The Launch Of The Pursuit

Click on The Pursuit link to the right to read about their amazing first Sunday!

Casper The Friendly Atheist

A couple weeks ago I began reading the book Jim & Casper Go To Church by Jim Henderson and Matt Casper. The book, in which Jim (a believer) and Matt (an atheist) travel around the country attending various churches, is described as a "frank conversation about faith, churches, and well-meaning Christians."

There are many things about this book that are appealing to me. The concept is great. The insights from both Jim and Matt are interesting. The ideas that Jim lays out about connecting with people and building relationships are important thoughts to apply to your life. The lessons to be learned from their experiences are priceless. The discussion and debate (that will no doubt arise from reading the book) about how to "do church" is invaluable.

But, I do have one fear. Believers so often quickly buy into whatever is the newest way of doing/being the church. We read the newest book on church growth, and we immediately implement what it teaches. We go to a conference, and as soon as we are back in our office we begin to put into place whatever it was that our favorite Christian celebrity preached. Obviously, most of what we read and most of what we are taught is not bad. But we fail to step back and really think about how it applies to our unique situations.

We don't ask ourselves if it fits into the culture of our church and our community. We don't stop to think about whether or not our leaders and volunteers are wired in a way that will line up with someone else's ideas. We forget that the churches that we perceive as "successful" probably didn't use someone else's model to get where they are. They more than likely created their own model (through much prayer and discernment) that would fit their leaders, volunteers, culture, and community.

Back to Jim & Casper...my fear is that church leaders will read this book and think, "Wow, I need to do everything that Matt Casper suggests so that my church will be appealing to non-believers." But here's the thing, Matt Casper is not speaking for every atheist in America. I think there is a ton to learn from Matt's observations. But, I also think that church leaders need to stop letting the books they read do all the work for them and start putting their own effort into figuring out how to reach the communities in which they live with the love of Jesus.

Yes, there are some definite lessons to be learned from Jim & Casper. I, personally, learned a lot about how to relate to people and how to shift from "defending the faith" to "defending the space" (read the book). But instead of simply doing everything that Matt Casper suggests, I think it would be more beneficial for me to find out what the "Caspers" in my own community think and go from there.

I encourage you to check out the book. More importantly, though, I encourage you to open your eyes to the culture of the community in which you live. What are the needs? How can you meet those needs?

New In 2008 - Guitar Lessons!

Over the years I have been asked many times if I would be willing to give guitar lessons. I always answer with a quick, "No!"

I think people ask me about lessons for a variety of reasons. One reason I believe they ask me about lessons is because they think that since my wife plays the piano and teaches the piano it's only natural that since I play the guitar I must be able to teach the guitar. I also think that most people, after hearing me play, assume that I must have enough knowledge of the instrument to be able to teach it. And finally, I think that there are even a few people who have never heard me play, but just assume that since I own a guitar I must be very good at it.

I honestly have never felt qualified to give guitar lessons, though. When I was a teen, my guitar teacher tried very hard to teach me scales and theory, but I was not interested in going that route. I just wanted the fast and easy track. All he had to show me was where to put my fingers on the neck and I was happy. I didn't care why they went there, I just wanted to rock!

Looking back on that attitude, I am very disappointed in myself. To this day, I still am not nearly as comfortable with guitar theory as I think I should be. When it comes down to it, my attitude has contributed to the fact that I am strictly a rhythm guitar player. I love playing guitar this way, but the down side is that I can do very little outside of those parameters.

My point is that I think that a music teacher needs to be held to a high standard. Music teachers should understand theory. They should be able to quickly name how many sharps and flats are in each key. They should be able to play any scale without hesitation. They should be able to answer any question that comes their way. I know a little about all that stuff, but I have never thought that I knew enough to teach.

How can I teach someone else to play a scale if I can't play it?
How can I explain what key a song is in if I can't remember how many flats are in the key?
How can I teach someone a chord if I don't know what the chord is myself?

Then I had a revelation! I can teach from a book! I don't have to come up with every little detail on my own. My knowledge, experience, and teaching ability, combined with an organized method of learning, can make for a very successful lesson - especially for a beginner guitar student.

So, I've researched the materials that are out there. I've narrowed it down to a few that I think are good. I've started to hang up flyers and I've worked out some blocks of time in my schedule. Now, all I need are students. I am focused on beginners. I believe I can start them off on the right track. Once they reach a certain level, they will certainly want to graduate to a new teacher who can take them further. But, until that time, I will be there to steer them in the right direction.

For all those interested, The Jake Follis School Of Rock is open for business!