Ask Your Question!

Yesterday, I talked about experiments.

Well, we're trying one this coming Sunday.  A lot of churches like ours regularly (2-4 times a year) do a Sunday where folks just ask questions of the Senior Pastor (and sometimes other staff).  We've never done this, but I've always wanted to.  So, we're going to try it this week.

We did get some questions last Sunday.  Also, you will have an opportunity to ask your question live and in the moment through a text message during the service.  But I would encourage you to email your question to myquestion@powhatancc.org 

We will not see most questions ahead of time.  Someone will sort through them and throw them at us on Sunday morning.  We'll answer them with no real chance to 'prepare' some pat answer.  All questions are fair game - personal questions, church related, theological (the nature of God, sin, heaven and hell, etc.).  Ask away.  

If we don't get to all of them (and we probably won't), we'll address them on this blog and other forums that are appropriate.

Thanks for helping make this a great day!  (or it could end up in the list of 'well, now we can say we tried that!')

Criteria I Use to Select Someone to Speak at PCC

In the past 6+ years, we've had a handful of people who have spoken for me in my absence.  Most have done a good job, some have done a great job.  But this kind of language is subjective. What does it mean to do a good, great, mediocre or poor job when standing in for me?  To be sure, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.  One person will think a joke is funny while someone else won't even get it.  One person will be moved to tears and the person next to them will be offended.  So the point is not to make everyone happy.  If that was the goal, it would be an effort in futility, because it's simply impossible.  Any given Sunday I get a word from somebody somewhere that I've upset them in some way.  I understand that in a church our size.  

But there are some criteria that I use to evaluate a person to determine if I will ask them to speak, and if I will ask them to return to speak again.  Here are a few of the guidelines I consider:

1)  Do they have the gift of preaching?  I don't use this word - preaching - very often.  It's a churchy word that has lots of negative connotations.  People remember mean 'preacher', a boring 'preacher', and a judgemental 'preacher'.  So I try to avoid the word.  But the truth is that the Bible says that God gives every Christ follower at least one spiritual gift, and among the list of options from which He chooses is the gift of preaching.  People who want to preach who do not have the gift of preaching end up being bad preachers.  Unfortunately, there are lots of these folks out there.  So, I try to look at a person and ask, "is the gift of preaching inside of this person somewhere?"  I've sometimes thought it was there and been wrong, but usually I can spot it.

2)  Are they coachable?  I am not the world's gift to public speaking.  I still have so much to learn and I am still growing.  One, Five and Ten years from now, I'll be so much better than I am today.  But, having said that, it's not a prideful statement to also recognize that this is something I have a good bit of experience, training, and a gift at doing.  I've learned a lot of lessons.  When I work with someone, I want to know that they are going to actively seek out my advice and that they are going to take some or most of it.  I want them to ask questions and seek feedback from me.

3)  Do they want to learn?  In short, I don't want anyone who thinks they already know it all.  I'm looking for someone who will take advice on books to read, CD's to listen to, other speakers to go online and seek out and learn from.  I want them humble, hungry, and hopeful that they can be better than they are.  

4)  Do they understand our church?  Almost always, I use people who are already at PCC because I don't want to have to worry about whether or not they understand who we are.  I don't want a mess to clean up.  At PCC, there is a certain structure, a certain theology, a certain style, a certain leadership, etc. that is important for a speaker to honor.  If someone were to stand on the stage and violate certain boundaries, it would hurt our church.  

5)  Can they meet deadlines?  We work as a team.  There are certain things that I do that are acceptable because they are the norm because I am the normal speaker.  When a guest speaker comes, he or she has to live within a set of deadlines.  Being on time to meetings, with early copies of outlines or manuscripts or pictures or slides is important.  

That's probably more than you ever wanted to know, but just in case anyone ever asks, now you can tell them to come to the blog and find the answer!

Why do we take Risks?

At the Leadership Summit last week, Bill Hybels talked about the need to take calculated risks in the church. (see my thoughts on that from my post on Sunday, August 10).

I wanted to clarify a few things. First, we don’t take risks just for the sake of it. Rather, we take them because if you aren’t staying out on the edge, you aren’t growing. Our world, with it's instant communication and information - is changing at a pace never seen before. If we don't stay on the edge, we'll fall behind. Falling behind means that we become out of touch. And being out of touch - for a church - is...fatal.

When we take risks, we're just looking for wild, crazy, whimsical risks…but calculated risks. These are the kind where you measure, consider the angles, consider the potential payoffs, weigh them against the potential and actual costs and, seeing a great unrealized reward, you just go for it.

I asked people at the summit to share some ways PCC had taken calculated risks and the list was amazing and included many things I'd never considered. But one person I pushed back on. Jim Mustian said that he thought the start of PCC was a calculated risk. My argument was that 'we had nothing to loose. There was property, no people, no established church. What was there to lose? That's how I viewed. Then it occurred to me later that night, after the meeting was over, that it was a calculated risk for the few dozen people who helped us. They had come from other churches and some were being scolded or shunned. Since they were helping the 'crazy church', their reputation was on the line. Politically, their standing with certain groups was on the line.

So, I take it back, Jim. You and Charlene are absolutely right. The starting and the launch of PCC was definitely a calculated risk...and I'm really glad you and a dedicated group like you were there - taking the risk together. I couldn't name the all, but some who come to mind are George and Regina, Sharon and Berk and Sallie Mae, Carolyn, Ryan and Ginny, Bridgette and Jeff, Kenny and Nora, Danny and Faye, Greer and Lori, Jeanette and Mel...the list goes on, but my brain is shutting down.

Suffice it to say this calculated risk paid off in ways none of us would have ever dreamed!! And I'm sure we didn't take a month of meetings to make it happen. We moved and God honored.

I'm enjoying these follow-up conversations. They will help make us better leaders and more willing to talk calculated risks.

Until next time...

Bian