If you watch certain TV shows and channels, you have most likely seen the advertising for Sonic Drive-In restaurants. Until recently there was no opportunity to visit one in this area of Minnesota. I did visit one in Iowa a few years ago though.
Recently, a Sonic Drive-In opened in Saint Paul. At least three weeks later, we went there around five on a Saturday afternoon, shortly after a storm blew through. At least three weeks after the grand opening, there was still a long wait. Traffic control personnel were hired to manage the demand. If you wanted a drive-in spot, you had to go to a staging area down the block in another parking lot and wait in line for at least 20 minutes.
Sonic had found a demand. It may be mostly driven by curiosity at this point. The long-term success has not been determined yet. But, by most accounts, their entrance into the Twin Cities was a huge success.
They are just fast food. But Sonic offers something new. They offer a wide spectrum of drinks and desserts. Their meals have a few unique offerings as well.
So what can we learn from this? If you are hungry and near Saint Paul, you may wish to check them out. Their TV advertising built a pent-up demand. It wasn't until they opened a store that they understood the payoff. Our efforts, as well, can be very productive with fruit we have yet to see.
But mostly, from my perspective, Sonic offered some new options and possibilities. Churches and businesses take heed. If you offer something new and at least partially innovative, people may be willing to at least check it out. Obviously, people were not totally content with their food options in the Twin Cities. And, since about 75% do not attend church on a given Sunday, they aren't too excited about their Christian worship options either.
Fresh approaches and fresh attitudes have a chance of meeting people where they are at. There are signs there is pent-up demand for churches or Christian fellowships that have fresh and innovative ways of touching lives. Dare to be different. Dare to take some risks. You never know. You may touch off a Sonic boom that impacts dozens or hundreds of lives.
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Monday, 28 July 2008
Hastings and Mississippi Restoration
Last week we took in some free events down at Hastings Rivertown Days. We saw Dock Dogs competition with dogs jumping for distance after some toy or decoy. It was kind of cool. I'm not a dog lover. So I couldn't imagine watching the same thing for two full days. But obviously some people love it and travel great distances to participate.
We also saw some powerboat races on the Mississippi. That was kind of neat. The biggest race with the most boats ended up being cancelled. They had run out of time with their allotted river closing permit. I should probably blog that separately. But basically, they lost the opportunity because of too much hesitation. Occasionally we may miss out on opportunities as well due to hesitation. Sometimes we get a second chance later. Sometimes we don't.
The National Park Service also provided some river cruises. As we took the short cruise to Prescott, Wisconsin, the park rangers talked briefly of how the Mississippi River from Saint Paul down to Hastings was pretty much dead 50 years ago. Sewage, chemicals, farm field runoff, and other factors had taken their toll. Hardly any fish survived. The report is that a census or count or however they do it found just three fish over many miles of the river. That is pretty bad.
Now the river is returning to life. There are several fish species surviving and thriving. The water is cleaner and safer. The river is slowly returning to some of its former glory.
As I recently read a report on the American church, and particularly mainline denominations, the parallels became clear. The decline of the Mississippi River happened over many years. In the case of the river, much of it came out of self-centeredness, short-term thinking, and a prideful refusal to admit wrong and change.
I will be more merciful with the church. But much of the reason for declining and dying congregations and denominations is due to a refusal to change. Sometimes it also includes some self-centeredness as they structure a church around their own needs and styles rather than selflessly designing a church that will serve and reach today's world.
The revival of the Mississippi came through changed perspectives, values, and behavior. The revival of churches can happen the same way. We need to put aside pride and be open to change. And we must actually make changes that will bring life to our communities. Our communities can start to be well-watered and healthy once the power and love of God begins to flow once again.
And there are some parallels for our personal lives as well. As long as we are alive, there are reasons for hope. And that is especially true if we are willing to change.
Looking at that section of the Mississippi can bring us hope that even decades of decline can be reversed if we are open to change. Repentance, changing our ways, can be the doorway to new life and new possibilities.
If this speaks to you, or your congregation, ask God for revelation of what is going on, the knowledge to know what should change, and the power to make it happen. New life awaits.
We also saw some powerboat races on the Mississippi. That was kind of neat. The biggest race with the most boats ended up being cancelled. They had run out of time with their allotted river closing permit. I should probably blog that separately. But basically, they lost the opportunity because of too much hesitation. Occasionally we may miss out on opportunities as well due to hesitation. Sometimes we get a second chance later. Sometimes we don't.
The National Park Service also provided some river cruises. As we took the short cruise to Prescott, Wisconsin, the park rangers talked briefly of how the Mississippi River from Saint Paul down to Hastings was pretty much dead 50 years ago. Sewage, chemicals, farm field runoff, and other factors had taken their toll. Hardly any fish survived. The report is that a census or count or however they do it found just three fish over many miles of the river. That is pretty bad.
Now the river is returning to life. There are several fish species surviving and thriving. The water is cleaner and safer. The river is slowly returning to some of its former glory.
As I recently read a report on the American church, and particularly mainline denominations, the parallels became clear. The decline of the Mississippi River happened over many years. In the case of the river, much of it came out of self-centeredness, short-term thinking, and a prideful refusal to admit wrong and change.
I will be more merciful with the church. But much of the reason for declining and dying congregations and denominations is due to a refusal to change. Sometimes it also includes some self-centeredness as they structure a church around their own needs and styles rather than selflessly designing a church that will serve and reach today's world.
The revival of the Mississippi came through changed perspectives, values, and behavior. The revival of churches can happen the same way. We need to put aside pride and be open to change. And we must actually make changes that will bring life to our communities. Our communities can start to be well-watered and healthy once the power and love of God begins to flow once again.
And there are some parallels for our personal lives as well. As long as we are alive, there are reasons for hope. And that is especially true if we are willing to change.
Looking at that section of the Mississippi can bring us hope that even decades of decline can be reversed if we are open to change. Repentance, changing our ways, can be the doorway to new life and new possibilities.
If this speaks to you, or your congregation, ask God for revelation of what is going on, the knowledge to know what should change, and the power to make it happen. New life awaits.
Saturday, 25 August 2007
New Game and Web Site - Unity Rocks!
Today I added another web site.
UnityRocks.com
I like to come up with creative ways to communicate a message. Hopefully, I succeeded. The game isn't necessarily "complete". But it is usable as a first draft.
I bought the domain months ago. Even though I had plenty of other things to work on, it seemed like the day to finally get that off my To Do list.
I have plenty of room for improvement for working towards unity as well. So I need to play the game too.
One of goals of the Ethnic Church Directory and I Am Not a Goat sites is also about unity and Christians working together as a body.
UnityRocks.com
I like to come up with creative ways to communicate a message. Hopefully, I succeeded. The game isn't necessarily "complete". But it is usable as a first draft.
I bought the domain months ago. Even though I had plenty of other things to work on, it seemed like the day to finally get that off my To Do list.
I have plenty of room for improvement for working towards unity as well. So I need to play the game too.
One of goals of the Ethnic Church Directory and I Am Not a Goat sites is also about unity and Christians working together as a body.
Thursday, 16 August 2007
Relevant Christianity in Mainline Churches
I finally got a chance to check out the Praise in the Park in Osceola, Wisconsin. It is on Sundays at 6 pm. And I usually can't get to any event at that time due to other commitments.
I am sure the event varies from week to week as different churches lead. At least that appears to be how it works. One unnamed mainline church was leading this past Sunday.
For the most part, it felt like a time warp back 30 or 40 years. Nearly all of the 20 or so attendees were 70 years old and older. Most of the songs that were familiar were ones I hadn't heard in a church or any Christian event since childhood (many years ago).
We all have different musical preferences. But my concern is that the church be relevant. Christianity is very much relevant for life today in America and any other country. But the way it is often presented is as something that hasn't changed since the fifties. I have heard people express concern that teens and young adults don't attend church much. Is the church presenting a message that is relevant for their lives? Is the music style approachable and reflecting the musical tastes of this century? Do the spoken messages address the issues and concerns of real people under the age of 30 or 40? Many people prefer communication via video and other visual media. Is the church using that effectively?
I had a good time at the park. A time of worship is nearly always good. And it helped me on my little project of discovering more of the church "body". It is helpful to discover and know other parts of the church so we can understands roles and needs so we can work together.
Even though I was okay with the Praise in the Park. I doubt very much an unchurched young family in their twenties would feel comfortable there. A Community Worship in Forest Lake the following night had a totally different feel with free food for outreach, songs from the past five years, and a gathering from several churches. We are learning there too. Attendance numbers have struggled over the past few years. We are not connecting as well with the community as we would like either. We are experimenting to see how it can have a greater impact.
If you are a Christian, is the message you are presenting via your groups, and individually, relevant? Are we presenting something people actually want? The "good news" of the gospel has great benefits. There are also great costs as we give up the throne (lordship, ruling) of our lives to trust God. But if the message of the Bible is presented accurately, it is very relevant.
What are we communicating? What are we hearing?
Next up, Kum Ba Ya - They all sat around singing Kum Ba Ya...
I am sure the event varies from week to week as different churches lead. At least that appears to be how it works. One unnamed mainline church was leading this past Sunday.
For the most part, it felt like a time warp back 30 or 40 years. Nearly all of the 20 or so attendees were 70 years old and older. Most of the songs that were familiar were ones I hadn't heard in a church or any Christian event since childhood (many years ago).
We all have different musical preferences. But my concern is that the church be relevant. Christianity is very much relevant for life today in America and any other country. But the way it is often presented is as something that hasn't changed since the fifties. I have heard people express concern that teens and young adults don't attend church much. Is the church presenting a message that is relevant for their lives? Is the music style approachable and reflecting the musical tastes of this century? Do the spoken messages address the issues and concerns of real people under the age of 30 or 40? Many people prefer communication via video and other visual media. Is the church using that effectively?
I had a good time at the park. A time of worship is nearly always good. And it helped me on my little project of discovering more of the church "body". It is helpful to discover and know other parts of the church so we can understands roles and needs so we can work together.
Even though I was okay with the Praise in the Park. I doubt very much an unchurched young family in their twenties would feel comfortable there. A Community Worship in Forest Lake the following night had a totally different feel with free food for outreach, songs from the past five years, and a gathering from several churches. We are learning there too. Attendance numbers have struggled over the past few years. We are not connecting as well with the community as we would like either. We are experimenting to see how it can have a greater impact.
If you are a Christian, is the message you are presenting via your groups, and individually, relevant? Are we presenting something people actually want? The "good news" of the gospel has great benefits. There are also great costs as we give up the throne (lordship, ruling) of our lives to trust God. But if the message of the Bible is presented accurately, it is very relevant.
What are we communicating? What are we hearing?
Next up, Kum Ba Ya - They all sat around singing Kum Ba Ya...
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