Chris Elrod

Less We Get Too Smug

In the last 24 hours...

• Over 40,000 children worldwide died of hunger
• 845 million people worldwide went to bed hungry
• Over 3 billion people on Earth lived on less than $2
• Almost 6,000 people worldwide died from AIDS
• Over 32,000 children in Africa became orphans
• Almost 1 billion people worldwide couldn't read a book or write their name

It's fairly easy to point the finger at Hollywood...it's a little more difficult to point the finger at us...followers of Christ. Consider the statistics above...now...how many of us Christian leaders, pastors, bloggers and laypeople....

• Spent $5 this week on a cup of coffee?
• Helped our church raise millions to build another "much needed" building?
• Blew over $100 this week on Christmas gifts?
• Filled up the tank of our gas guzzling SUV?
• Spent a butt-load of cash on multi-media products for worship?
• Are taking the youth group skiing?
• Bought a video game console for our children?
• Broke the bank to market our church?
• Left uneaten food on our plate at a buffet?
• Spent hundreds to thousands of dollars on a staff retreat?
• Downloaded a cool ringtone to our cell phone?
• Paid a bunch of money to go to conference?
• Didn't spend a dime of missions or relief ministry?
• Patted ourselves on the back for being doctrinally sound, while totally ignoring Matthew 25:34-40?

PLEASE NOTE:  ChrisElrod.com has made the move to WordPress. For the RSS feed and subscriptions, please click here.  To see the new blog, please go here.

Oh Look, More Hollywood Crap!!!

In the last 24 hours...

• Over 40,000 children worldwide died of hunger
• 845 million people worldwide went to bed hungry
• Over 3 billion people on Earth lived on less than $2
• Almost 6,000 people worldwide died from AIDS
• Over 32,000 children in Africa became orphans
• Almost 1 billion people worldwide couldn't read a book or write their name

What are the fine and caring Hollywood actors and actresses doing?  They are making cute little videos in support of the writer's strike that is affecting Hollywood. A first year writer on a sitcom makes between $60,000 and $100,000 a year...almost below the poverty line. I can certainly see why this worthy cause deserves such charitable attention from Hollywood. Without writers...there are no scripts. Without scripts there are no television shows or movies. Without television shows and movies...actors and actresses may have to live on less than $2 a day. Hmmmmm....

 

PLEASE NOTE:  ChrisElrod.com has made the move to WordPress. For the RSS feed and subscriptions, please click here.  To see the new blog, please go here.

I Posted To Relevant Christian

This afternoon I posted to Relevant Christian the first part in a series I'm writing entitled "True Relevance".  In less than an hour I had already irked someone off.  :-)

My New Store

After being encouraged by the Compass Point Monday night "Pub Club" and several dozen readers of this blog, I have put together a special ChrisElrod.com Amazon store.  It features books, compact discs and dvds that I highly recommend.  The first page of the store displays resources I'm currently checking out or have recently been featured on this blog.  You can also use the links to right to check out other resources that have inspired me or educated me in the areas of church planting and Christian leadership.

We Need A More Manly Church

I don't like most worship music and/or worship leaders today.  There...I said it.  I know this may come as a shock to folks that normally read this blog because I write about music a lot!  However, I really don't get into modern praise music or most of the people that lead it...and write it.

The biggest problem for me is that I'm a man...and most of the worship culture in America today seems to be for...women.  I prefer manly men singing manly songs about a manly God.  However, many of the worship leaders I've seen lately are wearing t-shirts imprinted with girly graphics (not to mention skinny women's jeans), drinking stupid-named sissy coffee, strumming an acoustic guitar and singing songs in some kind of high-pitched feminine voice that sounds like Air Supply on pot.   It all sounds like Coldplay or...freakin' Gordon Lighfoot...two pretty wussy music artists.

For instance, I was watching a live worship DVD the other day...and all the "guys" were just...well...pretty...and prissy...sort of in a Freddie Mercury/Richard Simmons kind of way.  I liked some of their music until I saw the DVD and then my stomach couldn't handle it.  I mean, the lead singer was wearing more make-up than my wife.  I know they have to use some make-up in videos for the cameras...but this guy would make Boy George feel uncomfortable.

I think this has a lot to do with the reason that men have stopped coming to church...the music and the message...is not for them.  Church is being done to attract women.  I's not just the worship leaders that are doing it, pastors are just as guilty these days because many have started preaching "felt needs" (awwww, isn't that sweet) instead of the Word of God.  Then you put sappy, say-the-same-words-20-times music with it...and you've got a Mary Kay party.   We've got to "man up" in the church today!

The songs of yesterday were hymns about blood, victory and battle put to the beer drinking tunes of the day.  Manly stuff that makes me want to go pee in the woods just writing about.  Today we sing about love, peace and joy put to music that sounds like The Wiggles.   Excuse me while I go watch Oprah and hug myself.  To top it off, most preachers seem to get their topical message ideas from watching one episode of The View.  May God have mercy on our soul.

This is not an "I've-lost-touch-with-today-because-I'm-an-old-fart" or pro "Wild-At-Heart" cultural thing.  I've heard these same views expressed by many unchurched, artistic 20-something men.  Musically they want AC/DC and we give them Celine Dion.  Lyrically they want Tom Clancy and we give them Danielle Steel.  Spiritually they want Braveheart and we give them Sleepless In Seattle.  Everywhere I turn there's this...estrogen...feel to church.  It's all so safe, sappy and sad.

If the church is going to be relevant in the coming generations we've got to get back to reaching men...and helping them become Godly husbands and fathers.  In order for the church to reach men we've got to have music on Sundays that has the lyrical depth of John Newton, the musical kick of Guns N' Roses and led by a man that looks like Ted Nugent.  In order for the church to reach men we've got to have sermons that hit like a NFL linebacker, spoken in a voice as bold as a WCW wrestler and led by a man that acts like...John The Baptist.  If there's one thing that today's society of broken marriages and children with no father figure has taught us...it's that we need more manly churches!!!

Rap Music

As a lover of music, I have always appreciated rap music as an art form.  I've been blown away at times by the social and cultural commentary but such rap artists as Public Enemy, Arrested Development and Missy Elliot.  Some of my favorite college memories are of dancing at Sigma Nu parties to Run DMC (can you rock it like this...well I can rock it like that...can you rock it like this...boyeeee).

However, in the last year or so rap...on normal radio...has become nothing but violence, filth and explicit sex.  I struggled with what I saw it doing to the kids I substitute teach in middle and high school.  I don't want to ever appear as an "old fart" that is out of touch with what people listen to today...but I was really disturbed by the negative lyrical images being portrayed by the majority of rap musicians today.  In my humble opinion it has almost become a cartoon-like ego stroke for a bunch of would-be gang member posers.  In essence, rap music...at large...has really come past it's point of relevance in today's society.

Apparently, I'm not the only one that thinks this.  CNN.com has an excellent article this morning about the reasons that rap music has begun a free fall in sales...a 21% decline in the last year alone.  That is huge!!!

Anyone working with student ministry or a younger population in their church should take a moment and check it out.

List Stupidity 101

Apparently, the recent craze of magazines or websites producing lists ranking "top" churches/pastors/etc. is undergoing a rising backlash.  There have been many online comments and blog postings (besides mine) in recent days concerning this new form of ego masturbation - including this great one by Drew Moser.

From what I can tell, no one...including myself...has a problem with listing great resources (influential pastors, innovative churches, best cleaned toilets in the children's ministry, etc.).  The problem arises when the lists are ranked from best to worst numerically.   I just can't see how a God that emphasized in His Word, "the first shall be last and the last shall be first" can really be all that pleased with this list stupidity!!!

All These U2 Message Series

What is with all of these message series centered around U2?  I mean U2 is alright and all, but if you really want to impress me...do a series using Foghat!!!

A Cool Quote In Relevant

The lastest edition of Relevant Magazine asks several Christian leaders questions about the future of the Church and it's influence on today's culture.  Pastor Efrem Smith of Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis gave this incredible quote:

"I'm very concerned about the continual influence of consumerism Christianity and a Christianity that is very self-centered. Even in some of the social justice initiatives that I see, I wonder at times if it's really about social change and kingdom advancement or if it's about the sense of accomplishment and adventure one gets from the experience. Christian television (even with its good side) seems to push consumerism, capitalism and individualism. It's not that these traits are so sinful as much as it limits the Gospel message and keeps us from kingdom community and reconciliation."

Man, I love his honesty and the fact that he pulls no punches!!!

Predictions: The 2007 Uncool List

Here are my predictions for what will become "uncool" in the area of church planting and church leadership in 2007.  These are in no particular order.

MySpace - The writing is already on the wall.  With everyone from Fortune 500 companies to grandparents having a MySpace, the online "community" is going to go down as a form of marketing for churches.  Only indie bands and sixth graders will keep using the thing.

Denominations - Jesus' first miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding ceremony has taken on a new meaning thanks to denominational decisions in 2006.  According to the Southern Baptists it was irresponsible, as it could lead people to take a drink of alcohol (the root of all evil).  According to the Episcopals the wedding was that of a same-sex couple.  Denominations have become so bloated with self-importance and extreme left wing/right wing doctrinal statements that church planters will walk away from them in droves!

Mark Driscoll - I like Mark and love his books.  However, his "let's make babies so we can rock the vote" mentality...along with his big mouth will cause him to slide in the cool scale.

Cookie-Cutter Marketing - "Bye-bye" Outreach Marketing, Inc. and "hello" art majors within the congregation.

Self-Help/How-To Books & Conferences - The world of church planting and lead pastors no longer needs more clones and copycats.

Pimping - Shameless self-promotion of one's book, video, church, blog, podcast, Home Shopping Network gadget or conference is getting completely uncool.  Some pimping is okay, but the key word here is shameless.

Expensive Church Technology - Church planters are waking up to the fact that no one really wants to explain to God why a $3 million video wall was purchased for the sanctuary when there are single mothers in the community trying to pay bills while living in their cars.

CEO Pastors - It's called a church not a business.  The New Testament calls it "shepherding" not managing. Church planters are beginning to embrace that idea.

Brian McLaren - Being controversial for the sake of being controversial just gets old after a while.  Maybe Brian's friends at Open Door Church will continue to buy into the crap, but the rest of the world will get past it in 2007.  His 15 minutes are up.

Chris Elrod - See the "big mouth" section in the Mark Driscoll listing above.

Video Venue Multi-Site Churches - When a Texas church plants a video venue location in south Florida the multi-site movement has entered the "absurd" category.  Only "Boomers" and "Purpose-Driven" disciples still buy into the idea that people want to watch sermons on movie screens.  ***This "uncool item" is in no way intended to disrespect those multi-site churches that still use live people to deliver the message.

Extravagant Sunday Mornings - All week strategy meetings by church staff in order to figure out how to stage a Broadway-rivaling show on Sunday will be a thing of the past.  With 20-somethings putting more importance on community, the  popularity of "the worship of worship", KISS concert-styled Sunday services will begin to slide in 2007.

Mega-Churches - Large churches will always be around.  In fact we need them - and I am not saying they are wrong.  I just see a greater importance by church planters being put on shepherding the individual flock and planting new, stand-alone churches.  Because of this there will be more 500-800 member churches and more church plants being launched out of recently planted churches.

Foreign Missions - Africa needs more food, more AIDS vaccines and more money.  It doesn't need more missionaries.  Relief ministry to foreign countries will become cool in 2007 - not street crusades.

Modern Praise Music - Less Chris Tomlin...more Fanny Crosby.

Dave Crowder's Beard - Great music, but his facial hair is really annoying...and uncool.  It's like a post-modern attempt at being ZZ Top.  In 2007 someone will finally snap, hold David down and cut that crap off his chin!!

Uncool Lists - Uncool lists really won't be that cool in 2007.  Especially when they are written by a bonehead church planter in Lakeland. Florida.