Sunday I announced that our new “tag line” for actionchurch was changing from “church for people who don’t like church” to “Love God. Love People. Take action.”.  All future advertising, invitation cards, wearables, etc will be tagged with the new line.

How it all started:  Two years ago when actionchurch launched at Fat Daddys Nightclub, I struggled to find ways to describe what our little “church in a bar/nightclub” would be like.  Some of our early taglines were original (re-think happy hour, No cover charge-no dress code-no joke,) and were funny and/or lame attempts to describe what was going to happen at Fat Daddys on Sunday morning.   “Church for people who do not like church” was not original (numerous other churches have used it) and not part of our initial launch.  After moving from Fat Daddys to Club 19  in October 2008 we begin to us the “church for people…” tag line exclusively because none of our “bar-related” tag lines seemed relevant to our currently non-alcoholic venue.

Why make the change?:  Several months ago our creative team (currently Jerry, Josiah, and myself) met to talk about how we could let more people know that a place like actionchurch exists here in York, PA.  Since then we have been working on finding new ways to “explain” and remind people both inside and outside of actionchurch why we exist.  Being a “church for people who don’t like church” may describe some elements of our Sunday morning “style/flavor” but it simply does not describe who we are as a church.  We needed a new descriptive tag line.

Is this a new direction?:  Nope.   actionchurch began because we Love God, Love people, and took action when we realized that there was not a place where some of our friends would be accepted, loved, and pointed to Jesus in our area. Because a place like actionchurch didn’t exist we took action.   It’s why our great volunteer crew work so hard to prepare for Sunday mornings.  Because we Love God and Love People we take action when students in our schools need coats, a family needs a fresh start, people suffering with cancer need our help, etc. etc.  Loving God, Loving People, and taking action are in our DNA, in our history, in our name…and in our future.  I can’t think of a better way to discribe what we do, who we are, and where we want to “go” as a church!

Tommorow:  The ”scoop” about how the name actionchurch came to be. 

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Believe it or not I told them actionchurch was like Chuck E. Cheese. Now before you think I have completely lost my mind think about this… Chuck E. Cheese is designed for kids. Everything about it is geared for kids…but without adults the place would be out of business. Adults pay for the games…cook the “bad pizza”…supervise the play…and care enough about their little ones to bring them to Chuck E’s place-even though it may not be their first choice as a restaurant…

actionchurch is designed for “people who don’t like church”…people who have wandered far away from God…the broken…the cynical…the “burned”. We are going to do everything in our power to “gear” actionchurch on Sunday mornings to that crowd. But guess what, without followers of Jesus joining in, paying the bills, bringing their loved ones, helping us make our own brand of “bad-kid friendly pizza” and fun..we would soon be out of business.

Thanks to all of you who support actionchurch…even those of you who put aside your “church preferences” to bring someone you care about. Thanks to those of you who give financially each week even though all you get in return is our thanks…and maybe a donut. Thanks to those of you who give your time so that others can enjoy a great experience on Sunday morning… Thanks especially to all of you who volunteer in actionkidz so that our “kidz” can have a great memory of church when they grow up. Keep on coming…keep on bringing your friends…if we’ll just be faithful God will provide more seats!

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Q. Why would a church that doesn’t seem to care a lot about traditions do some thing like have a baptismal service?
A. Because Baptism is not a tradition…it’s part of being an obedient follower of Jesus. The bible says repent (turn from your old way of living..and join Jesus kingdom plan for life) and be baptized. (Go public with your decision to “choose sides”). (link)

Q. Will Baptism make me a member of actionchurch?
A. No. Baptism is entirely about going public with your decision to become a follower of Jesus…there are “no members allowed” at actionchurch.

Q. Will Baptism “guarantee me a spot in Heaven”?
A. Sorry, no. Baptism won’t “guarantee” you a spot in heaven any more than a wedding “guarantees” a lifetime of wedded bliss. Only your relationship (that you are celebrating in baptism) makes you part of eternity with Jesus…the good news is he promises to never “fail or abandon us” like people sometimes will. He is also legendary for his forgiveness of those of us who fail him.

Q. How do you know that everyone who gets baptized is “serious” about following Jesus?
A. We don’t…In fact Jesus said here (link) that some who initially get very excited about the good news of Jesus will not “finish”. He also said here (link) that it is not our job to try to figure out who is “in or out” of the kingdom…

Q. Why do you fully immerse (Dunk) people when you baptize them?
A. Because that’s the way they did it in Jesus time…There is a lot of symbolism in being taken under the water (buried) and brought out of water (raised to new life)…but our main reason for being “old school” about baptism is because that was the way it was done then.

Q. Shouldn’t you be in a “church” to be baptized?
A. It was many hundreds of years after the time of Jesus before the first “Church” buildings appeared…so being baptized in church is a relatively new development.

If you have any questions concerning the baptism service on Sunday or Baptism in general please send them to info@actionchurch.com. I will update this post as necessary.

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The question is:

Q: What do you believe the Bible teaches about homosexuality? Are homosexuals welcome in your church?

The answer is very simple for us…

A: The Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin…and all sinners are welcome at actionchurch!

We hope that people who attend actionchurch will turn away from their sin and become a follower of Jesus Christ…but even if they chose not to…all sinners are welcome. That includes “gay” sinners, “straight” sinners, religious sinners, non-believing sinners, people who will “sin” tonight by not watching the American Idol premiere…anyone! We are the church for people who don’t like church and there is no one too “super-bad” to be accepted and loved by Jesus and actionchurch…nuff said.

19The Son of Man (Jesus) came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” ‘ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”

Matthew 11:19

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1. That people “have to” go to church: We don’t live in the 1950′s- there’s no social stigma against people who don’t attend church. There are lots of entertainment and relaxation options available on Sunday mornings. Our job and our goal is to create an environment “worth showing up for” on Sunday mornings.
2. That people are interested in “studying the Bible”: Instead we assume that most people are ambivalent at best about learning what ancient scripture has to say about life. Our goal is to present the principles and message of the Bible in an interesting and exciting way so that even the most sceptical listener is at least motivated to consider the possibility that the Bible is still relevant to life in 2008 America.
3. That people will come back… Since people are not motivated by guilt or obligation to attend church, our goal is to make each meeting a “sticky” experience that will motivate people to return.
4. That we are the “only” church: The phone book is full of literally hundreds of churches… churches with “better programs”, quieter churches, less controversial churches, churches with nicer buildings (although personally I think Fat Daddy’s rocks as a venue), churches with more educated pastors, churches with “better dressed” pastors…you get the idea. We think there are lots of great options for people to attend. Our goal is to be exactly what God has given us the vision to be… and let people decide if they want to be part of our “revolution”. We will not be sidetracked by trying to respond to every “suggestion” about what “other churches do”.

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1. Is it inspired? This is the most important and hard to quantify part of writing either song’s or sermons…you can write a technically perfect song about a toaster or a well researched sermon about something that you aren’t inspired to talk about…both will be hard to listen to. I struggle with this question until I am absolutely sure that I have “heard” something in God’s word that the listeners need for their lives before proceeding to any of the next “questions”.
2. Does it have an interesting title? I think sermon and song titles are very important because they can generate questions and interest initially. Our first two “test drive” sermons are titled “BB guns and Bunny Suits” and “Stoned”…wanna know what I will be talking about???
3. Does it have ONE consistent thought? I want sermons at actionchurch to be like a good pop song…something you will remember after the first time you hear it…The only way I know to do that is to take ONE biblical concept, not a list, not an acrostic, not five points, not a “chapter”…but ONE biblical principle and try to make it as memorable and practical as possible. The only thing that counts in preaching is what you remember after you leave the parking lot. (That’s the main reason I don’t read from notes as I speak…If it’s not memorable enough for me to “know the words”…there’s no chance anyone else will remember it.)
4. Is it as short as possible? I have thousands of songs in my music library and only G-n-R’s “November Rain” is over four minutes long. I think
   “memorable” long songs and long sermons are an exception…definitely not the rule. Usually they are the result of not taking the time and effort to properly “edit” out all the “extra” thoughts and points… Sermons at actionchurch will be around 30 minutes long.
5. Does it have a “hook”? There are no new song or sermon “topics”. There is no “new” truth! The concept of a “love song” or a “Biblical Sermon” are thousands of years old… There are however countless “new ways to say old things”. Ways to surprise…twists and turns that can be used if you are willing to do the “work” of song and sermon writing. There is no written exam to get into heaven so “conveying information” is not enough!
6. Will it “move” the listener? A good song should evoke some movement-break dancing, head banging, line-dancing, finger snapping, at least toe tapping or nodding. My hope is that no one (including myself) will ever preach a sermon at actionchurch where the response is “that’s good to know”. I believe the only reason people should go to the effort and expense of gathering on a Sunday morning is if they will in some way moved to a better way of living. The whole concept of actionchurch is that each week we will attempt to put the teachings of Jesus into action…
7. Is it authentic? I don’t “buy it” when Clay Aiken sings “When a man loves a woman” and people don’t believe when preachers pretend to be something they are not on Sunday mornings. I don’t think you have to be “perfect” to be a preacher (or I certainly wouldn’t be one!!!). I do think you have to be (as Perry Noble says )”smokin‘ what you’re selling” and be brutally transparent and honest about your struggles with God’s plan for living…

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I think it’s where God wants us to launch…simple as that. Obedience is my number one priority as a leader.

Disclaimer: This is a list of reasons why we choose to meet in a Nightclub. actionchurch does not believe all churches should meet in clubs. We are not “against” buildings with steeples, bells, or giant clown heads for that matter. We don’t have all the answers. YMMV. Do not attempt if you are pregnant or nursing. Professional driver in a closed course. May increase your risk of vomiting and skin irritation. Call your doctor if your annoyance with this disclaimer lasts for more than four hours.

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What does that have to do with church? Nothing if you are looking for church membership in scripture… (I’m just sayin’) In practice though, churches generally have members. They may be called different names but they are still people who pay their “dues”, agree to obey the rules (membership covenant), and expect privileges that “outsiders” are not entitled to such as “voting” and being on “committees” that actually guide the church. If that sounds like the way church should be to you…that’s fine…enjoy. My point is not to judge other church’s leadership structures but to explain why actionchurch will never have a single “member”-ever!

We will constantly pray and act to attract participants-not members! We will honor those who actually participate in our cause of “making Jesus famous” in York county. We will invest time, resources, and training on those who want to be a part of the exciting business of sharing the love of God with our neighbors, friends, and families. Instead of membership training, we will train up Godly leaders and “release” them back into their communities. Instead of trying to be “find a ministry” for everyone within the walls of the church, we will strive to use staffing and technology to make the business of meeting as a church as simple as possible-so that our participants have time and energy to impact their circle of influence. We will make it very easy for “outsiders” to become participants…and impossible to become a “member”. Participants wanted- “Members” not allowed!

Does this sound idealistic, impractical, and “not normal”. Good! The Church written about in Acts did pretty well without members, committees, or even the New Testament to study. (Remember they were being the “Bible”, not just reading it!)

If you’ve spent any time around church you probably still have one question. “How does a church without members “Vote”? Simple, everyone votes! In a “church without members” the vision and cause is clearly laid out by the leadership team and people of all races, religious backgrounds, and Pepsi-vs-Coke preferences vote…They “vote” with their participation and attendance. They “vote” with their financial support. They “vote” by inviting their friends and family to also participate in our cause. How do “participants” vote?…they “vote” with their actions-we are actionchurch after all!

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I am far less concerned about “keeping hypocrites out of the church” than I am “keeping the church itself from being hypocritical!” It can be “hard”, even for a Church, to actually put the teachings of Jesus Christ into action! It’s so easy to “preach” one thing and “do” another.

• It’s easy (and common) to preach about being generous- and then be stingy in the “business” of the church! (Why do you think businesses dread working with churches?)
• It’s easy to preach about serving others, especially those who can’t “help” you in any way- and then only “serve” those in the community that might potentially support or attend the church.
• It’s easy to preach that it’s not enough to pay just “pay your bills”, that members should give God the first of everything-and then as a church, only “meet the church budget” and “pay the bills” without giving to others in our community and world!
• It’s easy to preach about “walking by faith and not by sight”- and then refuse to “make a move” as a church without the approval of “feasibility committees“, “planning committees”, “suck-the-joy-out-of-living committees” and a majority vote of the congregation…
• It’s easy to preach and teach “the word”- and still not obey the teachings of Jesus.
• And finally, it’s easy to encourage everyone to be loving and kind to everyone…even their “enemies”- and then not show love to the “enemies” of the church…

God help us as church “body” to actually “live” what we teach. Help us to do the “hard” , “messy” things of faith, and not give in to the “easy” way of religiosity and legalism. amen

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