Dave Bowman

BIG Changes on the Horizon

This coming Sunday I'll be letting you in on a really BIG change that is taking place at NHC. It's only one of several big changes we're facing over the next few months, but this one has to happen first. I'm really pumped and can't wait to let you in on it!

And just let me say before you hear about it - this is a really positive change that I think you're going to really like. It's going to make our church so much more effective at our mission and it's going to set us up for the next level that God wants to take us to.

Now, having said that, I know there will be some that no matter how positive the change they'll still be uncomfortable simply because it's change. Someone once said that the only one who really likes a change is a baby. (Wonder if the person who said that ever changed a diaper?) It is true, however, that most people just don't like change.

But here's the deal: change is inevitable. It WILL happen. Like they said in Star Trek, "Resistance is futile." It's part of life, especially for our church. We have made the decision to do whatever it takes to reach more and more people for Jesus Christ. That means we will have to constantly change. So don't get comfortable!

Don't Just Do Something, Stand There!

I've been sharing some thoughts on taking risks (here and here). One of the things I've decided I never want to do is just play it safe. Just so you know, I'm not talking about wild-eyed risks. I'm not the sky-diving, bungee-jumping type or anything. But I never want to be one of those leaders who says things like, "I'm praying about it," and uses it as an excuse for not doing something. Sometimes someone has to just stick their neck out and do something or nothing gets done.

In 1 Samuel 17 Israel is being held at bay by Goliath and for 40 days he calls them out but nobody steps up. The Bible says they were "dismayed and terrified." I'm sure the "mature" people were praying about the giant. The "balanced" believers were conducting Bible studies on How To Kill A Giant. The so-called leaders were checking their strategic plans but they just couldn't find contingency plans for dealing with something like this. The result? Nobody did anything. They just stood there day after day. It wasn't until David showed up and DID SOMETHING that Israel was set free!

Christians often use prayer and "waiting on God" as an excuse to just stand still and play it safe. Here's a different perspective - maybe God is waiting on you!

David took a risk, won the day and set a nation free. What is the risk that God wants you to take? God has called YOU to do great things, so don't just stand there - DO SOMETHING!!

Risky Business Pt. 2

Yesterday I kicked off a series of posts about risk with the idea that maybe, just maybe God wants to bring some risk into our lives and that it's not His job to keep us safe and secure all the time. Risky territory is faith territory.

So my question is what happened to the church on this one? When you look at the New Testament church in the Book of Acts they were definitely risk-takers. In fact, look at what Paul says in Acts 20...

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Acts 20:24

In other words, following Jesus and "completing the task" means putting my very life on the line. That's where Paul lived and it's where the New Testament church lived on a daily basis. They weren't playing it safe. They were in risky territory.

I'm pretty convinced that's still where Jesus wants his church to be today - in risky territory. Unfortunately, for many churches today the greatest risk they'll take is painting the women's bathroom green instead of blue! Or worse - buying new carpet instead of new choir robes!! Oh my!! Wouldn't want to tick off the choir, now would we?

That's one thing I've always loved about NHC - we're willing to take risks. I've sat in leadership meetings where we looked at each other and said, "We don't have the money for this, but God wants us to do it so we're going for it!" Every time we have stepped out and took the risk God has met us there. I remember once saying, "If it doesn't work we'll go out in a blaze of glory." We took a risk but we didn't go out in a blaze of glory, and God GOT the glory!

That's why God leads us into risky territory. It's all about Him getting the glory. When we're in unsafe, unsecured territory we have to depend on God. If he doesn't show up we're dead meat and that's where he gets his greatest glory. We can't take any credit so he gets it all!

NHC, we have not been called to play it safe. God is not glorified when we're safe and secure. He's glorified when we say, "God, we'll do whatever it takes...we'll go wherever you say to go...we'll do whatever you say to do...we're all in!"

I have no idea where God is ultimately taking us, but one thing I know for sure - God is asking us to take some risks...to go places we've never been before...to lay some things on the line...to go to another level of ministry that we've never seen before.

It'll be risky territory...faith territory. I'm nervous, but I'm so excited I can't see straight! Lord, lead us into risky territory!

More tomorrow...

Risky Business

Risk-free living...it's what we seem to be in pursuit of in America today. We want the government to take care of us from the cradle to the grave...we load up our lives with "safety features" designed to protect us from every perceived danger...we buy things from those who promise a "money back guarantee if not satisfied." It's as if risk is the greatest enemy we face.

When it comes to following Jesus, though, there always seems to be risk involved. I'm reading in Luke for my daily quiet time right now and today my reading took me through Luke 21. Listen to what Jesus says...

"...they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name...You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me."     Luke 21:12-17

Sounds like pretty risky stuff, doesn't it? Even though I haven't experienced those kinds of risks, I have learned that following Jesus always involves some kind of risk. When we started NHC it was a HUGE risk. Susan, Heather and I left a comfy position at a large, growing church. That means we left behind our only source of INCOME! We came to a community that had a record of being a tough place to plant a church. (The year we started we counted 8 other churches who were trying to start at the same time. We're the only one still standing!) We didn't know anyone here and the only place we had to meet was in a dirty hotel ballroom where we had to clean up the beer glasses and cigarette butts from the night before.

But we knew God had called us to Durham to plant this church. We took the risk because we couldn't shake the sense of God's calling. We took the risk because we knew God would provide. We took the risk because we knew we could trust Him and he's proven himself over and over and over.

So what is God calling you to do?
    • Start a new business?
    • Join a new ministry team?
    • Step up to a leadership position?
    • Put Him first with a full tithe?
    • Change your major?
    • Stay home with the kids?
    • Join or lead a Community Group?

Maybe what God is calling you to do doesn't make sense. When is the last time God asked you to do something that made sense?

Maybe you don't have all your questions answered. When is the last time God answered all your questions before he asked you to obey?

I'm convinced God is not in the business of taking the risk out of living. In fact, I think he leads us into risky propositions to put us in faith territory.

So what risky business is God leading you into? More on this tomorrow... 

Stop/Start

Last week at our staff off-site we did a little exercise where we identified some things we each needed to stop doing and start doing. It's really pretty simple. We all have a tendency to pile up a bunch of things that we think are necessary for us to do and it keeps us from doing the things we really need to be doing. So every once in a while we all need to put together a stop/start list - what are the things I need to stop doing and what are the things I need to start doing.

As a leader I've had to realize that you come to choke points where if you don't make some decisions to strategically let go of something you become the bottleneck that slows the organization down. Over the last several months God has been telling me to let go of some things and trust my staff more and let them do what I know in my heart they can do - LEAD!  So we've been making some shifts behind the scenes that would enable them to do more of the things they do best so I can do more of what I need to be doing.

Today I sat in staff  meeting and listened to some of the decisions our team is making and I was so proud of them! They're making decisions that will enable us to reach more people. They're making decisions that will enable us to create better environments for people to encounter God and engage in community. They're making decisions that will raise the bar on excellence in our ministries to a whole different level. And they made many of those decisions without me!

But you know what? It felt good! It felt REAL good to sit there and not have to worry about those decisions. It felt real good to know that I could walk out of that staff meeting today and concentrate on hearing God for our next sermon series (which, by the way, is going to be an incredible series that is going to help lots of people in a big way...more on that later). It felt real good to stop doing those things so I could start doing what God wants ME to do.

So, what do  you need to stop/start? Take a minute and make yourself a "not-to-do-list" and then just see how God frees you up to be who he really wants you to be!

Will The Pope Be Here This Sunday?

One of my favorite bloggers, Seth Godin, wrote a post today about the Pope's visit. In case you haven't been paying attention, the Pope is visiting the U.S. this weekend. I didn't know this, but it's only the third papal visit to the U.S. in history. Pretty big deal, huh?

Seth says in his post that whenever someone this important visits your business you instinctively take things up a notch. You work harder, try harder and make sure everything is done with excellence. And nobody minds. After all, the Pope is coming!

But here's the punchline...

The Pope isn't coming to your place of business this trip. He won't be reading your blog or calling your customer service line either. Sorry for the confusion. Go ahead and rent out that room or give away that table you were saving.

But since it's so much fun, why not do it for someone who isn't the Pope? Like your next customer?

OK, NHC'ers...what if the Pope was coming to NHC this weekend? Would you make sure your ministry team was ready to go? Would you save the best parking spot for the Popemobile? Would you offer to do whatever is needed to ensure the Pope had a good visit?

Here's the punchline...why not do it for someone who isn't the Pope? Like our next guest?

Wake Up & Smell The Coffee

While I was traveling a couple of weeks ago I read a great article about Howard Shultz's return as CEO of Starbucks. I love the Starbucks experience and I love reading anything about leadership so this article struck a couple of nerves with me.

Howard returned to the helm in January of this year because the Starbucks brand was suffering. Traffic was down, sales were off, stock prices slid 40%. But most problematic of all - Starbucks had become something Howard never envisioned. Instead of keeping the main thing the main thing (coffee) you could now buy a McDonalds-like breakfast sandwich, a CD, breath mints, chocolate covered graham crackers and even a teddy bear at Starbucks. Starbucks had lots its soul and it was showing up in sales.

So Howard is back and here's the steps he's taken so far...

• He gathered 4000 Starbucks headquarters staff together and told them very bluntly, "We need everyone to believe in the mission. If you don't you shouldn't be here."

• He moved very quickly. Within one month 100 stores were closed. Breakfast sandwiches are gone, breath mints are gone, new WiFi plan with 2 free hours of use.

• He assembled a new management team that is committed to the mission.

• He took radical steps to reinvigorate the "experience," shutting down all locations for 3 hours to totally retrain baristas.

• He's taking big risks - free upgrades on lattes...free drip refills. With this move they're leaving a lot of money on the table, but their attitude is, "We believe it's worth it."

• Howard understands something that is huge - remembering who you are is the key to becoming who you should be.

Remaking or recapturing the culture of any organization is a tough slog. I've been through it twice in my ministry and it's never pretty and it's never easy. But it is necessary. It requires a willingness to change and toss out things that aren't on mission - even some good things that seem to be working. It requires a total commitment to the basics of the mission...to the values that matter. It requires a willingness to move quickly, take risks and make decisions.

The Church needs to watch and learn.

That "Vision Thing"

Remember when George H.W. Bush had so much trouble with "that vision thing?" It seems like vision is a pretty big deal when it comes to leadership. So big, in fact, that the Bible says without it people will just wander around aimlessly. That's why I'm always asking God for fresh vision and to stretch my existing vision. It's also the reason why we spend so much time talking about it at NHC.

With that in mind, here's a great post from Tony Morgan's blog about the "vision thing...."

• Without vision, people will define their own vision and the loudest voice will prevail.

• Without strategy, people will do what they're most passionate about whether or not it helps the organization fulfill it's mission.

• Without clear communications, people will assume for themselves what's most important.

• Without encouragement, people will gravitate to the first person who gives them attention when they need it.

• Without leadership, people will follow the leader they choose or assume they're the leader.

• When there's a void, it always gets filled.

Well said, Tony!

Conference Day #2

Well it's even later tonight than last night when I finally settled into my room! Another very long day, but also a very good day. Earlier in the week as I got ready to roll for Texas I asked you to pray for me and I just want to give a quick shout out to everyone who did - THANKS!! It has been a great conference and I've really had my vision stretched!

Today I went back in my mind to a scripture that God used to kick start everything that has been happening around here over the last year...

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...  Ephesians 3:20,21

God is ABLE to do so much more than we can ask or imagine! But the question is, if he's able, why isn't he doing more? I'm convinced the hold up isn't on God's end of things, it's on our end. We're not asking or imagining BIG ENOUGH!!

Let me ask you - are you willing to dream big enough to ASK him for your spouse to get saved? Are you willing to dream big enough to ASK him for your child to get saved? Are you willing to imagine a church where that could happen? Are you willing to dream about your part of seeing that happen?

I'm convinced more than ever that God wants to do so much more than we're believing him for. Our God is in the miracle business. He's in the people business. It's time for us (the Church) to stop asking for such small things and imagining small things and start loving people and reaching our community for Christ!

We serve a God who turned water into wine...brought the dead back to life...calmed the storm...and walked on water. If he can do that he can also do so much more than we're seeing now. NHC'ers, I believe the best is yet to come. God isn't finished with us yet, we're just getting started. There are thousands around us that need Jesus...they may be your family members...your friends...the people you work with...the ones you go to school with. THINK  BIG!!!

Easter Week!

Easter week is here and I'm sick as a dog! (I never knew dogs could be this sick!) But that's beside the point. This coming Sunday is Easter, one of the two biggest Christian celebrations of the year (Christmas is the other one). And it just happens to be one of the two key times of the year when a person will accept an invitation to come to church with you.

One of the things that God is doing in my heart right now is renewing my passion for reaching our wall people. We've prayed for them, invited many of them and many have come to NHC. Lots of them have gotten saved but we still have a long way to go. There are 3000+ names on our walls...names of sons and daughters, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, friends, neighbors - so many who haven't come yet. GOD HASN'T FORGOTTEN THOSE NAMES ON OUR WALLS! Let's make sure we don't!

I've said this to you before and I believe it with all my heart: we may be the only chance some of those folks get to receive Christ. Some of them may be only one invitation away from encountering God through a relationship with Jesus Christ! The key here is they are an INVITATION away. They're just waiting for us to invite them and then God will do the rest.

So, NHC'ers, we're only a few days away. I believe this could be the most incredible Easter we've ever seen. What would make it incredible? Seeing more of our wall people coming to Jesus. Let's do our best over the next few days to make sure as many of them as possible come with us this Sunday.

So, who are you going to call right now?