There are two main ways to reach people for Christ. One is to focus on the outward appearance of a person, and expect them to change how they look. Another way would be to focus on the inside first.

A person who disciples by focusing on the outside, wants their disciple to immediately change how they dress, how they fashion their hair, their make-up, etc… One of two things can happen. Either they will change their appearance and look “Christian,” or they reject Christianity all together. The concern is really not their spiritual walk; many disciple makers simply don’t like diversity in their church.

They feel all Christians should look, sound, act, dress, and worship like they do. There is, however, a problem with this mentality – the person may change on the outside but there is little change on the inside. I believe that Jesus talked about this type of disciple making when he said to the Pharisees, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.” Matthew 23:15 When a person only focuses on the outside, you get a shallow disciple.

There is another option available to us. A disciple maker could look past the weird dress, colorful makeup, and course comments and instead focus on the heart. Jesus called people to holiness, repentance, love of neighbors, etc… The problem with this process is that it takes time and there will be moments where your disciple does things that embarrass you. But as you love them, the change comes from the inside out. They will slowly begin to make decisions about dress, behavior, etc. on their own without having to be told. Their discipleship will be heartfelt and authentic, not shallow and hypocritical.

Currently, our youth ministry is exploding and there is subtle pressure to focus on outwards things. There are some that wants us to focus on certain outward “things” immediately because it makes them feel uncomfortable. We are having tons of kids coming, and they don’t look like “us.” I say, “Praise the Lord!” In order for us to have a true impact on their lives we have to love them for who they are right now, and disciple them into whom they will become. Authentic and real discipleship takes a while. Lasting change doesn’t happen overnight.

My wife Kimberly was absolutely star struck when she saw Miss Pattycake at a recent concert. If you are not familiar with Miss Pattycake, she is a wonderful Christian performer who ministers to pre-schoolers (and their parents) through music and movement. Kimberly sang all the songs, did all the movements and would not stop talking to her even when it was no longer our turn to stand in line and have our picture taken with her. She was absolutely giddy. But you know, adults need heroes too. We live in a world where those that stand up for what they believe, live it out, and last the test of time are very few and far between. We need to see that someone out there has done it, so that we can have hope to be able to do it too. You go Miss Pattycake!

www.misspattycake.com

Last time we looked at that we when have a great idea, then we need to do something with it. I believe that nothing is more detrimental to creativity than fear, and asking “what if it fails?”

Our church began to have two services a couple of years ago and in one of our services I give a weekly “Children’s Message.” I love it! But there are 52 weeks in a year and they come around with extreme frequency. The question is “how do I creatively come up with 40 or more unique and interesting ways to tell an eternally impacting story?”

If I again boil down what I do, I am essentially a storyteller – how many different ways are there to tell a story. I tried puppets, magic tricks, objects lessons, games – the options are limitless. We generally think there is only one way to do what we do. But to try new things requires that you take some risk.

I never in a million years would ever have imagined that I would be a ventriloquist. But I purchased a puppet named Dusty and began to tell stories by dialoging with my new friend. It scared me to death, and yes there were some Sundays when things were not all that “polished.” But now I can open up my storyteller toolbox and have one extra tool.

This year I am excited to reveal my shadow puppet stage that I have put together. Yes I have already done puppets (Dusty rocks!) but now I am exploring different types of puppets. My point is, if you boil down what you do to its most basic level, and then explore that concept.

For Example: Pastor – Storyteller – puppets – shadow puppets

I don’t want to be known as “the puppet guy” but a storyteller. So, if that is happening (being known as “the puppet guy”) then I am not exploring other ways of telling stories with enough frequency. Get out there, take some risks, don’t get stuck in a rut, and put some more tools in your toolbox.

At the most basic level of what I do, I am essentially a storyteller. As a storyteller, I have the privilege of telling the greatest story ever told in man’s history. I teach from the greatest book that has been written. The story and the book are far from boring – but sometimes I am.

The best storytellers are those that live through the story they are telling and actually let it deeply affect them. They actually convince people that for a moment in time, they are actually transported to distant lands, different times, and are moved to do or become something larger than themselves.

The best storytellers are also something that strikes fear into my heart – they are CREATIVE. I am comfortable being “inspired” (another word for stealing or borrowing) by other’s work because I know that it has already been well received. Creative moments are by definition, things that have never been done before. It is scary because you don’t know how others will receive it. Will they like it? Will they hate it? Will it move them – or bore them to tears?

At a recent mission trip to Alabama, during a worship service I believe that God “laid on my heart” that our church needed to have a funeral service. We had grown complacent and apathetic in too many areas of our lives, and we needed to put parts of ourselves (behaviors, attitudes, sin, etc…) to death. So I pitched the idea to several people – and they said “you want to do what?” — “Yeah, we can get a casket, flowers (wilted), a hearse, I’ll wear a ministerial robe, we’ll sing hymns, eulogies, low light, etc….”

We had the funeral service today, and at one point the thought went through my brain, “I’ve killed the church.” And to be honest I am not sure how things will work out. But creativity (even as a gift from the Lord) is not worth much if you don’t carry it through.

So, my first point is, give it a shot. You could fail, and they might hate it. But what if you succeed and they love it? You’ll never know until you try. For me, what if the funeral service is a turning point in our church? What happens to a church when it stops taking risks? What happens when its leaders wait until someone else does it first?

I am not naturally a creative person, but over the next couple of posts I wanted to give a couple of ideas of how I have learned to foster creativity. So that in whatever it is that you, at your most basic level, endeavor to do, you can take these ideas and apply them to your life.

My wife Kimberly had a mom’s night out last night so I rented Star Wars IV, and V – for the kids. Someone had rented episode VI (curse you aqua scum). Star Wars IV was the first movie I ever went to, and I was about the same age as my twin boys. This was a special moment that my father and I shared that I wanted to duplicate with my children.

Once Kimberly left, we popped popcorn and we all (four of us) settled into my recliner. We cranked up the surround sound and I was ready for a great night of watching movies together (quietly).

It wasn’t too long before the questions started popping like the half eaten popcorn in our bucket –

“Dad, are they good guys or bad guys”

“Is this a good guy planet or a bad guy planet?”

“I thought Luke Skywalker’s dad died in the lava pit . . .”

“What is the force?”

“Can I have the rest of your popcorn?”

After about 20 questions and realizing how rusty my Star Wars trivia was, I just started saying – let’s just watch the movie. Just watch the movie! Shhhhhhhh.

I realize that in my Christian journey, and even as a leader, I constantly ask questions through the movie. Why is this person or family here? Should we start a new ministry? Why are they doing that? On and on and on. What I learned last night, there in the recliner, was that I was missing God’s answers to my questions because I wouldn’t be still and quiet long enough to just watch and see what God is doing. It will all make sense if I just keep watching. Shhhhh.

“Be still and know that I am God.”