Blog

Consumer Christianity

On April 5, 2011, In business, Church Life, Leadership, Spiritual Growth, by Jeff Calloway

There is a cancer that has been around the American church for decades that needs to be addressed by pastors, ministry leaders, seminaries, denominations, and the person in the pew. That cancer is what is known as Consumer Christianity. I will try to give a simple definition explaining as best as I can. The word [...]

There is a cancer that has been around the American church for decades that needs to be addressed by pastors, ministry leaders, seminaries, denominations, and the person in the pew. That cancer is what is known as Consumer Christianity. I will try to give a simple definition explaining as best as I can. The word consumer is pretty self explanatory in that it is a verb that describes someone who consumes. Being a consumer means that you take and take, and take and rarely ever give back. Take for example the retail segment of our economy. That industry is a consumer driven industry where the retailer has a product and the consumer buys it for their consumption or use. There would be no product unless there were a consumer and there would be nor consumer unless there were a product. A two-edge sword, one creates the other.

In churches across America today we have the same dilemma. A cause/creation factor of the consumer wanting from the church and the church offering up a product that meets the needs of it’s consumers. We want to Live Our Best Life Now with Joel Osteen and find out how to live a Purpose Driven Life with Rick Warren. Our children are fed a diet of Veggie Tales, then when they’re old enough they move onto whatever the coolest current Contemporary Christian Music offering is. Our church culture is filled with church shoppers looking for the best bargain, the best services, the best programs to meet their needs. What in the name of Napoleon Dynamite have we come to?

The problem for the church in America is that it has acquiesced (for you guys in the south, that means to comply/give in) to the consumer and given it what it wants at the sake of the gospel. I know you may be thinking you know where this going. I am going to slam guys like Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Ed Young, Andy Stanley etc… The answer is no. I planted a church that is considered contemporary/edgy/different. Let me warn church planters that you will face this more quickly than you imagine. There will be those who come in with their ideas and agenda as to what your church should be and look like.

What I am talking about is not the church, but the people who are attending. They are shopping for the best product to meet their need, bottom line. What is the problem with that? The problem is that pastors, under pressure to be successful, keep people, increase the finances are willing to acquiesce to keep people from leaving. I am all about reaching people, ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I focus on reaching people more than I should. I am also about making sure that people have opportunities to grow, serve, and make an impact in their world. What I am about, is not stroking and petting those who want to have their needs met. Don’t be afraid to lose people. I never want to see people go, but there are times when people need to leave and there are times when I was too afraid to lose people that I kept around people that needed to leave.

The damage that is being done here is not to pastors or churches, but to the gospel. Everyone, pastors and congregants both need to realize, be taught that everything is about Jesus. Churches do not exist for pastors or for people to come get their needs met. The church exists for Jesus. It is there to make him famous so that he will be looked at as special, as holy, as the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. Christianity is not about the next greatest Christian novel or the heart touching worship song. It is not about cool buildings, large budget, or the unbelievable children’s programs. Christianity is about Jesus. Church is about Jesus. It is for him and by him!

Being Missional

On April 4, 2011, In Church Life, Jeff's random thoughts, by Jeff Calloway

The OT uses words like sojourners or wanderers as precursors to the NT words like aliens, foreigners, strangers, or ambassadors. All these words describe that a Christian’s life is transitory. In other words, we are passing through this life with a sense of purpose, duty, passion, and responsibility for the mission of God. The foundation [...]

The OT uses words like sojourners or wanderers as precursors to the NT words like aliens, foreigners, strangers, or ambassadors. All these words describe that a Christian’s life is transitory. In other words, we are passing through this life with a sense of purpose, duty, passion, and responsibility for the mission of God.

The foundation of a missional life is the decision to offer God our plans in exchange for his plans. It requires that we are willing to leave our world so he can send us to extend His kingdom.

Throughout scripture we see God calling his followers to live a life of “sentness.”
Jesus asked his disciples to leave their nets while they were still clueless. As they walked and lived with him, they learned his ways challenged their ways.

Jesus said in John 20:21 – “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

There is no way to say it gently: spreading God’s blessing to the world does not come easy.

Church doesn’t end when you leave the building each Sunday. It never ends when it is a body of believers living near one another, meeting one another throughout the week, sharing with one another, and leaning on one another.

Church never ends if it is in your home, or your neighbor’s home, or in the neighborhood in which you live. 
In reality, Jesus didn’t command us to even make “churches.” And He certainly did not call us to prioritize steepled buildings. We are called to be and make disciples of Christ (Matthew 28). And disciples of Christ make up the church. Therefore church can be anytime and anywhere.

Jesus is our lifeblood. Becoming his disciples is our heartbeat. And making more disciples is our privilege and calling. Whatever we do as a local church, we pray it will always reflect this.

The biggest hindrance to living out the gospel in our lives is our hearts. Until the gospel gets bigger in our own lives, we’ll have a hard time displaying it to the world.

To put it plainly, living out a missional life will require that you get over yourself and start considering the needs of others.

Church Planter Training

On February 14, 2011, In Church Planting, by Jeff Calloway

Rural and House Church Planters in NE Ohio – you are invited to be part of church planter training that targets what you are doing. No smoke and mirrors kind of stuff, but practical training on how to do church in your context. Best news is it is free and you will receive free books [...]

Rural and House Church Planters in NE Ohio – you are invited to be part of church planter training that targets what you are doing. No smoke and mirrors kind of stuff, but practical training on how to do church in your context. Best news is it is free and you will receive free books and materials. First class February 26th from 9-1. Contact me ASAP if you want to be part of some exciting and relevant training!

The decision before the decision

On August 24, 2010, In business, Church Life, by Jeff Calloway

This is the one that was made before you even showed up. This is the one that sets the agenda, determines the goal and establishes the frame. The decision before the decision is the box. When you think outside the box, what you’re actually doing is questioning the decision before the decision. That decision is [...]

This is the one that was made before you even showed up. This is the one that sets the agenda, determines the goal and establishes the frame.

The decision before the decision is the box.

When you think outside the box, what you’re actually doing is questioning the decision before the decision.

That decision is far more important and much more difficult to change than the decision you actually believe you’re about to make.

-Seth Godin

Church Planting Centers

On July 6, 2010, In Jeff's random thoughts, by Jeff Calloway

Over the past several months I have had the opportunity to collaborate with John M. Bailey of NAMB on creating a church planting center (CPC) here in northeast Ohio. What exactly is a CPC? Church Planting Centers are an environment where multiple diciples are intentionally selected, developed, and sent to make disciples which results in [...]

Over the past several months I have had the opportunity to collaborate with John M. Bailey of NAMB on creating a church planting center (CPC) here in northeast Ohio. What exactly is a CPC? Church Planting Centers are an environment where multiple diciples are intentionally selected, developed, and sent to make disciples which results in new churches. CPC’s can be a church, a church planting school, a seminary, or a organization that has a vision for church planting.

The CPC we are working on developing here in our region will be called PlantOhio (www.plantohio.net)and will focus deliberately on the town and country areas of northeast Ohio. These areas have not necessarily been neglected when it comes to church planting, but they have not had any momentum to propel them forward. We will be looking to start house churches as well as more traditional church plants. We will enlist, train, resource, and deploy church planters all across this region over years to come.

In the coming weeks I will be focusing 100% of my energy into PlantOhio as we seek God for church planters, church partners, and persons of peace who are praying for new churches in one of two dozen communities. Working with us on this project is George Bannister of Steel Valley Association, Kevin Litchfield of Cleveland Hope, Gary Odom of State Convention of Baptists in Ohio, and John M. Bailey of NAMB.

Keep us in your prayers!

a new chapter

On June 27, 2010, In Jeff's random thoughts, by Jeff Calloway

Today the Bridge Church leadership team and I shared that I would be transitioning out of the role as Lead Pastor of Bridge Church in the coming weeks. This transition will take place as I follow and pursue an open door the Lord has put before me. In 1998 God began to move in my [...]

Today the Bridge Church leadership team and I shared that I would be transitioning out of the role as Lead Pastor of Bridge Church in the coming weeks. This transition will take place as I follow and pursue an open door the Lord has put before me.

In 1998 God began to move in my heart regarding church planting. It was about that time that I was assessed at the highest score possible as a church planter by the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio. Our family has been blessed to been involved in re-launching a church (Lake Ridge), sponsoring a new church (Life Brand Cowboy Church) and planting a new church (Bridge Church) as a North American Mission Board missionaries. During this time God has not only opened doors for us to be involved in new works, but He has also revealed to me that I am gifted with apostolic leadership. In other words, I have been gifted in gathering and starting new churches, not to necessarily pastor them. In the very near future (August 1st), I will be transitioning from Lead Pastor of Bridge to being a regional church planting catalyst for three associations in NE Ohio. We will be leaving Bridge Church in the capable hands of a godly leadership team who are guiding the church through a transition of pastoral leadership.

In the geographical area I will be concentrating on, there are approximately 3.8 million people, which, represents twelve counties and represents one-third of the population of Ohio. In this area there are only ninety-seven Southern Baptist churches, one church for every thirty-nine thousand people. It is estimated that 90% of the population in many of the towns and cities in this region are lost without Christ. Within this region, there are three major metropolitan areas and thousands of squares miles of rural areas with towns and villages. We are working with the North American Mission Board to create a Church Planting Center in NE Ohio that will focus specifically on town and country church planting(rural). I will be responsible for identifying, assessing, and training/coaching church planters for this region. Part of my responsibility will be to help the church planter develop partnerships for their individual church plants. We believe God is at work to bring about a movement of salvation in this region.

Unfortunately this undertaking will not be fully funded as it is not in the budget of Bridge Church, our association or the state convention to do so. Bridge Church will be one of our partners. The North American Mission Board will possibly provide some funds as well for this position, but that is still yet to be seen. We will need to secure the financial support of other partners to allow me to work at this ministry on an ongoing basis. If you would like to help in funding this work, please call me at 440-796-8050 and I would be glad to share how you, your church, or denominational agency can help. If you would like to see the full plan and prospectus for this opportunity click here.

As I close this post, I want to ask you to pray for our family as we yet take another step of faith. We don’t know where the money will come from, we do not know the church planters that God will bring to us, nor do we know the people we will be reaching, but God does. I am excited by this challenge as we reach out to areas of Ohio that are not reached.

Feel free to contact me with any questions!

A post about nothing

On June 26, 2010, In Jeff's random thoughts, by Jeff Calloway

I was recently chided by a friend (Patrick) for not having any recent posts. Look for many coming up beginning Monday, June 28th.

We Can Do It

On March 26, 2010, In Teamwork, by Jeff Calloway

Too often, it seems, this attitude is missing from teams, organizations or the community. It’s missing because people are quick to opt out of the ‘we’ part. “What do you mean, we?” they ask. It’s so easy to not be part of we, so easy to make it someone else’s problem, so easy to not [...]

Too often, it seems, this attitude is missing from teams, organizations or the community.

It’s missing because people are quick to opt out of the ‘we’ part. “What do you mean, we?” they ask. It’s so easy to not be part of we, so easy to make it someone else’s problem, so easy to not to take responsibility as a member of whatever tribe you’re part of.

Sometimes it’s missing because people disagree about what ‘it’ is. If you don’t know what you’re after, it’s unlikely you’re going to find it.

And it’s missing because people confuse cynicism with realism, and are afraid to say “can”. They’d rather say ‘might’ or even ‘probably won’t’.

Just about everything worth doing is worth doing because it’s important and because the odds are against you. If they weren’t, then anyone could do it, so don’t bother.

Product launches, innovations and initiatives by any organization work better when the key people agree on the goal, believe that they can achieve it and that the plan will work.

Do we have a cynicism shortage? Unlikely.

Successful people rarely confuse a can-do attitude with a smart plan. But they realize that one without the other is unlikely to get you very far.

Count me in. Let’s go.

-Seth Godin

America. A Christian Nation?

On March 19, 2010, In Spiritual Growth, by Jeff Calloway

I have on several occassions made the comment that I believe that America is no longer a Christian nation. I based that comment and belief on the documented research of The Barna Group and The MIssional Research Center. Basically, we are a nation with a population of 300 million plus people and it is estimated [...]

I have on several occassions made the comment that I believe that America is no longer a Christian nation. I based that comment and belief on the documented research of The Barna Group and The MIssional Research Center. Basically, we are a nation with a population of 300 million plus people and it is estimated that the large majority of the population are not Christian as defined by evangelical standards. Those standards which are rooted in biblical scripture include, but are not inclusive: the belief in a Creator – God, the belief in the existence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit existing as one entity in the form of three individuals, that the Son Jesus came to earth to atone for men’s sins, that Jesus is the only way to the Father and thus eternal life in heaven, the belief in a literal heaven and hell, the belief that Jesus will return and judge humankind, and the belief that we re to follow and imitate Jesus and live out his teachings.

I will confess here and now that I have changed my mind. I do believe that America is a “Christian” nation. Let me explain. I just gave a very brief description of the core beliefs of an evangelical Christian. Let me give you the definition that most Americans have of “Christian” which will be broad and very over-arching. For the majority of Americans, Christian means I do good to others, attend church ocassionaly, be a good citizen and top it off with donating a small percentage of your time and money to charitable causes. Now, some people might say they are are Christian because their Mother was Christian or because they attended Sunday School when they were a kid. With these kinds of definitions, I do believe our country is full of “Christians.”

But what about followers of Christ, believers, disciples? How many Americans refer to themselves this way? I am a follower of Jesus. I count myself as one of his disciples not because I live in the land of the free or the home of the brave, but because He lives in me.

Could it be possible that there is such a thing as a Christian Atheist? Christian Atheist you say! Could there be such a thing? Craig Groeschel is releasing a book with that title and he defines a CA as - Someone who believes in God, but lives as though He doesn’t exist. Now that is what I am talking about when I address this problem of using the term Christian lightly.

In Honor of My Wife Julie

On March 15, 2010, In Jeff's random thoughts, by Jeff Calloway

My spouse is the former Julie Ann Smeenge and we were married on May 25, 1981. For those of you suffering from math deficiency, that is almost twenty-nine years. We were just kids when we said the two words that we really didn’t understand then and sometimes still can’t comprehend today. I was nineteen and [...]

My spouse is the former Julie Ann Smeenge and we were married on May 25, 1981. For those of you suffering from math deficiency, that is almost twenty-nine years. We were just kids when we said the two words that we really didn’t understand then and sometimes still can’t comprehend today. I was nineteen and Julie was twenty when we vowed our love to each other.

I wanted to honor my wife today by writing about how wonderful a lady that God blessed me with. We met in college while taking an accounting class which was as exciting as watching grass grow on a hot afternoon. Julie though was a different story. She wasn’t boring like the class we were in, as a matter of fact I saw her as a challenge. She already had a boyfriend, but she was a pretty little thing that I started taking a liking to and finally got around to asking her out. After a lengthy courtship(three months), we both decided we wanted to spend our lives with each other. This is the Cliff notes version of our courtship.

Julie worked at Western Sizzlin Steak House as a waitress and I worked at Hardees as the biscuit boy (I still have the recipe for those biscuits, email me if you want it) while we both attended college. We got a one bedroom aprtment in west Knoxville and began to live our lives together. As a new married couple, we played tennis together, went swimming in the pool at the apartment, and were with each other as much as possible.

Not long after we were married, possibly a year, something wonderful happened that set the path for our lives over the years even to this day. I had been a nominal Christian at best during my teenage years… wait, my Christianity was non-existent during those years. I had been raised in a Christian home and made a profession of faith in Jesus at the age of nine, but like so many children who do so, I had no idea of what that meant. Back to the story. My Dad had been asking me to come to a good old fashioned revival and I agreed to go. That night God gripped my heart and I decided then and there to allow Jesus to become the Lord of my life. That meant I was going to give up control of running the show. After that service, I went to where Julie worked and told her that I had something I had to tell her when she got home that night. Nothing like leaving your spouse in suspense! That night I told what had happened and how God had changed my heart, and it was like “okay, good for you.” After that I thought we should start attending church and we began to attend the church I grew up in and after about three months Julie accepted Jesus as her Lord and we began to serve together and have been serving since.

My wife is the most wonderful woman I know. She has given birth to two of the lovliest daughters ever to walk the face of this planet. Julie has given herself away in serving God and serving the people of the churches I have pastored. She is a person who doesn’t like the limelight and is a back stage kind of worker. As a pastor, she is my best asset as she has been by side in the good times and bad. Because she is not an out front person, she has been criticized by some people who really don’t know what she does. Ask anyone who knows her and they will tell you she is a go-getter who is not afraid to get in and do the dirty work of ministry. She has always been that way. After graduating from college, she went to work for Martin Marietta in a mail room. By the time she resigned from Lockheed-Martin fourteen years later, she was a supervisor in their IT department, supervising twenty-eight people! A slacker doesn’t get that kind of advancement. She is the typical wife and mother who goes over and above the call of duty.

But there is something you need to know about Julie Calloway. She is a wife that encourages me and is a true model of the wife being the help-mate that God wants for every marriage. She understands her role as a wife and mother and accepts it and through that role seeks to serve God and please him. Whant a woman! I love her dearly.

One last thing about this wonderful lady that I love so much today, she loves another man more than myself. His name is Jesus.

I love you sweetie!

Hi! Welcome to Jeff Calloway!