Personal Log 1.24.21

So I checked out my pastor's sermon online this morning & it was really good, so this blog got me thinking about some things he said & other things that have been on my mind…

It's bothered me for years how the Church, the Ekklesia, has copied the world, it seems like we're always playing catch-up, copy cat or follow-the-leader. 

- Why didn't the Church invent MTV?

- Why didn't the Church invent Facebook & Twitter?

- Why hasn't the Church developed a wholesome, family-friendly, Christ-centered web browser?

- Why hasn't the Church developed a computer operating system to compete w/ Microsoft?

- Why is the Church behind in developing news outlets & newspapers that are not propaganda machines but actually report the truth & let you make up your own mind on issues?

- Why has the Church not created & developed cellular phone services & practical and/or Christ-Centered apps?

You could create a list w/ a thousand points & ask why the Church hasn't been the forerunner in these areas. We use these services but why have we not invented or taken them over?

Is it because of the “in the world but not of it” mindset? I just  don't know…

From some of the points above, here's a practical example of something the Church could develop and/or build on:

Open Source Software (OSS): It's called open source for a reason, it's not like you're re-inventing the wheel, you're simply building on the basic foundation others have laid. Many people are tired of Microsoft. Yes, they basically run the world (at the moment) but forced updates, constant changes, hard to navigate desktops, spyware, all that stuff have run their course & people just want a simple, stable computer operating system that's not spying on them. Linux has exploded in the last 10 – 15 years w/ Linux Mint & Opensuse as two of the most popular & most downloaded distros in history. There's every flavor for every person. I'm not tech-minded but there's millions of Christians who are & they can easily take the basic Linux code & build something off of it. 

You could even take some abandonware (software & code that's been abandoned in favor of something else) or freeware & use it for the Kingdom. If you can't personally do it then pray about funding Christians who can do it.

Aside from the tech front, just practical connecting w/ the community can be “innovative” & where the Church can take the lead. Try this:

- Get with your leadership team & spread a map of the community out on a table

- Pinpoint your church building & a draw a 1 mile radius circle around it (call it Phase 1), then draw a 2 mile radius circle around it (call it Phase 2), then draw a 3 mile radius circle (Phase 3), etc.

- Now, personally meet w/ the businesses in the Phase 1 circle, ask how you can pray for them, ask how you can help promote their business, either w/ flyers or online, etc

- Once you've connected w/ every business in Phase 1, start on the businesses in the Phase 2 circle, then branch out

- Using the same map, create ½ mile circles from the church building & start targeting the residences closest to the church building, develop relationships w/ your neighbors, ask if they have any needs the Church could help meet or prayer requests, invite them to a monthly ice cream social & croquet on the Church lawn or an evening movie projected on the side of the church building. Then, start connecting w/ residences in the complete Phase 1 circle, after that, move out into the residences in the different Phases, slowly connecting & winning people over w/ your love & genuine interest in them.     

Is that where the Church can take the lead? I think so. It's time for the world to follow the Church but it's not going to happen if the Church isn't seeking God on how to be innovative. God, who created the world w/ all it's diversity & everything it, still has new & fresh ideas to impact this world for His glory. They may even eventually say, “How did we ever survive without the Church?”.