Monday Morning Insights

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    Today’s Buzz: Epitaphs, The Anti-Christ Getting a Divorce, Church Plant Survivability, and mor

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    Ruth Graham’s Epitaph
    OK… well this isn’t the final one, but one she once suggested would be a fitting one for her:  “End of Construction: Thank You for Your Patience.” Link here.

    QUESTION:  What would your epitaph be?

    Bottled Water Quote
    I found this quote interesting.  Makes you think when you’re downing that bottle of Aquafina…

    “In San Francisco, the municipal water comes from inside Yosemite National Park. It’s so good the EPA doesn’t require San Francisco to filter it. If you bought and drank a bottle of Evian, you could refill that bottle once a day for 10 years, 5 months, and 21 days with San Francisco tap water before that water would cost $1.35.”

    HT:  Made to stick

    Did you realize that bottled water is more expensive than gasoline?

    Anti-christ Gets a Divorce...
    No, I’m not talking about Rick Warren… You’ve heard of the Florida preacher who first said he was Jesus, and now calls himself the anti-christ?  Well, he’s soon to have an ex-wife.  From the Miami Herald:  “Josefina De Jesus Torres gently runs her perfect French manicure across the pages of her wedding album, ruminating on life as the wife of the self-proclaimed Antichrist. In one picture, church leader Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda pulls off her garter with his teeth. In another, the couple sip frothy champagne in front of a gleaming limo.  ‘’He was my apostle, the perfect man . . . the Prince Charming—even better: God himself had come to love me,’’ sighs Torres, a doe-eyed honey blonde. ``I felt better than the Virgin Mary.’’ Torres says she often washed his feet and cut his fingernails and toenails as a sign of devotion.  Now, though, the romance that De Jesus told her was divinely decreed has ended in the most temporal of battlefields: divorce court. And, amid court revelations about his personal spending, she is speaking out publicly about life with the controversial Miami-based preacher.  More here.

    Church Plant Survivability
    According to a study done by the North American Mission Board, the following were some of the factors were found to be associated with higher attendance in church plants:
    • meeting in a school in the first year over not meeting in a school in the first year
    • meeting in a theater in subsequent years over not meeting in a theater in subsequent years
    • meeting in a school in subsequent years over not meeting in a school in subsequent years
    • conducting a special children’s event (i.e., Fall Festival, Easter Egg Hunt)
    • mailing invitations to services, programs, events
    • conducting new member classes
    • using a church covenant signed by new members
    • starting at least one daughter church within three years of the church plant
    • having a proactive stewardship development plan enabling the church to be financially
    self-sufficient
    • having multiple staff members rather than a single staff members at the beginning of the
    church plant
    • being financially compensated as the church planter
    • receiving health insurance whereby the majority of the premiums were paid for by the
    church plant, sponsoring church, or denomination
    • conducting a block party as an outreach event
    • delegating leadership roles to church members
    • conducting leadership training to church members
    • working full-time over part- or half-time as the church planter
    • being assessed prior to planting the church as the church planter
    • having the church planter’s expectations realized

    You can read the whole study here.

    QUESTION:  What do you think?  If you’ve planted a church, what was the biggest survivability factor you found?

    And You Can’t Sing On Our Worship Team Either...
    Malaysia’s religious police detained a Muslim singer at a popular club, saying too much of her back was exposed by a sleeveless blouse she wore while performing.  More here.

    QUESTION:  Have you ever had to send a worship team member home for inappropriate dress?  I did once.  Very touchy situation.

    Have a great day.  Be careful out there.

    Todd

    In today's buzz... epitaphs, bottled water, the anti-christ is getting a divorce, church plant survivability, and scantily-clad worship leaders. Oh my.

    Comments

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    1. bishopdave on Mon, July 09, 2007

      Worship team—We didn’t send a member home, but because of her style we wrote a dress code for anyone who was to be on stage. We tried to keep it simple, but a big discussion broke tennis shoes. One board member was very vehement about tennis shoes. The chairman of the board, who gave the welcome and announcements each week, wore a coat, tie, slacks, and air jordans. Bright white air jordans with dark navy blue pants. I was blessed.

    2. CK on Mon, July 09, 2007

      I went to a church this past weekend where a few of the praise team members didn’t even wear shoes!  Now, I’m not saying that is bad… just caught me ( a pretty traditional but contemporary guy ) a little off guard.  I did find myself thinking about that rather than Jesus, but that is probably my problem and not theirs. 


      <br> <br>


      I have seen several praise team members wearing what I would call inappropriate in church.  Low cut shirt… short dress.  But I see this as an unfortunate side effect of how churches ignore the sin of lust that many guys suffer from, if these women knew what their dress makes their brothers think and struggle with I don’t think they’d continue to dress the way they do.

    3. Brice on Mon, July 09, 2007

      I have a pianist on my worship team that keeps pushing the envelope when it comes to dress code. Never sent him home yet, but you should see some of his outfits…

    4. Todd Rhoades on Mon, July 09, 2007

      Hey, I represent that comment, Brice.  Why didn’t you just say something?


      (You should see what I’d LIKE to wear!)


      Todd

    5. Daniel on Mon, July 09, 2007

      It is important for the worship team to remember that they are there as co-worshippers, and that they’re supposed to be drawing attention to the Lord (rather than to themselves).  Immodesty would certainly defeat that purpose…


      As for the whole ‘antichrist’ divorce thing… man, the entire thing is so entirely unlike the example Jesus left.  Thank God we didn’t have a Messiah who slept around! (and whose teachings on divorce were much stricter than anything this guy’s bought into…)


      My two cents.


      -Daniel-

    6. Dennie on Mon, July 09, 2007

      I’ve never sent a worship team member home, but I served communion to a gal once whose dress was so inappropriate that I actually laughed out loud in shock before serving her the elements.  “This is the body of Christ, care to cover some of your body up?”

    7. Leonard on Mon, July 09, 2007

      Asked a guy to change his shirt once.  Printed on the shirt was the famous artwork of the two hands, one reaching down and the other reaching up.  The caption said,  On the 8th day God created the winds…pull my finger. 


      I want on my Epitaph to read, Grateful and Faithful, love his family, the church and Jesus well.


      Best help for church planting is a solid process of launch, great coaching and seeking to reach the lost, not just do church different.

    8. Dudley Danielson on Mon, July 09, 2007

      I really don’t think some of the ladies really know that from the pew-view UP to the platform that the angle of view changes considerably and once in awhile we see things that we really dont’ want to see.  It is not onoy a problem of nuturing lust to spring forth but the real problem is this: one cannot focus on the Lord and worship truly unles one closes one’s eyes all the way thru the song service, start to finish.  Sometimes that’s fine but for 15 to 30 minutes at a stretch.  Not a good move.  I wish there were a way to illuminate some of the ladies so they really understood, not to put them down, to to build them up in their own faith as well.  Thank you!

    9. Camey on Mon, July 09, 2007

      Dudley Danielson wrote: “I wish there were a way to illuminate some of the ladies so they really understood, not to put them down, to to build them up in their own faith as well.”


      Dudley? There are several ways this issue can be addressed. It needs to be handled with care though to help ensure it is understood to build them up and not put them down. Now to the ways:


      1) Ask a trusted lady in the church to talk with the individuals in question. Most churches these days have women’s ministries with directors or women’s ministers leading them. Wonderful source to turn to.


      2) Talk directly with whomever is leading your church’s “song service” to address this issue with the whole group. Not just with the ladies - but with the men as well. This can be a great way to help the entire group to learn more about what worship truly is about and what it is not. (Men are not the only ones who struggle with what they see.)


      3) I would not recommend talking with the lady(ies) yourself if you are having any sort of real issue with it. Have a trusted lady who understands your intentions to talk with her/them. I have found it best not to include the name(s) of whomever is requesting “the talk”......


      4) You can always change where you are sitting. Sometimes just be willing to move ourselves is the simplest answer.


      5) Actually - this one is always my number one… Pray for her/them to come to understand about their bodies and about God’s design for their lives. I believe prayer really does work.


      Hope this helps you or someone out there!


      Camey


      (This is exactly why the church needs to STEP UP on talking about REAL issues)


      Camey

    10. stephen riches on Mon, July 09, 2007

      When considering clothing issues, I think it’s always good to remember our very purpose as a worship team.  For starters, our purpose is not to perform.  This ought to be remembered when selecting music, for some music is more “band-oriented” than “congregational focused”.  And, perhaps surprising to some, it’s not even to worship, for we can readily do that without being assembled on the platform as a worship team in full view of everyone.  Our purpose as a worship or praise team, in fact, is to LEAD OTHERS IN WORSHIP. 


      Granted, we ought to worship ourselves as we lead others in worship, jointly with them, but our purpose in being assembled together as a praise or worship team is to help lead our congregation in worship. 


      Therefore, any decision we make either individually, or collectively with the other members of our worship team, should be made with respect to that specific goal.  And obviously, because we are positioned in view of everyone, we must first begin by considering how our appearance affects our sole objective of leading each other in worship. 


      Moderation is, I believe, the key to this, not to mention, of course that it is also a bibilical injunction. We should not be doing anything to draw attention to ourselves, for that defeats our very objective in leading people to focus on the Lord. 


      If this principle is kept in mind, most intelligent people can make wise decisions for themselves in terms of choice of clothing, and no formal dress code or set of rules is necessary. But if there seems to be some inability on the part perhaps of less experienced members of the team, those responsible should sensitively address the issue in an appropriate manner.  And in some cases, it may be extreme enough to warrant a request for change of clothing. 


      Women who dress provocatively, usually know that they are doing so.  But perhaps too much of this focus is on sexually explicit clothing issues, and perhaps too much on women alone.  There are many other ways that dress will take attention away from worship.  A very obvious one, for starters, is clothing with words, logos or advertisements.  Their very purpose is to direct thoughts in a certain direction.  That’s why they were created.  Every time somebody looks at such words, logos, or ads, their thoughts are instantly directed away form worship. That was the purpose for which the clothing was made, and it does its job extremely well. We have enough challenges as Christians maintaining our focus on worship without creating distractions for each other.  Think about the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Their weariness was distraction enough.  They didn’t need outside help to lose their concentration. 


      Lukewarm (at the risk of seeming Laodicean), middle of the road, decent, non-descript, clean, casual or dressy-casual attire is much less likely to distract anyone from worship.  The alternative extremes at opposite ends of the spectrum, such as designer or provocative clothing, outlandish styles, beachware, or sportswear more suited to a different venue, by contrast, are by their very definition, either more extreme, or less suited to the worship meeting venue.  Most importantly, such extreme choices will certainly draw someone’s attention away from the task at hand….our collective worship of the Lord. 


      The simple standard need be no more than for each individual member of the worship team to ask themselves the question: “Might this choice of clothing be likely to distract someone…anyone from our objective of worshipping the Lord together, or is there a better option available to me that I should choose instead”.  If it is moderate, it is unlikely to distract anyone.  If it is extreme, it almost certainly will be a distraction to many.


      Blessings on your work, Todd, and in providing this forum for sharing of thoughts.


      Steve Riches

    11. Lori on Mon, July 09, 2007

      I find it interesting that there is an overwhelming number of comments about women’s dress.  How about the way some men dress?  I mean really, when someone on the worship team shows up in clothes more fit to mow the lawn then I think we have stepped over the line.  Baggy pants/short about to fall down, t-shirts with holes in them, flip flops on feet that obviously have a fungus have been on men at churches I have visited or been a part of.  I have graciously spoken to those in charge, but since, I am the only woman on the team/leadership, I pretty much get ignored. I think there is a place for casual and yet professional in any church.  Jeans, nice shirt and Sperry Topsiders can be a great compromise.However, I have the opposite as well.  A casual church in a school and a woman shows up dressed for a wedding or man in full suit serving in leadership stick out just as much as an immodestly dressed woman or overly casually dressed man.


      I am a “dress up” kind of personality and grew up wearing a dress, hose, and heels every Sunday, but I have learned to dress down in our casual, contemporary church.  I still dress my personality, (jeans/slacks yes, t-shirt or tennis shoes no) I don’t want to draw attention away from Jesus.  That’s what it is really about.  Being neither too dressy or too casual depending on the church is the way to point to God and not ourselves.

    12. CK on Mon, July 09, 2007

      Lori,


      I’m with you.  If you see my first post on this was about people with no shoes on at all!  If my memory serves me correctly it was two guys and one gal. 


      Now don’t want to get all legalistic here because I do think God cares more about the person than the clothes, but IMHO I’d like to see some better attire if only because it IS an issue for others.  Doesn’t mean suit and tie, but you get my drift.


      I’d be ok with clothes that apparently bother you (jeans and t-shirt) and in reality I’m ok with no shoes.  The church I went to is not ‘my’ church so I have no say so in its culture, and this church is growing and spreading the gospel.  Which is more than I can say for pretty much every church I’ve ever attended where the clothes were always nice…


      But the reason you will see womens clothing brought up more often is because their attire can lead a man to sin, and depending on how bad that brother struggles with that sin it could end up at a prostitute!  Lust is a very hard sin for men to deal with in the world, even harder to deal with when it comes to church with you.

    13. Ed Rowell on Mon, July 09, 2007

      Regarding the no shoes thing…this is a pretty common issue with young worship leaders, modeled at worship events like Passion. Its a take on Moses and the burning bush, “Take off your shoes, you’re on holy ground.” Understanding the motive makes all the difference.


      ed

    14. Peter Hamm on Mon, July 09, 2007

      I haven’t had to send anyone home yet. And in the church I’m in now, I haven’t even had to talk to anyone about this. Thank you GOD! But here’s another angle. In my church, when I first got here, I found I was OVER-dressing to lead worship. It’s a very casual atmosphere in a very casually-dressing area of the country, and even dress slacks and a nice dress shirt were over-doing it and actually putting people off! I eventually had to change my attitude towards appropriate dress in church in a way I thought I never would have to.


      But it’s always respectful.

    15. Camey on Mon, July 09, 2007

      Ed: Thanks so much for sharing that. Definitely makes a difference when one understands the motive.


      Peter: I’d be shocked if it weren’t always respectful. How did you find out you were “actually putting people off”??? And I glad to hear you changed your attitude instead of expecting everyone else to change theirs.

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