Equalize the Pressure

Have you ever tried flying while having a head cold? It can be a painful experience. The pressure in the cabin because of the altitude tends to overwhelm the already sensitive sinuses, causing a tremendous ear-ache. The only way to get relief is to plug your nose and blow. This pressure from the inside equalizes the outside pressure and you will sense immediate relief. Now I know doctors discourage this behavior, but it works.

This is a good analogy for our spiritual lives as well. When our outside world or circumstances bring overwhelming pressure, the only way to survive is to build up our internal pressure to counter what’s coming at us from the outside. This is called “equalizing the pressure” and the only way I have found to equalize the pressure is by getting the Word and the Spirit of God on the inside.

What is Spirit Contemporary?

I remember the conversation well. I was a frustrated pastor and I wasn’t sure who I could vent to, so I called my dad.

“I just don’t know what to do anymore. I wish I could pastor a charismatic Mennonite church.”

I grew up in conservative evangelical churches. And while I am very thankful for my heritage, I always felt like something was missing. I desired more. I wanted to experience the power of God I read about in the Gospels and throughout the book of Acts.

Is the Culture of Your Church Inviting to Outsiders?

We may teach our people to invite their unchurched friends to church, but one of the biggest obstacles in the way of them actually inviting could be the culture of our church. We must ask ourselves, “Is our culture conducive to outsiders?”

If our behaviors reflect we value insiders over outsiders, then those behavior will override our vision to reach the lost. Our behaviors determine our culture, and culture trumps vision every time. Culture is more powerful than the mission statement. It is more important than our strategy. Culture is our heart. It tells the world what we most value.

I believe culture can be broken down into two categories – tangible and intangible behaviors. Let me explain.

How to Invite Your Friends to Church

“Ninety-six percent of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if they are invited.” Dr. Thomas Rainer made this claim in his article Ten Surprises About the Unchurched – Understanding their Hearts and Minds posted 7/11/2007.

The next obvious question is: Are Christians inviting non-Christians to church? The heartbreaking answer is “no.” Rainer claims that only 21 percent of active churchgoers invite anyone to church in the course of a year. But only 2 percent of the church members invited an unchurched person to church. That’s sad! Why do you think this is? A simple invite can go a long way.

The Secret Sauce for Mega-Growth

I still remember the moment like it was yesterday. I was casting a convincing vision to my leadership team, or so I thought. I introduced the next best model we would incorporate as a church and how this idea was “our missing link”. As I closed, I asked the team if anyone had any questions. A lady put up her hand and boldly asked, “Pastor Kelly, how long are we going to stick with this model before we move on to the next ‘great’ idea?“

I have to admit I was one of those conference junkie pastors, in desperate search for the mega-church secret sauce. I would tirelessly dig for answers into “what” growing churches were doing and then study “how” they did it. I mined through hours of seminars, books, podcasts and anything else I could get my hands on, hoping, longing to snag one good (or God) idea that might spark mega-growth in my own ministry.