What big church has taught me about running a business.

When I say big church, I mean Sunday centric, up-front preaching, 5 song worship set type of church gathering. I actually got amazing training at our sending church at how to be a leader and how to lead people. It wasn't until we left to plant down here that I realized that I never really lead people, the way my heart always wanted to. I was up front and I asked people to do things and I helped plan events and asked more people to do things. I hardly ever talked one on one with people primarily about their faith journey and all of the things that God had been teaching them. I usually got a call when all hell had broken loose and someone needed prayer and I was usually busy with some other church task and really wasn't able to truly be with them in that hard stuff anyway.

I am only realizing this years later but the fact remains that I did learn and had the opportunity to learn a ton of GREAT things on how to run a really successful business. Realize that when I was busy doing "church business" it was out of all sincerity, hoping and praying that my task would truly help people in their discipleship to Jesus. At this point I know the church is not a business and God is not the boss and numbers are not success and that you really can't lead people into following Jesus. People have to want to do it on their own, and you can join them and that is really all the leading that is necessary. I think our job is more like pointing...pointing each other back to the person of Jesus and his kingdom and everything else gets worked out in the wash. That being said...I am thankful everyday for my training in "big church" because I will say I do know how to run a business.

I was talking to one of my Moms about my studio and her possibly working with me or starting her own. She used to be "in ministry" at a local Methodist church and burned the candle at both ends and now has a 1 year old and is all done with that and they usually stay home on Sunday so they can be with each other. She is learning that church is not where we go but who we are and I am really blessed to be a part of her life. Anyway, I said to her, running a studio is really doing everything you used to do in church but now you do it to make money instead of filling up programs. We both kind of chuckled but she knew what I meant. I work really hard at building community and providing spaces for people to connect with me and each other and plan events and parties and parent education nights and all sorts of things to help people slow down and take time to connect, and maybe through that they will hear the voice of God calling them. The other great thing is...I am with non churched people all the time doing the "business" I used to do at church out in the real world, making a living and being able to enter into what God is doing in all sorts of ways.

Maybe if the top leaders in all of our main-line churches would hang a sign on the door saying "Gone Fishing" and really force people to go to Jesus and not them for answers and they all started little business' out in the real world, evangelism would take off here in the west. Anyway..that's my two cents for the month.