David Whiting Live

44% Christians? WOW! That's amazing!!!

The Association of Religion Data Archives (www.thearda.com) has county by county statistics of people's religious affiliation.  Scott Bixby, our outreach pastor, was doing some research and typed in "Monroe County" and was pleasantly surprised to find out that 44% of those who live in Monroe County are "Evangelical Protestant."  That is amazing...

THEN - he discovered it was Monroe County, Alabama.  So - he got the state correct the second time and discovered that it isn't 44% who are evangelical protestants in our county.  It is 4.5%.  That's right - 4.5%!!!

Wow! Our work is cut out for us. And I must say, I'd much rather pastor a church in Monroe County, New York than Monroe County, Alabama.  Like Paul, I want to be at a place that desperately needs the Gospel, not where "everyone" is a "Christian." No way... I want to be where the real action is, and where God could do things beyond my wildest dreams!

Last year I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes talking to Andy Stanley.  He started asking questions about our church.  I will never forget his response: "A church THAT size in Rochester, NY? God is up to something there, and you are doing something right."  I didn't think much of it at that time, but when I see Scott's statistics - it makes sense why he responded the way he did.

ROMANS 15:20 - It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation.

My first disappointment with my president

With most of the rest of the nation - this last week I celebrated the 43rd time that a peaceful transition of power has taken place in our country from the 43rd president to the 44th. Is there another country in history that has had 43 peaceful transitions in 230 years of its existence? Although the rhetoric is rarely "full of peace" during election-time, it results in a peaceful transition of power from one president to the next. It amazes me. What an incredible country!!

I am also thrilled that an African-American is now our president. I admit - I didn't know if I'd see it in my lifetime. I imagined that there were too many racists in too many states to ever see this happen.

There are many things about President Obama that I am happy about. Yet - my joyful bubble has been popped. On Friday, President Obama ended the Bush administration's ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions.  Every Republican president going back to Reagan instated and reinstated the policy, and every Democrat president has reversed it.  Earlier in the week, all his signings were mid-day with high media coverage and large fanfare. This policy was signed with no media present, on Friday afternoon - to keep it as low-profile as possible.

The policy change came 36 years and one day after the initial Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. So while we mourn the millions who have died in 36 years, our government is supplying funding to make abortion more accessible around the world. May God grant us mercy.

Church Signs

I'm fascinated by church signs. What is the purpose of a church sign?  To let followers of Christ know about your church? To promote your church to non-believers? To attract people who are dissatisfied with their own church?  What do you want your church sign to say?  Why do many churches have the senior pastor's name on the sign? That seems fairly prideful to me...

Anyway - this picture is a church sign very close to the church where I was a youth pastor (in Harrisburg, PA). It was about one mile from the church I was a part of...  Notice the three words they use to describe themselves - -

EVANGELISTIC - FUNDAMENTAL - SEPARATED... So - who are they "advertising" to?   Evangelistic and fundamental are only positive words to "insiders" - deep insiders.  Separated only makes sense to those who know issues of debate surrounding "the ecumenical movement."

Here is the question I've been thinking about.  If I had three words that I would use to describe our church - to communicate with others what we are about - what three words would I use?  I think I have two of them, but I'm unsure about a third.

What do you think? What three words would you want on your church sign?

(By the way - we don't plan to use descriptive words on our new church sign.  This is only an exercise for discussion and consideration.)

New Building Materials

When you drive onto the parking lot on Sunday, notice the "mock-up" that sits outside the northwest corner of our worship center.  It is a small "wall" built with our future materials.  The brick (chosen to match the old brick), the 'red' split-faced block, and some smooth-faced block.  The smooth-faced block will be stained to match our current limestone - so ignore the color of the outsides of the mock-up.  We will probably have it stained in the next few weeks to show you a sample of the final colors.

Here's a picture -

It's Time for the Sports Illustrated SWIMSUIT Issue!!!

Every February, Sports Illustrated publishes its swimsuit edition. I don't know what women in swimsuits have to do with sports - other than the assumption that fanatic sports fans are also lusting perverts. 

I also can't understand how in our day of fights against racism and sexism - that this type of issue continues to be published, promoted, and purchased (it seems like blatant sexism to me), but that is a side-issue.

One of the things I appreciate about Sports Illustrated is that after years of angry letters from fans of legitimate sports and thousands of canceled subscriptions - several years ago they began offering an alternative.  If you have a Sports Illustrated subscription and call 1-866-228-1175, you can request NOT to receive that week's issue. And you will have your subscription extended by one issue.

I've received Sports Illustrated for a few years by trading in some reward miles (from a seldom used credit card) and once you call - it stays on their records year to year.

If you call - be sure to thank SI for giving families this option!

I don't think she meant it as a compliment

We receive comments in our bulletin each week.  We ask for them.  Here is a comment we received a few weeks ago - during my series "The Christian and the Economy."  Small details have been changed to protect the guilty...

"My experience at North Baptist has been coming to North and Rochester on holidays for a few decades. I was raised in a God-fearing, God-worshiping church since infancy.  I have a family member who is a pastor of a Baptist Church.

I was disappointed in the beginning of your service. My children were shocked, stopped singing, looked at me for my reaction to your rock concert style music ("worship"). How was this heavy beat music supposed to focus me on worshiping God? I was distracted by trying NOT to notice the man dancing and wiggling six rows ahead of me. I will be searching for a more dignified (emphasis original) place of worship the next time I come to Rochester for a visit.

And the message... I need to think about this and pray before I tell you what i really thought. I'm disappointed in the lack of focus on God, Christ, salvation, sin, how we are sinners, and the exalted place God needs to hold in our life. Lots of reference to your money and 401K with little reference to the Scriptures. I could go to financial counseling class and get the same information."

To be honest, I don't always handle these kinds of things well.  I want to call them on the phone and tell them what I think... (I mean)... thank them for their comments.  I have a "defense" for everything we do, but what's the point?  I'm not sure what rock concert she's been to recently... I'm not sure why Dave Boehm was dancing... :) And I'm not sure how the sermon could have been more grounded in Matthew 6... BUT - all my defensiveness aside, Scott Bixby made a comment that will ring in my ears for a long time.

After reading the comment and sensing how discouraged I can get with these silly things, Scott said, "This is a huge compliment! If someone who has been in a traditional church all of their life came to North and was totally comfortable... we are not pushing it far enough."  Wow - did I need to hear that.  That is exactly right.  I really do hope that she finds a church to enjoy while she is in Rochester because that is not a purpose on our radar screen.  We don't exist for a person visiting from out of town looking for a traditional church. We exist to magnify God by making and developing increasingly devoted followers of Christ. We exist for the person who hasn't been in church in a long time. We exist to help connect people to the God who loves them. We aren't trying to make anyone 'comfortable.'

And the other great reminder from the comment was a reminder that many, many people at North have lived through a lot of changes over the past eight years or so - and for the sake of the Gospel "put up" with some things that don't line up with their preferences.  I don't know how many of them get my blog, but if you are one - THANK YOU for prioritizing those whom we are trying to reach over our own preferences!!  You are a joy for me, and I am SO thankful for you!

There have been two take-aways for me:

• The one thing I want to ring in my ears when people complain about things they don't like: "If someone has been in a traditional church all of their life came to North and was totally comfortable... we are not pushing it far enough."
• And I am SO thankful for those who have been in a traditional church who transitioned with us over these last eight years, and they have set aside their preferences so we can change what is cultural while maintaining truth that is eternal.  By doing so - we want to win as many as possible (1 Cor. 9:19)!  So if you've been at North longer than I have - from the bottom of my heart - THANK YOU!!!!

How Long Does It Take to Read the Bible?

How long does it take to read the Bible? The answer is 77 hours and 22 minutes.  That is the length of the NIV Bible being read out loud by Max McLean.  You can purchase it for your I-Pod.

So if Max reads the Bible in 77 hours and 22 minutes - that is a total of 4642 minutes.  If you read at Max's pace (which is not fast since it is dramatic and out loud) - it would take 12 minutes and 43 seconds per day for you to read the Bible through this year.

Have you ever read it through?  If not - why not this year?  If so - why not do it again?  You can still pick up two options at Church - a "One-Year Bible" ($7.50) or a chronological read through plan (free).  Pick one up at church on Sunday!
 

I HATE when I get it wrong...

I mentioned in a blog post a couple of days ago that gifts cards worth approximately $2000 came in for the Nelsons.  That initial amount was apparently an estimate by an optimistic servant... Some gave cards with no amounts on them, so we don't know the actual total, but the confirmed amount is $1100.  There are ten cards with no amounts on them. So if those cards average $30 each - that means we have an estimated total of $1400.  That is an INCREDIBLE amount, but it sounds a lot lower than $2000 - huh? 

So first - let me say - WAY TO GO NORTH! What an incredible gift to the Nelsons!  They will be enjoying those cards for months, I'm sure!  Thank you for giving sacrificially to a family you barely know, but you will come to know and love very soon.

Second, it is embarrassing that I gave an initial estimate from a person who probably didn't realize I was going to broadcast that total... So I HATE having to "correct" the total... $2000 sounds SO MUCH BETTER.  But I'm eating crow and saying "I'm sorry" if this bursts your excitement.  I'm still WAY pumped about our church giving SO sacrificially, lovingly, and anonymously!!  Thank you for participating!