We Could Have Been Bigger By Now - Part 2

The is the second part (you can part 1 here) of a two-part series on why Compass Point could have been bigger by now.  My hope is that people will learn from my…our…mistakes…and successes.

Leadership is not a state of mind.  As I have stated before, me being the Senior Pastor of Compass Point is not a state of mind…it is reality.  The crazy thing…it’s taken me a while to come to grips with the fact that I am the leader.  Sounds weird I know…but that’s the truth.  I was so busy being everyone’s friend and trying to break down the barrier between shepherd and flock…that most people never saw me as more than Chris the goofy, fat guy that can make people laugh and is fun to be around.  The problem…that is how I saw myself also.   I wanted everyone to feel comfortable and happy…I didn’t want to rock the boat.  What I discovered…people pleasers can’t be leaders.  The church takes on the personality of the leader…when the leader belittles his position…that is how the congregation also treats the position. I spent almost three years being everybody’s buddy…now we are taking steps to help the congregation see me as their pastor…and the staff as their boss.  Most importantly, I’m taking personal steps to help me see myself as the leader of Compass Point.

You can’t serve two masters.  When Compass Point first started as a small group Bible study I was still working on occasion with Prison Fellowship.  Due to some unforeseen circumstances the money that was promised for us to officially launch took months to materialize.  As a result I started touring pretty much full time with Prison Fellowship the first two years of Compass Point’s life.  What I discovered was…you can’t serve two masters.  There were months where I was out of the pulpit two out of four Sundays.  I missed our first two Easter’s…which is a no-no in church planting.  Even on weekends I was in town I had just flown in on Saturday night…and was too whipped to really put my all into preaching.  The worst thing…there was no one around Monday through Friday to conduct ministry, handle administration or cast vision.  Two years ago I came to the conclusion that if Compass Point was going to have a chance I had to put all of my eggs into it’s basket.  It meant financial sacrifice for Denise and I…and the letting go of another ministry I dearly loved.  I miss my “prison friends” (Duane, Leslie, Justin, Don, Ron and the various other “lambs”)…but it was the best decision to date concerning the future of Compass Point

Fast to hire and slow to fire.   I plugged holes.  I hired from outside the church.  I didn’t properly interview people.  I didn’t pray or seeks God’s will in making staffing or leadership decisions.  I just wanted to shift as much stuff off my plate as I could in the quickest amount of time.  Therefore I hired anyone that had a pulse…and would take forever to cut them loose when they turned out to suck as leaders.  In hindsight I can’t believe some of the crap I allowed to go on within the staff and leadership at Compass Point.  I was an idiot…that let other idiots…help sink the ship.   These days I’m a little slower and cautious in bringing people on staff…and a little quicker to cut them out of the body if they become cancer.  In essence…slow to hire…fast to fire.

A Phrase I Don’t Understand

There is a phrase I keep hearing over and over again…that I just don’t understand. The phrase is “getting it done”. I read it in blog posts…I hear it at conferences…and listen to pastors use it to “one up” each other. The thing I don’t understand about the phrase “getting it done”…it is almost always used when talking about worship attendance.

It would seem to me that a church that is fulfilling all areas of Matthew 28:18-20 is actually “getting it done”. That would include teaching and discipling…not just the going and baptizing part.

How can a church that baptizes 100 people a year, yet only get 1/2 of them into the discipleship process be considered “getting it done”? How can a church that has 3,000 people walking in the front door each month while 300 people walk out the back door be considered “getting it done”? How can a church with 1,500 in weekly worship attendance and less than 60% of them in a regular Bible study be considered “getting it done”?

Your thoughts???

We Could Have Been Bigger By Now - Part 1

Recently my friend Dave Anderson referred to me as the pastor of the smallest mega church in America…he is fairly correct in that assessment. We have always considered what we do at Compass Point to be pretty serious and feel we are on a track that others can learn from. We have never shied away from talking about our ups and downs through my blog or directly with others. However, the reality is that we are a small church…and we are thrilled with that. The other reality…we could have been bigger by now.

No, we didn’t just stop reaching out to people when we hit a certain numerical level. No, we didn’t run “church” people off on purpose. No, we didn’t have some kind of “in your face” moment one Sunday that split the church. We have shown steady…though not necessarily rapid growth…since we began. We have seen many people far from God…find God. We have a steady stream of baptisms each year…mainly from people that have never been a part of a church before. However, we have a mindset that keeps us on a path where steady growth is the norm…and explosive growth is almost impossible. It’s not that we have anything against big churches…we hope to be one some day. However, we want to be a healthy big church when that day arrives. The pastors that mentor me all have large churches…but they are healthy churches…they didn’t set out to be big for the sake of being big. Because they were healthy they grew…and continue to grow. That is our goal at Compass Point…and we know that healthy growth takes time. We’re under no time frame…we’re here for the marathon…not a sprint.

The following are just some of the reasons why we could have been bigger by now…but are not.

The Church Is Not My Life – My relationship with God is my life. My relationship with my wife and family is my life. Compass Point Church…is not my life…just my vocation. My calling is to take up my cross and follow Christ daily…telling people about His saving grace. I’d do that even if I didn’t pastor a church. Compass Point…at best…is a temporary gig. No, I don’t plan to quit anytime soon and I don’t have any further ambitions to plant another church. However, there will come a day when my time is done leading Compass Point…and then I will be left with my relationship with God and my wife. Those two relationships have got to take priority over my leadership of a church…even if it means passing on opportunities to reach more people.

It’s Not About The Numbers – Okay that’s not true…it is about the numbers…just not in the traditional church planting mindset of today. I’m 42-years-old and have achieved enough things in life that my self-esteem is fairly healthy. I don’t feel a need to spout off attendance numbers at conferences or seminars in order to establish an identity for myself or “one up” someone else. In fact, our staff is on strict orders never to discuss attendance numbers with anyone outside of our leadership…ever. However, we will talk baptism numbers and discipleship percentages with you…because they are the true numbers that count…and the mark of a church that is healthy. We don’t sweat trying to get a huge attendance on Sunday…that would actually be very easy. Instead we sweat reaching people for Christ…one at a time…baptizing them and getting them involved in the discipleship process. For Compass Point it’s about reaching the one…not necessarily the masses.

Sunday Is Not A Witnessing Tool – Yeah I know I’m gonna get hosed by some of my friends about this one…but for us…it is true. Sunday is about preaching the Word of God without compromise and leading believers into a time of worship. We are not seeker-sensitive…we don’t pull out all of the stops for guests. Sunday wasn’t Scripturally meant for them…it was mainly intended for the believer. Don’t get me wrong…we know that guests come to Compass Point on Sundays…and we want them to feel welcomed. We have greeters, Starbucks coffee and decent signage. We explain what each element of the service is so we don’t throw people off. However, when the preaching begins…that’s where “guest friendly” stops. Other church planters always ask me how we keep reaching people that are so far from God…it’s because we couldn’t give a rip about coddling them. People far from God…that venture into Compass Point…are already being engaged by the Holy Spirit. They aren’t looking for budget plans for their finances, their purpose in life or how to have better sex…they are looking for a Savior. If they want “self help” fluff they can get a Tony Robbins video or buy a “Marriage For Dummies” book at Barnes & Noble. If they come to Compass Point…it’s because they want to hear the Word of God…unfiltered. My job on Sunday is not to baby sit consumers…my job is to confront sin…for believers and unbelievers…through the uncompromised preaching of God’s Word.

Going To The Source

I’ve been getting quite a bit of email from church planters and pastors asking me what I meant by #5 on yesterday’s post (specifically about spending money to go to other churches). As I stated yesterday, I dearly love going to conferences, especially for the networking and spiritual feeding. However, over the years I have discovered that conferences give you a warped speed intro to strategies and structures. It’s really hard to get a handle on them in such an abbreviated and packed atmosphere. Therefore, when I hear about a structure or strategy we might can implement into what God has already called Compass Point to do…we spend the cash to go out to that church and hang with their leaders (I call these “field trips”). There are times it takes months of planning, financial saving and coordinating schedules to make it happen…but it is well worth the investment. I have also found that practicums are really great. They are like two-day mini-conferences sponsored by a specific church covering a specific topic…but limited to a only a handful of church leaders. This allows much better one-on-one time and more intensive learning.  They are usually more expensive, but incredibly valuable in the knowledge that is gained.

I guess the main question I’ve been getting is why would Compass Point spend money on learning and training opportunities like field trips, conferences and practicums when there is “real” ministry to do in Lakeland. Because I believe that we need to be investing in people…leaders…not buildings or programs. Compass Point is a relational strategy church…it is important that we properly train and equip our people to do ministry in the areas in which they live. My leaders and staff get more out of one trip to another church…or two days in a practicum…than anything I could teach them (or they could pick up from books, magazines or conferences) in a year.

One other question I have been getting is from folks wanting to know my thoughts on coaching networks.  I have many friends that love them and gain much knowledge from them.  I myself have not had the pleasure of being a part of one.  I was scheduled to be a part of a networking group this past Fall, but had to drop out to care for my father while he was recovering from cancer surgery.  I look forward to being a part of one this year…and should have more to share at that time.  In the meantime, I don’t think it is appropriate for me to comment on something I know nothing about.

Ten Things I’m Learning

1. When people say to “bring it” when you preach…they don’t really mean it.

2. People that say the want to be “going deeper” have no real concept of what “going deeper” actually entails.

3. Modern worship music is beginning to all sound the same.

4. Sometimes you just have to beat your chest and say, “because I’m the boss…that’s why!”

5. When you truly “bring it” in the pulpit…a lot of the people who wanted to be “going deeper”…leave.

6. Homeless people know the “Plan Of Salvation” better than most seminary professors…they have to hear it three times a day just to get a free meal.

7. You don’t want “yes men” on staff…but when every idea is met with a “no”…it’s time to kick some one to the curb.

8. Trying to lead a church would have been much easier if Paul had never picked up a pen.

9. Most homeless people don’t care anything about becoming not homeless…they just want a free meal…even if it means hearing the “Plan Of Salvation” three times a day.

10. Sometimes I wish to God I didn’t know now the things I didn’t know then (thanks Bret Michaels).

Servant Evangelism Myths

Every since Compass Point launched three years ago we have been conducting servant evangelism projects throughout Polk County. We have met some really great people, impacted thousands of lives and have seen God move in mighty ways. However, the main reason we do servant evangelism is not for what is does for the people of Lakeland…but for the people of Compass Point. The internal benefits far out weigh the external benefits…it makes our people think outside of themselves and fulfill the calling of Christ in the Gospels. As far as the external benefits…well there seems to be a lot of myths floating around the “church world” about that. I thought I would take some time and dispel a few that we learned about the hard way.

MYTH #1 - Servant evangelism helps get your church’s name out in the community. - If you do servant evangelism correctly, the name of Christ is proclaimed and not your church’s. In fact the less your church is named (a website address is all that we use - no logos, addresses or service times) the better off you are. Unchurched people can sniff out bad cheese like no one else…they get turned off BIG TIME when you give out free gas and then pimp your church the whole time they are filling up their car. In essence servant evangelism and marketing should never go hand-in-hand.

MYTH #2 - Servant evangelism can bring about life-change in unchurched people. In some rare cases yes, but in most cases disconnected people are just trying to get as much free stuff as they can. Ever since the dawn of the “Baby Boomers” America has gotten more and more lazy…looking for a free hand out. We have found people scamming us by sending twenty-eight of their “children” up to us just so they can get a free month’s supply of bottled water. It’s sad…but that’s how many people roll in the United States these days.

MYTH #3 - Servant evangelism will cause unchurched people to come to your church. I honestly can’t tell you one unchurched person that has come to Compass Point as a result of our “Outflow Teams”. I can give you a fairly large list of people we have prayed for, stayed in contact with and began a relationship with as the result of our servant evangelism projects. We feel that it will pay off in the end…but there are no hard numbers to back up the need for servant evangelism.

MYTH #4 - Servant evangelism will cause the press to take notice. In a few smaller cities where “Ghostbusters” is still making it’s first run and leg warmers are the “hot ticket item” at the county WalMart servant evangelism still causes a stir among the press. However, in most cities it’s been so over done…and wrongly done…that most newspaper editors, television producers and radio station managers take a pass on covering it.

MYTH #5 - Servant evangelism helps to change people’s negative thoughts about church. Not in any way, shape or form. There are two reasons for this…

1. There are plenty of churches in America that are doing so much stupid stuff that no amount of servant projects can change people’s negative opinions.
2. The Bible tells us that if we love Christ…the world will hate us…no matter how many free car washes you have or bottled water you give out…nothing is going to change that.

MYTH #6 - Servant evangelism is a great way to lead people to Christ. Maybe in the long run…not so much in the short run. The conversation is just too short per person for a proper verbal presentation of the Gospel…and handing out free Starbuck’s gift cards doesn’t exactly convey the “Four Spiritual Laws” or the “Romans’ Road”. Free coffee is a wonderful thing…but does very little in convincing people they are sinners in need of a Savior.

MYTH #7 - Servant evangelism is something everyone can participate in. This depends on your perspective of Scripture. The Body has many parts with many functions…not everyone is suppose to do everything. The reality is that some people just can’t do servant evangelism. Some are too timid to actually walk up to someone with a free can of Pepsi. Some are just so aggressive that they try to tackle anyone that doesn’t take a free donut. Still others are not called to servant evangelism…they are here to fulfill another purpose in God’s Kingdom.

MYTH #8 - Servant evangelism will grow your church. Again…this depends on your perspective. Servant evangelism will rarely grow the church numerically all by itself. It will, however grow your people in their faith in God’s guidance, expand their ability to think of others before themselves and create a deeper desire to see people come to Christ. In the end it is more the byproduct of servant evangelism…than servant evangelism itself…that can help take your church to another level.

My Five Marks Of Success

The other day I was talking with a guy that is going to be planting a church next year. He asked me what I consider the measures of success in my ministry as Lead Pastor of Compass Point Church. When I look back over the past year…and can answer the following questions in the affirmative..then I feel like my ministry was a success.

1. Was I a Godly husband?
2. Was the Word of God preached without compromise every time I stepped into the pulpit?
3. Did I get to experience someone come to Christ for the first time?
4. Did I get to baptize someone?
5. Did I see total life change in someone?
6. Did I help someone start the discipleship process?
7. Did I watch someone develop into a Christian leader?
8. Did I see more people commit to the calling of Compass Point than the year before?

Breaking Fellowship

This week I had to do something I rarely do…something that always causes me great pain…something that is a necessary evil of church leadership. I had to cut someone out of my life. The fantasy world of their mind was a stark contrast to the reality of their actions. After three years of being blamed for all their failures and everything that had gone wrong in their life…enough was enough…it was time break fellowship.

I can count on one hand the times I have broken fellowship with someone. It is never an easy thing to do and it always causes you to take a hard look at your own life. However, the reality of leadership is that breaking fellowship has to happen on occasion. There will be those that get mad…get offended…wear their heart on their sleeve…look for the negatives in life…or just can’t face the fact they are to blame for their misfortune. Instead of handling things in a Scripturally mature manner or moving on…they stay and make problems. Negative correspondence, a constant barrage of verbal attacks, a desire to cause division, endless unproductive “meetings”, public displays of anger and other things that can just completely drain your energy. It can come in the form of church members, others pastors, friends, family or staff members. Whatever the case it will cause sleepless nights, great frustration, abuse of your calling and many wasted hours that could have been better spent actually making a difference for cause of Christ. Go the “extra mile”…but don’t hesitate to break fellowship when the distraction from evangelistic ministry becomes too great.

Over the last 20 years of ministry I have discovered several things about the need and process of breaking fellowship:

1. Some people can’t be reasoned with. No matter how talented a pastor, leader or counselor your are…there are some people that can’t be reasoned with. Some have too much baggage, live to be offended, are only content when they are angry at someone and some are simply not emotionally unstable. Try your best to reason with them…but know when to walk away.

2 . Cancer always destroys. You can do two things with cancer…cure it…or cut it out. Cancer grows and destroys with an alarming rate. Some people are just cancer…spreading negativity and destruction throughout your church, ministry or life with lightening quick results. Try to cure it…but if that fails…move quickly to cut it out!!!

3. Always run to the conflict. It is too easy to hide from areas of trouble…especially with people…and think that it will go away naturally. Like the warning light on a car…it will not go away until the problem is fixed. Yes, there is prayer…yes, there is love…but there is also you…the leader that God put into place to protect the flock. You never want to hurt the sheep…but never hesitate to confront the wolves.

4. Strive for restoration. Some people just need a swift kick in the butt when it comes to their attitude and behavior. Don’t break fellowship until you have confronted…and offered a structured plan for restoration. Forgiveness and restoration are two separate things. Forgiveness is immediate…but the trust that comes with restoration takes time…many years…much submission…and incredible oversight.

4. Make the break clean. As harsh as this sounds…if the time comes to break fellowship…make the break clean. Leave no bridge in place for the person to return. There will be other churches, pastors or leaders that God will use in their life…but your time is done.  Forgiveness is a Biblical mandate…but it does not mean that the person needs to be allowed back into the fellowship to cause problems again. If restoration and submission is refused…make the break quick…clean…and complete.

5. Don’t let it become baggage. If you don’t want to be attacked…don’t lead. However, when the attacks become too much to bear…and breaking fellowship becomes a necessity…don’t let it become baggage for you. Not every case is the same…don’t judge someone today over something someone else did in the past. Yes, you will hurt.  Yes, you will have moments of regret.  Yes, you will not feel total resolve in the matter.  However, move on…know that tomorrow is a new day…and follow God without fear or reservation.

Field Of Dreams

It’s Saturday morning and everything is fairly quiet around the Elrod homestead (which is unusual).  As I switched around a few television channels looking for news I stumbled onto a movie I dearly love…”Field Of Dreams“.  It is such a metaphor for church planting….

• Seeing a vision that others can’t see.
• Watching “the light come on” in people when they finally get the vision.
• Being told you’re crazy because you are doing the unthinkable.
• Building something from nothing in an area it shouldn’t be.
• Watching people come out of nowhere to respond.
• Helping those that the world has forgotten or cast aside.

I love what I do.  I love the calling that God has placed in my heart.  I love that I have the privilege and honor of preaching God’s Word.  I love that I get to serve Him in Lakeland, Florida.  I love that I get up everyday and get to do something that…I love.  “Field Of Dreams” reminds me of that…and I cry like a baby every time I watch it.

First I’ll Evolve, Then I’ll Unleash And Then I’ll Go Exponential

If you are a church planter, church leader…or thinking about being one…I cannot stress enough the need to go to the “Evolve Conference” (February 18-19) by Mountain Lake Church in Atlanta (Cumming), Georgia, the “Unleash Conference” (March 13) by Newspring Church in Anderson, South Carolina and the “Exponential Conference” (April 21-24) in Orlando. I’ll be taking the entire Compass Point staff to “Evolve” and several young leaders-in-training to “Unleash”. Since “Exponential” is in our backyard…we’ll be taking a bunch of people from our church (lay leaders, staff, Elders, etc.) back and forth each day. All of these conferences are very affordable, have some of the best church plant pastors lined up to speak and offer great opportunities to network with some of today’s top church leaders. If you are planning to go to these conferences…drop me an email or put a comment on this post so we can make plans to hook up. Again…get these on your calendar and get registered…QUICK…they are filling up fast!!!