You can't sue, Pastor...

There was an interesting ruling yesterday from the US Supreme Court.

In a unanimous decision, the court upheld that churches have the right to fire "religious" employees without having to deal with federal discrimination regulations. In doing this, the court tacitly acknowledged "ministerial exception" to employment laws. Thus, religious institutions can choose to sack religious workers at will.

In other words, to paraphrase the majority opinion, religious organizations can pick (and unpick) who they want, and really do not have to encumber themselves with the same things secular organizations have to when dealing with letting people go.

The court stated that ruling otherwise would amount to the state interfering with how religious bodies are run, and would run afoul of the Free Exercise Clause.


The case was made its way to the Supreme Court by way of an EEOC case filed on behalf of Cheryl Perich, a teacher at a Lutheran church. Ms. Perich had tried to return from illness to her job, but claimed she wasn't fairly treated by the church when they would not re-hire her (the church had granted her leave, but then hired a substitute to finish out the year). The EEOC found that she had merit, and the case was on.


Of course, it gets murkier. Apparently, this applies to "religious" workers only. People doing secular work are not exempt. So...what is the definition of a religious worker? The Justices refused to go that far. In this specific case, there were plenty of disagreements in the lower courts as to whether Ms. Perich was a religious worker; the high court determined that she was since she was ordained.


The separation of church and state is a sword that cuts both ways, but this case is one that church workers need to be aware of, and will probably want to proactively discuss this with their church's decision-makers. Also, it may not be smart to sass Ms Molly if she is on the Personnel Committee.


What are your thoughts? Does this give churches carte blanche to do what they want?

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Probably won't make the front page.

I challenge you to read this through.

Towards the end of last year (December 22nd to be precise) there was a pretty monumental occurrence in Charlotte -- but you probably did not hear about it.

Out on the West-side, at the Arbon Glen Outreach Facility, two organizations were having a Christmas party for potentially at-risk students. The kids came from local YMCAs, but the buses were relatively quiet, so you probably didn't hear them either. City Dive (a ministry endeavor of NewBirth Charlotte) and 2xSALT  made it happen. They gave those kids food, presents, music, basketball and biblical principles

You probably didn't know that the founder of 2xSALT played ball professionally with the likes of John Stockton and Karl Malone. I didn't.

The kids got to sing along to Christmas tunes with a true recording artist, Gabe Bello, who bleeds true humility. I am fairly sure they didn't know that... but neither did I. This cat plays the sax as well as anyone. Yes, I am jealous. If I had a fraction of that talent, I'd have a sax tattooed to my forehead.

But amidst all the fun, about two dozen kids -- and even a YMCA staffer or two -- walked down and made public professions for Christ. But that probably won't make the news... not even the Christian radio shows. It should, but I am a tad biased.

There is a lot of positive stuff going on behind the scenes. Literally. These are the groups going in and making a difference, and they are doing it quietly, right here in Charlotte, to little fanfare, one disadvantaged kid at a time. And while they were doing it on that overcast Thursday, they inspired the heck out of me.

It was a privilege meeting and hanging with Reggie, Ria, Gabe, Daryle and Bart. Thanks for all the stuff you guys are doing. Big shout-out to the team at CityDive. Thanks for not confining yourselves to Huntersville. Big thanks to Alan, who thought me worthy enough to attend that activity.

If you want a few ministries to pray for and support, I got your quota here.

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Where is your teen? (Straight talk epilogue)

Being proactively realistic is the key.

Your teen is growing up in the 21st century. He/she is likely more computer savvy than most adults. He or she probably carries a power packed phone and/or iPod touch.

Your teen is probably a good teen. Your teen probably has a good heart, and mostly stays out of trouble. 

Your teen also needs to be aware of how crazy of a world it is out there, and if they cannot or will not understand that, you -- the parent -- needs to fill the gap.

The first key is understanding. You need to understand the combo minefield/resource concept known as social networking. You need to understand the different variants, the areas of potential exposure, the current trends, and how they affect you and yours.

You need to understand that the internet does the same things for teens that it does for adults: otherwise sane people do insane things on the World Wide Web. There is a world of temptation, shadowy characters and unsavory ideas that can be propagated. Just like in real life.

Be aware of your child's online identities. I believe in encouraging expression, but ensure that your kid's online creativity matches your expectations at all times. When they don't, you might want to correct unsuitable behavior with a defined repercussion.

Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and such are great tools when controlled. Your job is to control them.

Glance at your teen's FB friends. Have a look at the tweets of their followers. Check out what videos they are "liking" on YouTube. Do they have their entire profile, including your home address and phone number on Google+? You should know the answer. I hate to sound ominous, but someone will.

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Where is your teen? (Pt 2)

Before we pick on Twitter, let's take a frank look and see why social networking is such a huge area of opportunity to parents and guardians.

Pornography is a huge issue for people of all ages and sexes. Two decades ago, when your stereotypical boy wanted to view nude images, he had to be fortunate enough o have a friend who had a brother who knew a friend that hung out with a dude whose father had a stash of nudie mags. To actually find a "blue movie" you needed an even greater provision of provenance.

In other words, you had to work HARD for smut.

Today? All it takes is a relatively innocent search on Google Images to bring up material of a questionable nature.

Sexting, as a concept, confuses me. I used to think that it must be because I grew up in tamer times, but that is nonsense. To do the equivalent of sending naked photographs back then, one would have had to lug around a Polaroid and a fax machine. It was just easier to keep ones clothes on and take them off in person. Transmitting photographs was just not worth the ROI.

My point is that now, the material is out there, and disseminating it is almost too easy. Kids carry more computing power in their pockets than we had collectively in my neighborhood growing up.

FACT: there are psychos out there. They are not sitting at home bemoaning how technology and awareness have made it harder to do the snatch and grabs they cut their teeth with. They are adjusting too. Facebook does not background users, so, you might assess those 900 friends your son or daughter has -- more than you have met in your lifetime -- a bit more carefully.

What are the true dangers? I dislike fear mongers, so I am truly not being sensational. Still, when you consider that the average teen can give his/her current state of mind, home location, phone number and current location, parents should be plugged in.

This is part 2 of 3 of a mini-ebook. Come back for Part 3.

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Where is your teen?

Your teen can be anywhere right now. Yep, right in front of you.

First let me go ahead and say some opinionated things that may get me stoned. I tend to believe that any device your teen uses is yours. I don't care if they pay for that cell phone with their babysitting allowance. I believe in transference of roof. It's a nifty term I just made up to say that if they live under your roof, they submit to your rules.

I also believe in raising good kids. Trust and verify, baby.

Okay. So back to the original. Where is your teen? What is he or she doing online?

The most depressing aspect of the Chris Hansen show To Catch a Predator isn't how excruciatingly stupid some child predators are. It's how excruciatingly stupid they can be so many times. The recidivism is painfully appalling.

Charitably, I think most parents know to check Facebook. Many parents I know (smartly, IMHO) insist that formal Friendship with themselves is a requirement for their kids to use Facebook. But, do you know your kids friends? Have you met, or even glanced at the profile of any of the 900?

Of even more concern is Twitter.

A few years back, youth workers and pundits alike wondered as to why teens just were not adopting Twitter in large numbers. It seemed like the perfect outlet. It could be managed via text, so you didn't necessarily need a smartphone. It allowed for private conversations and crude broadcast messaging. It was free.

Still, most data showed teens just didn't cotton to it. That was then, though. Things seem to be have changing. With Facebook being ever more clogged, and with the realization that parents have "ruined" it (and hey, my mom is on FB. Weird), teens seem to be giving Twitter a try. More teens have cheap cell phones, and they are inviting their friends to join them across the networking pond.

The problem is that the conversation is much more hidden.

Twitter is a micro-blogging service that provides much of the same stuff Facebook provides to the content-hungry teen, including even greater anonymity. No "real" names are required, and the privacy options are tougher to fool than Facebook.

In other words, Twitter is a teen haven.

So back to the initial question. Does your teen tweet? If they do, are they willing to show you their timeline?

This is part 1 of a 3-part mini-ebook. Come back for part 2


Photo courtesy of eldh via Flickr Creative Commons.

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Dropbox

I love Dropbox. So much so that had someone not been unreasonable, one of my children would be named Boxia.

I use it for a number of purposes: cloud storage, virtual jump drive, host linked files and more. It is a great ministry tool, which is why I plug it incessantly. Having access to files is such a blessing. I can even stream music on my Android device directly from the Dropbox app.

Because I am an awesome guy, I want you to share this. And not just because I get more free storage as well. I really want you to drink from the well of happiness that Dropbox is.

Oh... whatever. Here's the link: http://db.tt/9CtRtDy.

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Christmas is over.

Christmas is gone again. Finally.

We can put away the trees, specialized yard gnomes, wrapping paper and Angry Bird Christmas lighting. No more wrapping paper, reindeer car ornaments or the questionable sweaters (and no... cats do NOT skate), and, maybe most importantly, we can put away the Christmas spirit.

I have begun to dislike the term. It's like we save all our righteous indignation for the season. We expend so much energy fighting to "put Christ in Christmas" that we forget to act like Christ before and beyond Christmas.

What a concept.

Not to discount the good that has been done over the season. It is all needed. But there will still be hungry, homeless people. There will still be people trafficked, children abused, and poor people without. We can't afford to wait till next Christmas to stand in the gap.

A friend of mine, Brian, posted a telling poster on his Facebook Wall a few weeks ago. Paraphrased, it said:

Instead of being so concerned about putting the "Christ" in Christmas, how about we work to be the Christ in Christmas?

A little bit more love... just a teeny bit, and no one will ever be able to stop us. I honestly believe if Christ was physically here, one of the last things that would bother Him is how much of Him is injected into a season that has little to do with the sacrifice of His life anyway. If I might be so forward, I do humbly believe He would be in pain with regards to the human condition.

I believe we need to feel the same type of sorrow.

So, I propose we make the "Christ in Christmas" phrase the most redundant one in existence by reflecting God all the time. Let's work to become the Christ people see all the time.

Image courtesy of James Fischer via Flickr CC

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Church now allows interracial couples

I mentioned the interesting case of the Kentucky congregation that voted to disallow interracial couples a while back (to be fair, said couples were allowed to attend funerals. Okay).

In an update, the pastor of the church publicly noted that the church had overturned that vote. I should also note that the pastor who spearheaded the original rule is not the current Pastor.

There is a lot I could say, but since I am a nice guy, I'll hold my tongue. At least till Black History month.

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The humility of leadership

Courtesy of Ian Britton via reelworship.com

There is a time, in every believer's life, that he or she finds out just how important they are in Kingdom-building.

You can be such a powerful tool for the kingdom. This precept should be a motivating factor in the life of every Christian. But even more importantly, one must realize that as important as we are, God will get things done... without -- or in spite of -- you. In other words, you might as well get on board, because God's will will be done.

Understanding and appreciating this intrinsic dichotomy is a serious, humbling lesson all Christians must learn, and I admit I am still getting a handle on it myself. It is a thought that frees me from burdening myself with self-doubt and the occasional spirit of reluctance.

As potential champions of social justice, we all have opportunities to impact our local worlds in positive ways. There is a need. God wants us to project love. He blesses our humble endeavors in that regard.

What are you waiting for?

What am I waiting for?


Let's dream big, and worry about meeting people where they are, and showing God's love, with no strings attached. Forget about Christmas Spirit (don't gasp!)... let's make it perpetual.

Let' make it happen.

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Would you hire Jesus as your pastor?

via Google images

Would you?

Would our present-day sensibilities preclude us from looking at Jesus as a success?

What would you consider to be a successful minister/ministry? Congregation? Size of edifice? Length of time on local radio or TV? Propagation of intellectual material? Use of high-end technology?

How would Jesus measure up in a world that is instinctively influenced by materialism? I think the answer might be a bit scary.

Now, flip it.

How do I measure up to Jesus (the true measure of success)? Do I battle for those that need to be fought for? Do I show compassion? Am I willing to sacrifice my comfort to present the gospel to people?

Do I reflect God in everything I do?

Hmmm... food for thought...

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Interracial couples NOT welcome!

Yep, it's 2012...

Chalk this up as one of those headlines that make me do a double-take. I was dozing off at the time, too. Apparently, a Kentucky church has gone out of it's way to ban interracial marriage. It made the decision after one of its congregants made the monumentally dangerous decision of bringing her Zimbabwean fiance to church, where she played the piano while he sang. And no, the church is not caught up in a time warp or being punked by M. Night Shyamalan (I checked).

He sang "I Surrender All."

Apparently, he couldn't or wouldn't surrender his skin color, because he is not allowed back, or at least not while engaged to a white lady.

You see... the church decided to, uh, proactively make sure it didn't have to deal with this travesty again. It formally banned all interracial couples from coming to the church. Oh wait... except for funerals (I didn't make this up; plus, I thoroughly believe that there is no better place to relax overtly racist mores than at grave sites).

I would have given good, good money and my favoriite Christmas ornaments to see the looks on the faces of the congregants during the song.

Now, apart from giving me major pause, this unbelievable story let to a blog post that presented me with a few unenvisaged issues:

• How would I categorize it with a blog label? I initially wanted to use "Funnies" since it is so shockingly unbelievable, but also considered creating a new one: ...Songs that won't get you invited back to church...
• Confusion. How on earth would this church deal with the cast of Jersey Shore? Over-tanning would definitely be an issue. I guess re-runs of Mixed Blessings never play during church get-togethers. Guess who didn't come to that dinner. What happened to simply making people feel uncomfortable? I'm all for democracy, but, c'mon. For real?
• A weird sense of understanding... maybe this church is simply misunderstood. Maybe they were striking back for the disenfranchised expatriates Robert Mugabe ticked off with his land reform. 

In any case, this stuff still happens in the Land of the Free, so I guess there is still work to be done.

Thanks to Cass for giving me a graphic sign that clearly denotes my speechlessness.

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Connections vs separations.

I love cheap tech toys. In truth, I love expensive tech toys too, but I have to hold off on getting that decked-out Maybach. For now, at least.

One of my favorites is my Bluetooth Audio Bridge. It's a BlackBerry-branded device that allows me to turn most computer speakers to wireless output for my EVO. In other words, I can connect the bridge to a pair of speakers, and stream music to it from a short distance. It works well during youth devotions and stuff. Secondarily, you can use it in cars with tape decks.

There is, well, one drawback. It needs a source of electricity, as it is not rechargeable. So, even though I am not tethered to my EVO, I have to add a power cable to the equation.

It's interesting... on the hand, I am able to create a remotely controlled music interface, but on the other, I also created a little bit more clutter, and, arguably, an even greater need for resources.

It occurred to me that some of the "solutions" we pursue in life can be somewhat ambiguous, particularly when we fail to seek God in our decisions. I think this is not only important for church workers, but for believers as a whole.

Even more importantly, I think it is crucial that we don't create more barriers between God and our congregations. This isn't something that we can do with just technology. That new church initiative to go to a dual sermons on Sunday can do the same hing if not implemented correctly. As already noted, seeking God is the first step, because what is "logical" to us is not always God's plan. 


The church that remembers that will do well.

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JoePa's last lesson (to the church).

Courtesy of frangrit via Flickr CC.

The Penn State child abuse scandal has everyone reeling. Frankly, it has been painful to even try to watch sports TV shows this past week.

A telling dichotomy emerged. Even as alumni and school officials publicly expressed shame and disgust, the students themselves seemed unanimous in their defense of Coach Paterno.

Like it or not, it seemed clear that contrary to what we might always have thought, college may not be the best place to teach our young adults about the realities of life.

In any case, there are some things that church staffers can get from this grave issue. The good news? Some are really, really obvious.

When it comes to working with children and young people, some non-negotiable accountability rules must be put in place.

Duh. 

The eyewitness account of one of the alleged offenses is excruciatingly horrid. The first question administrators should ask is: where were the controls? How did a coach/camp supervisor end up in a shower with a child?

Are there rules in place? Do the staffers understand them? Most importantly, are the rules actually enforced? A lot of times, the issue isn't with having rules present; the problem is actually adhering to them.

Secrecy generally leads to problems

Some things are meant to never see the light of day... ask Microsoft about the Kin. Staff issues with children? Deal with it, follow the law and put the broom and rug away.

Cooperation with law enforcement is key too.

Time alone does not heal these type of wounds, particularly when the alleged perpetrator is not held accountable. Which brings me to...

Be decisive in response to allegations.

I believe that if you create a transparent environment with protective rules, checks and balances, you won't have any allegations, but if you do, then act swiftly. 

Some folks may not agree with me, but I believe if any unsavory behavior is alleged, the prudent thing to do may be to ask the staffer to step down for a while. Why not? The church 's governing entity can decide upon the status of such a leave, but I do think it is prudent to remove, say, a child worker while any issues are being investigated.

Communicate.

This goes with everything else. Enough said.

I never thought that I'd see Coach Paterno not be at the helm at Penn State. It's a shame that it had to go down the way it did, but it should serve as a warning to the rest of us mere mortals. You can do a lot of good, but all it takes to tarnish a legacy is one major misstep.

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Love OR marriage, went together...

I was watching Steve Harvey ham it up on Family Feud the other day, and an interesting question caught my eye.

To summarize, Family Feud is a game show that it based around two competing families that try to match answers to the answers of 100 respondents to specific questions. Gems like " name a part of your body in your pants" and "name a word that rhymes with 'creeper'" are regularly used.

Answers are giving percentage points based on the number of people who give that answer in the previously recorded poll. High scores are generally in the 30s, so if a contestant answers a question that matches the top response, they would generally net about 30+ points.

On a recent show, one of the final questions was "name something people think will last forever." The wife and I thought the contestant answered with the best answer when she said "marriage."

Great answer, no?

She scored 18.

The top answer was "love." Interesting food for thought, if we are to assume the Family Feud 100-person polls are a true reflection of society. Love and marriage are not necessarily synonymous anymore. LMaybe love does not beget marriage.

Maybe I am reaching a bit. What do you think?

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Fearing the best

I hate to lose.

This weekend, both of my soccer teams had it rough. No goals for, plenty against. A single loss usually does good to put me in a dark mood, but running between two states for most of the weekend to get both teams going (kinda) and getting our teeth kicked in was especially hard to swallow. Tack on the player injuries, tight schedules and forced tan I got, and you can understand my feelings.

In the midst of the losses, there were some bright spots. It exposed our collective need to get better, but also showed how well we can do when we gel. Both sets of ladies never quit.

There was a point, during the last game with my older team, that I had to make a decision. Continue to push and express anger, with injured players all over the place, or be a resource to my players. I reluctantly (I admit) picked the latter option.

I smiled.

My hope was that being relaxed would rub off. And it did. My ladies seemed to open up. Granted, with the way we changed injured keepers and fill-ins, all one could do was smile.

It didn't stop the goals against us; we continued our free fall, but hopefully, the landing was softer than it could have been.

Another lesson learned... don't fear the loss. Deal with your response.

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Starting again

It begins again.

ATTIC is back, and I'll be having three new ladies join the fold... two teams in two new divisions, and a (mostly) new collection of parents.

With Fall comes a renewed sense of purpose. I look on the past year of coaching/ministry, and I think the honest thing is to be grateful for any successes, but be realistic about areas of opportunity.

In everything, it is clear that I must continually refresh myself if I want to be an effective trainer and pastor. I readily admit that sometimes, the sheer breadth of responsibility gives me pause.

The older one gets, the easier it is to see that one's strength isn't necessarily a function of what's within, despite what the cool Nike commercials say. It is more a function of what one attaches oneself to. So, I am making this easy by re-attaching myself to He who strengthens me.

It should be a good season for my youth and soccer teams. Keep us in your prayers.

Image courtesy of Ian Britton via reelworship.com.

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Terrahawks and Ecclesiastes

As a kid, I loved the supermarionation series Terrahawks. We didn't have very much by way of television choice, and when you make a show that has spaceships, aliens and commanders named Tiger Ninestein in the physical manifestation of puppets, we tuned in. Religiously.

Ninestein was a man's man. Not only did he have nine lives (get it?) that allowed one of his clones to replace him in the event of his death, he led a group tasked with protecting earth from Zelda and her minions. He carried a big stick (much like his PGA namesake used to). He was tough, cocky and suave, and at age 12, I was all about being suave.

One of Ninestein's famous quips was "Expect the unexpected." It wasn't a yell, and it wasn't a cry. It was always said with deliberate control... a respect for the inevitability of chaos. It was cool, it was collected, and most importantly: it was incredibly suave.

I had to use it.

I practiced the phrase for hours in the mirror (don't judge me. There wasn't Facebook, cell-phones or an other things that created misaligned kids back then; we had to work to blight our brains back then). I decided that everyone would be blessed with the phrase as my opening point to any conversation. They could expect that. It was the perfect rejoinder, something with which I could show everyone the depth of philosophical thought I had accumulated over my lengthy dozen-or-so years.

And, it worked well. I got blank looks from friends. Most seem more confused and impressed, but hey, plenty of politicians aim to stupefy people in the exact same way today, so I must have been onto something. I kept using my new tool of cool until one fateful evening.

Without getting to deeply into it, when your dad is talking about how badly his day went at work (and we ain't talking about "regular" work; we're talking about stressful work, where colleagues get killed by package bombs) AND how car trouble had left him stranded for hours AND how he had been interrogated by government security forces, you might NOT want to quote Tiger Ninestein at all. That evening, the expected outcome actually did happen.

I think if we focused on how much little control we have in life, it would be crippling. The cliches are mostly true: cherish the seconds, stop and breathe, it could be worse. But for those that need it, getting a true Anchor in God is all we have.

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Church work on the cheap

Here is an article from a writer my wife thinks is gorgeous and extremely smart. The article talks about tools that specifically are used for church work, but could be of help to any business person.

Leave comments here or there...

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Recast

It's been a busy year so far. With three teams and church work, I felt stretched. Tryout week just ended... looks like I'm gonna have two club teams again.

Truth be told, without some of the best church volunteers and parents on both sides (like my earthbound Angel), I'd never make it.

I'm looking forward to it.

For now, I am so grateful to God for all the opportunities. I am quite happy for the few weeks of respite. End of season brings a multitude of emotions. You say goodbye to players for any number of reasons; it never gets easier.

The longer I coach, the longer I realize that it is an extension of my ministry. That is what makes me keep at it. I love what I do, and even though I may never get rich doing it, I truly feel privileged.

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Churchdrop

As you know, I love church technology. It's my passion. I think the church must harness technology to reach the people we are told to reach. It's the same concept behind the move from papyrus to paper. Better tools make the job easier to do and imbibe.

I was just blessed with an opportunity to write with a bunch of guys who know way more than me on that topic. I'd like to invite you to check out Churchdrop.

Great articles by some great people... and, oh yeah, little old me.

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