Why Use Secular Songs?

People regularly ask me some version of this question: "Why would we do a secular song during the services on Sunday mornings?" This is a great question and deserves great answer.

1. Secular music meets people where they are. In Tim Stevens' book Pop Goes the Church, he specifically talks about this subject. He argues that Jesus and Paul both used popular, secular culture - including philosophy and music - to bridge the distance with people and form some common basis for a conversation. In this way, people would know that they weren't a project or a trophy, but that Jesus (and Paul) really cared about them. One of the best examples of this is in Acts 17. While in Athens, instead of condemning the people, he actually honors their secular culture and then uses it as a basis for helping them to see God.
2. Secular music helps ease the tension. When people who don't go to church decide to come to church, they are usually apprehensive about it. They wonder if they will be judged or embraced. They don't know the customs, the music, the rituals. By having a secular tune early in the service - one that is popular and well known - it helps them relax because it's familiar. "Here is at least one thing I have in common with these people" is the sentiment. We once did Breaking Free from High School Musical. The people who had seen that movie (especially the younger folks) really connected with it. It helped set them at ease.
3. Some secular songs really speak to the topic of the day. We loosely call these 'set up' songs. They 'set up' the message. The ask the question. "How Far is Heaven" by Los Lonely Boys does this. So does "Where is the Love" by the Black Eyed Peas. Both of these songs pose the question. Then the message and the Biblical perspective is supposed to offer some kind of resolution.
4. Some secular songs are about God, even if the song's writer doesn't know it. "How Far is Heaven" or the Clapton tune "Tears in Heaven" are two examples of this. Just because the writer is not a professing Christian does not mean that we should ignore their work. In fact, a spiritually searching person often writes about God in a very authentic way.

We've done "Calling All Angels" and "Just Another Day In Paradise" and "Who Are You" and a whole list of songs that were popular, helped people connect and relax. Then they were more open to hear the truth from Scripture. And they were more likely to return.

I have little regard for the spiritual state of the author. The only rule I generally employ has to do with profanity. We don't use it, and we'll change the words to the song if profanity is in it.

Hope this helps explain my position and our church's use of secular music. I'd love to hear from you on what you think.

PCC Picnic

The weather held off, the food was incredible, the games were awesome and the PCC Picnic was a great success!

This week kicks off our annual spiritual growth emphasis. The teaching series is called 'Awaken'; the topic is the book of James, and the small group study is Live Wisely. Today's service about "Focus" was a tremendous kickoff, with Brian's message emphasizing the value of the work God does in us through our most challenging times. We were all called to rise above being defined by our issues and persevere.

If you missed the service - pick up a dvd next Sunday.

If you're not connected with a small group - contact the PCC office and ask about the best fit for you.

If you missed the picnic - here are a few pictures. Enjoy!

The food was out of this world - and the desserts were TERRIFIC!

This looks like a fun-loving small group!

Are these folks hiding something behind those grins?

The hula hoop was a big hit!

The kids got a great ride out of the tire swing!

A true sign of friendship!

Families and picnics go GREAT together!

Financial Management at PCC Part 1: Inflows

Financial Management at PCC
Inflows (the money that comes in)

by Dennis Green,

Executive Pastor

Over the years, our financial processes have changed as our church has grown and as the volume of transactions has increased. To put it simply, managing the church’s money is much more complex than it was six years ago. In our first full year (2003), we a budget of just over $100,000. Our current (2008) budget is over $900,000!

Over the years, we have developed effective financial processes and excellent audit controls. Because these have evolved over time, we have not always done a great job of making information about our financial process easy to access. Therefore, I intend, over the course of a few postings under the label ‘PCC Finances’, to explain how money moves into and out of our church, how we manage the budget throughout the year to ensure we don’t spend more than we bring in, and how we form the budget for each year. I’ll share the oversight structure, responsibilities among various leaders, and audit controls.

Some of these conversations will be…not incredibly exciting, especially if such things have no interest for you. Still, we want to be very transparent about how we handle church money.

So, for this first conversation, I’ll share with you the basic financial systems for inflows (money that comes into the church).

Every Sunday, we collect an offering by passing baskets. The baskets are secured and all cash is then counted under ‘dual control’, which means that there is always more than one person present. This is a standard audit practice. It is important to note that most people give with checks and increasingly through automated vehicles like online banking, billpay and paypal. There is never a large amount of cash collected. The group of people who count the offering are called 'tellers'.

There are also various designated offerings. The Building Fund, Children and Youth, and our mission efforts are examples of some of the ways people give through PCC. The tellers total up the checks and cash given in the general offering and in the various designated offerings. Also reported would be any contribution that came in through paypal during the week. The result is a sheet like the one you see here:

Our Financial Secretary works closely with our Church Administrator to ensure that the records for each individual and business contribution are entered into our system accurately so that our giving statements are correct and to process and mail giving statements several times each year.
As an audit control, The Financial Secretary cannot sign checks, cannot be a teller, and cannot reconcile the checking account.

Next time, I’ll talk about money going out, who has authority to approve expenditures and how that entire process works.

Here I Am. Send Me.

Based on the emails and Facebook messages we're sorted through today, many people were greatly impacted by the video we used in service yesterday.  The story we saw and heard brought home the strength and power of the text used by Brian in his message:

 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.  Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.  And they were calling to one another:  "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."  Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.  With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."  Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" 

And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" - Isaiah 6.1-8

Several folks have inquired about the possibility of having a copy of this piece for various purposes; some want to share with other churches, some with family members and friends, some for mission connections.

This piece was produced by the Video Team at Willow Creek Community Church.  You can explore this and many other products at Toward Wonder, which highlights the Arts Segment of the Willow Creek Association.  

If you'd like to purchase the video, simply search the Toward Wonder site for 'A Thousand Questions' and you'll see the product.

We'd love to know if this video or the service yesterday impacted you in a specific way.  Please leave a comment here and let us know!

Hope Of The World

Planning and programming our Sunday services is an exciting and invigorating process.  The PCC Production Team gathers every week for an early morning breakfast meeting to review and plan ahead.  We do our best to listen to God and follow Him to prepare and execute music, teaching and other creative elements that will honor Him, glorify His name, and edify and encourage all who are gathered.

This week has been particularly and unusually challenging; not only from the programming aspect, but in terms of technical issues and music and software and scheduling and a myriad number of other things.  Many people in the PCC community and beyond are struggling with illnesses, anxiety, frustration, fear, depression, exhaustion and other issues.

Often, it is in the midst of our brokenness that God moves most powerfully.  In fact, I would argue that it is only through our darkest times that we truly know the depth of God's grace and love for us.  And so it is only fitting that we gather on Sundays - drifting, limping, running, striding, stumbling - all compelled to come together under the umbrella of Jesus.

Come Sunday, because God has already been at work in us.  In spite of our discomfort - or perhaps because of it - we will worship.  Come.  Bring a friend or a neighbor.  Bring your family.

Bring your brokenness.

Come expecting to hear from God.  Walk through the doors anticipating that you will be changed.  Carry the confidence that a God who calls you to follow him in obedience will be true to his promise to walk with you, to never leave you or forsake you.

Looking forward to Sunday morning...

And they were calling to one another:  "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." - Isaiah 6.3

By My Own Reckoning: a review by Brian Hughes

My mentor in seminary was Cecil Sherman. Throughout my masters degree and my doctorate, during my venture into ministry and the planting of our church, and through the many stages of staffing and leadership, Dr. Sherman has been a coach, a confident, and a supporter. He has helped me navigate difficult decisions and uncertain situations. He was way ahead of his time and is one of the most important and formative people in my life.

He was also a major figure in the war that happened during the 1980's in the Southern Baptist Convention, which culminated in the Convention's split.

Dr. Sherman's book is not a strict autobiography, but rather intends to recount his perspective on that conflict. It begins with a brief history of his ancestry which is only interesting to us who know him. However, once the second chapter begins and you begin to see his journey, his leadership, the lessons he learned, the race wars in his church, his experience and growth as a pastor and leader - you can hardly put the book down. Even for folks who are not Baptist, this book is a wealth of good lessons in church leadership, and I recommend it to you.

The Gospel According to Starbucks

The Gospel According to Starbucks
a review by Brian Hughes

I recently finished reading Leonard Sweet's book The Gospel According to Starbucks. The first 40-50 pages are pretty slow, but then the book becomes a real gem. I almost put it down, but I'm so glad I didn't.

Sweet makes a case that Starbucks has tapped into the current cultural psyche and connected with people at a core human level. Further, he makes a compelling case that the church can and should adopt and adapt some of these marketplace practices in order to reach people with the Good News about Jesus.

He spends the bulk of the book talking about what he calls 'the EPIC life'. He says, "To turn your life into an EPIC adventure, you need four essentials. The EPIC life is characterized by these elements: It is Experiential. It is Participatory. It is Image-Rich. It is Connective." (p. 22).

Here are some highlights and a few comments from me:

Experiential. "A faith that is characterized by grande passion starts with meaningful experience. Imagine how different the Christian life would be if it was understood not as something to ponder or to observe in others - but as the one thing in life that has to be fully experienced. The EPIC life delivers the refreshing solution to theoretical Christianity. EPIC faith offers you a taste of life with God as you've never known it." (p. 29)

"We can pay more on one drink from Starbucks than a supermarket asks for a whole pound of coffee... 24% of Starbucks' customers visit 16 times per month. No other fast-food chain can claim that success... An investment of $10,000 twenty-five years ago [in Starbucks] would now be worth five million... A cup of coffee fetches such a high price because people aren't buying a cup of coffee. They are buying an experience of coffee. Starbucks didn't set out to reinvent coffee. They aimed to reinvent the coffee experience. The product is no longer king, it's the experience that surrounds the product that brings people in the door...deliver an authentic experience of emotional strength, spontaneity, and simultaneity, and they'll stand in line for it." (through page 43)

The argument Dr. Sweet makes is compelling. Experience is a key. People don't come to church for information - they can get that on the Internet or through any number of other sources. They come to church first for an experience. What kind of experience do we deliver? What kind of experience do we want to deliver? How can we change our current experience to deliver a more meaningful encounter between people and God?