Chris Elrod

Accountability: The Bible

Over the last several months God has really been laying into me about accountability.  Not only accountability to make sure we are following God’s Word as a church….but also personal accountability in my own life.

For years I had friends…three in particular from my Prison Fellowship days…that I could share anything with and thus I felt totally accountable to them.  I guess that in itself is the main difficulty in true accountability…finding people I can be totally honest with that can also be truly honest with me.

With me no longer working with Prison Fellowship on a regular basis, there became a need for new accountability.  I still talk with those three dear “prison” friends very often, but our lives don’t intersect enough for them to know me on a day-by-day basis.  They also have never really had any ties with Compass Point…so it would be impossible for them to also provide accountability for the church.

The accountability process I now have in my life…and the life of Compass Point…has been…and will continue to be…a growing process. Accountability is based…not only on Scripture and God’s leading…but also on unwavering trust in another human being.  With that in mind, over the next several set of posts I will lay out a brief sketch of my accountability structure.  I’ll start with…

THE BIBLE – It begins and ends here.  If it’s not Scriptural…not just one verse taken out of context but according to the whole counsel of God’s Word…I do my best to flee from it.  This is also the case with Compass Point.

In order to do this I must be...my accountability partners must be...the Elders of Compass Point Church must...scholars of God's Word.  That means that I am daily reading from Scripture, but also several times a week pouring into it for hours at a times.  I will admit...there are times that as a pastor of a growing church..."life stuff" and "ministry stuff" gets in the way.  I really have to block out time when the phone is turned off, the world is shut out and I just spend uninterrupted time in God's Word.

As I've said before my greatest regret is not finishing seminary (something I will rectify one year from now...more on that in a later post).  However, I do not let that stop me from being a scholar of the Word of God.  I read MacArthur commentaries like most pastors read business or leadership books.  I almost always have one with me and I really use them as a text book.  While I study hard for what I'm going to be preaching on...at least once a week I spend several hours studying something I have no current plans to present to my flock.  This is done for my own growth and knowledge...something just for me...that I look forward to.

Finally, I have QuickVerse loaded up in my Mac (my main way of studying...but I wish they'd get MacArthur's stuff on Mac) and I use Sprugeon's "Morning And Evening" as a daily devotional...well...morning and evening.

Other accountability measures to follow...

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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!!!

Let's Talk About SEX!!!

That's it...I've had it with trying to be myself or doing things differently.   I'm tired of never being the "in" church around town that everyone goes to.  I want more people, so I'm going to do what all of those church leadership conference speakers and mega-church bloggers said to do...I'm going to be just like them!!!

With that in mind, Compass Point is going to jump on the bandwagon and launch a series about SEX!  Our hope is that we - like the dozen or so other churches that copied Granger Community Church and did a SEX! series - will create a buzz in the community by using the cheap tactic of promoting a controversial subject.

According to most of the church growth experts, marketing is the key.  I found out that people are not looking for spiritual answers at church these days, they are looking to be taken in by gimmicks (no wonder our attendance hasn't been exploding).  With that in mind, here is the marketing plan for our SEX! series:

1. We'll use a really suggestive advertisement on billboards, flyers and postcards like the one above (click on the thumbnail to see a larger version).

2. We'll give out tacky gifts to our guests that play along with the theme of SEX!  We're thinking about using condoms with the "Prayer Of Jabez" printed on the side.  You know...the "enlarge my territory" prayer.  It'll be kind of like a Christian Viagra.

3. We've worked out a deal with Hef and his team to give out free Playboy Magazines throughout downtown Lakeland with our own customized "from your friends at Compass Point" cover.  There's even a possibility that they may do a special layout for it entitled, "Girls Of The SBC".  Of course, we won't call them Playmates or Bunnies.  This is church, so we'll call them "Love Offering"!

4. To really create a buzz, we're going to use a celebrity on the first day of the series like Fellowship is doing with Hulk Hogan.  We're planning on using either Dr. Ruth or that chick that Hugh Grant got busted with!!!

5. We're going to include video clips during the message that are relevant to today's culture and creatively visualize the subject of SEX!  We're thinking about using classics like "Debbie Does Dallas", "Deepthroat" and "Behind The Green Door".  However, we won't use "The Devil In Mrs. Jones" because that talks about Satan...and Osteen said that's a negative subject to talk about in church.

6. The worship band will wear latex each week and start each service with a Snoop Dog tune.

7. We are going to have a special free seminar about SEX! for couples in our community.  We're so excited to be bringing in Ron Jeremy and Jenna Jameson to speak at that!  Compass Point really lucked up as they both had a break in their shooting schedules!

8. For the next twelve weeks every piece of advertising, email or stationary from Compass Point will feature the word SEX! spelled in all caps, bold print, underlined and followed by an exclamation point.

9. We'll endlessly blog about the series to other church leaders in the attempt to look like we're relevant and cutting-edge!

10. Last but not least, we'll write a book about SEX!, shamelessly self-promote it, package the whole thing (graphics, Bible studies, video clips, message notes, etc.) and sell it for hundreds of dollars to other churches that also lack imagination or creativity.

The entire Compass Point staff and leadership is pumped about SEX!  I'm so glad we stopped listening to what God wanted us to do and starting stealing what worked at every other church out there.  Now we'll finally see the growth that really matters on all those "end-of-the-year" top church lists...numerical growth!

NOTE TO THE HUMOR IMPAIRED - Granger did it first and did it the best.  Word of wisdom...when you're only ambition is to follow the lead dog, the view will always look like ass.  There's enough copycats in the world of churches...be your own dog!!!

NOTE TO THE TERMINALLY CLUELESS - No, Compass Point isn't really going to do a message series about SEX! or use the marketing ideas listed above.  It was a joke to make a point.  It's called satire!  Now go back to your deacon's meeting.

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!!!

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.

Revolution

Beginning December 17th, I'm going to begin a fairly large undertaking - preaching through the book of Matthew.  I've been feeling led to preach strictly on Jesus for a few months.  Over the last two years I've really dug into commentaries on Mathew (particularly MacArthur's commentary) and was reminded of the fact that Jesus was quite the rebel.  Thus the title of series will be "Revolution" - focusing on the unconventional way that Jesus lived, taught and thought.

I'm really stoked because we'll start the series the week before Christmas with Christ's genealogy (He came from la ong line of rebels) and finish two weeks after Easter with His ascension.  It's the longest series we've ever done at Compass Point, however we have some pretty crazy things up our sleeve in order to keep it interesting.  Not that the life of Christ is not interesting enough.

Anyway, we started pumping it tonight by dropping the video commercial for it on YouTube and the MySpace sites of our regular attenders.  We've also got a Facebook campaign that will go out the middle of next week. We'll kick the video during the next two services also, as well as the podcast.  By the end of the week they'll be a buzz about it on the local college campuses.  It's crazy how marketing is done these days?  It's even more crazy how little cost is involved with reaching younger 20-somethings!

Notes From My Sermon

If you've ever wondered what I preach about at Compass Point then you can check out this hilarious video put together by one of our folks.  Yes, I did say all of that stuff, though it was taken a little out of context.  :-)

Contextual???

I realize the need to be contextual when it comes to preaching . . . well, to a point.  To clarify, I believe it's important to present the ageless truths of the Word in a form that can be applicable today.  However, I am wrestling greatly with the need for the entire worship service to be contextual.

Maybe it's just me, or just Compass Point or the fact that I may not totally understand the term 'contextual', but I'm not sure it's really that important.  I mean if an unchurched person shows up at a church my assumption is they are looking for something the world is not providing.  So why try so hard to be more culturally relevant with the way we worship or conduct church services?  I'm finding in our young, unchurched Compass Point folks that culture is leaving them hanging and they are hungering for something more.  Thus they come to church.

In talking with some of our artsy-fartsy, 20-somethings, they liken it to the geek in high school that tries too hard to hang with the cool kids.  A church trying too hard to be culturally relevant and contextual just looks . . . well, cheesy.  The younger generation seems to have a well-tuned BS detector and apparently red warning lights are going off at churches all over the place.

One of guys that recently came to Compass Point has never really attended a church on a regular basis.  He plays in a local band and most Saturday nights he's headlining in one of the Lakeland clubs.  Yet, every Sunday morning there he is sitting in the service taking notes.  I asked him why?  He said we didn't try to be cool.

I'm not sure what that means.  I'm not even sure I like hearing that.  However, he told me about a church he visited a year ago in Ohio while he was on tour.  He talked about how fake they were while trying to look cool.  I asked him to pinpoint the fake part.  He described how a praise band full of middle-aged white guys that look liked the Best Buy Geek Squad was playing Green Day's "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" during the service for no apprent reason.  He talked about how the preacher really reached to work the song into his sermon as a form of an illustration.  All this was done in the name of being relevant.  It made them seem unrelevant to everyone but normal church folks and the staff.

I guess what I wrestle with is that maybe we . . . I . . . should not worry so much about keeping up with culture.  Maybe being contextual has become the "end all and be all" of Sunday mornings, when just presenting the Gospel and worshipping God with abandon is good enough?  Maybe the idea is to let the church be the church and the world be the world?  I wrestle with the fact that maybe Compass Point should be such a contrast to the world that world wakes up and takes notice.  Maybe the idea is not to create an environment that appeals to the consumerism, culturally-relevant, sitcom-driven, top-40 music playing, apathetic masses?  Maybe we should just be the opposite?

We Don't Podcast Everyting

At a conference recently I was asked about our podcast, particularly about why we do not always have a new message podcasted every week.  The answer is pretty simple, we don't feel like some message are for the whole world . . . just for Compass Point folks.

I realize that we have kind of an extended "family" through our podcasts.  We have some guys on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico that listen to it.  We have a rancher in North Dakota that listens to it.  We even have a few folks in Australia that listen each week to the podcast of our services.  The only problem is that some messages - like the ones from the past two Sundays - are only for the Compass Point family that is physically here in Lakeland, Florida.

We were doing a short two-week message series called "Outside The Box" in preparation for some new servant evangelism projects to be conducted locally this Fall.  Therefore, the staff and I felt like they were messages only intended for those attending Compass Point.  Other people - not physically here - probably would have been lost in the series because we mentioned specific area locations and places.  We did, however put up an "invitation-only" streaming audio for our college students that will be returning in a few weeks.

Left me also say that, while I appreciate the folks around the world that tune into our podcast, I was called to shepherd a local fellowship in a small Central Florida town.  They are my first love in ministry and some messages I preach are only for them.

With that in mind, we podcast about 85% of our messages each year.  If folks would like to hear the other 15% . . . let me just say . . . Lakeland, Florida is a great place to live!  :-)

Blowing Oats, Preaching Enoch

I've been blowing chunks since yesterday, so tomorrow at Compaass Point should be interesting.  It won't be the first time I've preached with a bucket behind the monitors.  Actually, I'm preaching about Enoch, so we will keep a Sermon Spice video clip about walking with God cued up in case I need to make a "pit stop".  There's no way I'm going to sit the bench over a virus!!!  Winners . . . and church planters . . . always want the ball.  :-)