Mike Walker

Are we really that busy?

I was recently reminded that we are really just way too busy. Most of us are probably guilty.

I talked to a friend of mine who works for a church and just lost a family member. How sad is it that not only did the church not send anything for condolences, but the only email recieved from the organization was "sorry for your loss. We allow up to a week for time off"? Have we gotten too busy to care about those we work with?

I know another friend who also worked for a large, high profile church. The person ended up in the hospital the direct supervisor didn't acknowledge the situation...even after the person made it back to work. In fairness I need to add that the senior pastor of the church did take time to call.

In this business of doing church, if we don't take time to care about those who work with us and for us then how can we send a message to our congregation that we "care about people"...???

The funny thing about both organizations is that they are both currently struggling to figure out why their numbers are low....maybe they should take care of their own first.

Slow down.....take some time for those around you. If you can't care for those in direct contact with you then you will be unsuccessful in caring for those coming in the door....and by the way, your audience will see right through you.

Who Are You...and Why Do I Care?

I was in another city recently and left my hotel to go grab a bite to eat. The person at the front desk told me where to head and I should be able to find anything I was looking for.

As I drove down the road I soon discovered he was right. There was a seemingly endless selection of both sit down restraunts and fast food chains that stretched on for miles. A few minutes passed and it all seemed a blur. I ended up not being able to decide, nothing stood out, so I ended up actually going back to my hotel and calling it a night.

Nothing stood out, nothing was set apart...it was just a series of endless options. Looking back I couldn't even tell you what all was there.

We live in a day and time where there are countless options and the church world is not immune to it. When I was growing up there might be a few different options of the church style of your choice....traditional baptist, seeker oriented, charismatic, methodist, etc...the different styles were there, but limited choices within that style.

I live in the Dallas area. As you drive down the street there seems to be a church on every corner. If there's not an established one then there is one being built.

Here's my question....what sets you apart? What makes you unique? I hear all the time..."well, we are just different". Are you really or is there an identity crisis happening within the 4 walls of your own organization?

I have been reading a book called The Purple Cow by Seth Godin. He paints this picture...he is driving through the French Countryside with his family marvelling at the beautiful scenery outside the city. They passed mile after mile of farmland with cows out in the pastures and they noticed how picturesque it was. After about 40-50 miles, however, it all became very ordinary. Looking back Seth goes on to note that he couldn't accurately describe most of what he saw that day. Then he goes on to say that "I bet you if one of those cows had been purple I would have remembered it".

Do you know who you really are as an organization? Does it matter? Do you have something that sets you apart?

As a church community we have the opportunity to share the life changing gospel with the world, but are we getting in our own way because there is nothing that sets us apart? Have we become ordinary in the worlds eyes?

Times continue to change and more and more options are becoming available. Is the public going to engage you or drive down the road, become overwhelmed with a lack of options that get their attention, and go home frustrated...and more important unchanged?

Preseason Training

I ran Cross Country all throughout high school. It was a bit of a "love/hate" relationship for me. Mike Larson was our coach and he was great...not just as a coach, but as a teacher and mentor. As I look back I am constantly reminded of things I learned from him. They were usually things I didn't realize he was teaching me at the time.

I was recently reminded of one such lesson.

While football players were going through what was affectionately termed as "hell week" prior to school starting the Cross Country team went through our own version. It always consisted of running in the intense heat. Somehow I not only got used to it but I learned to enjoy it and it has stuck with me through the years. When I am at the beginning of a training cycle or at the beginning of a new season in life I like to get intense with my training and push through the elements.

I am heading in to a very busy season in my life with everything going on this fall. I thought back to preseason training and how that prepared me for the long season ahead and I figured I could use some "preseason training" again. With that being the case I decided what better time to dial up the training, so I hit the roads yesterday in the intense Texas heat.

One of the things we did a lot during intense training days was called intervals which were runs of various lengths, not short enough to sprint, but not as long as a race, where we had to keep a certain pace. I always hated these workouts. I always wanted to go straight from one interval to the next in an effort to get it over with.

Coach Larson figured me out pretty quick. When I would finish an interval he would always have me perform "active rest". He would have some stretch, some breathing exercise, or whatever to keep me busy. He knew what I didn't...I would have a stronger run having been rested than going straight through. He also made a point to make me rest when I had down time whether between races, seasons, or if I just looked tired.

For the past 8 years I ran hard with very few breaks. This year has been a breath of fresh air and a time to renew strength.

As I was running yesterday I was reminded of the lyrics of an old song:
It's not in trying but in trusting
It's not in running but in resting
It's not in wondering but in praying
That we find the strength of the Lord

Yesterday the more I ran the stronger and more renewed I felt.

It's still early in the preseason for me but it's the strongest I have felt headed in to the season in a long time and I think it all began with rest.

Word Association

Some time ago I did an article for my friends at Clark Pro Media. I came across it today so i thought I would add it as a post.

Word association

When someone mentions

Las Vegas

, what are the first things that pop in to your mind? Most people I have asked say bright lights, constant energy, fun, excitement, over the top.

My next question was what you think of when I mention church. The responses varied somewhat but most of the answers contained words like choir, pews, hymns, and pulpits.

How is it a city like

Las Vegas

has absolutely nothing to say, but sure somehow gets it’s message across, but we as the church have the greatest story every told and yet we don’t seem to know how to say it?

One of the things we have tried to do here at

Fellowship

Church

has been to create a unique experience that blows any preconceived notions a person might have about church out of the water. Most people at some point in their lives have had a negative church experience. We are living in a day and age where more and more people are more turned off by church. The big question is how can we, the local church, get to an eyeball to eyeball level and reach this MTV generation all while making a good experience for those who prefer a more traditional experience?

I am a believer in checks and balances. As a guy who works in a technology field I find it extremely valuable to have people around me who have no concept of technology. It’s always been a good way to bring me back to earth some days and remind me of the big picture.

I was having a conversation with a good friend recently just catching up, throwing around a few ideas, and talking about work philosophy. I was wrestling with a few ideas and concepts when he posed the question to me “How do you reach a generation that now listens with its eyes”? What a perfect way to identify the struggle we in church presentation face everyday!

As I talk to technical directors and worship pastors who are looking for new ideas in their presentation, I always try to get back to grass roots. Here are just a few quick questions that I would really encourage you to ask yourselves and your staff:

·        What is the vision of your pastor?

I think this goes without saying. You need to get on the same page as your leadership and move in a purposeful direction together. I talk to so many technical directors who have discovered that they are moving in a different direction than the vision of the pastor.

Once the direction is established, take a step back and figure out if you are sending a message consistent with the vision.

·        Who are you trying to reach and what is your local culture?

The first question should sound something like this, “When you go fishing, what do you put on the end of the hook; what you like to eat or what the fish like to eat?” The answer is pretty simple. You put what the fish like to eat.

Ok Mike, I’m not a fisherman. That’s ok, neither am I, but I do know this, if we are trying to reach lost people then us as Christians need to get out of our box and figure out what is appealing to them. The tough part is to appeal to seekers without sacrificing the needs of your current congregation.  However, spending time to work hard at appealing to your target audience, as well as your current audience, is something you will find rewarding and overall will create a better product.

·        What do you have available to you?

Not everyone has a huge budget to do large scale lighting or HD video. That’s ok! Figure out what your strengths are and build on that.

·        Do you have people around you that can give you an objective view point? Companies all over the world do market testing to see how they are doing in the market place, why wouldn’t you want to have some outside input to make sure you are hitting the mark.

If you are having difficulties finding answers to any of these questions or if you would just like a fresh set of eyeballs or ears, take the time to pick up the phone and call someone who you respect to get their take on things. You will find it to be worth your time. At

Fellowship

Church

we always bring in fresh faces in every area to help us grow and keep fresh perspective.

As you do move forward with your ministry my last encouragement to you is to do things with excellence. I am not talking about perfection or gear. I am talking about always doing YOUR best. I am a firm believer God will honor and bless your organization if you commit to excellence. Pay attention to the big things and be faithful in even the little things. This includes taking care of your staff and meeting their needs so that they are better equipped to handle the needs of the organization.

There are more and more things out there these days that people can give their time to. The people that come in the doors of your church deserve your best shot. Above that, God deserves your best. Spend some time, blow up any preconceived notions of how things are supposed to work, and figure out how to use what you have to best reach your community.

Finally, figure out what words are currently associated with your church service.  What words would you like associated with your service?  What are the steps to take that will get you there?

Visual Basic

Fridays have become my day to have "think time". Normally my wife gets up and heads to the gym early then we spend the afternoon together. She is Oregon for a close friends wedding (Congrats Jane and Adam!!) so I have had a full day to relax and download some, so this entry is more of a download than any organized thought process.

I was interviewed a couple of months ago by Church Production Magazine for an article related to use of experiential video and visuals within the worship experience. The article covered everything from lighting, to graphics, to video elements, etc...

I have always been a visual person....visuals and word pictures have always helped me lock in things for as long as I can remember. In fact, you can go all the way back to when I was a kid, the teachers I did the best work for were the ones who could make me understand things visually. As I've grown older I have learned to ask questions to help create word pictures for myself to help me better understand things.

Any time I have been involved with an event, worship service, etc... I have always tried to maintain a strong visual presence within the presentation.

In the early 1980's MTV burst on to the scene and television, music, and culture has never been the same. Unknowingly they helped shape a culture that, as a good friend of mine says, "hears not only with their ears, but now listens with their eyes as well". Whether we like it or not we as the local church are competing for peoples time today. As a society we are busier than we have ever been. Society has options for their time.

We have all heard it said, you never get a second chance to make a first impression". The thing I have to always challenge myself and my staff with is the fact that EVERY single time we do a service it will be someones first time....a first impression will be formed. The question is, what will we leave them with?

Going back to the whole visual thing...I think using visuals is a great way to leave a lasting impression. Most people can hear something and possibly retain it, but if they are left with a mental image they are far more likely to retain it.

I love the movie "The Dead Poets Society"...I usually pull it out every month or two. One of my favorite scenes is where Robin Williams, who plays the teacher, stands on the desk and has his students do the same. The challenge to them was simply this, "I want to challenge you to always look at the world from a different perspective and vantage point".

For me this goes back to the fact that no matter how many times we have done something done services at FC....it will always be someones first time and for that fact we need to lay it all out there every weekend.

To this day, I take time every week to sit in the worship center. I sit in the balcony, in the floor seats...always a different location because I want to try and see the world through someone elses eyes and from a different vantage point. I don't know who will walk through the doors this weekend, next weekend, or any weekend for that matter...I have to always challenge myself to try and see the weekend though their eyes...through their ears....hopefully somewhere along the line we will do or say something that will connect whether is be in teaching, music, audio, video, or lighting. Once again...you never get a second chance to make a first impression....what are they going to be left with?

Next Level

This past April I was in Las Vegas for the National Association of Broadcasters Convention. A friend from a company I do business with offered me tickets to see Celine at Caesars.

I have to confess to not being much of a Celine fan, but I figured any show that has been sold out since it opened might be worth an evening of my time.

It took less than a minute in to the show and I was completely mesmerized. It was the single most stunning evening I have ever encountered. Words can't capture the experience. It's definitely something worth seeing.

After I left I did some research on the shows producer Franco Dragone. For those of you unfamiliar with his work, he was a producer with Cirque de Soleil from 1985-1999 before starting his own company.

He was asked how do you leave Cirque after all these years? He responded, first it wasn't easy...second it was absolutely necessary. "I wanted to meet new people, work with new concepts, challenge myself. I needed to be surprised."

The more I read the more time I spent thinking. It's been a while since I have really challenged or surprised myself. I have met the challenges placed before me by others, but it had been a while since I have really challenged myself.

What I also discovered is that the sky is a lot bigger than I thought it was or could be. I am still wrestling with what exactly that can look like over the next few weeks and months, but I am continuing to work toward soaring higher to gain a better perspective.

Having grown up in the church I have a deep instilled passion for experiential worship....the opportunity to take a participant from their own personal starting place to a place where they can meet and experience God in a real and relevent way. It's always a tough thing...each person comes in with a different story and a different starting place...some have a deep walk and are looking to go deeper...some are new Christians still trying to get their feet under them...some are non-christians really trying to understand this whole church thing...others still may come in with some struggle - maybe it's their marriage, their kids, job, etc...bottom line is we have no idea where someone is when they walk in the door, but it's our job to meet them where they are and help lead them in to an experience of worship.

Not too many years ago not many people in the outside production industry took church production very seriously. In fact a good friend of mine, Andy Dunning of Landru Design, when first approached with helping us at FC take our lighting up a notch, greeted me with a pat on the back and words something to the effect of "I'm sure you have a nice little church thing going". It's always been a goal of mine to take the level of presentation within the church to a high level. We have the opportunity every single week to tell the "Greatest Story ever Told" every week....why can't the presentation be more reflective of this? I feel like we have made some progress in this area at FC and we are still trying to make headway.

When I was growing up church was something you just did. Every Sunday I was in church. We in the church production and worship arena have to realize the game has changed and the people coming in our doors are now giving us their DISCRETIONARY time...it's no longer just what you do on Sundays...we have got to continue to push ourselves to meet culture where it is.....not compromise or water down the gospel...just present it in a manner relevent to where people are....not where we grew up. We need to continue to challenge ourselves and even surprise ourselves. Time is short and you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

I'm continuing to figure out what it's going to mean for me to challenge myself and surprise myself over the weeks and months ahead. It's a big sky and I don't want to miss out on any of it.