new year, same layout


you would think that over the last twelve months, blogger may have tossed around an idea or two for a new and exciting template, but it looks like that's not the case. i guess that's not a terrible thing. i was looking for something simple in a nice, huffman green, but nothing jumped out at me. i guess i may just end up fiddling with the color scheme on this template if the mood strikes me hard enough. maybe not. if you tune in one day and see the crimson gone, replaced by forest green, you'll know well enough i was bored on that day. otherwise, the changes the site sees will remain more subtle and still will be seen through the crimson tint that you grew to love or hate in 2008.

make no mistake, though. if the underlying theme of HACAM last year was alabama football's hopeful and anticipated leap back into big dog territory, this year will be huffman united methodist church. unless the church office somehow "forgets" to send me reminder cards for all the meetings in which my presence will be recommended, i will be more plugged into the lifeblood of the church than i have been in three and a half years. for some, that will be an awkward and unwanted transition. for others, it will be just what the doctor ordered. for all involved, it will not be boring. i can promise you that. boring has been tried. it's not working for us.

in an effort to lift our spirits, i am sure, it was published a few months back in our weekly church mailout that humc had been in a state of consistent decline since 1992. that's a little staggering, a lot depressing, but not too surprising seeing as how we're pretty much in line with the vast majority of churches as it concerns that statistic.

what do you mean? it's not just us that sucks at "making disciples"?

absolutely not.

so, what are we good at?

well, we are decent to pretty good at the "growing disciples" part of our church's mantra. once we get folks involved, there are still plenty of vibrant and healthy ministries that huffman does and does well. through those ministries, a christian or even non-christian can be fed in any number of positive and healthy ways. i know and understand we've been commissioned to make disciples, but maybe we've been attacking the idea to do so from antiquated angles.

so, where is the disconnect?

well, that one's easy to say, not so easy to do. shawshank told us to "get busy livin', or get busy dyin'". it's as simple as that. we've been declining in numbers for 16 years. for the last 5 to 8, we've been borderline irrelevant because we are so far into survival mode (getting busy dying, if you will) that we can't stop to focus on what being a church really means.

but, we keep losing members and members continue to pass away?

yes, and? the folks that have left on their own? did someone force them to leave? was the environment in our church so nasty that they just couldn't take it anymore? or had they been looking for a reason to go anyway. or were they not strong enough to go down with the ship that they were just as responsible for putting holes in as those of us that are left behind. whatever the reason, it doesn't matter.

we need to keep moving forward.

if we can't do thirty ministries well anymore, screw it. let's change our way of thinking and do five really, really well. we still have plenty of people and resources to do five ministries well, right? maybe ten? so, let's stop pretending it's 1992 and move forward as if we were starting from scratch in 2008. what if we showed up this coming sunday morning like we were a brand new church plant that just so happened to be blessed with 150-200 in worship and a now healthy full-time daycare from the get-go? how amazing would that be??? what could we do if we focused on what a massive budget we have afforded to us instead of however many thousands of dollars we are down from last year. who gives a crap?

it's all a matter of perception, folks. and i perceive that i don't give a pickle about 1992 anymore. i care enough that it's a part of our history, but it is no longer a part of our future. anyone that is still thinking in those terms as it relates to this church is wasting their time.

and that, in a nutshell, is our jumping off point for this year. i (and a few highly paid and highly athletic friends) brought alabama football back from the dead. it's time to bring huffman back too.

what is the worst that can happen? what, we lose our building and have to meet at donald and tanya's house? would that really be so bad? i mean, shoot, they have a pool, right?

but that is not going to happen. not this year. so, let's not worry about it. let's show up sunday with an eye towards changing the definition of our church. and the perception. let's show up like someone just handed us the keys to our first house and it has absolutely made our life to move in.

if you miss someone that used to be with us, shit, go get 'em back. and if they don't want to come, tell them good luck and tell them that you have a new house to decorate. tell them that they are missing out because something new is about to happen in the middle of old huffman. and tell 'em like you believe it. because you believe it.

there will be hiccups and headaches in 2009. there's a good chance i will be indirectly responsible for most of them (or at least, you'll hear i was). who cares.

new year, same layout (same church).

new attitude.

is huffman united methodist church a building?

or is it an idea?

let's be the latter.