Not all conversations are created equal. There are conversations that drain the brain of vital energy and creativity. Then there are conversations that stimulate energy and creativity.  It is funny at how we avoid certain topics and embrace others. In the faith landscape of America there are conversations that must occur in 2015. In a blog post Carey Nieuwhof suggested a similar discussion that really got me to thinking about conversations that I may not be engaging in and really could be hurting my leadership ability. I would offer 5 crucial conversations that we should engage in ASAP!

• Are our leaders healthy – really? In the book “The Advantage” Patrick Lencioni suggests that organizational health trumps everything else in the market place. That health presumes healthy leaders. In my opinion this is the most crucial topic of our times and the most ignored. We focus on healthy models of production instead of the health of the practionner.
• Why are young adults walking from churches? There is a beginning trend and far too early to  declare a cultural shift – people desire to engage the actual mission work of the Kingdom instead of hearing sermons and songs. Don’t get me wrong, this is not to suggest these are insignificant. Rather it is to say that if we are not missional engaged in our community then we are not serving our attendee’s very well. Give them a purpose for belonging and a challenge that is bigger than their ability to write the check.
• What cultural shifts are we ignoring? The culture is changing faster than the church. I do not believe this is healthy. It is not to suggest that we should go through a season of rapid change for the sake of it. We should however, change to demonstrate the relevance of the gospel message in any culture, race, gender, and location.
• How do we respond to people who attend church less often? As we continue to shift to hyper post-modernity, people feel less guilty in participating in church and they are less likely to offer loyalty to your cause. The rise of online options and other various ways to engage faith, people feel more likely to take charge of their time and use how they see fit. Occasional is the new normal. The non church attender hates hypocrisy and loves transparency. How are we responding?
• What are we really willing to change? Change does not come easy. We are willing to die on the matte for the sake of tradition even if it is wrong – after all we have to save face! We can swear and curse all of the changes in social media and technology or we can embrace these changes and adapt our thinking. If our belief system is truly true, then we have nothing to fear. That which is true is true through the ages, places, and spaces of the time continuum. We need only contextualize our methods to meet a new day. YES we will grieve over what we have lost, but we must press forward or lose relevance!

Leave a comment – I would be greatly interested in engaging the conversation with you. I am one to hear other conversations that you feel should be included in this article. Leave a voice message. I will attempt to respond to your comments.

As we prepare to say good-bye to 2014 and hello to 2015, let us review some of the key take away’s in 2014. According Bible Gateway the #1 Bible verse is John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave is only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” The #1 word searched in the Bible (both English and Spanish) is “Love.” Google Search Engine states we searched trillions of subjects. We searched “hope” instead of fiction, we searched for “belief” and for “cure” instead of fantasy. A search of various 2014 in review opinions reveals that we started the year out celebrating Colorado’s right to recreational marajuana  and Affordable Health Care Act and it would seem that we are ending the year celebrating transgenderism while searching for a missing Asian Airliner. Somehow between the smoke and celebrating our interpretation of human design we manage to land a space probe on a comet deep into outer space. Go figure! In fact Dave Barry’s 2014 in review is entitled, “There’s Just No Explaining 2014.” The bizarre nature of 2014 caused Rush Limbaugh to declare in a December 2014 broadcast that “the truth is inadequate to persuade people from what they want to believe.”

We all have presuppositions that shape our worldview that is manifested by our behavior. My worldview is biblio-centric. The bible allows me to believe in God sending his Son Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, raised on a cross, buried in a tomb, raised from the dead on the 3rd day, and is now ascended and seated at the right of the heavenly Father. Therefore, there are 5 things I am praying for in 2015.

1. A Greater Prayer Emphasis – Prayer is not for ceremonialism that adds a touch of class to pomp and circumstance of life. Prayer is the heart-beat of the believing community of Christ-followers. Perhaps 2015 is a year that we live out 2 Chronicles 7:14; “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
   
2. Stand Up For Biblical Truth – We are living in a country that grants the freedom to believe and express our belief’s. However, that freedom does not preclude the right to annihilate another’s right to believe in an eternal God. I am praying for strength of conviction by those in the pulpits of our nation to speak truth with passion and a freshness that energizes conviction. Multiculturalism is leading our nation to moral rot. By definition “every person’s truth cannot be true at the same time and in all places.” The Law of Noncontradiction states that something cannot be true and not true at the same time when dealing with the same context. Focus groups and polling data does not instill moral absolutes that you can build your life upon.
3. Intentional Evangelism – Ed Stetzer’s article, “Why Pentecostal’s Are Growing In Number” suggests this growth to be sociological and not so theological. His reasoning suggests a “shared conviction of urgency” is what contributes to this growth. Pentecostal’s believe their message is significant and urgent enough that the whole world needs to hear. Therefore, evangelism becomes a primary concern and not an ancillary after-thought. If our message is compelling, then our voice should be passionate – “Go into all of the world…” is still mandated by scripture. Non-christians are waiting on an invitation to go to church – invite them.
4. A Strong Mission Agenda – A mission agenda is more than holiday good-will. It is a deliberate agenda that challenges people to pray for the nations, participate in short-term missions projects at home and abroad, an action plan that keeps missional needs in front of people throughout the entire year.
5. Deliberate Discipleship – The Great Commission of the church is still disciple-making of the converts so that more converts can be discipled. This requires intentionality of the subjects offered coupled with missional activity. Learning that does not have a practical outlet carries only minimal value. When linked to practical hands-on application truth becomes alive. These twin realities also lend themselves to positive church membership expectations. People want to learn, but they also want to participate.

These are my thoughts for the New Year. I would love to hear what you are praying for in 2015. Share your thoughts below or leave a voice message and I will do my best to respond to you.