Lost Cities

A couple things came to my attention this week regarding the health of churches in our cities. First, on Monday the New York Times published an article on the struggling churches of Harlem. As older residents die or move to Florida in retirement many of the historic black churches in Harlem are struggling to stay open. The newer residents who are moving in are younger and different.The same thing is happening in cities all over the USA and indeed, the world. The dual challenge of globalization and urbanization are two of the great challenges and opportunities the 21st century church faces. The challenge is not just in North America. This leads me to the second thing that brought this challenge to my mind this week. Ed Stetzer a former colleague, sent out a tweet this week stating that only 1% of the population of Paris (France) are evangelicals. It reminded me that people in great urban centers around the world need to know Jesus. The North American Mission Board Strategic Focus Cities is a good start. We must do more to plant and re-plant churches in these great urban areas. We can give. We can go. We must pray. What else can we do to reach these cities? What are your ideas? Let the conversation begin.

RIP: Art Linkletter, CBS radio & TV personality died this week at age 97. I met Mr. Linkletter, 8-9 years ago at a community wide prayer breakfast. He was a complete Christian gentleman and gave a great speech on the power of prayer. I know I'll show my age with this but Mr. Linkletter you were right: Kid's Say the Darndest Things.

They Said It: Quotes for Preaching, Teaching & Leading

In our mission to encourage, equip and empower church leaders we offer these words of wisdom:

You can’t do today’s job with yesterday’s tools---Ron Lewis

Four things never come back----the spoken word, the sped arrow, the past life and the neglected opportunity---Arabian proverb

An empty vessel makes the greatest sound----William Shakespeare

If we could have half our wishes, we would double our troubles---Benjamin Franklin

The Law tells me how crooked I am; Grace comes along and straightens me out---D.L. Moody

Stewardship is a person does after he says, “I believe.” ---W. H. Greever

First we practice sin, then defend it, then boast of it. ---Thomas Manton

The church exists by mission, as fore exists by burning.----Emil Brunner

The future comes one day at a time. ---Dean Acheson

We learn from experience that people never learn from experience. ---George Bernard Shaw

The key to flexibility is indecision. ---Anonymous

You do not need references to borrow trouble. - Unknown

The Church and the Stockdale Paradox

In his classic book, Good to Great, Jim Collins recalls a conversation he had with Admiral Jim Stockdale, the highest ranking US military officer in the “Hanoi Hilton” prisoner-of-war camp during the Vietnam War. During his eight years in captivity, Stockdale was repeated tortured and beaten. He once even beat himself with a stool, so his captors could not display him as a “well-treated prisoner.” After his release he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

During the conversation, Collins asked him, “How did you make it out?” Stockdale replied, “I never lost faith in the end of the story….I never doubted not only that I would get out, but that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which in retrospect, I would not trade….”

Stockdale had articulated what Collins called “The Stockdale Paradox.” In wrestling with life’s challenges the “Stockdale Paradox” states you must retain faith that you will prevail in the end and you must also confront the brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.

Collins recalls walking silently with the admiral around the beautiful Stanford campus for a few minutes. Then Collins asked him, “Who didn’t make it out?” And Stockdale replied, “Oh, that’s the optimists.” According to Stockdale the optimist said, “We’ll be home by Christmas!” Then Christmas would come and the optimist said “we’ll be home by Easter.” Easter would come and go. And finally they would say Thanksgiving….and eventually they would die of a broken heart.

Leaders embrace and live out the “Stockdale Paradox.” They combine the unconquerable faith of prevailing no matter how difficult things seem while also being relentlessly disciplined at confronting the brutal facts of their current reality. They reject triumphalism, optimism and sentimentality.

The North American church has much to learn from the "Stockdale Paradox.” The first aspect of the church's “Stockdale Paradox” is a theological affirmation: God’s church will triumph with Him. I believe that to be true. I’ll go to my grave believing it to be so. But the second half is what we need help dealing with: facing the brutal facts. And within the SBC there are just a few brutal facts we must face honestly:

• 80-85% of our churches have either plateaued or declined in growth & members.
• We have millions on our church rolls, some of whom FedEx couldn’t even track down.
• Only 3-4% of our churches are truly effective evangelistically.
• Mission giving and sending has not kept up with previous generations.
• Many of our churches have turned inward and are perceived as ‘cranky’ to their own communities.

A couple of years ago I heard one of my denominational leaders publicly yearn for a return to the 1950’s except without racism or sexism. How tragic I thought. The 1950’s are gone for good. Families aren’t like the Cleavers anymore. Yet in too many churches our programs and ministries would make you think otherwise. We curse the darkness and yearn for the good old days. Want to know what our culture will look like in 15-20 years? Look at Europe, then pray, take a deep breath and assess your own reality. Pastor, church leader, what is it that’s holding your church back? Assess. Get real. And go to God for help.

A Thank You to the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force

The Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force has issued its final report before it is to be presented at the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando next month. While I am still digesting the report, praying and listening to all sides of the debate, here is what I know:

• Our denomination must do something to revitalize our existing churches and a vision for planting many, many more.
• The recommendations are a good start.
• The committee members and its chairman Ronnie Floyd deserve our thanks and our support wherever we can give it.
• The structure, methodology and mission of NAMB must be reengineered to meet the needs of the 21st century.
• The Cooperative Program is still the best vehicle for denominational missional support I know of anywhere.
• Everyone should be heard. As far as I can tell everyone has.
• The challenge for every single Southern Baptist, every church, association, state convention, agency, and institution is simply this: BE MISSIONAL OR BE GONE!
• My prayer for myself and Southern Baptists is simply this:

Lord, send a revival, renewal and resurgence… and let it begin in me!