Video killed the radio pledge drive

Tis the season for a nonprofit radio station that is in the midst of its annual pledge drive. I listen to this station occasionally, but when the pledge drive is in full effect, it follows a now predictable pattern:

Day 1- Celebration- here we celebrate the good the station has done (I'm very cool with this; in fact, on day 1 the station shared a story of how a song played saved someone's life- very cool)

Day 2- Anticipation- here we talk about excited we are at the upcoming year and all of the good things that are planned (again, I'm cool with this as well- it's ok to share what we're looking forward to)

Days 3-4- Anxiety- here is where anxiety to take center stage as the station finds itself behind the percentage needed for full funding (we compare to last year, compare to other markets, etc)

Days 5+- Panic- the longer the pledge drive goes, the more panic (and consequently guilt) the listener can expect to endure. Now, the station finds itself way behind whatever benchmarks of funding it uses and is using whatever appeals it can to generate cash (just this morning hearing an email from a listener who couldn't imagine life without this station's morning show).

After panic, threats begin to emerge as the station's management needs to consider which markets it might have to shut down. Honestly, I'm not sure if any markets have ever been shut down, but I know our local market has often fallen short of full funding and hasn't been shut down.

Full disclosure: I've given to this station in the past but stopped when the tactics began to emerge in the later days of their fund drives. As someone who works with finances and a non profit, the line between motivation and manipulation is very fine indeed, though I am not suggesting manipulation in the case of the station. I think most human beings know that fear is a motivator, but among the tools of a fundraiser, is one that ought rarely to be used.

As always, Seth Godin posts about this topic better here

Hillcrest in the News

We got the opportunity to meet with Senator Tim Johnson yesterday who came by Hillcrest to follow up on naming the church as an angel in adoption. Two of the families Hillcrest has supported with their adoptions were able to share their sotries. It was a fun morning! You can check out the various stories here:

• KDLT
• KELO
• KSFY

View from the balcony

In our equipping leaders group yesterday morning we discussed the analogy of the balcony in which leaders are charged with the task of getting the bigger perspective from the balcony rather than just making decisions from the day to day responsibilities of the floor. As we were discussing this important and challenging work of leadership, we landed on the reality that at least when it comes to ministry or church work there are probably two balconies leaders need to access. The first is the balcony of your local church or faith community- this community will have its unique story or 'dna' regardless of whatever else is happening culturally. Leaders that can access this balcony view are better and more informed leaders; people also appreciate this informed leadership much more! The second is the balcony of the Big Church, or the kingdom, or the world, or whatever you want to call it. Without the larger perspective of what God seems to be up to in his world, we will mislead our churches and ourselves. Years ago the 'experiencing God' series raised this idea in a personal way for many people- what does Jesus seem to be doing and how can you join the movement? Now, we're essentially asking the same question and applying it to the faith communities throughout the world- what does Jesus seem to be doing throughout the world and how can we join the movement? The question seems simple enough but unfortuantely confusion can abound. One glance at a Christian bookstore or an online sampling of church books from Amazon or a reading of blogs from Christian leaders reveal several different, and at least at the surface contradictory, movements. Issues such as the role of women, the work of the spirit, the authority of Scripture, the ideas of free will and election, what works the church ought to do (internal vs external), the uses of church finances, and other issues such as these might be pointing at some bigger shifts. I'm interested in learning more about this balcony perspective and what part Hillcrest will play in it in the future.

Jim and Casper go to Church

I just got done reading Jim and Casper Go to Church and the heart of the book is basically ‘is this what Jesus told you guys to do?’ A former pastor and an athesit visit over 12 different churches- different in style, in mission, in subculture, etc- and then the former pastor records the athiest's perspectives. An interesting theme is how different these churches are, and yet all claim to follow the same guy. Among some of what I took from the book:

• the offering seems to be always self-serving unless connected to a church's visible outside work in the community
• churches that spend significant monies on facilities and other worship resources (lights, equipment, etc) communicate the importance of the facility (whether intentional or not) and those resources
• there is a disconnect between some of the songs that we sing and the context that we sing them in (i.e. when we sing that 'this world has nothing for me' when our context might communicate otherwise)
• for the most part, the authors were not greeted at the churches with the exception of those who were 'supposed' to greet- greeters, ushers, and pastors (which, for the record, didn't 'count' for Casper). At the couple of churches where people did spontaneously greet them, it made quite the impact.
• Finally, for Casper, what he most wanted to see (and to know) was how a church's faith translated into a connection with a hurting outside world. Casper was most taken by churches who seem to convert faith into action.

Saving the World at Church

Last week I was at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, which was a really really good conference, since I had some plane time to and from Atlanta I've been able to read some new books as well. I hope to record my notes from the books and the conference over the next few days so I don’t lose some of that valuable information. One of the books that I am almost done with Tim Sanders’ Saving the World at Work, a pretty interesting read on how the world has fundamentally changed to business and corporations focusing on doing better for their environments- everything from becoming more green, to using fair trade products, to promoting and allowing employees to volunteer time and talents to community groups and non profits that they are excited about. The argument rests on the fact that the new generation of worker, Sanders calls it the ThemGen, is very interested not in just making a paycheck but also in making an impact. He tells of how companies like a Starbucks can often attract better talented people for less money because of the strength of their community and societal involvement and initiatives. He writes of how behemoths like Wal Mart have had to become more eco-friendly in their business practices to remain competitive and profitable. He shares of how employees from companies such as Timerland, the boot maker, are further enhancing their already generous corporate cultures from profound acts such as 200 employees donating their Timerland boots to a community organizer in post-Katrina New Orleans. It shouldn’t be surprising that some of the same movements we see happening in church- a desire to get involved, to help people, to contribute positively to our communities- are also taking root in the business world. If all truth is God’s truth, then the truths the church is experiencing ought to be showing up outside of the church as well. Fortunately, churches are a little closer to the learning curve on this one.

One of the more interesting aspects of the book for me personally is the emphasis on being more cognizant of one’s impact on the planet. While Hillcrest has a ways to go in this regard, we’ve taken one simple step at being friendlier to our planet. Each Wednesday during the school year we serve a meal before the night’s festivities begin as a convenience for people and families. We’ve typically used to Styrofoam plates and plasticware for this meal, throwing out 3-4 bags of trash each meal (I hate to wonder what damage we’ve done in the last couple of years). A couple of Hillcresters didn’t think this was right and got working on a solution. They reasoned that since we have a commercial dishwasher and we have plates and silverware in our ktichen, why not wash dishes every night (I know, so simple, it's brilliant!). They recruited a team, committed to doing it, and now we have less than a bag of trash each week. A baby step, but a great step nonetheless. Now they are looking at how we can be better at recycling. Before reading the book, ideas such as this were good, but only from a volunteer perspective (they have a cause, want to do something, etc). After reading the book, I understand even more the strategic importance these and other ideas like them can have.

Random Thoughts on Traffic

I just finished the book Traffic. It's a departure from the books I usually read, but it was a good psychological/sociological survey of why behave the way we do behind the wheel of a car. Some of the more interesting findings:

• Despite the marketing that says advertise, 85% of the people killed in accidents in construction zones are drivers; 15% are construction workers.
• You have roughly a 1 in 100 chance of dying in a fatal car crash over a lifetime of driving of 50 years (feeling lucky?!?)
• There is a strong correlation between a country's GDP and the number of fatalties on their road- the higher the GDP, the lower the number of fatalities. Interestingly, an even better predictor is the amount of corruption in a country. The more corrupt a country is, the more fatalities that occur on their roads.
• Men are riskier drivers then women, but they drive safer when a woman is a passenger.
• You are 134 times more likely to be killed in traffic at 3 AM on Sunday morning than you would be driving at 10 AM on Sunday morning.
• Since the 1960s (when the State Department first began tracking the data), roughly 5,000 Americans have been killed as a result of terrorism. Each year in the US, an average of 40,000 people are killed on our roads (more are killed each month than in 9/11). Makes you wonder if we need a Department of Homeland Traffic Safety.

Fiscally responsible giving

I read 1 Corinthians 8 this morning and it opens with Paul commending the Macedonians for their sacrificial giving, even giving beyond their ability and how they begged to be able to financially participate in Paul’s ministry. As is obvious news by now, it was a rough financial week for America, with stocks dropping, a government bailout out to the tune of $700 billion dollars, and some fearing the worst may yet to come. It will be interesting to see what effect this has on charitable giving, and especially if we notice anything at Hillcrest. Our giving at Hillcrest for 2008 has overall been pretty strong; we will need to see whaf effects the sour economy is having on main street, as the pundits call it, will effect churches like ours. Giving is always an interesting and sometimes touchy subject for churches, as one of people’s perceptions about church is that 'they just want my money'. To further complicate the issue, some churches contribute to this image by either mishandling funds, paying church leaders excessive amounts, or promising prosperity to generous benefactors.

When money does get tight, the temptation is to lower one's giving. Certainly, that would be tops on what some might 'disposable income'. And yet as Paul writes in this chapter of the Macedonains, when times were tight, it seems like giving increased. They were so certain that their giving was instrumental to Paul's ministry and the spread of the gospel. I would think we should expect some dips in giving during times like this. Fear is a powerful motivator and a force that leaves people powerless. But as churches continue to connect the gospel with tangible causes outside of themselves, I would suspect that giving to these churches should sustain. I suppose we will see if that holds true, bur regardless, as followers of the Christ, the most fiscally responsible thing you can do is to continue to give.

Click here for a good look at the economic crisis from a theological perspective.

Angels in Adoption

An article from the Argus Leader detailing South Dakota's Angels in Adoptions. We got to meet the incredible people in this story and they truly are angels. Very cool.

Acquiring values

Today in my equipping leaders material we again returned to what’s most important to us. In the exercise, we’re first asked to identify some of our favorite biblical texts that we have learned from. I can’t help but think of how texts like John 3:17 (save and not condemn) and 2 Peter 3:9 (patient, wanting none to perish) have shifted my understanding from God as a vengeful God who is the ultimate referee seeking to penalize people to God as a benevolent God who truly loves people, all people, and desires for all to have a relationship with him. I am reminded of something we often overlook in a passage like Romans 5, where we hold onto the idea that sin entered the world through one man, Adam, but then seem to become exclusive or protective of the idea that salvation also entered the world through one man, Jesus. Why is that at times we can argue guilt for the world based on Adam and yet have a hard time arguing grace for the world based on Christ? 2 Corinthians 5 is another of those passages that bumps up against a grace and a gospel that appears to be more inclusive than some of the models I was more familiar with.



And then it’s also interesting how shifts like these drive personal practice and our church’s ministry. We understand redemption not only as a one time saving event but as a continuing event that happens in real time. While listening to Christian radio the other day, a financial consultant, who is also a follower of Jesus, was asked for his advice and wisdom on what Christians should do during these tough and uncertain economic times. His advice was on the surface solid and timeless: continue to trust God for your needs as he is the ultimate provider of our needs. It harkens back to the sermon on the mount where Jesus chastises those who worry about food and clothing. It is good advice and a good reminder . . . for those of us (me included) who know very little about what it means to not have our needs met. But the question I found myself asking is what about those whose needs go unmet? How does the message of just trust God play out there? Again, I may be oversimplifying this radio comment and then deriving a whole theological perspective from it, but it seems to be that a ‘salvation is a moment’ theological perspective is much more at home with a just trust God motto, because the big question, my eternal destiny, has already been answered. But for those who struggle, for those kids who don’t have adequate food for the weekend (the Sioux Falls Food Bank now sends 1600 backpacks home with student so they have enough to eat over the weekend), for those families who fall between the gaps of making too much for assistance and not making enough to make it, for those who go without things I take for granted- furniture, clothing, shelter, meals- the bigger question is more on temporal needs then on eternal ones. And for me, the perspective shifts from how can I get you into the kingdom when you die to how can we together belong to the kingdom right now? A good exercise that really reveals what we value.



For a good sermon on this perspective, check out The Narrow Door by Greg Boyd. When you get to the site, scroll down to the 9/7/08 sermon: The Narrow Door.