Next at GCC

We launch our new series this weekend.  It's a big deal. We're putting 186 Radio Spots on two stations that blanket Michiana to let people know about the series.  You can hear the spots. Check 'em out.

Go to ImNotBuyingIt.com.

I'll see you at GCC this weekend. Bring a friend.

1 Corinthians 6:16  -  There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact.

Comments

[Tom Becker]

So there's more to sex than skin on skin,,,but that's basically all you show in your add. What's up with that?

[Diana]

So you have stooped to selling your church services by using sex as the bait. You cut your staff yet you buy 186 radio ads to sell the sex theme. You and staff blog about their extravagant home additions and trips to exotic places while your "friends" whom you haven't contacted are hurting and out of a job. Your mission is skewed with your drive for keeping up with the Jones... What happened to the Mark Beeson that used to lead from his heart and not from his own desires. Check and Checkmate!

[Elle White]

I heard one of the spots tonight on my way home! I'm eager to see how God works in my heart on this difficult, yet important topic. Thank you so much, Mark! We gain much because of your faithfulness, and I thank God for you. You're greatly missed as of late - come back soon!

[Laura]

There is obviously some issue with were the church is heading and were it once was. While it is important to keep mission work and community outreach front and center, we should also strive to take care of our immediate church family. Hard decisions come with a price. As with any business,(which is what the church is)when you come to a fork in the road there is a price to be paid regardless which direction you take. If I understand Diana's post correctly she feels that she was an okay casuality of that decision. Chances are others to feel that they were betrayed. I pray that God can heal your heart and you can get past this obvious painful wound that was created. The church is made up of people and people make wrong decisions for the right reasons. The Church family should always come first. Community outreach will come from a fullfilled church congregation. Healthy fruit will bear fruit, but the bruised and damaged are unable and unwilling to do this important work.

[Isaac Hunter]

It is hard for me not to be judgmental toward people who (I think) are being judgmental. I know… it is irony at its best/worst. I mention this only because I know this particular sinful proclivity may show through in this comment. I don’t want it to and will try to be encouraging here—but, apologies in advance if I am not.

First, contrary to the prior comment church is not a business. There is a corporate side to every organization including churches. Lights need to be kept on, salaries need to paid, helpful systems should be created and maintained, etc… but all that is secondary and subservient to the mission and the community for which the church exists. Granger (I know this from experience because I worked there before we planted Summit) is extremely well run—but the corporate/logistical side of the church has always served the purposes of God. Not vice versa.

Second, local churches should not stop moving forward when financial obstacles hit, even if they want to. I know it killed everyone in leadership to let people go… I also assume it would kill the people who got let go-- if the church didn’t continue pursuing Jesus and people in Michiana who need to know how much they matter to Jesus, in order to somehow keep them on staff for a while longer

As a caveat, no church owes anybody a job… I say that as one who is employed by a church… My church would still be my church whether I worked here or not. If the church is somehow better served by my no longer being on staff—whether as a result of budget realities or other factors, the leadership here doesn’t just have the right to let me go, they have the responsibility to do that. And, if it is working right, it should break everyone’s heart like it did at GCC, but God forbid we don’t make tough decisions because they are hard.

Third, if you don’t like mailers and commercials and all that… that’s okay, you don’t have to. But to somehow suggest Granger is “stooping” to a bait and switch tactic with impure motives is neither helpful nor true. Scripture has a lot to say about sex, people here about it everywhere else, the church shouldn’t shy away from the topic. If the church did shy away from the topic, it would be refusing to preach the “whole counsel of God.”

Finally… To suggest somehow that their lives are not lived generously because of a home edition or a trip is off base (at best). Every guy in Senior Leadership at Granger could move and go into the private sector, or go to another church and make more money if they wanted to, every one of them has been afforded other opportunities. But they stay and put-- and put up with quite a bit because have been called and they are fulfilling their calling. I know these guys… they give generously personally, they pray, they study, they work hard, and God has used them and lots of people at Granger to do amazing things in poor communities next door and around the world, for other churches, and don't forget-- thousands of people have met Christ there.

So, while I am sure they have made some errors along the way—because we all have. I think instead of criticizing people who love Jesus, love people, and love the church. You should pray for them instead. Seriously. That’s all for now.

[Laura]

In response to Issac, I agree with all things being said. When I stated that the church is a business, I didn't mean to compare it to a corporation or for-profit business. If that is what I implied it wasn't meant. I was trying to state, quite poorly it seems, that a church has to run like a business. And like a business when money gets tight decisions have to be made. Everyone hopes the decision they made is the right one, but unfortunately, it is hard to see if it was the right decision until a certain amount of time has passed. During that time the people who this affected are going to be hurt. It is understandable. I was not trying to imply that GCC is wrong in their conduct, just that it is a hurtful situation for anyone to be apart of. No one ever wants to let an employee go. That all being said. You are absoultely right, that no church owes anyone a job. I personally believe a lot of positions should be volunteer positions.

In regard to my comment about the direction of the church, I too did not explain what I meant well. I was speaking to the discovery of the polling last year. When was dicovered that although there was record attendace, that many of them did not truely understand the Gospel and Salvation. I was not trying to be critical, but I can see how it was viewed a such, I truely apologize.

[Tom Becker]

You're right about one thing Issac, they need prayer. I am praying for the leadership at Granger, along with the leadership of all the other fad driven churches in this country. The church is in a serious state.

[Isaac Hunter]

Laura... what a kind response. I understand what you are trying to say.

Tom... good call on the prayer. I bet if you really do pray God will change your heart some in the process too.

The church is always in a serious state, especially when it has had to fight wars on multiple fronts, and worry about getting shot in the back by reinforcements...

Also, if sex is a fad-- please do not tell my wife.

[Tom Becker]

Issac, I have and continue to pray about this and if God changes my heart I'm fine with that. By the way Tim, this comment about "if you really do pray" from Issac sounds like something you better put a check on. Sounds like he's challenging whether I pray or not. That's a little derogatory. sp
No Issac, sex is not a fad obviously, just the way some churches approach teaching and preaching about it. The minute somebody says something about the way a church does a series about sex, then they get bombarded with comments saying things like, "so you're saying God didn't creat sex" or something to that affect. All I'm saying is that quite a few of the pictures on the ad for the sex series were more about lust and you don't even know if those people are married. Plus we see this stuff on tv and commercials, can't we go to church for an hour and a half on Sunday and not see it there? Come on. Give me a break. Just keep on giving the unchurched what they want and meet their felt needs. Then when the next fad comes along, use that in a series.

[Isaac Hunter]

This will be my last comment, as I have broken my own rules about blogfict.

Was it Twain who said, "never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel"? Since the advent of the internet, barrels of ink have gotten ridiculously cheap and there are tar babies a plenty... (metaphors are also easier to mix).

So, a couple things and then I am done.

Tom,
1. This is not Tim's blog.
2. My name is spelled the same way it is spelled in the bible and in the posts above yours. One s two a's.
3. I didn't challenge whether or not you pray... I made a simple syllogistic statement about potential cause and effect of prayer with regard to this topic.
4. Your zeal is somewhat admirable... don't lose it.

I am done now. I have a super week.

[Erin]

we do a sex series every year..usually in January...don't see what the big fuss is.

[James Kytta]

Mr. Becker- Do you attend GCC?

[Tom Becker]

Isaac, thanks man. Enjoyed the one on one for a bit. Have a great week too.

[John J]

I don't visit this blog regularly but was looking at another Granger blog and decided to see what Mark had posted recently. I was kinda surprised to see a big series/promotion on Sex right now, especially in light of so many other issues going on in the world. I'm not at all against series on Sex in church. But I worked for a very very large mega church in the Chicago area (guess which one?!) for many years and I know that it was common knowledge that our series on sex were always the most highly attended. I put this together with what I know of your recent lay offs and the economic situation and I can only feel as if sex is being used merely as a means of upping your attendance - at least it seems to appear that way. I don't know - I guess it just made me wonder who and why decided for such a big push on sex at the moment? Good topic of course. But kinda strange timing if you ask me. - ?

[Tim Stevens]

John J - I'm mystified by your comment: "I can only feel as if sex is being used merely as a means of upping your attendance." Maybe I can explain why it mystifies me. Here is how I hear that statement:

"I don't know why you are using a topic that is addressed all through the Bible as a means to get people to come to you church so they might get Biblical help with that issue and also hear plainly how much they matter to God."

So, what exactly is the problem?

[Tom Becker]

I think he was pretty clear as to what the problem is. Read it again.

[James Kytta]

Mr. Tom Becker,
Please do not ignore my question. Do you attend GCC( Granger Community Church ) ?

[Lee]

Hum, what is up with your bible translation of Corinthians? It sounds like a "Trash The Bible Translation". It should read:

Do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."