whether tithing is biblical or not. People are weary of the traditional plate passing. Wrestle with new ways to teach on and inspire support.

6. How the church is accountable with its money. Because people are weary of traditional plate passing what can the leadership due to build their confidence, bring down their guard, and let them see their money at work.

7. Why isn’t your old school church using social media and the internet more?

8. Why is your new school church establishing kids programs, talented worship teams, charismatic teaching, and creative marketing when you haven’t even heard from the Holy Spirit on how to do church?

9. Jesus never made disciples out of the masses. Why are you more centered on growing the “church” than in growing “disciples”. Get relational and multiply yourself.

By Scott Blair

©2011