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As someone who has spent a fair amount of time vocationally as a pastor, I should love church, but I don't. As someone who has always had a heart for young adults and discipling them to live like Jesus, I should be out there with a crew of people mentoring them right now. But I'm not. Why not? Like so many others, I got burned out and burned up by what we call church, both by leaders, and by members. There is too much that feels broken to make any genuine change or growth as there should be. Churches want millennials to adapt to them and millennials want churches to adapt to them. In many instances each side is right about what is wrong, but wrong about what to do about it. For me, current Americanized church culture has become a nearly impossible environment to minister in either direction; to the church and to the people. To a large degree that is on me. I own that. At the same time, most everyone thinks that they know what should be happening, but it's usually based on bad information so nothing changes for the better. I've come up with a name for this bad-information-no-forward-motion phenomenon. I'm calling it "presupposition paralysis" and it is the elephant in the room no one wants to deal with. Well, here it goes.
The following is inspired by an article on faithit.com written by Sam Eaton. While I quote a fair bit of his post, please take a moment and read his in its entirety before reading mine. I don't know Sam or anything about him beyond the bio at the end of his post. My post is not meant to argue with Sam, but to give him and others food for thought and hopefully action (if he ever reads it). I'm not trying to talk to Sam specifically with this, but I am encapsulating millennials when I do refer to Sam."
His well-written and well-intentioned article has served to be a catalyst to help me bring into focus the dozens of other articles and books written on the subject, recent life experiences, and conversations around the same topic. Even if no one ever reads this, I needed to document this for myself so that I don't lose this new-found focus. I'm going to use his "12 theses" as a framework to echo my own similar frustrations, sound some original frustrations, and hopefully address the presuppositions and the causing paralysis in the church and millennials. There are solutions. There are answers. There is hope for all of us.
Sam's article goes deep, therefore this one will as well. Writing this kind of feels like writing the letter Jerry McGuire sent out and eventually lost him all of his clients and his job. But Jerry ended well, so let's hope this does too. Get some coffee or tea and settle in.
(If you do nothing else, scroll to the end and watch the video. It encapsulates what I want to do and what I want to see happen.)
Goals and Background
Here is who I'm hoping to connect with as I write this;
- Lead pastors and/or Young Adults Pastors. I've been both, I know the challenges. You need some encouragement as well as to reevaluate some things, especially those with "successful" young adults ministries. Are you building up the status and prestige of your church and personal ministry by building a large and active-looking ministry, or are you building up and sending out disciples of Jesus? It tends to be an either-or proposition. Not always, but usually.
- Anyone, young or old, who is tired of ridiculously over-the-top churches with their productions and "experiences," as well as churches who want people to buy into their culture and way of being the church without any desire to change and therefore grow. Surprisingly enough, there are young churches like this; it's not just all of the old people. There is a way to be the church without all the BS. What you think is the church just might be your tradition. Let's stop and talk about it.
- Millennials who know what they want, but don't realize that what they want changes often. If that statement is off-putting then consider this an opportunity to do some of the internal reflection on yourself that you wish churches would do on themselves. You have an important part to play but you don't yet fully understand what that means, and that's not all your fault. To be fair, a lot of churches have lost sight of what this means also.
Here is where I'm coming from;
- 20+ years of ministry experience, Bible college degree, married 22+ years, parent of two millennials, full-time senior pastor for 8 years, young adults and small groups pastor, years of paid and volunteer youth ministry, worship team and other volunteer service in the church. I have served with and been mentored by some amazing people. I don't claim to have all of the answers, but I know an elephant when I see it and I'm not afraid to talk about it to its face.
- Currently church-less. As of this writing, there is a church that we feel safe and comfortable going to, but it isn't yet our home church, our base of community. It is our third church in 10 months. If you think church shopping is hard as a "normal" person, try doing it as a pastor. Wait, don't. It kinda sucks.
- Currently at a point of decision.
- There is a church in town that has aged but wants to reach out to young people (20s to 40s) and has asked me to take that on if I want to. The best way I can describe them is a group of hippies who love Jesus, love to worship, full of the love of God and the Spirit, but have aged and like having the church service the way they do it. They are one of the most genuine group of worshippers I have seen in years. There is life there. At the same time, its like going to visit your grandmother. She's great, but she plays her music, decorates the way she likes to decorate, its smells the way she likes it to smell (hopefully), and all of those things are her right because she lives there alone. If she were to take on a 30something house mate, either things would have to change around the house, or she would need to build an addition to the house for hew new housemate. That's where this church is. They want to build an addition to their church family that suits a younger generation while also carrying on with their service. I've been given the opportunity to build this addition and as of this writing I have no idea what I would do, nor do I know if I have the energy to create something from nearly scratch. If you live in Vancouver, have some ideas, some energy, and are interested, drop me a line.
- Just this week, a young family we knew from the church I pastored in Forest Grove but now lives in Portland, contacted us and is desperate to find a church in their part of the city (near Portland State University). They have spent a few years trying to find a church that is theologically sound, Biblically moral, and not trying to put on a production every Sunday. That's hard to find in a city like Portland. They texted my wife and I asking if we would plant a church in Portland, which already seems like a church-planting capitol because its the cool place to try and plant a church these days. But the church planters are trying to plant cool churches instead of just healthy well-balanced churches (based on their marketing anyway). Why is this couple asking us? I would like to think it's because we are neither the types who believe, "Just shut up and believe the Bible you liberal Commie," (they are out there) nor are we those who say, "Jesus loves you the way you are and you never have to change a thing, just love people, especially yourself." We believe that when we gather, it should be intentional, done well, and people leave full. It should be like having a really good dinner party as opposed to going to a dinner show in Vegas. In response to our friends, I somewhat jokingly said that if they could find 10 adults who would be committed to such a thing that we would consider it. They are now seriously praying for 10 adults while trying out one more church. Zoinks! I you live in the downtown core and NW Portland area, drop me a line. I think.
With that in mind, let's jump in.
Here is what the conversation about the church and millennials looks like.
Which one is which? Yes. I think both the church and millennials are playing both parts and they are both right and wrong.
The Intro
Sam opens echoing something that I feel. I want to love the church but I don't. He then suggests that no one is listening to millennials about why they are anti-church. I don't doubt Sam feels that way, but I find the idea hard to believe based on the number of blog posts, surveys, and books documenting that very subject, telling churches how to engage millennials. People are listening, people are trying to change things. Perhaps its a question of efficacy. Keep in mind as we go, in many instances each side is right (in my opinion) about what is wrong, but wrong (in my opinion) about what to do about it.
Sam's 12 Theses
1) Nobody's listening to us
Millennials value voice and receptivity above all else. When a church forges ahead without ever asking for our input we get the message loud and clear: Nobody cares what we think. Why then, should we blindly serve an institution that we cannot change or shape?
- Presupposition (millennial): If we will be heard we can help grow and contribute to the church. Everyone should have a say.
- Paralysis (church, and myself): My experience with millennials is that they expect you to do whatever they say. When you don't, they leave.
Just as these 12 theses are accurate generalities, so these responses are generalities. Bear that in mind.
When I have either openly sought the input of millennials, or they sought me out, as a lead pastor of a church, or the young adults pastor, when I have heard them out and decided, in some cases, not to implement what they suggested, many times they leave. On the part of the millennial, there is an element of entitlement and a lack of teachability. They genuinely feel that just because they say it, I should do it. That's just irrational. On the part of the church, there can be elements of institutionalism and hierarchy. This leads to an environment where there is dictatorship and not discipleship. What is needed is an underlying environment of discipleship.
Discipleship promotes an environment of questions and learning the "why" behind things. Dictatorship promotes a "what" level environment. "This is what we do." "Why?" "It's just what we do. Don't bother me with questions." In a discipleship environment, the millennial would feel free to ask and suggest just about anything. The leadership would then say, "Yes, and here is why and where it fits," or "No, and here is why, here are the larger concerns. Keep the ideas coming."
Churches need to do a better job at
- having a "why" behind what they do,
- being open to having it challenged which results in it either being strengthened or changed, both of which are better than before,
- and being able to teach, develop, guide, and disciple people. It's 10 times harder to do but then you get 10 times the fruit.
Millennials need to do a better job of understanding that just because they want it doesn't mean it's good for them or the church, or that they are going to get it.
2) We're Sick of Hearing About Values & Mission Statements
Why does every church need its own mission statement anyway? Aren't we all one body of Christ, serving one God? What would happen if the entire American Church came together in our commonalities and used the same, concise mission statement?
- Presupposition (church); If we can promote ourselves and create a culture like Apple, people will "buy" what we're "selling" including serving the needy.
- Paralysis (millennial); Provide opportunities for us to take action and to serve the needy, but we want it to be cool and fit with our schedule.
My experience has been that a church can be more concerned and consumed with marketing itself and its pastor as a brand than actually living out the gospel, all in the name of the gospel. So much money, we're talking the equivalent of a modest annual salary (at least), is wasted on slick brochures, video production, ads on Facebook, graphics designers, painting facilities, signage, billboards, blah blah blah, to get a church slogan and pastor's face in front of people, which does result in butts in the seats, but zero discipleship. Discipleship is difficult. People leave when it gets difficult, even though Jesus said it would be difficult, but we want them to stay so we will keep it easy. I sat in on that meeting more than once.
At the same time, my experience has been that when I've gone through the effort to provide the genuine opportunities that millennials want, it is inconvenient and no one shows up. When I ask them why, many say, "You should have promoted it better." Irony of ironies.
Discipleship done right results in living out the great commission, creating compassionate people, legitimate miracles that point people to Jesus and doesn't ask you to send in that love gift. Discipleship does what we need. We need to be doing it.
3) Helping the poor isn't a priority
Let's clock the number of hours the average church attender spends in "church-type" activities. Bible studies, meetings, groups, social functions, book clubs, planning meetings, talking about building community, discussing a new mission statement…
- Presupposition (millennial); If we spend more time taking care of the poor and less time in church stuff we will be doing a better job of obeying Jesus.
- Paralysis (all); There is a radical oversimplification happening on both sides of this one causing both sides to become further entrenched in their point of view.
There is a lot behind this one, too much to esplain'. Lemme' sum up. So much of what we see and experience in life can be illustrated on a pendulum. There are two extremes; a tick and a tock. In this instance, the tick is "get out there and feed the poor or you're a bad Christian wasting all that time on Bible study." The tock is "get in here and fill your head with Bible knowledge or your a bad Christian wasting all that time on people who don't know Jesus anyway." An exaggeration? Maybe, but that's what seems to float around the inter-ether.
A pastor that I know recently posted a most ridiculous tweet. In effect it said that we need fewer Bibles and more Bible living. Now, I know what he means (I think), and knowing him he said it that way deliberately in order to stir people up (like me!) which is stupid because it causes more confusion than it does encouragement and edification. What he and others should say is that we need better Bible teaching that will lead to better Bible living.
The issue isn't quantity, it is quality.
Both of the above tick-tock extremes are wrong. There is a balanced middle that should be sought, not the opposite extreme of wherever we are now. God doesn't honor and encourage one over the other, He honors and encourages all of it; Bible study and practical service. It is through Bible study that we know how to serve, and it's through serving that we experience what we've studied.
If I may explain it in these terms; the goal is to learn the word of God the Father, so that we know how to live like God the Son, under the influence and empowerment of God the Holy Spirit.
Do we have too many Bible studies that basically just serve to fill heads with knowledge? Yes we do. Instead of stopping them, we should fix them. Do we have too many Christian social times that are designed to keep people out of trouble? Yes we do. Instead of stopping them, repurpose that time into something intentional.
Having said that, these things require commitment, and that is something that is becoming harder to come by on all sides.
What's more, not everyone is wired and called to help the poor in the same way. To say that, "Helping the poor looks like this, if you really loved Jesus you would do this," is just ignorant. Some people aren't wired to walk up to poor people, strike up a conversation, and hand out blankets and food and such. If you are, go do that. Some people are wired to collect and organize the food and materials. Some people are wired to support those who do the hands-on work. Just read Acts 6 when this very issue comes up and you will see that Jesus' apostles themselves said, "That is a need, but it isn't our calling to fulfill that need. Let's find those who are called and gifted to do it, set them loose, and we will keep doing what we are supposed to do."
To be honest, sometimes I feel judged by those who oversimplify this particular area. Forgive me if I sound defensive.
4) We're tired of you blaming the culture
From Elvis' hips to rap music, from Footloose to "twerking," every older generation comes to the same conclusion: The world is going to pot faster than the state of Colorado. We're aware of the down-falls of the culture—believe it or not we are actually living in it too. Perhaps it's easier to focus on how terrible the world is out there than actually address the mess within.
- Presupposition (church); If we keep reminding the kids that Jesus is coming back any second and the world will only get worse and worse, that will straighten these kids out.
- Paralysis (millennial); OK, let's say I believe you. You aren't telling me what to do about it, only that I should be anxious all the time about it.
One's view of the end times should have next to nothing to do with how we live our daily lives walking with Jesus. I can't believe I'm saying that, but it's true. Here's why. Regardless of when the rapture or Second Coming are, we should live every day like it's our last for Jesus because we don't know when we will die anyway. Happy now? Chances are you could die before the end of th…
One of the solutions from Sam's post on this point is, "Explicitly teach us how our lives should differ from the culture." The sad reality is that many pastors will read that as saying, "Tell me how I'm supposed to live my life," which is almost the opposite of the solution being communicated. See #7 below. If I may, I would add to Sam's solution "how and why our lives should differ."
What Sam is after happens in properly done discipleship. "You keep using that word." And I know exactly what it means.
5) The "You Can't Sit With Us" Affect
There is this life-changing movie all humans must see, regardless of gender. The film is of course the 2004 classic Mean Girls. In the film, the most popular girl in school forgets to wear pink on a Wednesday (a cardinal sin), to which Gretchen Weiners screams, "YOU CAN'T SIT WITH US!" Today, my mom said to me, "Church has always felt exclusive and 'cliquey,' like high school." With sadness in her voice she continued, "and I've never been good at that game so I stopped playing." The truth is, I share her experience. As do thousands of others. Until the church finds a way to be radically kinder and more compassionate than the world at large, we tell outsiders they're better off on their own. And the truth is, many times they are.
I agree and acknowledge that this happens. It sucks. It's stupid. A different angle on the same subject is what my wife and I are currently experiencing. I'm finding that to fit in with some circles, I feel like I have to put on the costume of the "American Christian." For my part, (a) I don't want to fit in that badly, and (2) the caricature of the American Christian is ridiculous and needs to go away. But I digress.
- Presupposition (church); If we create this kind of environment with these kinds of greeters and make people talk to those around them as part of the service, we will build community.
- Paralysis (all); we have narrowed down what a happy and normal Christian is supposed to look and act like to the point where we can't help but create our own divisions.
On the one hand there will always be groups of people who associate more with themselves than with others due to an affinity that they have. Music, sports, knitting, computers, whatever. That's just normal human behavior and it's OK. It becomes abnormal and unhealthy when an element of exclusivity sets in. Either when those are the only people you ever hang out with, or only people who are into (blank) are welcome and can contribute to this group, both are bad.
On the other hand, our culture, church or otherwise, has determined that to be an extrovert is to be normal. A good pastor is an extrovert, a gregarious people-gatherer. Where is that in scripture? A normal Christian should be outgoing, always smiling, always getting into people's lives. Really? I peg the introvert-o-meter on all of the personality tests and have found myself excluded from ministry because of it, regardless of the strengths and skills I bring to the table.
Just as a human body is diverse so should be the church. The Body of Christ should be diverse in every sense. We need to find ways for this diversity of people to connect and serve, not constrict them to all being just the cool-looking parts. I'll leave it at that.
6) Distrust & Misallocation of Resources
I don't have much to add or comment on this one from Sam. I will say that in my 8 years of lead pastoring, no one ever asked to see the books which were available to anyone. I think that ideally no one should become concerned to the point where they feel like they need to see what's going on in that department. At the same time, I think that leadership should operate in such a way that the think everyone wants to see them all the time and its easy to do.
7) We want to be mentored, not preached at
Preaching just doesn't reach our generation like our parents and grandparents. See: millennial church attendance. We have millions of podcasts and Youtube videos of pastors the world over at our fingertips. For that reason, the currency of good preaching is at its lowest value in history. Millennials crave relationship, to have someone walking beside them through the muck. We are the generation with the highest ever percentage of fatherless homes. We're looking for mentors who are authentically invested in our lives and our future. If we don't have real people who actually care about us, why not just listen to a sermon from the couch (with the ecstasy of donuts and sweatpants)?
- Presupposition (church); Discipleship is happening from the pulpit. We're telling people what the Bible says and they should just know what to do with it.
- Paralysis (millennials); My education has prepared me to pass tests, not process information and make real-world application of said information. I don't know what to do with this. Also, I don't want anyone telling me what to do, yet I want to be mentored and have deep relationships.
I am particularly passionate about the problems and solutions on this one and I will try to contain myself on both.
When churches make the preaching/teaching time the main event, when the large church gathering experience of music and teaching is the emphasis of a church's culture, it is a ginormous waste of time and resources for virtually everyone involved.
Pastors, notice the qualifiers there. "Main event" and "emphasis." Gathering together as family to sing and to hear God's word taught in a group has played an important role in the life of God's people since Old Testament times. It's not an invention of the church. It is a cornerstone, but it is not the only stone.
(Regarding Sam's comments on preaching, I have to point out that all of the Young Adults I know and follow on social media are really into preaching. They are constantly posting pics and quotes from church. It just so happens that the preacher is a younger hipper type of person. I think this one needs more analysis some other time.)
What we need is the return of Rabbinic-style discipleship. (See "Building A Discipling Culture" by Mike Breen.) We need a balanced and modern version of it. It exists. I've seen it. "I want to believe." But again, it takes commitment. It takes time. When I was lead pastoring I felt like people would come on Sunday, and MAYBE to one other thing during the week. My limitation was not a lack of desire to mentor other people. My limitation was that people didn't really want to be mentored. They liked the idea of mentoring, but not the cost. Jesus ran into this frequently, so much so that after three years of some amazing ministry and drawing of crowds, only 120 were following Him and they were in hiding. There are lots of things that are important for a healthy well-balanced church;
- Sunday morning corporate gathering is important.
- Gathering to pray is important.
- Mentoring time is important.
- Serving those who need serving outside the four walls is important.
Yet what are people's lives occupied with that are also important, at least to them?
- Going to the gym.
- Hanging out with friends.
- Gaming.
- Hiking trips.
Or if your a millennial that is also a parent, single or otherwise,
- Sports practice for your kids
- Gymnastics/Dance for your kids.
- Scouts for your kids.
- Theater/Music for your kids.
- Time with your family away from other demands.
It's like, "Jesus I want to follow you, but first…" "Pastor, I want to be mentored, but first…" Jesus repeatedly talked about counting the cost of discipleship, which term I'm using interchangeably with mentoring.
The situation we are in now and that few in ministry talk about is this; the result of years of not discipling and mentoring people is that there is hardly anyone to disciple and mentor the next generation. So much so that no one really gets what discipleship is supposed to look like. Sadly, many pastors don't know how to disciple others because they aren't taught that in seminary, nor have they been discipled themselves, at least not in a long time! This cycle must be broken.
Millennials, if you are serious about wanting to be mentored, if you commit to the process, you could be key in saving the future of the church. Talk to your pastors, talk to your leaders, and see if you can help start a revival of discipleship. Beg for it, fight for it, until they ask you to leave you trouble-maker.
NOTE: This could fit anywhere, but seems to fit best here. As a lead and young adults pastor who tried to build a community around mentoring and service, I consistently saw millennials float from church to church like they were going clubbing. The ones who would visit our church once in a while, who would friend me on Facebook, I saw them go to Cool Church 1 on Sunday mornings, Cool Church 2 on Sunday nights, Cool Church 3's young adults ministry all the time because they like the music here, the speaker there, the social time at the other. Very rarely did I encounter a millennial who was interested in being mentored. I read a lot about how millennials want to be mentored and I really want it to be true, but it has yet to be my experience. This is why commitment has come up at least twice so far.
8) We want to feel valued
Churches tend to rely heavily on their young adults to serve. You're single, what else do you have to do? In fact, we're tapped incessantly to help out. And, at its worst extreme, spiritually manipulated with the cringe-worthy words "you're letting your church down." Millennials are told by this world from the second we wake up to the second we take a sleeping pill that we aren't good enough. We desperately need the church to tell us we are enough, exactly the way we are. No conditions or expectations. We need a church that sees us and believes in us, that cheers us on and encourages us to chase our big crazy dreams.
- Presupposition (church); Value is found in service. Do your job as unto the Lord without complaining.
- Paralysis (millennial); I'm more than a cog in a machine, I'm a person designed for relationship and I'm getting burned out.
I agree that churches can use and abuse young single people when it comes to service. I've seen it, I've been it, hopefully I haven't done it to others.
With regard to the statement that millennials are told that they aren't good enough, you do not have the corner on the market on this one. Everyone in every demographic is told this in some form, from little kids to the elderly. It's called marketing at best, and abuse at worst. I was in Target recently with my wife and saw a row of manly mannequins with athletic t-shirts on them, pecs and abs bursting forth, and I told my wife, "Those make me feel bad," to which she replied they do for women too. We are all bombarded with "you are not good enough." As I mentioned earlier, introverts are perceived as not able to be up front, speaking and leading, because that doesn't fit the culture-made mold. It's garbage because I have years of successfully doing so inside and outside the church.
Proper Bible teaching and proper discipleship should include the teaching and demonstration that our value and identity are in Jesus alone. That's just universal.
I do, however, have a problem with the statement, "We desperately need the church to tell us we are enough, exactly the way we are. No conditions or expectations. We need a church that sees us and believes in us, that cheers us on and encourages us to chase our big crazy dreams." To be blunt, these are the last things anyone needs if they are serious about being a follower of Jesus. Plus, just read 1 Corinthians. How do you think those people felt after Paul dropped that truth-bomb on them? But he wasn't wrong to do it.
- God created His own chosen people, Israel, a light to the world, His own special treasure, and gave them a set of conditions and expectations we call The Law of Moses. These didn't just point out what sin was, but also pointed people back to a gracious and loving God that they needed day by day, with whom they could walk and have a powerful relationship.
- Jesus Himself put expectations and conditions on His followers. To be a disciple of a Rabbi in His day required that you left everything behind, gave up your own life, and pursued the life of the Rabbi. Jesus explained the price, in terms of consequences, of following Him very bluntly. He challenged and pushed them to grow and change beyond "exactly the way" they were. That's what growth and maturity are. You are what you are now, that's fine, but you can't stay this way because you are supposed to grow, change, mature. What if you had a 8-year-old that said, "I am enough, accept me just as I am." I accepted my kids as such when they were that age. But I also expected them to grow up. I conditioned them to grow up. To do otherwise is criminal neglect and bad for everyone involved.
This is the conundrum of the gospel. While Jesus paid the price for our salvation, while we can't earn God's love because He gives it to us freely just as we are, following Him also costs us our lives. It costs us everything to be a follower of Jesus, even out big crazy dreams.
As for big crazy dreams, if your big crazy dreams don't come directly from God, I have no interest in cheering you on. Most people's "big crazy dreams" are completely self-serving and not God-serving. What does God say? What's His plan for you? How do we do that? I will cheer and encourage that all the live-long day. But if your dream is to nail potatoes to old barn siding, post pictures on Instagram, and sell them, I'm not interested.
9) We Want You to Talk to Us About Controversial Issues (Because No One Is)
People in their 20s and 30s are making the biggest decisions of their entire lives: career, education, relationships, marriage, sex, finances, children, purpose, chemicals, body image. We need someone consistently speaking truth into every single one of those areas.
- Presupposition (millennial); The church won't talk about the hard topics, guess I need to find my answers elsewhere.
- Paralysis (church); According to the available research and surveys of millennials, they don't want to be challenged and told what to do, they want to hear about how great they are and have their dreams cheered on. That's what keeps them coming back on Sundays.
This one is a double-edged sword that cuts both ways. And, again, millennials don't have the corner on the market on this one either. People now in their 40s and 50s were once in their 20s and 30s facing the same decisions and didn't always get the help they needed from the church either. This is not a new or unique thing. Having said that, the church needs to do better at it while people need to be teachable.
This might be getting old now, but, discipleship to the rescue! Issues need to be talked about from the pulpit, yes. But the nitty gritty you are looking for, the conversational cage matches that need to take place, happen in the context of a discipleship relationship, a mentoring relationship. Churches need to provide them, millennials need to commit to them.
10) The public perception
It's time to focus on changing the public perception of the church within the community. The neighbors, the city and the people around our church buildings should be audibly thankful the congregation is part of their neighborhood. We should be serving the crap out of them.
- Presupposition (church); Almost no one in this neighborhood comes to this church, so we need to focus on keeping who we have. In order to do what we think we should be doing, we need to keep the doors open and the staff paid, which means doing things that our customers, er, congregations like to keep them coming back, and hopefully we can do that other community service stuff we know we are supposed to be doing.
- Paralysis (all); I have expectations A, B, and C of a church and I won't go there until they do them.
It isn't as simple as "serving the crap" out of our communities, because we have a geography problem. So few of our churches are populated by people in the immediate community, unless you are in a really small town with a couple of churches. But even then you probably go to the one across town. 😉
In the context of Vancouver, WA, many churches are commuter churches, not community churches. Many people drive 20 minutes across the county, or even into Portland (while some people in Portland come over here!), because the church that they like is there. There may be a church five blocks away, but for whatever reasons, right or wrong, they don't connect with it. But that is also a different conversation.
Before we can rightly serve our communities, our churches need to rediscover what they are supposed to be in the first place and how they should operate. The reason we have a problem with the lack of "calling the schools and the city, knocking on doors, asking everyone around us how we can make their world better" is because churches have a larger and deeper identity problem, as do their pastors. I will try to keep this as succinct as possible.
Here's the situation.
- When I took on the role of lead pastor at a small church on the edge of the Portland Metro Area, I unexpectedly found myself as the CEO and President of a non-profit 501c3 corporation, a business operating in the County and in the City. This is something else they don't teach you at Bible college or Seminary.
- This corporation had government paperwork to maintain and bills to pay. I don't think a lot of churchgoers take that into consideration. The larger a church gets, the larger the organization gets, the more burdensome the HR and facilities responsibilities become. The challenges, the frustrations, and opportunities to compromise become frighteningly real.
- In order to pay the bills you have to keep people coming. In order to keep people coming your have to do a lot of really lame stuff that you eventually buy into yourself as significant ministry, hoping and praying for the opportunity to mentor a few people who want to do the work of real ministry.
- All the while, you, as the pastor, lose the option and the ability to be an authentic and genuine fellow human being, as does your spouse and kids. You have to become Pastor Nothing-Is-Ever-Wrong-And-I-Never-Do-Anything-Wrong-Along-With-My-Family. It super sucks.
Not many pastors will tell you that, but there it is. We live in a store front window for the world to see while you live in an enclosed apartment only letting in those you want to let in. Again, another post.
Let's paint the painful-realites-of-church situation this way.
- Once upon a time there were a group of kids playing baseball in a field, like in the movie, The Sandlot. Soon more kids came and they needed to split up into teams and got to play real games. Yay! Eventually friends and families came to watch, more kids came to play, and the sandlot wasn't enough space.
- They wanted to build a field with stands. Oh, and people get thirsty and hungry watching and playing ball, so there needed to be concession stands as well. Well, no one can just go find an empty lot and build it.
- First you don't have the money. Second, you don't have rights to the land. No one person wants the personal liability and financial responsibility so you create a legal entity that can have a bank account, apply for permits with the city, and build what is needed to serve all these people.
- Now in order to play, people have to pay dues and fees for all of that stuff. Soon one field isn't enough, more clubs form, more facilities are built.
- Eventually people figure out that you can make money doing this, so professional stadiums are built. Humongous, multi-million and billion dollars facilities that serve one purpose; play a game nine or so months out of the year, and the rest of the time it's empty.
- More than this, we can sell shirts, have contests, spend money to televise it, show highlight clips of exciting moments, because we need to keep it interesting. After all, just watching a baseball game is kind of boring. And then there are celebrity ball players…
This, in a very real way, is what has happened to church in America.
In order for us to get back to the many things that we are supposed to be doing, the church needs to get back to what it is supposed to be;
- the interconnected and interdependent Body of Christ,
- an assembly of called-out-from-among-the-crowd-to-serve-the-crowd people, which is what the Greek word ecclesia means, from which we get the word "church"
- the Bride of Christ in intimate and fruit-bearing relationship with Jesus.
The church needs to be revamped. It needs to be retooled. It's a difficult proposition that will require hard work and long-term commitment. Whose in?
11) Stop Talking About Us (Unless You're Actually Going to Do Something)
Words without follow-up are far worse than ignoring us completely. Despite the stereotypes about us, we are listening to phrases being spoken in our general direction. Lip service, however, doesn't cut it. We are scrutinizing every action that follows what you say (because we're sick of being ignored and listening to broken promises).
- Presupposition (millennial); No one wants to grow us up like we want to be grown up.
- Paralysis (church); We are so used to keeping up an organization and being in maintenance mode that all we know how to do as ask you to join us as we are.
Challenge accepted. In my past ministry jobs I have personally written up detailed, measurable, tangible plans to disciple and mentor millennials for the long term only to have (1) few to no millennials actually interested, or (b) the church leadership think that it's too dense for the average person to digest, or so I was told, so we're not doing that.
The more I pushed for even the most basic, practical, in-stages, systematic plans to grow people from new believer and beyond, the more resistance I got from my church bosses. The few millennials who I was able to engage "under the radar" really dug what we were doing and I think it had some potential, if not momentum.
Eventually I resigned. I could say more but it wouldn't serve the purpose of this article except to say, dear millennials, working for a church isn't always the spiritual utopia you might imagine it should be. But no one talks about it. Perhaps sometime I will when I can do so constructively.
I want to disciple millennials. I want to teach them. I want to invite them into my life and share what I have of Jesus with them. I want to learn from them. I want to cheer them on as they have crazy God-given dreams for their lives. I've done it successfully in the past and I want more. So far, when I ask and invite them, they seem more interested in going to events and "experiences" where there is exciting music and motivational speakers. I don't know who to believe anymore; people such as Sam saying what he says, or people who speak with their actions and do the opposite of what Sam says. Still working through that one.
12) You're Failing to Adapt
Here's the bottom line, church—you aren't reaching millennials. Enough with the excuses and the blame; we need to accept reality and intentionally move toward this generation that is terrifyingly anti-church. You see, church leaders, our generation just isn't interested in playing church anymore, and there are real, possible solutions to filling our congregations with young adults. It's obvious you're not understanding the gravity of the problem at hand and aren't nearly as alarmed as you should be about the crossroads we're at. You're complacent, irrelevant and approaching extinction. A smattering of mostly older people, doing mostly the same things they've always done, isn't going to turn to the tide. Feel free to write to me off as just another angry, selfy-addicted millennial. Believe me, at this point I'm beyond used to being abandoned and ignored.
- Presupposition (millennial); Church, you're uninterested in us. You don't know how to connect with people. We're mad at you and we're going to be mad at you until you do something that wins us over, and we really want to be won over.
- Paralysis (church); We have experience and wisdom to share, we want to share it, but we've lost sight of how. We are as much afraid of you as you are frustrated with us. We don't know what else to do so we will keep doing what we know how to do. Also, we feel like we have one chance to get it right with you and if we don't do it right the very first time you will bail, never to return. Chances are we won't do it right the first time, so we don't know what to do.
Sam I hear you. I feel you. In many ways I'm right there with you, just as a 43-year-old former-pastor instead of a millennial. But I also see it from the other side. You say to the church that it isn't reaching millennials, to which I would say that millennials aren't reaching the church. What we have here are incorrect expectations on both sides and a failure to communicate.
Many larger churches primarily build young adult ministries through marketing, creating experiences, doing things that maintain a group. They see you primarily as someone to market to, not to minister to. I know, I've been in the meetings. They do want to minister to you. They aren't animals. But most of the energy is put into marketing. In other words, they try to be "sexy" in their ministry (meaning polished, slick, like Apple Computer), and, sadly, it works from a numbers perspective. Sure, there are a few who eventually want to go deeper, but they usually have to leave to find it, even if they started off at sexy church.
I would like to take a moment to mention one larger church that I have some personal experience with that, in my opinion, is reaching out to millennials rightly, and that is Calvary Fellowship just north of Seattle. The ministry is called CREW and I wish I was a millennial living there because that's where I'd be. I know there are others out there (I trust) but most of the ones you search for online and are at large churches are mostly about they hype, at least based on their marketing.
Smaller churches tend to build a young adults ministry through a catalyst person, be it a pastor or church member. Calvary Chapel didn't lead the Jesus People movement in SoCal in the lat 60s because Chuck Smith connected with the kids. It was because of a charismatic hippie named Lonnie Firsbie who found a platform with Pastor Chuck at Calvary Chapel, who, himself, had a genuine heart for bringing young people to Jesus. But even in this scenario, the young tend to stick around as long as the catalyst person is around. That's no good either.
What is the answer?
Church, the answer is not in programs, but in embracing people who are in process. Millennials, the answer is not to make demands but to become and to make disciples. Fellow followers of Jesus, the answer is not to be busy doing things that we think Jesus would do, or things we think we should be doing as "Christians." We should be pursuing and doing the things He actually tells us to do today because we asked Him today and He answered. If that is to serve, then serve. If that is to teach, then teach. If that is go, then go. If that is wait, then wait.
The answer is not in age-segregated churches. A church should not just be older people, nor should it just be young single adults. A church needs the older because the older are supposed to teach the younger. A church needs the younger around to be taught, grow, mature and become the older who then turn around and teach others. It's the circle of life (now you have that stuck in your head!) and it happens faster than you think. The church doesn't need to be multi-generational, it needs to be inter-generational.
In other words, the answer is in discipleship.
There is no magic formula for all churches and all millennials because there are too many variables to consider.
However, there is a common first step for all concerned; stop. Stop what you are doing right now.
If what you are doing, church or millennial, isn't bearing fruit, a word-picture Jesus uses often, it's time to stop, it's time to prune and train the vines of our lives. It's time to take a long, hard look at what God says we should become and be doing, as a whole, and take steps in that direction.
I don't know what that looks like for you in your context, I hardly know what that looks like for me, and I'm still working on it.
Earlier I said I didn't love the church. That's not entirely accurate. I don't love what it is now. But I love what it could be, and that's what keeps me going. I want to be a functioning and healthy organ in the Body of Christ. I want to be a part of an inter-generational church. I want to help disciple and mentor millennials. That means either finding a church of older people who themselves can be taught how to mentor others, and then infuse millennials into that environment, or start with a group of presently young-ish people, and grow together through a few generations until we are there, inviting in whatever the next generation is going to be called as we go.
I'm not trying to make this about me, but it seems I've been presented with both of these opportunities. Option C is to find a church that is already inter-generational and plug in, which is certainly possible.
I don't claim to have all of the answers. Most of this is observation and opinion. Consider this a journal entry from me, and not a series of mandates. It's where I am now.
What about you? What are your thoughts? Where are you at in your process? Are you an older person and intrigued? Are you a millennial looking for direction and encouragement? Let's talk. Let's share. Let's build. Post your comments below.
And if Sam every reads this, I'd love to dialog with him as well, in the truest sense of the word.


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Russell Lee, Jack Whinery, Homesteader and Family, Pietown, New Mexico, September, 1940
The 31 photographers included in "Everyday America, Photographs from the Berman Collection," at Kasher Gallery cover more than 75 years of America's story, but the people and events scholars might deem the proper content of our national history are not here. Instead the photographers present a sort of hodgepodge history of images anyone might have noticed -- and possibly thought unremarkable. Here's a partial list of subjects: houses, shopkeepers, vehicles, lovers, amusement parks, suburbs, couples, orchards, graves, dancers, motels, kids, train trestles, shoppers, barber shops (I could go on and on).
This is a different kind of history, and I don't mean to make fun of it. On the contrary, arranging the pictures outside a historical context seems in keeping with their essential idea – they were shot in history, not about it. By not attaching the photographers' names and picture titles alongside the works, the curators go further toward isolating the images in their own discrete moments (catalogs are readily available). I found the disorientaion refreshing. The experience became just me and the images – like peering though a viewfinder moving randomly through time.
And the pictures are superb. Roughly grouped under the rubric of "documentary," the photographers avoid sentimentality and (except for one mocking photo by Martin Parr) post-modern irony. Their tool of choice is most often a large, unwieldly 4x5 or 8x10 view camera, which requires fixed intentions and emphasizes clarity and specificity.
Arguably, almost all the styles in this show can be understood as versions of Walker Evans' style. And, indeed, Evans -- with the largest number and often the best pictures in the show -- is the star here. We see, for example, his fascination with the art and language of commercial displays – he called them "the pitch direct" –echoed in pictures by Aaron Siskind and John Vachon and expanded to church signs and scribbled graffiti by Dorothea Lange and Helen Levitt.
Walker Evans, "Outdoor Advertising Sign (Dry Cleaning) near Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1935"
Walker Evans, "Shoeshine Shine in a Southern Town, 1936"
Walker Evans, "Outdoor Advertising Sign (Dry Cleaning) near Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1935"
Walker Evans, "Shoeshine Shine in a Southern Town, 1936"
It was Evans who first understood that the written word in public is important socially and aesthetically. His homage to skilled and graceful sign-painting in "Outdoor Advertising Sign (Dry Cleaning) near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1935" and minimalist white-paint-on-black board in "Shoeshine Shine in a Southern Town, 1936," for instance, show us that – long before MBAs discovered them -- brands were, for good or evil, indelible.
Or they can be chaotic, as Robert Frank shows in his 35mm. New York street shot, "Untitled (Poultry Store Front), 1950s. " In the shot a messy script, daubed on a sign above a trash-filled sidewalk, maniacally proclaims "1-pound giblets for $3" over and over and over. This is Frank working characteristically against the grain. He is no doubt well aware that the signs' thumbed-nose to craftsmanship represents a social change. What has happened to Evans' folk artist/sign painter? Is he drunk? Or has be been replaced by a machine?
The transformation of the show's themes over time is one of its great pleasures. For instance, John Humble, a west coast photographer has photographed the streets and buildings of Los Angeles in large-format color since the 1970s. His color shot of a low-slung fast-food restaurant, the show's "12511 Venice Blvd, Mar Vista (Canton Kitchen), 1997" at first seems garish with multiple signs and neon windows. But we soon understand that Humble's picture is in its way as modest and precise as one of Evans.
John Humble, 12511 Venice Blvd., Mar Vista (Canton Kitchen), January 8, 1997
John Humble, 12511 Venice Blvd., Mar Vista (Canton Kitchen), January 8, 1997
What's different in this picture (aside from the color) is the rest of the world. The Canton Kitchen itself, a place about the size of a Manhattan studio apartment, is crouched in the shadow of an appliance parts warehouse under an illuminated billboard and, on the other side, pushed up against a nondescript parking lot. Given this, and the fact that no one walks in L.A., it's hardly surprising that four signs are needed -- one of them towering above the tiny building (Chinese FOOD to GO). We're not in 1930s Connecticut anymore.
Numerous examples from the show make clear that Evans was drawn to deserted, closed and boarded-up buildings, a theme repeated here by William Christenberry, Jack Delano, David Husom and Mitch Epstein, among others. But where Christenberry's freshly-painted white church, in Hale County, Alabama in the 1970s, for example, exudes hope despite the boards nailed over its windows, Epstein's bricked-up factories in Holyoke, Massachusetts in 2000 emanate despair. Buildings have a spirit, just like living creatures.
It was Evans' great gift to infuse inanimate objects with a tender life most photographers grant only to other human beings. But, perhaps as a corollary of this, he seemed reluctant throughout his career to make intimate portraits, preferring to pose people in the midst of larger scenes, if at all. (An exception – perhaps a telling one – is his New York City series of subway portraits, shot in secret, spy-camera-style.)
Mitch Epstein, Newton Street Row Houses, (Brownstone Building), Holyoke, Massachusetts, 2000
Mitch Epstein, Newton Street Row Houses, (Brownstone Building), Holyoke, Massachusetts, 2000
Could an unconscious aping of Evans' people-shyness by curators or collector explain why so few portraits are in this show? It's a real surprise, given the size of the space, that all the significant people pictures can be grouped in one corner. Clearly, this is not because they're unconvincing or weak. On the contrary, this section of the show may be its liveliest.
This is in spite of the fact that many of the portraits in "Everyday America" are not "everyday" at all. They are classic black and white prints by Dorothea Lange, Margaret Bourke-White and other Depression-era shooters of refugee families and young working men fleeing the dust-bowl. These dramatic pictures are interesting, but there's something musty and old-fashioned about them. They were widely published at the time and are now so well-known as a genre it's hard to really see them clearly. But then comes an early color shot by FSA photographer Russell Lee to pierce through the decades.
In Lee's picture, "Jack Whinery, Homesteader and Family, Pietown, New Mexico, September, 1940," (see it top of this review) a handsome young working-class man and his blonde, blue-eyed wife, holding their toddler son, stare resolutely into the camera. Behind them is the cardboard-covered wall of their new rough-built shack with plastic stretched over an unframed window. A swatch of flowered fabric for curtains is tentatively pinned up near the window. A Coca-cola poster is hanging on the wall.
To me this picture says, "We are a God-fearing, can-do American family, and we are not afraid." My question might be, Why not? The Great Depression is still hanging on, and another great war is looming in Europe. Yet, as a viewer, I believe in this family. Here in America they'll make it, I'm sure. In the final reel, I tell ourselves, everything will work out.
Mitch Epstein, Ybor City, Florida (Mother with Brown Paper Bag), 1983
Mitch Epstein, Ybor City, Florida (Mother with Brown Paper Bag), 1983
By 1983, when Mitch Epstein made "Ybor City, Florida (Mother with Brown Paper Bag), " belief is harder to come by. In Epstein's picture a thin man in a ragged straw hat glares belligerently at the camera. Behind him, dressed in cheap, ill-fitting clothes and clutching an old paper bag, his wife and three young children stand apart, round-shouldered, looking down at the sidewalk or off to the side, anywhere but at the camera. They are waiting for the shame to end. But it won't.
What has changed?
Flash forward to 1997. Joel Sternfeld 's "A Man Walking Home, Washington Market Park, NYC" shows a well-dressed late-middle-aged black man standing by a lamppost in a lush city park in an upscale neighborhood. The man leans back, smiling, balancing two shopping bags. We see that he is next to a garden. Tomatoes are growing. A sunflower nods its golden head. The man's mood seems peaceful, friendly. After so many years, he looks like he feels at home.
What has changed?


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Aside from the aesthetic implications of failing to care for your teeth and gums, poor oral health poses major threats for your entire wellbeing. Many common ailments and diseases are said to be linked to the oral cavity, including heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, lung conditions and rheumatoid arthritis. One study shows that people with serious…
Many individuals who aren't happy with their smiles because of missing teeth and who don't want to deal with removable dentures on a day-to-day basis opt for dental implants. While a dental implant procedure itself typically takes less than an hour, the results can last a lifetime. Once the implant is fully healed, results can…
The health benefits of apple cider vinegar are well documented. Despite a growing body of research supporting these health benefits, many Americans are still unaware of this simple yet powerful type of vinegar. In this article, we review a few key health benefits and offer tips for anyone interested in making apple cider vinegar a bigger part of daily nutrition.
Difficult things are often the most rewarding. And when it comes to oral health, this concept is particularly true. Flossing is one of the most difficult habits to adopt—most children and adults recoil at the idea of having their teeth flossed during a dental cleaning, much less every night. Yet flossing is one of the most important oral hygiene habits to develop.
This Valentine's Day, the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) encourages men and women of all ages to love the gums you're with. This health initiative spreads awareness for the holistic connection between the mouth and body—emphasizing the ways gum disease may significantly increase your risk of developing other serious illnesses. Visit this article to learn more about the AAP, gum disease, and ways to prevent serious illness.
According to the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), men and women who suffer with diabetes are at a higher risk for developing periodontal disease (gum disease). For medical professionals, the new link is just another piece of evidence illustrating the complex and interconnected nature of the human body. But for adults who suffer with type I or II diabetes, the research is a clear warning to stay vigilant in the fight against oral infection and tooth decay.
tooth decay is growing among American children between the ages of 2 and 11, a vital period that sets the stage for personal growth in teenage and young adult years. We've created this special guide so both parents and children can learn to better care for their teeth, gums, and total body health.
For researchers at the College of Connecticut, there's no question about it: Junk food is addictive. Most addictive are heavily processed snacks that have high levels of sugar and fat, like Oreo cookies. In fact, a recent study indicates that Oreo cookies are just as addictive as cocaine or morphine. This is a startling discovery for parents and children alike, as Oreos are one of America's favorite sandwich cookies. Nevertheless, the discovery underscores and important fact: The American diet is rich in high-fat and high-sugar snacks that wreak havoc on the teeth, gums, and total body health.
In this article, we explore how insulin-related diseases can cause a rise in blood sugar levels that ultimately harms the holistic health of the body. We then examine how these conditions accelerate the development of gingivitis, periodontal disease, tooth decay, and undermine oral surgeries, like dental implants.


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Match 5 round of the group stage of the Champions League Manchester City - Feyenoord will be held on Tuesday November 21 at 22:45 at the stadium Etihad.
In this game, the obvious favorite is Manchester City, which bookmakers predict an easy victory.
In the first round wards Pep Guardiola did not leave Feyenoord any chance, having won in Rotterdam with the score 4: 0. Now they have 12 points in their assets and they are in the lead in group F, three points ahead of their nearest pursuer - Donetsk Shakhtar. On Saturday, Manchester City held the next match of the championship of England and beat Lester on the road 2: 0 - Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne scored on the goal.
"Townspeople" remain leaders of the Premier League, eight points ahead of their closest pursuers from Manchester United and Tottenham. The victory itself was for Man City for the fourth consecutive.
However, he still does not lose this season - 16 wins and 2 draws in regular time for 18 official matches of the football year. At home, Manchester City has not lost since December 3 last year, having won 17 victories since then and seven draws.
At the same time in ten meetings on this stretch he scored at least three goals to the opponents' goal.
Feyenoord - an outsider of the quartet F. For four rounds, he did not score a single point, losing all his matches with a total score of 3:12.
In the championship of the Netherlands at Feyenoord things also go not the best way and, most likely, to protect the champion title it will not be possible. On Sunday, he lost points in the away match with ADO Den Haag, having played only 2: 2.
For the third time in a row Feyenoord failed to win. And of the eight previous official matches, he won only one, having suffered four defeats.
Not impressive and his guest results: one victory, two draws and three losses for the last six matches in a foreign field. Experts site Bukmekers.rf believe that in Manchester, he is waiting for another failure in the form of a major defeat from the leader of the championship of England.


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I was once an immigrant, a newcomer to the U.S.A.
When I arrived there, I had very little possessions. I was a young woman who had nothing, average English skills, no status, no dynasty and certainly no connections. All I brought along with me was a strong ambition and big dreams.
America of then accepted me for who I was. It did not give me money or free gifts. All it offered me is its fertile ground of opportunity. "Come plant your seeds in me," it whispered to me, the seeds that are in you, it is here for you and all who yearn to grow and blossom. I will not do it for you, but I will offer you and all what is necessary to make it happen."
And I did!
In my first five years of living there, I achieved more than I did or could have achieved anywhere else in the world including my beloved Jewish Homeland, Yisrael.
I continued to work hard and America continued to be there for me. It remained with open arms and embraced my wish to grow and prosper.
It did not expect anything in return but Respect, Love and Loyalty.
That is the Great America that I miss. That is the Great America that I want back.
That is the Great America that only Donald Trump can give us back!


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Time: 9:00 am
Come experience practical teaching in a safe and supportive community as we work to equip families, churches, and professionals to better serve children impacted by adoption and foster care.
The Empowered to Connect Conference features practical teaching in a safe and supportive community as we work to equip families, churches, and professionals to better serve children impacted by adoption and foster care. It features Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI) methods developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross from the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development, to help bring attachment and connection in families. The content is ideal for adoptive and foster parents, those considering adoption or foster care, and those who are serving and supporting others, including social workers, agency professionals, church staff and ministry leaders, counselors, and therapists.
This simulcast event runs from 9AM-5PM on Friday and Saturday.
CONTINUING EDUCATION: This program has been approved by the National Association of Social Workers for 11 continuing education contact hours (Approval #886649357-2701). If you would like to receive a certificate, you MUST preregister at etccontinuingeducation2018.eventbrite.com and select the appropriate simulcast registration option. An additional fee will apply.
CHILDCARE: Please note that childcare will NOT be provided at this event. Please make arrangements off-site for childcare.
CONTACT: For inquiries regarding the Empowered to Connect Conference in Oxford, please contact 662.259.0094 or email@example.com. For general inquiries about Empowered to Connect, Show Hope or the conference content, contact 615-550-5600 ext. 116 or email@example.com.
LUNCH: Lunch is not included in the registration cost. You will have a lunch break each day to go eat offsite.


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We develop and deliver a multitude of training events throughout the region. We cover topics including: inter-generational communication, inter-cultural communication, facilitation skills, assertiveness, active listening, how to talk to your doctor and more.
Our clients include:
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Call 250-383-4412 or toll free 1 (866) 788-4412 to arrange your free consultation now. Or send us an email.


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AIR Graffiti Wall is a unique and exciting product that allows the interactive creation of virtual graffiti on a digital wall – a designated rear projection screen, using a laptop, projector and infrared spray cans.
As you press the infrared spray can, it emits an infrared light beam, which is tracked by the computer. Then AIR Graffiti software converts the beam into a virtual image that appears on the projector screen known as Digital Graffiti Wall, creating a vibrant and colorful drawing. The output is a digital image file that can be printed and/or shared via social media networks like facebook/twitter/email and more. You also have an option of saving the drawing process itself as a video file saved on your computer.


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The chassis comes in three parts; the receiver block, the trigger guard/magazine assembly and the forend. In order to get your existing rifle into the chassis you'll need to temporarily remove the trigger and permanently remove the bolt stop, a process which involves drifting out the trigger pins.
I've done it before, and watched as my stock Remington 700 trigger exploded all over my workbench when I removed the punch (having forgotten to install the replacement pin that holds the trigger together). If you're not mechanically inclined, you might want to take the rifle to a gunsmith to have them do the install for you. Thankfully, the chassis kit includes two small pins that will hold the trigger together while you swap stuff around.
To me, the installation process was so daunting that I was only willing to do it after I had saved up enough money to satisfy MDT should they want the thing back. This was going to be a one way process for my gun, win or lose, as I didn't fancy the idea of drifting the pins out again to send the chassis back.
Thanks to the folks at Magpul, I had a PRS rifle stock to put on the rifle And with the ergos of an AR-15, the gun feel SO much better. There's a damn good reason why in-line stocks and adjustable cheek risers are popular, and it makes the Remington 700 a much more user friendly rifle.
It even looks sexier. I had people coming up to me on the rifle range complimenting me on my fine-ass gun, asking me what it was. Putting the Remington 700 in the TAC21 chassis makes it look like some sort of spacegun instead of the $600 bolt action rifle it really is. "Why is that guy over here on the 100 yard range?" I heard the guy next to me ask his friend. "He should be over on the 500 yard line, at least."
While the ergonomics may have been miles better, the real "killer feature" of the chassis for me was the free floating barrel. Charlie Sisk is a big fan of strapping the action of his custom Remington 700 rifles as deeply into a big block of aluminum as he can, and he seems to be doing well with that approach. MDT, on the other hand, has taken more of a laissez-faire approach to the action with only about three contact points between it and the chassis. This lets the action and barrel flex more, but doesn't seem to negatively impact accuracy. In fact, just the opposite. What used to be a 1 MoA rifle has become a 1/2 MoA rifle.
At the beginning of my range session, I put five or six rounds of Federal Premium into a hole about 1/2 inch in diameter at 100 yards with no problem. But, as the day went on, I started having issues. The rifle would swing wildly from being 2 mils low to 2 mils high without me touching the turrets. I thought it might be an problem with the temperature of the barrel, but when I went to tap the barrel to see if it was hot, it wiggled in the chassis. It had come loose, and I had left my wrenches at home.
My second favourite feature, after accuracy, is the detachable magazines. The chassis takes standard Accuracy International mags and I think that's just damn nifty. There's no logical reason why, I just think it's really cool and looks awesome.
Is it worth the money? In my opinion, yes. No other chassis on the market gives you this level of modularity and adaptability while keeping the weight down to a reasonable level. You're looking at about $1,700 for the full rifle when complete (well, without optics), but with only the addition of this chassis you can shoot as well if not better than rifles costing twice that price.
MDT TAC21 Rifle Chassis for Remington 700 RiflesPrice: $700 (short action) / $800 (long action)
Ratings (out of five):
Feel & Function * * * * *AR-15 ergonomics in a .308 bolt action rifle? Sign me up!
Ease of Use * * *Any time the instruction manual requires you to get out your punch set, that immediately knocks off a star or two. For this chassis, getting everything together was such a pain in the ass that I wanted to knock this down to two stars. But considering how amazingly it works when you're done, I'll leave it at three.


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Two paintings sold!
I was so pleased to have completed two new paintings to enter into the KWSA Members show at Button Factory Arts in Waterloo. The first, I called 'Tea for Two' was painted from a photo that was graciously given to me to paint from by Cathy Buttrey Jillard. I happened to finish the painting around Mother's day and when I showed her my painting from her photo she told me that lilacs were her mother's favorite flower and the teacups also belonged to her mom. What a nice way to record special memories.
The second painting, 'Signs of Spring' was a painting of some trilliums I found on a walk in Steckle Woods in Kitchener this spring. I love the delicate pink colour and the way the light was shining through the overhead branches to light up the flowers on the forest floor.
I'm so pleased to announce that both of these paintings were purchased by my friend Beth N. and they both will find their happy place in her home. I went to pick the paintings up at the end of the exhibit and the staff said, "Oh! We must have forgotten to tell you! They both sold!" I totally thought they were kidding at first. But it made my day!
Button Factory Member's Show
I'm pleased to have some of my paintings in the Button Factory Member's Show called "Colours of Art" The opening reception is on March 31st from 5 to 7 pm and the show runs from March 31st to April 21st. If you're in the area from Tuesday to Saturday why not drop into the Button Factory - 25 Regina St S in Waterloo and check out some of the beautiful artworks!
Summer's Gold
The exhibit is open at Kitchener City Hall in the Berlin Tower from March 2nd to March 30th. The theme is "New to Me" which means that all the artists submitted art in a genre or with subject matter in which they do not usually work. I submitted my "Bird of Paradise" batik. I have always been intrigued with the process of batik which involves painting on rice paper using layers of colour and wax applied alternately from light to dark. At the end, you crumple up the paper so the wax cracks, and then apply your darkest colour. Then you iron your painting to remove all the wax between sheets of newsprint. This leaves all the colour behind along with uneven cracks, dribbles, blots and interesting texture. I really liked the process and the finished painting. I think I will work on a series of batik paintings this summer - and I already have people asking to learn how to do it! Watch for a Saturday workshop later this spring!
To see videos of our exhibit, check out the KWSA page on Facebook!
My art at the co-operator's gallery!
Four of my paintings are on display at the Co-operator's office on Parkside Dr Waterloo. They have a rotating gallery in co-operation with KWSA. My art will be displayed there until March 21st.
I will be participating during the Frederick Art Walk at Kitchener Public Library - main branch. KPL has a Meet the Artist each month and this time it happens to be during the Studio Tour in the Frederick St. area of Kitchener. I will be doing an Art Demo in acrylics/mixed media along with Brenda Turnour who is a great watercolour artist.
Come on down and Meet the Artists from 10 a.m. to noon, see the art show in the library by the KW Society of Artists and a retrospective exhibit of the art work of one of our honorary members Walter Ozaruk. (The opening is at noon.)Then mosey on down the street and have a look-see at some of the studios that are open on Saturday within walking distance.
A Sale! and a New website!
I'm SO excited! I sold a painting I had recently entered at the KW Society of Artist's Member show! The show is still on at the Button factory on Regina St. in Waterloo, ON. I love flowers and I've been so inspired this Spring to start painting flowers from my garden. This is a Watercolour painting called simply, "Bleeding Hearts". It's 11x14 and it's finding a new home in Toronto. I'm told the husband bought it secretly for his wife for her birthday - isn't that sweet?? I LOVE it! So happy to bring the enjoyment of Spring's beauty into someone else's life. Watch here on my blog or newsletter or on my Facebook page to see when I have prints available for purchase so you can hang my art in the perfect place in your home.
I've also been working away on my brand new website. I have finally found a place where I can put together a website fairly easily. I've wanted a website for my art and for my classes for FOREVER! But they all were so hard to figure out, or else they were unreliable. With the help of Leslie Saeta and her Webinarts courses, I am finally able to start pulling all the pieces together. Building a website is just as creatively challenging as painting - for sure! And time consuming - WOW. This page is my blog exclusively for my Fine Art paintings so I plan on writing about my;
As always, I'm grateful for all my family, friends, collectors and fellow artists and all your encouragement for my second career :-)
Check out my Art Galleries - Fine Art Gallery or Decorative Painting Gallery
Please subscribe to this blog to receive a notice in your email inbox when I post a new painting for you to see. (RSS feed in sidebar)
And subscribe to my (occasional newsletter) to the right under Newsletter. I'll send you some notecards with my art on them as a thank you for joining.
Create yourself a beautiful day!
June 2017


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A software project consists of both the code and the process by which you develop the code. It is important to formalize the process that you use. This means that you should have a set of documents describing your process, and that you should frequently look at and revise the documents while the project is underway.
There are many ways to separate out the different aspects of the software development process (as distinct from writing, testing, and debugging the code). Here we'll view the process as having four pieces.
We already discussed requirements and specifications. Now let's say a bit about the next three areas.
We put a number of things under the category of schedule: lifecycle, milestones, task list, QA plan, and risk management.
A software lifecycle is plan for what to do when, i.e. what order to carry things out in. Different projects use different kinds of lifecycle models. The lifecycle is a large enough topic that we'll devote a whole section to it a little later on in this chapter, eventually focusing on the Inventor lifecycle that you will use for your game project.
Setting milestones means (a) figuring out some definite, identifiable stages to reach, and (b) setting dates for when you plan to hit these milestones. As well as the finish-line milestone of shrink-wrap (or of posting your package on the Web), you have many preliminary milestones.
In a typical classroom project, your main milestones might be these.
Several times during the semester, you and the professor (the project stakeholders) need to make out a list of your remaining class meeting dates and figure out reasonable delivery dates for the milestones.
If you're using this book for self-study, pretty much the same kind of schedule might apply " with the difference that you'll want to find friends or relatives to discuss the specifications with you and to view and test your demos.
One thing to realize about the milestones and the schedule is that they need to be continually revised " like everything else in software engineering. Managers often make use of the Microsoft Project software to keep track of their schedule and their milestones.
As well as the main milestones, you may also want to think in terms of smaller milestones. In the case of a PacMan style game, getting to a presentable alpha build would involve, for instance, the milestone of creating a cMaze class or writing a method that simply builds such a maze out of cCritterWall objects.
When thinking about how to fit the smaller kinds of milestones into your schedule, it's useful to have a task list . This would be a list of all the things you need to do before the project is done. Particularly on your first few projects, you tend to underestimate the number of little extra tasks you're going to have to do near the project's end. These might include getting the bitmaps or art ready, making demonstration files, checking the help file against the program, and so on.
In making a schedule it's also important to allocate time for testing the program and testing how well the documentation matches the behavior. This is why software projects are usually divided into an alpha phase and a beta phase. The beta phase is when the testing and debugging takes place.
The process of testing is called QA , for quality assurance. It's important to allocate sufficient time to this, and to accept that you really need to retest after each new beta build. It's not unusual for a bug fix in one spot to break something somewhere else. In making out the schedule you need to consciously plan in enough time for sufficient QA. We'll say more about the testing process in Section 2.3: The Software Lifecycle.
As mentioned above, when you manage a software project you have to keep going back over your schedule and making sure that it matches the reality of what you've currently done. The process of risk management means looking ahead and trying to anticipate some of the possible ways in which you may go off schedule.
There are two main parts to risk management: monitoring and recovery. Monitoring means that you have to honestly admit what the most dangerous problems are so that you will immediately recognize them if and when they start to happen. If your program hinges on your being able to integrate a certain kind of image file into your code, there is a risk that you're not going to be able to do it. Monitoring means facing the fact that the worst can happen " and persistently asking if it's happened yet. The risk of not being able to use a type of image remains until it's been demonstrated that it can be done. Because this task is a risk, it is not left until the very last minute.
The recovery aspect of risk assessment means formulating a Plan B, an alternate strategy to pursue if a given fear comes true. If, say, such and such a team member is unable to integrate *.gif image files into your code by the second alpha build, then you will reduce the risk by using, say, only *.bmp image files. If the team member who was supposed to provide your enemy creature's behavior algorithm stops coming to class or answering email, then someone else better start working on it, and if no one can, then you better figure out how to have a game in which the enemies simply use a default framework behavior algorithm.
Risk assessment monitoring is about having your team be honest with yourselves and not hiding your heads in the sand. Risk assessment recovery is about formulating Plan B, and, to mix up the metaphors, being willing to throw the stove and food out of your balloon basket if that's what it takes to stay aloft.
Design breaks into two levels: the high-level design and the detailed design . The high-level design is also known as the architecture , which tends to sound a bit more impressive.
The architecture or high-level design involves specifying the program's 'nouns' and its 'verbs', that is, the program's classes and the program's runtime behavior. The detailed design involves getting more specific about the classes and beginning to write out prototype code for them.
When we are doing the high-level design, we use a process known as object-oriented analysis to help figure out what classes we should use. This is a matter of singling out the key concepts used by your problem, and thinking about how best to represent the concepts as classes. Once you've decided which classes to use, the process known as object-oriented design helps you find the best way to make your classes work together.
Recall that we use 'UML' to stand for 'Unified Modeling Language'. A good way to talk about your class design is to use a UML class diagram, which is a bunch of rectangles representing classes, with lines showing the relationships among the classes. Drawing a class diagram is a good way to get a useful discussion going about the spec, and can be helpful in moving from the architecture to the detailed design. A class diagram on a whiteboard makes a focus for a group discussion of class design, and provides a non-technical channel by which coders and managers can usefully interact. Look ahead at the class diagrams of the Pop Framework in Chapter 3: The Pop Framework (Figures 3.4 and 3.10).
Describing the program's runtime behavior means figuring out the order in which things happen. How, for instance, does an animation program update itself? When a user clicks the mouse, what is the sequence of events we expect to have? UML sequence diagrams are very useful for sketching this out. Look at, for instance, some of the sequence diagrams in Chapter 6: Animation, for instance Figure 6.3 showing the sequence diagram of how our Pop programs animate the creatures onscreen.
The detailed design for your program states what members and methods your classes will have. In C++, the detailed design can consist of explicit definitions of the classes you will use; a good way to be precise about your classes is to go ahead and start writing up the formal class definitions as *.h header files. You can postpone the *.cpp implementation of the class methods for a little while. But you will find, once you do get into implementing a class's method, that you often need to rethink the original class design. This kind of back and forth is one of the enjoyable parts of object-oriented design. We say more about this in Chapter 4: Object-Oriented Software Engineering.
Project documents
The most visible project document is the User's Guide, whether in printed or in help file form. For now suffice it to say that the User's Guide might typically include sections called Overview, Getting Started, Things to Try, and Controls, where the last section exhaustively describes the effect of each control found in the user interface.
Table 2.1. Documents for software development.
Looking back over the first three parts of our project process, we can imagine making a document (or set of documents) for each of them, that is a specification document, a schedule document, and a design document " all these in addition to the User's Guide document.
Table 2.1 lists software process stages and some of the documents that might accompany them.
All documents should be visible to all the stakeholders involved in the project: the managers, the coders, and the customers. On a really well-run project, one might put all four pieces up on a website, possibly an intranet site or password-mandatory site rather than a public one.
None of these documents is set in stone. We expect that each of them is going to change somewhat during the project lifecycle, although there will normally be a 'feature freeze' date after which no further changes to the specification documents are allowed. But, up until that point, we are going to learn more about our project from the code, from the early builds, and from the way we see the schedule unfolding, so it's reasonable to keep changing things.
There are various models for how to update the documents. Either one person is in charge of maintaining each document, or they are changed during group meetings, or stakeholders might be allowed to 'check out' a copy of the document for revision, with the earlier versions being preserved.