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There is an old adage that defines insanity as doing the
same thing over and over and expecting different results. By that definition,
we, in the church, have been insane for many years.
Most churches wish they had more members, or younger
members, or both. But when we do things the same way and wonder why more people
don’t show up, we let our insanity show. If we want different results, we have
to do something differently.
Thom and Joani Schultz of Group publishing understand this,
and so they have been working hard to find that combination of elements that
will produce different results. This fall, the Evangelism Committee spent some
time studying their book, Why Nobody
Wants to go to Church Anymore. In that book they identify four specific
issues many people have with the church, and how the church can change
(aaarugh!) in order to be more welcoming, and, dare I say, more Christ-like.
These changes led them to develop the series of video and
conversations they call Lifetree Café. Not really a Bible study in the
traditional sense, they call it an “experience,” a scheduled hour of “stories
and conversations to feed the soul.” The hour typically includes a short
original film and guided conversation that offers participatory events related
to life and faith.
Topics, which change weekly, focus on popular life issues.
Topics may include such things as loneliness, immigration, health, angels,
guilt, prayer, and life after death. The exclusive documentary-style films
feature everyday people with unusual stories, as well as some nationally known
figures.
This month starts out with a lesson on How to Declutter Your
Life. Other weeks include discussions on Sexual Abuse and Why Men Hate Church.
There is quite a broad spectrum of subjects in any given month.
Not only is the program exciting, but so is the venue.
Remember that part about doing things differently? This month we will kick off
our Lifetree experience in a whole new way in a whole new place. Mary Jo Rowe,
owner of Sand Springs Espresso, has graciously offered to let us use the coffee
shop as a location of our new Lifetree Café. It is an ideal location that
offers comfort, convenience, and an excellent venue for conversation, which is
what Lifetree Café is all about.
Thom Schultz, one of the developers of Lifetree Cafe said,
“We’ve found that people today want to participate in the conversation. It’s
not enough to simply hear someone lecture on an important topic. People want to
share their thoughts, ask questions, and tell their own stories. The experience
gives people practical help and insight on life issues, and provides a hopeful
spiritual connection. Lifetree offers a safe place and time to do that.”
Starting this month, we will have three times and venues in
which people can experience the conversation of Lifetree: on Wednesday nights
at 6:00pm at the church, on Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm at Sand Springs
Espresso, and at 10:00am on Sunday morning at the church.
I hope you will be able to join us for one of these great conversational
experiences, and bring a friend!
Let's try something new. Let's try something different. And maybe, just maybe, we will experience different results!
