I will blog two or three times a week and the tag-line for my new blog (for now) is “networking, resourcing, and multiplying the local church”. As I live the life of a Christ follower, husband, father, disciple maker, pastor, etc. I want to be able to write about the issues that will enable others in local church leadership to grow (whether pastors, lay leaders, small group leaders, mentors, etc.). I won’t be sharing answers or solutions as much as I will be hosting a conversation that hopefully will be mutually beneficial to those of us who are trying to follow Jesus with our lives and in our homes.

Currently, you can find a post articulating what nathancreitz.net will be all about, a post that begins a series on Jesus’ claims to divinity as recorded in the Gospels, and a post that asks several questions about the wisdom of using multi-site video venues to reach the culture. As you will see (or read), I prefer hosting a conversation and raising important questions rather than act like I’ve got everything figured out (I don’t). However, I do have some thoughts and will share them along the way so this is my invitation to you to join the conversation.

ChurchETHOS will stay active for some time so please feel free to read through the archives if you so desire! It’s literally 8 years of thinking, mistakes, ideas, questions, answers and God-sightings. Please take a minute, though, and update your subscriptions, links, and bookmarks  to my new site nathancreitz.net! Thanks!

Further Reading:

• Meditation, Music, and the Psalms
• Twitter To-Do List to Make Twitter Useful Again
• Ash Wednesday

“Sunday’s Coming” Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

How did you react? I laughed because the video is well made and uses satire to drive home a point. I was sad because I realized too many churches don’t get the point. Then I was confused because I’m not sure what the point is either, based on who created the video in the first place.

Let me explain! (but before I get too serious, take a minute to laugh…it is, and was meant to be, a funny video!)

The Multi-site Megachurch Worship Form

NorthPoint Community Church is on the cutting edge of the multi-site megachurch model. You can agree or disagree with this model but there’s no doubt that thousands of people’s lives are being transformed and men and women are becoming Jesus’ disciples through their ministries.

The confusion sets in because it seems that the North Point Media team are creating a parody of their own services. A large part of the NPCC resources go into their weekly services (or worship show depending on your positive or negative impression of what NPCC does each Sunday). NPCC is bringing more people to Jesus than I’ve ever met so I am not throwing stones, I’m just asking questions.

In his book, The Disciple-Making Pastor, @billhull says, “You can always get a crowd, if you demand very little and put on a show.” I would add that the better the show, the bigger the crowd. I don’t suggest that NPCC demands very little but they definitely put on a great show.

So, what is NPCC encouraging us to do in this video? Eschew the “show”? Will they? Is the answer to simply reorganize our music and message so that it doesn’t fit the form in this video? Is their form engaging culture? Does the culture scoff at this particular form? Or, perhaps NPCC is engaging culture in a more relevant and life changing way than I ever will?

Your Corporate Worship is Not Valid!?

Another stream of questions: Is a pattern of corporate worship inherently a bad thing? Can we have a standardized way (or “traditional”) way of doing things in our churches? Can we really say that one way of doing things is wrong? If I were to go to a concert, what would I expect? If the musician sat on the edge of the stage and just talked for two hours would I be disappointed? If I go to see a comedian and they take up an offering, sing a hymn, and preach from the Bible would I think it was innovative or would I be upset that it wasn’t what I expected? Isn’t it human nature to follow forms and systems and even traditions?

How did you get ready for your day this morning? Is that any different than asking how someone started off their week at church? The fact that we fall into predictable patterns

I don’t think we should let forms paralyze us or cause us to fall into complacency, but if NPCC uses the form that is satirized in this video, and it’s ‘working’ for them, maybe it’s okay for them to follow the pattern. Meanwhile, deviations – or better, variations – on the form could be healthy and keep people from settling into predictability and consumeristic complacency.

Anyway, the NPCC form probably isn’t for me and it does sadden me that our more “cutting edge” churches have adopted this form without question because the megachurch gurus do it and look at how many people they have! Hopefully, NPCC is taking the first step in breaking the mold and maybe that’s what this video is about. However, if they are simply nodding and winking at a practice they think is ineffective, then this video simply leaves me confused and seeking answers.

So, what are your thoughts about this video? Does your church follow this form? Does the video sting a little bit or have you gone the other way and are establishing forms and patterns that simply appeal to you? Can we just admit that we are all consumers to some extent and we search out a way of doing things that resonates with us? We will never completely rid ourselves of consumeristic tendencies, but are you striving to practice the presence of God as naturally and theologically and experientially as possible?

Further Reading:

• Book Review: The Passionate Intellect
• Shocking Stats from the book Radical
• Documentary: Lord, Save Us From Your Followers

________________

Thanks to everyone who reads my blog and takes the time to share in the conversation!

To show my appreciation, I’m giving away a free Bible to one random ChurchETHOS reader.

The Bible I am giving away is the TNIV Reference Bible from Zondervan. It is the Renaissance Fine Leather edition and is sold for $99.99. In order to qualify, please do the following:

1. Share this post with others on twitter or facebook (use the buttons below the post).

2. Share your favorite Bible verse in the comment section. Or, if you don’t have a Bible, please let me know why you want a copy!

3. Fill out the special contact form that I’ve created to get your mailing address. Sorry, I can only send U.S. on this one!

The chance to get this copy of the TNIV will be over on March 24th at 9PM EST. I will then use random.org to select a random winner! Thanks again for reading, commenting, and sharing ChurchETHOS!

The following is from Zondervan:

The complete text of the TNIV–the most readable and scholarly accurate translation available today–in an attractive single-column setting with a full set of cross references. Also includes other convenient study features.

Description:

Perfect for pastors and teachers who have adopted the TNIV translation—it’s just what they requested in a reference Bible: premium leather binding, single column, full references, two ribbon markers, black-letter edition.

The TNIV Reference Bible is the perfect TNIV for a more in-depth study of God’s Word. The TNIV is the newest translation of God’s Word with the most up-to-date scholarship available today, and it is now available in this larger-format, single-column setting.

Because it is easy to read (no study notes or visuals to clutter the page), it is perfect for use anywhere from the college campus to the church auditorium to the airplane seat.

The full set of cross references aid in studying the biblical text from Genesis to Revelation, and a helpful set of bottom-of-the-page topical ties creates a topically oriented study path to expand this Bible’s flexibility. A helpful concordance is also included—a must in any reference Bible. This black-letter edition of the TNIV is the best, most comprehensive reference Bible available today.

Further Reading:

• Another Great HCSB Review
• “Don’t Stop Believing” by Michael E. Wittmer

Further Reading:

• The Great University Commission
• Sunday’s Coming Video
• Genesis One and the Framework Hypothesis: Part Two

I still have six more free books so it’s not too late. I will be posting a new question from Wittmer’s book early next week so I look forward to your comments and questions.

Further Reading:

• Is Jesus Really THE Truth?
• Blogging New Orleans
• Spiritual Warfare

Meanwhile, today’s winner is Prof Penguin. Thanks for subscribing and joining the conversations at ChurchETHOS! Congratulations!

Further Reading:

• Free Books
• Are People Generally Good or Basically Bad?
• Serving Leaders and Leading Servers

If you want a free copy of Don’t Stop Believing by Michael Wittmer, it’s not too late. After today I will still have 9 more weeks to give away one book per week. The sooner you subscribe, comment, and email, the more chances you have to get a free book!

Meanwhile, today’s winners are Eve Lester and Mike Goodwin. Thanks for subscribing and joining the conversations at ChurchETHOS! I will be in contact with them but I wanted to make the announcement here. Congratulations!

Further Reading:

• Free eBook: Reaching the Campus Tribes
• Jeopardy
• Marketing Your Church Plant: Biblical Foundations

Michael Hyatt: Recycling Your Blog Content

John Meche III: Killing is Killing

Ed Stetzer: Weathering the Economic Storm

Benson Hines: Your seat (or tweet) on the road trip is waiting

Tom McClusky: How Pro-Abortion Can You Get

* Don’t forget to sign up to receive a free copy of Don’t Stop Believing. I still have eleven copies that I will be giving away one at a time each Friday. Find out how to get your free copy here.

Further Reading:

• Do Right Beliefs Get in the Way of Good Works?
• Stuff I Like
• Are People Generally Good or Basically Bad?

Now there are 11 more chances for subscribers of ChurchETHOS to win. I’ll give another one away next Friday.

For more info, check out how to enter to get your own free copy here and make sure you read the first two posts about the book Don’t Stop Believing here and here.

Further Reading:

• Checklist Christianity vs. Following Jesus
• Profile of Poverty
• Spiritual Discipline

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Further Reading:

• Free Book
• International Contact
• Buddhism is of the Devil