Make Food Banks History

Bill Couchenour | Monday, May 28, 2012

Over lunch, a friend of mine, Steve Fortenberry, and I were discussing an article in Christianity Today that featured a local food bank. Pastor Steve made the comment that food banks should be unnecessary, and that they may even be getting in the way of solving the real issues (an interesting comment from someone I consider truly compassionate). Food banks came into prominence in the 1980s to meet the needs of the disenfranchised during a difficult economic time. They grew out of the right motivation and millions of people still serve there out of a heart of authentic compassion. Unfortunately, they’ve done little in over 25 years to solve the complex issue of poverty that finds its roots in “broken and unjust economies, racism, structural poverty, failing school systems and the downside of globalization.”

Food banks find it difficult to provide a well rounded diet because they are usually restricted to the food that’s donated or what they can buy inexpensively. Fresh fruits and vegetables are hardest to come by in economically depressed areas. Ironically, what you typically find in poorer areas are convenience stores where the food is not nutritious and, relatively, more expensive. Many of the people who need the food don’t take it either because they refuse charity or because they feel someone more ”needy” should have it. And food banks rarely provide a genuine community connection between the people providing the food and the people that need the food. At best, food banks are a Band-Aid on a gash that needs surgery to repair.

There is a better way. Pastor Steve is working through Goodness Grows to revitalize communities through sustainable agriculture. They are engaging individuals from urban and rural communities in programs to provide nutritional food and jobs for depressed areas. It’s possible to harvest heat and/or heat producing waste materials from existing businesses to prolong growing seasons or harvest fish. The locally grown crops reduce cost and carbon footprint making food accessible and affordable. And they are bringing communities together in a meaningful way.

Here are just a few of the other efforts taking place:

- An urban farm at St. Mary's Episcopal Church on Harlem's West 126th Street

- An organic ministry through a community garden at Grace in Snellville, GA

- A 21,000 sq. ft. garden at NorthRidge Church in Plymouth, A “Giving Garden” at Center Grove Baptist Church in Rock Spring, GA

- A“Café Sunshine” and the “Peaches and Greens” truck through the Central Detroit Christian Community Development Corporation

- A rooftop farm at Metro Baptist Church in midtown Manhattan

An urban farm at Christ United Methodist Church in Gary, IN

- A community project to reclaim barren and underutilized landscapes

- And internationally through DIG (Development in Gardening)

The Bible begins in a garden and ends in a garden city.

The idea that a simple garden could be the answer to the complexity of poverty is not a fantasy. It’s not pantheism to acknowledge the connection between God and the earth that’s expressed throughout the Scriptures. Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God”. We see where the wind and the waves obeyed Jesus and that, if his disciples were to remain silent, “the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:40). Psalm 89:11 says that heaven and earth belong to him, so doesn’t it make sense that we could look to what God, himself, made and then called “good.”

Jesus had a passion for the poor, and we would be hard-pressed to call ourselves disciples without allowing that passion to well up in our being. Let’s not let the good feelings that come from our service through food banks anesthetize us to real challenge. Let’s not be satisfied with simply treating the symptom; let’s eradicate the disease. Let’s make food banks history.

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

A Special Surprise in Central South Carolina

Bill Couchenour | Monday, May 21, 2012

We were traveling in rural South Carolina (Pickens County to be exact) on our way to our son’s college baseball tournament. The rain delay on the final day gave me a chance to get some work done. My wife and I had a choice between the Starbucks inside the Ingles grocery store or a local coffee shop. We had passed The Main Street Deli & Coffeehouse in Central, SC¹ the day before, so we decided to give it a shot.

What we didn’t expect to find was a pastor from South Africa who had intentionally planted an incarnational church in a coffeehouse/deli that would rival anything you’d find in Seattle. The Christian atmosphere was subtle, yet distinct, so we asked our server for more background. She led us to Pastor Ken Paynter. Pastor Ken and his wife, Mary, moved to the area after their son went to Clemson for his doctorate. They launched the Bridge in 2006, and then purchased The Main Street Deli & Coffeehouse after it came on the market in late 2007.

Their intention was to create a true “Third Place”² that would engage the broader community in a positive atmosphere with cooking, conversation and, ultimately, a connection to Christ. On any given day, you’ll find students (Clemson and Southern Wesleyan) and a cross section of the community, including a Hindu couple. The Bridge provides Sunday night suppers for area college students, and you’ll likely find Bible conversations on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. The church meets there formally on Sunday mornings.

Pastor Ken and Mary were obedient to a call that looked very different from what they might have expected. It reminded me again that we can’t be prescriptive in seeking God’s will. Sometimes in prayer, I will offer God alternatives to choose from. But, when He bids me to stay engaged in prayer until I’m truly open to whatever He wants, I am often led to something far better than I could have imagined. I am reminded again that:

God is both Good & Great!

Interesting Note: Pastor Ken knew of Cogun through the work we did in South Africa in the 1980s.

¹ Central, SC (population 4,079) is not near the center of South Carolina. Central got its name in 1873 when it became the connecting link between Atlanta and Charlotte of the Atlantic and Richmond Air-Line Railroad. It’s 133 miles from Atlanta and 133 miles from Charlotte.

² The Great Good Place &The Gospel According to Starbucks

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Mentoring to Make Disciples, Not Converts

Bill Couchenour | Monday, May 14, 2012

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” - Jesus

Some have interpreted the Great Commission calling as “go and make converts”. When we do this we are utilizing a “bounded set” philosophy that works on the premise of getting people just inside the fence, then moving on. But I think that shortchanges the Gospel and misses much of what was intended when he said, “(As you are going), make disciples.” Instead I have come to embrace “centered set” thinking where the goal is always to draw closer to Jesus. The point of conversion is critical but I think it’s more helpful to think in terms of always drawing closer to the center (i.e. Jesus), rather than simply getting inside the fence.

God is restoring this world that he called “good.” We must work as Jesus’ hands and feet to restore this world by creating beauty, righting injustice, enhancing relationships and seeking God to intersect the physical with the spiritual. It means we are to add value to everyone we meet.

“It is a matter of glimpsing that in God’s new creation, of which Jesus’s resurrection is the start, all that was good in the original creation is reaffirmed. All that has corrupted and defaced it – including many things which are woven so tightly into the fabric of the world as we know it that we can’t imagine being without them – will be done away. Learning to live as a Christian is learning to live as a renewed human being, anticipating the eventual new creation in and with a world which is still longing and groaning for that final redemption.” - NT Wright

Mentoring and discipling should be a way of life, a way of intentionally restoring all that God called “good” when he created the world. It means mentoring everyone around us including family, friends, neighbors, people in our church, merchants, waitresses, vendors, suppliers and coworkers. Yes, we are to introduce people to Christ with every opportunity we’re given and to practice pre-conversion discipleship for those who are not yet Christ followers. We are to help people become everything God has created them to be. Discipleship (mentoring) can be organic or formal but it should always be intentional.

We have a great opportunity/responsibility to mentor people, especially those with whom God has given us influence. What’s cool is that whether you’re mentoring or discipling, it’s impossible to do that without gaining value yourself. Mentoring is a two-way street.

(Thanks to Steve Caton @CCBChurch for being the catalyst for this blog!)

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Is Church Good For Your Health?

Bill Couchenour | Monday, May 07, 2012

It turns out church is good for your health, even very good. On top of that, relationships (some of which come from church) positively correlate with health satisfaction. Here’s what Gallup found in three separate studies:

1) Religious Americans Enjoy Higher Wellbeing Read more at GALLUP.com.:

- Americans who are the most religious have the highest levels of wellbeing.

- The difference in wellbeing between the religious and nonreligious populations is highly statistically significant given the large sample size Gallup's research uses, and would occur by chance alone on an infrequent basis.

- The difference is also notable given that the Well-Being Index scores do not vary widely across sub-groups of the U.S. population.

- Religious service attendance promotes social interaction and friendship with others

2) Church Boosts Your Emotional State Read more at GALLUP.com.:

- Frequent churchgoers experience an average of 3.36 positive emotions per day compared with an average of 3.08 among those who never attend.

- Not only do Americans who attend a church…frequently report having higher wellbeing in general, but they also get an extra boost to their emotional state on Sundays -- while the rest of Americans see a decline in their mood.

3) Strong social ties = Health Satisfaction Read more at GALLUP.com.:

- Individuals who say they have family and friends they can count on to help them in times of trouble are consistently more likely to be satisfied with their personal health.

- People who are socially isolated tend to have more physiological stress, poorer immune function, and a host of biological risk factors

Please (as Reggie McNeal says) don’t hear what I’m not saying. The fact it may be good for your health should never be a reason for being part of a church. The church is God’s vehicle for the Gospel of Jesus between now and when heaven and earth are joined together. And following Jesus means we make many counterintuitive choices (die to live; serve to be honored; give to gain; forgive not retaliate; love your enemies; Depend on God not yourself; joy in hardship; honor the poor not the celebrities; etc). But it is interesting to learn it’s good for your health.

Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Every Person Has A Story (and what that taught me about patience)

Bill Couchenour | Monday, April 30, 2012

I don’t remember why, but I was in Kinko’s to get something done. I remember being in a hurry, but I’m not sure if it was because I had a deadline or just the normal pressure I put on myself to maximize time efficiency. Whatever the reason, I could feel myself getting more and more impatient as I listened in on the conversation between a teenage girl (the clerk) and an older lady who was the only other customer in the store. It was clear they knew each other and that their conversation had nothing to do with getting something done at Kinko’s - which only added to my indignation.

FORTUNATELY, I was able to overhear some specifics of their conversation before my indignance caused me to do or say something I would have regretted to this day. As I listened in, I learned that the teenage girl’s mother was shot and killed as an innocent bystander to a drive-by shooting the night before. The other lady was there as a friend to do what she could to console the young girl. This young girl didn’t even have time to mourn. She needed the job, and couldn’t afford to take time off. In fact, when she left her job at Kinko’s, she had to go to a second job.

That event profoundly impacted me. Anytime I am tempted to get impatient, the Holy Spirit brings that teenage girl back to my mind. She is not simply a clerk at Kinko’s. She has a story. A story that intersected with mine on that day.

It’s good to see every person as the complex, unique, made-in-His-image individual God created them to be. And it’s good to remember God loves them passionately – beyond what we can understand or imagine. They have a story that is as unique as they are, and God is at work somehow, somewhere in that story. We get to intersect with each others’ stories. And, when we’re sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit, we get to work with God in a powerful way inside their story.

Check out this Chick-Fil-A training video “Every Person Has a Story”

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Are You in a Holy Saturday Season?

Bill Couchenour | Monday, April 23, 2012

I had never really thought much about the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter until I read a devotional by NT Wright. For me, Holy Saturday was a time to get ready for a celebration. It was a day to make preparations for Sunday’s festivities - finalizing meals, coloring and hiding eggs, writing cards and assembling baskets of candy. But it wasn’t like that for the followers of Jesus on that first Holy Saturday.

Imagine what they were feeling. They just had their world crushed, their perceptions shattered. The Savior they thought would rescue them was now dead. A few understood what He had told them about rising in three days (which is why the Pharisees went to Pilate to have the tomb sealed). However, it was too much for most to believe. Out of fear, Peter (and probably others) even denied he knew Jesus. This was an unprecedented time, and they didn’t know what to expect.

We all face those times when it seems there’s more despair than direction, more anxiety than excitement, more pressure than peace. We see this played out in the Psalms as the writers describe times of longing and loneliness when God seems absent, even oblivious to their situation. As NT Wright said:

“We aren't sure why we've got to this place, why things aren't going as we wanted or planned, and the life seems to have drained out of it all. That's a Holy Saturday moment.”

Perhaps you find yourself in a Holy Saturday moment now. Maybe it would be better described as a season than a moment. Those are difficult, dark times, but the advantage we have is that we live on this side of the resurrection. We can know what we cannot always feel. Through faith in that knowledge, there are steps we can take as NT Wright encourages us:

“And there is usually something to be done in the present, even when times are sad and hard. It took considerable courage for Joseph of Arimathea to go to Pontius Pilate and ask for Jesus' body. Peter and the others had run away to hide because they were afraid of being thought accomplices of Jesus. Joseph had no such qualms, even after Jesus' death. Some of Jesus' followers might well have thought that, if the Romans had crucified him, he can't have been the Messiah, so he must have been a charlatan. They might willingly have let the Romans bury him in a common grave, as they usually did after a crucifixion. But Joseph didn't see it that way. A clean linen cloth; the tomb he had prepared for himself; and the security of a great stone. It all had to be done in haste, with the Sabbath approaching. But what was done was done decently.

Do what has to be done, and wait for God to act in His own way and His own time.”

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

How to Avoid False Summits

Bill Couchenour | Monday, April 16, 2012

I was backpacking a couple of years ago with one of my sons in the Wind River Mountains of western Wyoming. We were trekking from Big Sandy Lake across Jackass Pass to the Cirque of the Towers. The trail was a combination of a worn path and cairns for traveling over rock. The problem for us was that there was just enough snow to obscure the path. We did our best to follow what we thought was the route, but we ended up near Arrowhead Lake, a few hundred feet below the trail.

Realizing we were too low, we decided we’d climb to the route - which, at the time, seemed like a good idea. The problem was that we didn’t realize how far the trail was above us. The further we climbed, the steeper it got. With no ropes and no way to tie safely into the rock, I was getting concerned. We thought about turning back, but then saw what we thought was a spot that leveled off. So we kept going thinking it was the trail, but it wasn’t. By now, it was more dangerous to go back down than to keep going up. Before getting back on the route, there were several times we thought we saw the trail, only to get there and realize it was a sort of “false summit”.

False summits happen from time to time when climbing because the features of the mountain obscure the actual summit. They can be discouraging because you strain, tired, hungry and weak, thinking you just have a few feet to go, only to find out you’re nowhere near your destination. False summits happen in life, too. We strive to reach for something that was beyond our reach. Then, when we get there, we find it wasn’t what we were looking for after all.

Religion can be a lot like that, too. We get wrapped up in the “doing” part, thinking that there is some portion of justification that comes from our efforts. We work at the “business” of church, doing good things, and sometimes forgetting the identity God has given us in Jesus. It’s good to be reminded that we’re invited into a relationship, not a religion. To avoid false summits in life…

Focus on the person, not the place.

(We finally made it to the Cirque of the Towers)

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

The Extremes That Reveal Us

Bill Couchenour | Monday, April 09, 2012

None of us entirely escaped the consequences of the greatest economic downturn in our lifetime. At the very least, you know someone that has lost their job or their home. Whether it’s the economy or our health or lost loved ones, we all experience the pressures of difficult times. Yet, as Christ-followers, we are well aware that God has promised to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and that nothing you’re going through can separate you from God (Romans 8:38-39). In fact, He says He’ll use these times of pressure for our good (Romans 8:28). And James encourages us by letting us know the testing of our faith develops our perseverance making us “complete, not lacking in anything” (James 1:3-4).

I have been aware for some time, of the fact that we will be tested, sifted so to speak, by difficult times. However, I was reminded recently that we are also tested by the accolades we receive:

“The crucible for silver and the
Furnace for gold,
But people are tested by their praise.”
(Proverbs 27:21)

Have you known anyone that, after great success, fell because of their own undoing? They seemed to have it all. Then, for some inexplicable reason, they did something that brought everything crashing down. I distinctly remember Tiger Woods in his mea culpa saying, “I felt entitled”. Maybe that’s part of why Proverbs says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). Most falls from grace will not be as public as Tiger Woods and many others, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be quietly devastating.

We are tested by the extremes – PRESSURES & PRAISE. They are times of testing and danger. Remember that sin happens a step at a time, not all at once. Justifiable compromise is dangerous territory. But they can be, in fact, they’re meant to be, times of great growth and grace.

Lean hard into God, especially during these times.

Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Spectacular Austere Cool Missional Facilities

Bill Couchenour | Monday, April 02, 2012

I have been developing facilities for ministry for well over half my life. In fact, this year will mark 30 years committed exclusively to serving churches. It’s been an incredibly rewarding role, and, it’s been a good gig for conversation starters (and, sometimes, killers). When I get asked what I do, I simply say, “We develop facilities for ministry”. Their immediate reaction gives me a clue into their perspective on faith:
- Sometimes their eyes light up, and they want to tell me what Jesus has done & how important the church is for them.

- Sometimes they pause. Then ask me something about God, faith or the church, like they’ve been waiting for the right moment to ask the question.

- Sometimes, when they immediately go silent and turn away, I will respectfully try to open the dialogue because there seems to be some fear or pain.

Sometimes when I get asked that question, their mind goes to the most beautiful church they’ve ever seen. And they’ll ask me if we built it or would have liked to. My answer surprises them because, frankly, the relative beauty isn’t what’s most important to me. What I am passionate about is how well the facility - and the process to develop the facility - propels them to greater levels of ministry. You could have the most beautiful facility in town, but it’s pointless if it doesn’t exactly meet your ministry needs. Conversely, you could have maximized the square footage for your dollars, but have an austere facility without the needed features to make it effective.

I wrote this blog in NYC on an evening I visited St. Patrick’s Church (pictured above). I have great admiration for the skill that went into the design and construction of facilities like St. Patrick’s. The sense of the spectacular is a testament to that skill… and I love “cool”! We have developed some very cool facilities for churches. They’re fun to develop, because they’re what I like. But, frankly, it doesn’t matter what I want or what you want; what matters is what will best accomplish the mission.

Bottom line: “Spectacular” is wonderful. “Austere” is commendable. “Cool” is great. But the driving force has to be…

“what facilities will best help you accomplish our God-given mission?”

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Are You Leading The Church You'd Want To Attend?

Bill Couchenour | Monday, March 26, 2012

I recently heard Dave Travis give a talk to church planting pastors entitled, “10 Things You Should Know (But You Probably Don’t)”. I enjoy Dave as a friend and, as the CEO of Leadership Network. He always has great insights. Most of his points had a relational component:

- Dave led with the comment that illicit sex will bring down your ministry, but far more ministries have been destroyed by the pastor being one or more of three A’s: Arrogance, Anger, Donkey (think King James version).

- It’s not your preaching that builds the church, but rather your winsomeness (do people like you?).

- Remember to say, “Thank you” to your staff, both paid and volunteer. The relationship means more to them than their paycheck.

- Relationships are more important to church growth than media and music – friends tell friends (and people from large churches are 3 times as likely to tell their friends).

But, the one that I have continued to bounce around in my mind is, “Pastor the church that you’d want to attend.” The changes that are taking place locally and globally are nothing short of seismic, and the church finds herself in the midst of them. Some pastors trained and entered the ministry for a role entirely different than the one they find themselves in today. A pastor once told me, “I got into ministry because it was a calling, but it’s become a job. I want it to be a calling again.”

The good news is that you can lead your church through the adaptive changes necessary to become the church you’d want to attend. You are capable of making the changes needed to develop necessary leadership capacities. I don’t think there’s ever been a more important time in history for the U.S. church, because it is a historical “hinge” time that charts the course for the future. These are difficult, but exciting days that are calling us to new work of God!

If you’re struggling with change, contact me. I have some resources that may help you. In the meantime, here’s some good guidance from another of Dave’s top 10:

Be a missionary, don’t follow a model

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Make Food Banks History

Comments

Post a Comment

A Special Surprise in Central South Carolina

Comments

Post a Comment

Mentoring to Make Disciples, Not Converts

Comments

Post a Comment

Is Church Good For Your Health?

Comments

shahrukh khan

Edgar

Bill

Post a Comment

Every Person Has A Story (and what that taught me about patience)

Comments

Post a Comment

Are You in a Holy Saturday Season?

Comments

Post a Comment

How to Avoid False Summits

Comments

Post a Comment

The Extremes That Reveal Us

Comments

Casey Graham

Bill

Post a Comment

Spectacular Austere Cool Missional Facilities

Comments

Post a Comment

Are You Leading The Church You'd Want To Attend?

Comments

Post a Comment

Links

Recent Posts

Tags

Archive