What if Starbucks Marketed Like the Church?

I watched this video recently, and it made me want to laugh and cry all at the same time, because once upon a time, our church was there.  Watch this…

It makes absolutely no sense to the coffee (or any other) business.  Having been down this road in our church (anyone remember the ol’ “Connect Cards”?), it now makes no sense to me for churches to do this.  And yet, is there any approach better for most churches?  I don’t know.

This journey of discovery we’ve been on since early ’07 has been so eye-opening for me.  We’ve all struggled with stripping the layers of the old way of doing things.  A few found it too uncomfortable and decided to part ways with us (which is fine).  But one thing that is becoming abundantly clear as our churches are starting to mature is this:  a life transformed by Jesus Christ is far more powerful than any marketing campaign.

As we continue to chase God in our churches, may our transforming lives be our advertising.  May our churches be attractive to those who don’t know Jesus because of the mission we are on with Him.  May we seek to find ways to include people in community life so that they can see Jesus in us.

What are some ways you’ve seen this truth in action–that a life transformed by Jesus is more powerful than an advertising campaign?

why we can afford to be generous

“Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone.  But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.  Tell them to use their money to do good.  They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them.  By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life.”  – 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Many of us might read this and think, “Well, I’m not rich!”  I know that a lot of us feel a pinch on our financial situations.  But do you own or rent a house?  You are rich.  Do you own a car?  You are rich?  Do you have enough to eat?  You are rich.  God has provided everything that we need.

Recently, God has shown me this truth in concrete ways.  Because of our family’s decision to be generous even when it feels like we can’t, He always comes through (sometimes even on the “extras” in life…remember, God gives us all we need for our enjoyment).  For example, Reber and I allow ourselves a set amount of cash for the month to spend on whatever we want.  Recently, a friend needed some help, and I gave some extra from my cash amount.  A couple days later, I found $10 outside my work!!  It wasn’t as much as I gave away, but it was God’s way of showing me that he will come through if we trust Him.

As many of you know, I sure know how to stretch a dollar.  $10 can buy me a lot of groceries or CVS freebies.  But God has been showing me how to stretch my money for things I need and want so I can feel free to be generous with the excess.  Imagine what our church, community, and world look like if we weren’t so selfish with our $10, $100, or even $1000. 

So give it a shot…start looking for small ways to be generous with what you have been blessed with.  Trust me, you will not be disappointed.  And if you don’t trust me, TRUST GOD!!

Here We Go…

Welcome to Discovery’s new blog!  For the last year, I’ve used my personal blog to double as our church’s blog.  No longer!

The purpose of this blog is simple:  it is a tool for our network to encourage each other, tell stories, and celebrate what God is up to in the midst of our network.  You will get to hear from our leaders and church planters.  Who knows?  You may even be asked to contribute!

I know–the URL name is a mile long.  The best way to keep up with this (or any) blog is to subscribe to the feed or bookmark it in your Favorites.  There will also be a direct link from DCC’s MySpace page, our Facebook page, and my personal blog.

The best way for blogs to work is for the readers to communicate.  So leave thoughts, comments, musings, whatever (just remember to play nice).

On Monday, October 6, Reber and Heather Cribb will do a series about themselves so that we can get to know them a little better. 

Until then, don’t squeeze the Charmin…

Coming Soon…

We’re still under construction… but come back October 3, when we’ll be up and running.