Today's Experiment

We experimented today. For months, we have been planning today as 'Summit Sunday' and decided to used Craig Groeschel's presentation called, "IT". Personally, I've seen it twice (the first time was 'live' at last year's Leadership Summit and then I watched it again for a refresher). I loved it both times. The message he gave has so many applications for our church. I read his book, 'IT' and found it very helpful for my leadership and for our church.

I have gotten feedback about the 'video teaching' today. Some folks loved it. Others hated it. A few thought it was just 'OK'. But there is a deeper issue that is bothering me. And it has to do with the concept of experimentation.

We have a mantra that we've said from our very first day: "Everything we do is an experiment." We try lots of things. Some of them are effective, some of them are not. We should be careful not to repeat things that don't work, but we should have great freedom to experiment with ideas and new ways of doing things.

I have also talked a great deal about 'permission to fail'. If you experiment with different ways of doing things, some of the experiments will be huge successes. Others, though, will fall flat. If you remove from people and organizations the permission to fail, you will inherently remove from them the ability to succeed. This is because permission to fail equals the permission to innovate, and without innovation, organizations, movements and churches become stagnant, stale, and, ultimately, they will die.

PCC is an innovative church. We experiment. We grant the permission to fail. Through the experimentation process over the years, we have seen some stellar success. Occasionally, we have seen failure. I don't know much about the future, but I can promise you this: there is more success to come, and there is more failure to come. Why? Because there is more experimentation to come. It's who we are, and we are better for it.

So, let me hear from you on how you adjusted to our experiment today. Sure, I'd like to know if you liked it. I'd also like to know if it is an effective way to communicate with people who aren't used to going to church. Think outside of your own frame of reference. Give me your opinions and perspectives, but whatever you do, don't shoot down the concept of trying new and different things and ideas.

I'm looking forward to the conversation.