Bill Easums Observations

In my book, Ministry in Hard Times, I contrast the world that was with the emerging world by contrast the metaphors of National Park and Jungle.  The world I was born into was like a National Park with lots of rules.  The world I live in today is more like a Jungle with only one rule-the survival of the fittest- those who change the fastest with the least amount of angst will most likely thrive. The difference between the National Park world and the Jungle is the largest cultural shift since the printing press.

Two examples of how this affects the church.

In the National Park most people were driven by duty and guilt.  They would go to church whether they wanted to because it was their duty and if they stayed home they felt guilty. Not so in the Jungle where there is little duty and no guilt.  So, in the National Park world when a church was behind in its giving it would print it in the bulletin (it probably did this every week) and relied on its members to pony-up because it was their duty and they would feel guilty not doing their part.

But try this in the Jungle. When churches put in their bulletin how much behind they are their donors (not members) see a sinking ship and very few donors want to contribute to a sinking ship.  Or, in the past when churches needed volunteers they would make a plea from the pulpit or newsletter and people would come forward out of duty and not wanting to feel guilty.  Try that today and see where it gets you.

So what’s a church suppose to do if it needs money or volunteers?

In a world where duty and guilt no longer drive how people respond it is far better to appeal to how the giving of money or self will either bring joy to the giver or make a difference in the world.   Instead of telling the congregation how badly you need money share stories with them every Sunday about how the church is changing the lives of people. Better yet have the people whose lives have been changed by the church give their testimony. Instead of making a plea for volunteers have a child or youth tell of how their life was changed becasue of the role modeling by their teacher or sponsor.

In the Jungle there aren’t “members” who are drive by duty and guilt.  Instead there are “donors” who are driven by joy and fulfillment and making a difference in the world by giving either their money or time.  If you would like to read more on this see Clif Christopher’s book, Whose Offering Plate is It?

Have a great new year trying to figure out which end is up in this upside down world.

Bill
www.churchconsultations.com
easum@aol.com

So many things happened in 2010 it;s hard to know where to start. So I think I will list the events in the order I think they will reshape our world. See if you agree.

1. 9.8 perecent of the population is recorded as out of work but the real figure is closer to 20 percent. Are we going through a depression or a paradigm shift in the job market? Will those lost jobs ever come back or is it going to require a totally new set of jobs that require a new set of skill like when the steal mills closed?
2. The Health Care bill. Will it really drive down costs or will it run more physicians out of practice? Can you really mandate people purchase insurance? How drastic will be the cuts in Medicare and Social Security? Can you mandate people continue to give into Social Security when it may or may not be around in 2050?
3. The national debt is now large enough to end the American way of life and usher in big time inflation or deflation.  Will the politicians get serious about cutting the budget or will the lobbyists win out yet again?
4. The Tea Party came of age. Will it become a third party? How will it affect politics in the coming year?
5. Wikileaks massive disclosure of classified material to the public.  How much damage has been done? Will it change the discourse dramatically on how we view the right of free speech? Will Assange be classified as a terrorist and tried as such?
6. The BP oil spill that killed eleven people and ruined the lives of millions of people along the Gulf Coast.  Will BP stay the course? Will it survive the lawsuits? And how high can the price of oil really go?
7. The Start Treaty that begins limiting the number of Nuclear weapons between the U.S. and Russia.  Just how many Nukes is enough? And can you really trust the politicians to get anything right?
8. The 2010 elections that changed the face of the House. Will it put pressure on both sides to work together? Will it make much difference? You can see my thoughts on that by how far down the ladder of events I put it.
9. Full Body Scans at the airports.  Are they really safe? Will they be adequately maintained in world of tight money? If not maintained can they really burn a hole in our organs? Is it really healthy to get an xray every week if you travel for a living? How many more times can the terrorists win? Do you think the TSA folks enjoy the patdowns?
10. The elimination of the ban on open gays in the military.  Will it change anything?

How would you rate this list? Did I leave anything out?

There are several other things I could mention such as

1. The comeback of General Motors
2. Brown winning Ted Kennedy’s seat
3. The rescue of the Chilean Miners
4. The popularity of Sara Palin
5. The rise of Chris Christy
6. George Clooneys work in Darfar
7. The sensor instead of indictment of Henry Rangle
8. Jerry Brown becoming the youngest and oldest Governor of California

I can’t leave this post without this final comment on a personal note.

The game changer for the Easum family was my wife spending almost a month in the hospital over three different stays.  She consumed some 21 pints of blood during that time. I had to sign the no-resuscitation letter twice.  If that doesn’t get a person thinking nothing else will.  She has been stable now for eight months. But has to have someone with her all the time.

We want to thank everyone who has asked about Jan over this past year and have written notes of encouragement.  Your thoughts and prayers have been much appreciated.

Now, on to 2011.

When I was growing up my family didn’t go to church. So I had no idea about things such as tithing or service to others.  Just be a good boy.

So when we visited my twin cousins one December I was in for the shock of my life.  One afternoon our parents sent us out to shop for Christmas- the twins were in their teens and I was about 10.  We were on our way to a store that had the gift I wanted to get for my parents when we passed Santa standing by a big black pot – you  know, the Salvation Army.  Without warning the twins grabbed my wallet and gave all of my money to Santa. I was- well I can’t say how I felt on paper.  After all, that was my hard earned money during the year and they gave it all away.

Later when I became a Christian I understand what they were trying to tell me – it was better to give to those who had little than to buy a gift for people who had too much already.

Many years later my wife and  I took the Christmas thing a bit further and ceased giving gifts at Christmas.  Instead we gave the amount to the church that we would have spent. And guess what- we never again had to experience the Christmas rush and push of shopping – there wasn’t internet shopping back then.

Christmas is just around the corner.  I hope you are prepared for it and that you haven’t felt the pressure to give to someone who most probably already has more than they need.

So I encourage you to pick some needy cause of person and spend that money on them.  You will never regret doing so.

Have a blessed Christmas

Bill
www.churchconsultations.com
easum@aol.com