What Motivates Employees?

Fortune Magazine recently did a survey of what motivates the employees of some of America’s best companies.  If you had to guess … you’d probably think that people were after better money, opportunities for advancement and stock options.  No-so-shockingly, people seem to be more motivated by a good team, meaningful work, time with family, and a feeling of being their personal “best.”

To me, this is great news!  We can’t pay every volunteer at CGS (hence the term “volunteer “) … but we can offer people a chance to connect with family, to be around quality people and to take steps toward being their personal best.”

So help me continue turning CGS into a Gospel-Saturated community.  Let’s be a motivated team … on fire for Jesus!

Washing Feet Is Not Extra Credit

Jon Foreman (no relation to George) is the lead singer of Switchfood, a great musician and a passionate Christian.  In Relevant Magazine he talks about his experiences playing in both bars and churches.  At first you’d think that the church is a much healthier environment … but it isn’t always as clean, bright and shiny in our fellowship as it should be.

He writes:

At first glance, it might seem the Church is a better place to look for hope than the bottom of a bottle. Every day, alcoholism and drug abuse destroy families, ruin careers and wreck communities. On the other hand, theological beliefs and misunderstandings have been blamed for divisions, divorces and wars around the world. The trouble with each institution lies within us. True, alcohol feeds a different fire than pietism, but neither a drunk nor a hypocrite look very good in the daylight.

…Unfortunately, unity within the ecclesial community is the exception, not the rule. It’s to our shame many folks looking for hope find more grace at the local bar than the local church. When we speak with a fire and anger that burns differently than the fresh air of the cross, we do the Gospel a disservice. We know deep down something is wrong. So we revolt against those fiery speeches. We say the method needs to change. We call the old model irrelevant. And yes! The fresh winds of the Spirit are ready to blow upon us, let us pray for new tongues of the same eternal flame.

And yet if I speak with the tongues of angels and of men but have not love, it profits me nothing. If I rise up against the cheesy Christian T-shirts but have not love, it helps no one. If I hate the legalistic hatred but have not love, it builds nothing. Has the enemy tricked us into a new form of legalism? Is not our judgment committing the same offense? Ah, we may have found a way, but it is not love.

… Washing feet is not extra credit. We are called to bear each other’s burdens. Unity is a miraculous achievement, but it’s intended for this side of the grave. Unity is the transforming work of the power of the cross in our lives. In the dark, blood-stained shadow of the cross, our boasting is laughable. Our differences are minute. Take another look at the cross. Look at how much He loves you. Look at His surrender, His sacrifice. Unity comes into focus only when we realize the magnificent grace of the Savior.

Let us acknowledge our neediness, our beautiful desperation.

Read the whole thing here.

“The 80/20 Sin”

I got this line from Ed Stetzer yesterday on a conference call.

Most churches function according to the 80/20 rule.  20% of the people end up doing 80% of the work.

Ed calls that the 80/20 sin.  To “be a part of a church community” with no ownership or service cuts against the grain of the Gospel.  We aren’t spectators who sit around, second guessing the coach,  cheering for the good plays and booing for the bad.  We are members of the family.  When we don’t step into community with a servant’s heart is the spiritual equivalent of being a surely teenager who refuses to clean his or her room.

An Aligned Group of Servants

Value #7 “We believe that the church must be an aligned group of servants; therefore we will help people discover their personal and public expressions of God’s mission.”

One of the classic metaphors for christian community is the “Body of Christ.”

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:12–31, ESV)

I recently went through a season of life when I realized how important it is for the body to line up well.

A year ago I was carrying a couple of cinder blocks and stepped off a ledge into a ditch.  One leg went down, buckled and came back up.  I kept walking, dumped off the blocks and went about my day.  I was a little achy later in the day, but didn’t feel “hurt” so I kept going about my daily business for the next nine or ten months.  Over time though, my knee started getting worse.  It would hurt just sitting too long.  I was getting weaker.  My knee was swelling.  In short … I’d messed myself up.

Going to Physical Therapy I found out that my lower-body was not “an aligned group of servants.”  One leg was longer than the other, some ligaments wouldn’t stretch, an ankle got gimpy … in other words – I was hurt.  My body was broken.  No amount of effort could fix it.  No good intentions could line my legs back up.  It took minor surgery (done a few weeks ago), inserts for my shoes (which I’m wearing now), and a renewed commitment to exercise, stretching and good posture.

When it comes to life in community, we often end up like my knee.  Or worse!

Small problems and incidents creep in.  We stop working together.  Some stop working at all.  Instead of running, we start limping and if that’s not fixed we’ll stop moving at all.

At CGS we try to line up individuals to our community around three areas:

• Spiritual Gifts
• Passion (i.e., likes and dislikes)
• Individual Style as a Server or Equipper

None of these are easy to figure out.  Spiritual Gifts tests can be helpful, but often turn into religious aptitude tests.  Honestly, the best way to find a place to serve is to experiment.  If we stay humble and stay in community, we can try different tasks to see what we like.  My first sermon wasn’t great, but it was given to a community that loved me and was willing to take a risk.  If they hadn’t been willing to give me a shot, and if I hadn’t had the guts to step up and try, who knows what I’d have missed in life.  Before I ever preached, I taught kids.  Before I taught kids, I set up tables and chairs.  All in the same community, with role models leading me the whole way.

This Fall … where will you take a risk?  Where will you serve?  And (as important) who will you get loving feedback from?

“We” Need What “They” Need …And EVERYONE Benefit From a Gospel Focus

CGS exists to help spiritual wanderers become authentic followers of Jesus.

Today is the first installment in a blog-series where I’ll be going through CGS’s vision and values.  To begin I want to stress that this vision does not separate outsiders from insiders.

As any church makes changes, there is always a fear that the focus will shift away from the people who are always there … away from “us.”

I could go on for a long time about how church is never about “us” or about “me” … but that’s not my point.  (Although this  video might help)

Instead of beating that point into the ground, I’d like to point out something else.  What “we” (as followers of Jesus) need to grow in our faith just so happens to be exactly what “they” (as spiritual wanderers) need.

My inspiration from this idea came from a few verses in Colossians …

“Him [Jesus] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. ” (Colossians 1:28–29, ESV)

The goal of our vision statement is to fulfill the Great Commission, making disciples around the world with all authority, great love and ample creativity.

Since most the most obvious changes at CGS focus on ways to help spiritual wanderers take their first steps of faith, it’s easy to think that we are kicking the long-time members aside and shifting focus…to which I say “NEVER.”  Our goal is to help both first-time visitors and long-term members all be presented as “mature in Christ” per Colossians 1.  If we need to do that for “everyone” that would include…well…everyone!  (John Ortberg nailed this in a sermon last May.)

So, let me break this down like I did yesterday in our sermon.

What do “THEY” (Spiritual Wanderers) Need So That They Can Be Presented “Mature in Christ”?

• They need to be prayed for, because prayer actually changes lives.
• They need to have the Gospel shared in a way that makes sense.  That means using stories that will connect, language that is accessible and creativity whenever its possible.
• They need old wounds from the church healed.  Many people who claim to be atheist or agnostic are really just mad at the old pastor who assaulted them, the bitter guy who snatched the hat off their head, or the old gossips who made a ruckus over their unexpected pregnancy.  Their issue isn’t really with God, their wounds come from people like me who can take themselves way too seriously and lose sight of the real goal (loving God and others.)
• They need their old stereotypes of Christians to be overcome.  We’re not all angry fundamentalists who waving “God Hates Fags” signs or sappy Ned Flanders types.  We’re real people with real problems and real faith in Jesus.  Spiritual wanderers need to be around us enough (sometimes at Airsoft, gung fu, BBQ’s or parties) so that they can see what it really looks like to follow Jesus.
• Mostly, they need a crystal clear presentation of who Jesus is, in a language they can understand.

What do “We” (followers of Jesus who call CGS home) Need So That We Can Be Presented “Mature in Christ”?

• We need to be broken for the lost … because Jesus was.
• We need to sacrifice our rights, privileges and status, so that we can be servants to people who are far from God, giving all this up so that they can worship Him … just like Jesus did.
• We need to give our lives to bring many other people into glory through reconciliation to God … just like Jesus “for whom and by whom all things exist” who already was God and without blemish, was somehow “made perfect through suffering.” (see Hebrews 2:10)
• We need to give up our religious pedigree, humbling ourselves and following Jesus on mission, just like Paul did. (see Philippians 3)

Amazingly, as followers of Jesus grow DEEPER in their faith outsiders should feel like the church is becoming WIDER.   As we grow in power in prayer, we will also increase in effectiveness as evangelists.  As we gain knowledge of God’s Word, we will also become more hospitable.

Truth is, we all (insiders/outsiders, Christians/Pagans) need our lives changed by the Gospel.  It’s not like we begin with the Gospel and then move on to the rest of life.  We need the Gospel of Jesus every day.  As Tim Keller famously said, the Gospel is not the ABC’s of the faith, it’s the A-Z of following Jesus.

Tomorrow … what is a “spiritual wanderer.”

Spiritual Gifts

“Now concerning spiritual gifts… I do not want you to be uninformed. “
- 1 Corinthians 12:1

Are you informed about “spiritual gifts”?  A “gift” is a special grace that the Holy Spirit gives to every follower of Jesus.  This turns into an ability to teach, to serve, to lead, to give, to pray (and more!) all so that God gets the credit and the church is built up.

A big part of LeaderSHIFT is helping people know and use their gifts.  During Week 1 of the LeaderSHIFT study you’ll have an opportunity to take a gift assessment.  I’d encourage every one of you to take this test, pray about the results and see how you can grow in your gifts.

The gift assessment in the LeaderSHIFT book is the best one that I’ve seen.  However, if you aren’t able to attend a LeaderSHIFT class, there are free online spiritual gift tests that you can take.  I’d recommend Elmer Towns’ version.
After you take this test (either online or in your small group) make sure you talk to a close friend about the results.  The benefit of being in community is that we can have other people tell us the hard truths we need to hear.  You might have a gift that you’re afraid to admit.  (Yes, you might be a leader even though you’re worried about the responsibilities that go with it.)  Or you might think you have a gift where you done.  (For example, I think that I have the gift of singing, even though I lack the gift of finding the right notes!)

The Mustard Seed (Take Two)

A few weeks ago I preached on the parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven.

My main focus was on the fact that faith is a gift, and even if it might feel “unexplainable” the power of God’s Kingdom is “undeniable.”

There is another sermon I could have preached on this text.  Instead of focusing on how the Kingdom of God starts small (like a mustard seed) in our lives and grows … it is also true that the Kingdom of God starts small in a community and can grow in to a society-changing organization.

CGS is a smallish church.  We have about 130 on a Sunday morning, plus another 50-70 who come for Bible Studies, Youth Group, Airsoft and Gung Fu.

That might feel small compared to the hurting thousands around us, but like the Mustard Seed and the Leaven, God can use us to spread the influence of the Gospel.

Ask yourself, what can you do to extend the Kingdom of God (ie Jesus’ love, power, authority and Word) into people outside of our church?

Who can you serve?
Who can you love?
Who can you comfort?
Who can you invite?
Who can you spend a moment talking to?

Through intentional, small acts a small church can change the world.

Eleven rag-tag disciples and a group of scared eye-witnesses to the resurrection slowly conquered Rome.  Martin Luther defeated both the Roman Church and the Holy Roman Empire.  Jim Elliot and a few other young men died but in doing so planted a seed that changed a culture.

What can we do?

The Kingdom of God is at hand.  Lets see how we can increase God’s fame and proclaim His name.

Extreme Sheep

A few weeks ago we had a congregational Summit to better align people with their spiritual gifts / passions / styles.  As a church, we need every active member to jump in and work with us … or it just won’t get done (not here at least).

Take a look at this to see what some really organized sheep can do.

What I Leaned Last Sunday

What I learned Last Sunday…

Last Sunday I left CGS as most of you were still singing, jumped into my car and drove to Kent.  That afternoon I was given two tremendous opportunities to preach.  First, I spoke to a second generation Korean congregation, Pastored by my friend Ho Lee.  Later in the afternoon I spoke at a Spanish speaking congregation led by Fito Molina.

Spending time with these congregations left a big impression on me, and I ended up learning more from them than they learned from me.

First – I learned how blessed we are here at CGS.  We have our own building, a great location and the ability to make solid plans week-after-week.  That’s an incredible gift.  The young Korean church was crammed into a small room … probably to keep rent down, though no one complained about it.  Fito has it worse.  As the opening half hour of music came to a close, Fito had to stand in front of his congregation and announce that they were loosing their location.  Because of problems with the landlord and a few contract issues, Fito and Los Mejor del Trigo will be loosing their security deposit and had to leave the building by the next day.  Amazingly, they still sang, still wanted me to preach, still had fellowship around tortas … and then tore the place down, packed everything into a panel truck and got ready to start over.  Their joy in the midst of confusion reminded me of Paul and Silas in prison … hurting, exiled and still finding joy for hymns to God.

Secondly – I (re)learned the power of music.  I’ve always loved music, but being a logical, “word”-guy, I tend to forget how important it can be.  Worshipping with these two churches meant (among other things) lots of singing!  Some in English, some in Spanish … all LOUD and passionate … I found myself with tears in my eyes singing the few words I knew (Si Senior = Yes Lord, Hallelujah = Hallelujah), and knowing that Jesus was the most important person in the world.  He is worthy of our praise, regardless of style, words or instruments.

Finally, I learned that Jesus is worth our time.  At CGS we try real hard to keep our services to an hour (75 minutes at most)…that’s short.  It was tricky to preach through an interpreter, but we still went on for 35 minutes.  Their response was “Wow, that’s short!”.  In the Korean congregation I preached for 40 minutes or so … again getting comments about how brief the sermon was.   On top of that, there were other challenges, mini-sermons and tons of music…followed by food.  All together the Korean congregation spent over two and a half hours together and the Latino congregation spent three or four hours together.  (Did I mention that Fito’s church has multiple other services through the week?)  At CGS, when an hour is up, alarms go off and people head to the doors.

Are we serving ourselves and our Lord well by making this “Christianity thing” so easy?

Oh, I learned one other thing too.  I really love CGS.  Despite the fact that we don’t sing long enough or loud enough, despite the fact that people get up and leave after I preach for 35 minutes … this is really a tremendous church.  This Sunday we are opening our doors to start a brand new Hispanic congregation.  That’s just amazing.  Every week we generously let this building get used and abused by children, youth, college students, baptists, addicts and more.  God has matured, grown and shaped our church.  He’s still working on us, but the Gospel of Jesus changes everything … and its changing us.

I love serving Jesus with you.

- Pastor Tim

Generation Gap

Today was my daughter’s first day of school this year.  When you’re in 3rd grade, school is still fun, friends are an ongoing adventure and teachers can make-or-break your year.  (Hopefully we all still love to learn, to meet new friends and sit under good teaching.)

To make all three of her goals come true, she will need to engage in communication.  She’ll have to ask questions and understand answers.  She’ll have to break the ice with new friends and catch up with old ones.  She will also have to talk to her new teacher, listen to him and understand his own personality style.

The Gap

Is “Multi-Generational” Possible? I was visiting a large church in southern California not long ago. The band was leading a worship song that wasn’t just pushing the envelope, it actually left the envelope altogether and was Fed-exing itself into tomorrow. The senior pastor was flushed with irritation that they would do a song that so obviously interfered with everyone’s worship. … Until he looked at his daughter, who happened to be visiting that weekend. Tears were streaming down her face. She told him later how that song resonated with and expressed the worship of her heart like nothing she had ever heard. She told him how proud she was that the church would allow worship that resonates with her generation. That story, written by John Ortberg, talks about the potential frustrations and successes that come from bringing ages together. CGS is a multi-generational church. For some churches, that means “we’re old, our church is dying and we really, really need young people to help us pay the bills and serve on our committees.”  These churches want young people, but aren’t willing to do anything to help different generations feel welcome. For CGS multi-generational means “We’re Blessed!”  God has brought young and old together in an incredible way here.  We have old people who are new to the church, young people who have been at CGS their whole lives, young people who are still trying to make up their minds about Jesus … and just about every combination in between. As you consider your own role at CGS or in any other community of faith, ask yourself if you are being intentional to reach out to other generations.  I think we’ll find that that when we come together, we’ll find new levels of energy, wisdom, commitment and grace. For further reflection, I recommend reading John Ortberg’s full article from the most recent Leadership Journal simply titled The Gap: the fractured world of multi-generational church leadership.