Is Grace Becoming a "Men's" Club?

Back in 2005 when we launched Community of Grace, I came across a book called, "Why Men Hate Going to Church" by David Murrow.  It was one of those 2x4's across the brain for me on how the Church is losing men by unintentionally skewing things to the way the female brain works.  In some denominations like ours (the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) females can outnumber males in churches 60-40% and upwards to 75-25%.

As a result of reading that book I have committed myself to making sure that we create a church that intentionally draws in men.  And that is no easy task.  Many men perceive church to be girly (and, as Murrow's book points out, with good reason) and it's a tough sell to convince them that testosterone is welcome.  Many men in the church have become passive, allowing women to occupy virtually every area of ministry (with, perhaps the exception of the pastor, and that's changing, too).  To suddenly be a part of a church calling men to step it up is a big culture shift for a lot of men (and women).

David Murrow also alerted me to the alarming stat that 70-90% of all boys will leave the church in their teens and 20's and most won't return.  So we've poured a lot of energy into keeping and discipling our boys.

What's that meant, in part, is that I have to talk a lot and often about this issue to try to create a more man-friendly climate.  And what that also means is that for some, it seems like all we do is talk about men and cater to men.  So when I hear things like: "all Tim talks about is boys," or "Grace only cares about men," or "Grace is becoming a men's club," I take great heart.  The message is getting through. (I've said often that I have to announce a men's event at least 5 times before men actually sign up.  But women fill up an event after one announcement!  So in that area alone we talk a lot more about men because it takes so much energy to break through!)

And we have come a long way over the last 8+ years.  We're seeing more men involved in discipleship and service than ever before.

But here's a reality check: We still have more women than men in worship on any given weekend (though we are doing better).  Women make up the majority of our volunteers.  For every one "man event" we offer at least 2 women's events.  Far more women turn out for women's events than do men for men's events.  In other words, for all of the good, hard work we have done to let men know Jesus has a call on their lives, too, we are far from a men's club.

So what can we expect in the months and years to come?

I will continue to fight for men and our boys.  Because I'm a man, my passion runs deep for calling our men and boys to follow Jesus into heroic manhood.  I also feel the call to fight for men/boys not only at Grace but throughout the larger Church.

Kimberly--our women's ministry director--will continue to offer great programming for our women.  One of her passions is to mentor women, which she is ramping up this year.  I have also asked her to be for our girls what I am for our boys.  So soon you will see her posting insights into girls just as I post insights into our boys (which you always graciously pass on to your friends.)  I've told Kimberly many times that as the father of a daughter and now the grandfather of a little girl, I'm just as passionate about our girls as I am about our boys...I just don't have the time to invest fully in both and do it well. So I'm advocating for our boys and supporting Kimberly as she advocates for our girls.

If and when our men catch up to our women, then I can ease up on my personal emphasis on them.  Until then, we will continue to offer great worship, programming, discipleship opps, and mission opps for men and women, boys and girls, and I will personally continue to be an advocate for calling men to follow Jesus into manhood and do the same for women through Kimberly as she advocates for women.

There aren't many churches courageous enough to support and buy into that kind of a church!  I'm glad to be a part of one that is.

Recession Fatigue and the Mission of Grace

On Sunday, September 1, the Arizona Republic featured this headline: Despite Gains Across U.S., Ariz. Recovery Still Lags 

Here are some of the (low)lights:

*46% of jobs lost in Arizona have been replaced since the worst of the downturn, compared with 77% nationally

*43--Arizona's rank in private-sector job creation since 2010

*75% of jobs created in Arizona in the next year likely will require a high-school diploma or less

One "expert" quoted says it looks like we have three more years to go until Arizona recovers.

Think about that: That will mean a recession--a deep recession--lasting at least 10 years in our state.

In other words, Arizona was one of the first states hit by the great recession, we were one of the states to take the hardest hit, and we will be one of the last to recover.

As the rest of the nation celebrates the growing recovery, we're going to continue to wrestle with a sluggish one, which can lead to deep frustration and recession fatigue--and one of its byproducts: giving fatigue.

From the moment the recession hit, Grace has followed a far different path--trusting Jesus to be bigger than the economy.  And in the midst of the deepest economic down-turn any of us remember, God has done big things through us, the most tangible sign being the building of our campus in the heart of the recession.

Each year we have increased our budget significantly.  And each year, in spite of the dire economic news, you have opened your hearts (and wallets) to the abundance of God's resources, and we have demonstrated to the world that God's grace runs deeper than the deepest recession.

But even people of big faith can get weary.  And after awhile, we reach a point where we need a bit of a breather.  We've been going and growing at breakneck speed for almost 9 years.  God has done the improbable and impossible in and through us.  And he's just getting started.

But just as we need a day off once a week, just as we need vacations to break up our routine and get off the fast track--so in expanding the mission of Grace we need to rest up to move forward again.

I've been sensing for the last few months that after the hard work we've been doing these last 8 years we need a "giving year" that stretches us but that doesn't over-tax us, so to speak.  We need a bit of a "let's not increase the budget significantly this year"rest.

Then, as Michelle put the budget together, God confirmed that sense.

God wants to do something counter-intuitive through us again: To give us a breather while expanding the mission of Grace exponentially.  

As we'll announce later in the year, because of some financial changes in our staff insurance plan, we will be able in 2014 to keep our budget at nearly the same level as 2013, and expand our mission at the same time!  That's great news.

The other great news is that God still needs our generosity to change the world.  This has been our tightest financial year yet in our history (and we have a lot of work to do these next 4 months to end strong!).  Methinks recession fatigue has finally hit us.  So 2014 will be a good year to stretch a bit and live into our current budget before God hits the gas and moves us into the next 10 years of expanding the mission of Grace.

Year 9 of our mission will be a "hinge year" as we move from Building a Community of Grace to Expanding the Mission of Grace.  Our theme for year 9: Let us not grow weary of doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we don't give up.  So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all..." Galatians 6:9-10.

Are You Ready For Some Reckless Faith?

In a few days "Are You Ready for Some Football?" will become our national anthem and it will drive the soul of our nation for the next 6 months. I've been ready since the day after the Super Bowl. I can hardly wait.

But fall is also a great time to hear Jesus' call into a larger game--the game of changing the world. His two word call, "Follow Me!" really asks us THE question of life: "Are you Ready for a Reckless Faith?" Are you tired of a tepid faith? Are you frustrated from reading in the Bible about all the great stuff God did through ordinary people like us and wondering why it doesn't happen for you? Are you tired of sitting on the sidelines while others around you take up the cross and impact the world?

I'm currently leading your staff through a leadership experience written by John Maxwell (I'm also taking a group of your lay leaders through it). Maxwell offers an interesting perspective on leadership that translates well into faith. He says that leadership is a Process. It's not an Event. Leadership happens over a life time, not in an hour or two. Too many people, he says, look for drive-through leadership. We want to order it and pick it up in a bag, consume it in 5 minutes, and then lead. But it doesn't happen that way.

Too often people look at following Jesus in the same way. We want to live the dynamic Christian life right now. Instantly. We want the high powered worship event that will transform us into spiritual super heroes. That will feed our souls for a week (or two weeks or three weeks!) We're looking for the fast-food Jesus fix that will propel us into the abundant life. But as is true with any fast food, it's fast, it tastes good (Chipolte anyone?), but it doesn't last.

Jesus understood the power of both the event and process. He used events to inspire and call. But he used process to transform. Maxwell provides this helpful chart:

Event                                    Process 
Encourages decisions      Encourages development 
Motivates people             Matures people  
Is a calendar issue          Is a lifestyle issue 
Challenges people          Changes people 
Is easy                            Is difficult 

Thousands attended the Jesus events 2000 years ago. But only 12 went through the transformational process. And it was the 12, not the crowds, who changed the world. A healthy Church provides both powerful events and a profound process.

Grace does events well. Great worship. Great activities (concerts, model rockets, block parties, the Christmas show, etc.). These events provide a place for us to be re-motivated to follow Jesus and provide great entry points for our friends and neighbors.

But if we're going to change the world, we need the courage to follow Jesus into reckless faith, and that's a process--a process few US Christians make. But those who do never go back. They're too busy changing the world around them.

This fall we're beginning to up our game in the process area--providing more and more opportunities for you to move from event to process to world changer.

For the men: We have our manhood class on Thursdays, 6:15 am (contact tim@faceofgrace.org). We also have a men's small group that meets every other Thursday at 6 am (contact Joe at jhertel1127@msn.com).

For the women we have several new opportunities including the Lineage of Grace study that launches on Wednesday, September 11, starting at 6:30 (contact Kimberly at women@faceofgrace.org).

Coming soon: the Financial course--I was broke but now I'm not!

For many of us, committing to several weeks in a row is, at this time, impossible. But not to worry--we're doing a new 1st Wednesday Experience every first Wednesday of the month (hence the title)--a cross between event and process to help us begin to move forward in following of Jesus. Tomorrow night (Wednesday) is our first 1st Wednesday. It will feature two seminars for adults: An Intro to the 2nd Coming of Jesus; and, How to Lead Your Children in Devotions at Home. The kids will have a high energy experience built around Tae Kwon Do. And we'll have nursery as well. We begin at 6:30 and it will run an hour. Come at 6 for hot dogs and chips (for a modest price).

To follow Jesus is to dive into the process of reckless faith. It's to power up at events and then stretch and grow through a life-long process of learning and serving. Paul says it this way: As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord (event), so continue to walk in him (process); rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6-7)

Are you ready for Some Reckless Faith?