I was talking to one of the Lay Leaders about some ideas for community engagement that I had been involved with in Tucson AZ . When our conversation turned to understanding the gang and criminal element of Urban Ministry. This is when I realized that there is an invisible hurdle that many ministry and civil leaders are not aware, especially when it comes to racial integration and reconciliation.

Many think they know, They have experienced racism, or segregation, they have made huge strides in their communities and often times in their own hearts toward reconciliation. But these are the visible hurdles. The hurdles that are a little more tangible. The invisible hurdle can not be seen but only perceived. This is the hard part; there is an underlying tension that many standing right in the midst of the divide cannot see.

So before I tell you what the hurdle is let me give you an idea of how it is I can perceive what it is. Have you ever been in a place like Texas, Oklahoma or Minnesota where people have strong accents but don’t realize it. They think that there inflections are normal. If you walk in to their surrounding and say “hey you have an accent” they listen to you and say “no you’re the one with an accent.” You sound funny to them. It’s only when someone with the accent gets away and experiences the different  sounds of speech that they understand how different they sound. Have you ever noticed that they may even lose their accent, but can immediately pick it back up when they return to those surrounding. Often times they understand the intricacies of the accent that someone else might miss. This is how I perceive the hurdle, Iwas once had “this accent” and it is through the years of travel and separation that I can see the subtleties of it.

So on to the Hurdle… The difficulties of doing urban ministry are not about culture, clothes, cars or the color of your skin. It is about understanding control and the flow of cash and into a community, Let me explain.

I remember when I first moved from Southern California to the Seattle area in the late 80′s. It is when the ‘so called’ Crips and Bloods were gaining attention in the area. I remember talking to one of these self proclaimed tough gangstas and telling him he was a poser at very best (yes I was a bit of a jerk). So why would I say that? After a brief conversation I realized he couldn’t perceive the hurdle, He didn’t realize the chain of command or how the world of crime worked. Now if he was a soldier or even a dealer he would understand chain of command. If he was a leader he would understand how the world of crime works. He knew neither, he was just a naive victim of the system that was romancing an idea to lure youth into being puppets.

Here is something that you probably don’t know and this may be insulting and seem so racist and so non-politically correct but it’s true. The bloods and the Crips were actually run by the Aryan (White) and Mexican gangs… They were used as puppet drug dealers  to corrupt their own culture and make money for the other gangs.  You say that can’t be true?  Sure it is. Let me give you a lesson on how this works. In the 70s, 80s, and part of the 90s it was the White and Hispanic gangs that controlled the Drugs coming into the country. Therefore they controlled distribution. Allowing them to control who and how the drugs and cash streamed worked. So the Blood Crip rivalries where actually turf wars for the distribution of drugs for the White or Hispanic gangs. It’s the income of cash and the perceived belonging and control that moves a community.

So how was this controlled you may ask? Through the prisons. All “legitimate” street gangs are run out of prison…. Now not everyone knows this, not even the gang members themselves. But in a life of crime, everything flows out of the prison gangs. If you think about this it makes total sense. When you’re a criminal more than likely you are going to go to prison at some point. The gang system is very structured and run without any flexibility. So you learn from those that have gone to prison before you and from going yourself . That what happens on the street is answerable in prison and the respect of Prison follows to the streets.

So you may have heard that 11am on sunday is the most segregated hour in America. Logically then you would say that Church is the most segregated institution. Not true, Prison is. You have no choice when you walk though those doors even if you have a best friend of a different ethnicity, you must watch your interaction or you are in big, big trouble. Remember it is the order of prison that flows to the streets, not the other way around.

Now although much has changed in ethnic control with tidal wave of clandestine drugs and the popularity of prescription drugs being sold on the streets. There is still an underlying cultural control among the different ethnicity’s  that flows out of the prisons. It may be invisible to most, but it is there and it is it’s invisibility that makes it so dangerous (how often do we as pastors say… Satan doesn’t want you to believe in him. If you don’t you wont even know you have a battle).

So how does the church or civic authorities make a difference. I think it starts by giving these different Ethnic groups power and influence. Most of these young men associate power and influence with money. The gangs promise all of this and the Church has traditionally said come in, sit down, shut up (don’t cause trouble) and learn. We tell people they have value but don’t give them an opportunity to demonstrate their value. In order to win these young men back from this invisible influence of crime we must engage them with an accelerated discipleship program and get them to engage quickly into a missional lifestyle. Give them influence, Give them power and authority.  We have to create opportunities to replicate quickly and to make an impact on their culture. Only then will we be able to cross these ethnic boundaries that are so firmly ingrained.

Here is one of the key concepts that really hit me, The idea of Intelligent adjacency.

This is a concept that you see used in retail management, It means placing complimentary items next to each other, like toothbrushes and toothpaste, so that  when a customer finds one item, the proximity of the complimentary item makes it more likely they will buy both…Of course we have all see it every time we walk into the store.

What Todd does then is talk about an assortment of ideas in which you can use intellectual adjacency (grouping intellectually similar ideas and task together to your advantage)… Things like scheduling meetings back to back so you don’t have idle time in between where you won’t really be able to really engage in any significant productivity. (he brings great ideas to the table, I just don’t want to give them all away… So go get the book!!!

As I was contemplating all the great ideas as well as all the time and creative energy I’ve wasted in my life (boooo). I started thinking about how all of this applies to ministry. Certainly there is much to learn about grouping activities into intellectual streams and leveraging our time, but I can’t help but think there is a different type adjacency that we could develop.  What about conceptual adjacency.

Consider this, one of the biggest complaints by those that work in the Church is Silos.  How often do you hear “We are all working on developing our own Silos. Everyone is just working on their own ministry.” And although there may be successes, It is only short sighted. Usually the church as a whole suffers. There are a number of different potential causes and dysfunctions that can attribute to the Silo Crisis, however I think one of the main culprits  is a lack of conceptual adjacency.

Here is what I mean. lets reconsider the toothpaste isle. But instead of dental hygiene products lets bring in our ministries… Men’s, Women’s, Small groups, Outreach, Mission’s, Youth, Teaching, Discipleship, Greeting the list goes on and on.

So what fits together? (Try grabbing a paper and mapping these out) In order to really do this well, your going to have to wrestle though the idea of conceptual adjacency. Consider some of the issues that you may run into while stocking you ministry isles. Say your wanting to get involved with Treasures (a Fantastic Ministry to the women in the adult entertainment industry). Where does this go, By outreach or by Women’s ministry. By Outreach this becomes something that you do, an activity or event.Place it  by the Women’s Ministry it’s part of who you area integration into the DNA of the women’s ministry. The adjacent association brings identity to who and what you are. What lies closest to your proclamation ministry; is it Discipleship? Are you an equipping  Church? Or maybe it’s Greeting, are you are hospitality Church? Then again maybe it’s mercy ministries, are you a Social Justice Church.

Your conceptual adjacency will help to align your ministries by your deepest perceived purpose and relations. This will help bring clarity to your staff and to your members.  Assuming you do this well, you will eliminate confusion and frustration that occurs so often when you see a church promoting a ministry in word, but in reality it’s conceptual adjacency is far from its intuitive place. Imagine if you walked into the supermarket looking for a toothbrush. You go into the toothpaste isle and where you would perceive that you would find a toothbrush you find candy. You go to the manager; “What gives here? They explain that they placed candy next to toothpaste to fight against tooth decay. They placed the toothbrushes next to the coffee to scrub away stains and the mouthwash next to garlic to help with bad breath…Is this wrong? Or is this just a store that has developed its rule of  adjacency through a reactionary concept? I think it would be different and confusing for awhile but over time you would understand the product placement by embracing the underlying concept. Is your underlying ministry concept bring confusion to your staff or members?

I’m not even saying that there is a right or wrong here.  What I am saying is that if you can start to understand your current conceptual adjacency that you are operating under. If you can communicate this adjacency to your staff and members; you will start to see interrelationship within your ministries and how a interdependence and congruency can be developed.

love your thoughts,

Blessings

When I was a teenager I was a big rough  kid… I boxed since I was four and as someone who excelled in athletics, I was tougher than the average bear.  I remember going down to the local park, or beach where we’d all drink way to much and get into trouble. One of the things that would inevitably happen was “strolling for trouble”. Here’s how that works, you’ve probably seen it or maybe even been a part of it. Generally a couple little guys (with big chips on there shoulders) would lead the group walking off ahead of myself and generally another big guy or two… They would inevitably cause some sort of trouble and a confrontation would arise. Thats when we would show up. Things rarely came to blows, but it was always a exercise in might makes right & bigger is better. I don’t know why we did it, I guess it made the big guys feel valued and needed while the little guys felt empowered and respected, maybe part of something bigger than themselves, with a sense of being tough by association. The worldly problem with this is, they never actually learned to fight, their strength was by association alone. Their only skill was to rely on someone else’s ability…

I’m beginning to wonder if there are too many Christians strutting around waiting for Mark Driscoll to come to the rescue. Here is what I mean. I currently  work as a college pastor in the greater Seattle area, and despite the cultural disdain for Christianity and living in Mars Hill territory, I am in the midst of developing a thriving college ministry… I will be honest though, I belong a very small minority of churches  that even try to do college ministry in this town.

You would think churches in the area would look at Mars Hill and think Wow! look at the difference they are making, I’m jumping in with both feet and we are going to join the battle (To their credit their a number of churches pursuing the younger generation, Quest Church, City Church, Eastlake, and Overlake). However even the churches that are pursuing this generation have almost all succumbed to the Big show, attractional model, and have all but abandoned having any sort of missional campus presence.

I have to admit, I think one the biggest reasons why is because we all live in the shadow of Mars Hill… Mark Driscoll has become the Q-tip, the Jello, the name brand association of what a pastor should look and sound like in the puget sound…He created the model, not a model for ministry. Now I will be the first to admit Mark has done way, way more good than bad. As a matter of fact one of the most influential sermons I have ever heard was taught by Mark, It was at a regional conference that Mark put on where he taught through through Nehemiah, I still use that outline for all my ministry development. That being said, when I’m on campus, everyone just wants to bring the big show to campus, most of the college kids I interact with on a daily basis are like why share Jesus, we just need Mark.

Those of us that are out there in ministry need to be willing to break out of this reliance  on Mark Driscoll to come in a clean up the City and our Colleges, He can’t do it alone… and he shouldn’t have to, we need to learn to fight on our own. We may not have the stature or the size but we serve the same God. To the college students out there, you are ambassadors or Christ, be strong and courageous, start living on mission you don’t need a large elaborate ministry with an amazing speaker to change your world, you just need to be a willing vessel.

And before you all dog me out for putting down Mars Hill or Mark Driscoll, I’m not. Mark is the first person to tell you pastors to find your own voice, to do your own cultural exegesis, to not try to be a Mark Driscoll or an Andy Stanley or whoever else. And Mark is the first to kick his own congregation in the gut to get them to move, unfortunately there are still way to many people out there that just want to watch the effects of the gospel, as opposed to being part of the gospel story.

As I lay on my couch sick and trying to relax, my 5-year-old son rolls into the living room to Play a little Lego Star Wars X-box style After about 10 minutes of watching what he was doing, my attention shifted to him. He was sitting on the floor in front of my eyes locked straight ahead. His body wincing and twitching with the moves of Yoda on the screen. I found myself captivated by him. I love my boy so much. And although I could only see the back of his buzzed little head and his cute little ears, I adored him.

It hit me hard at that very moment, just as my love for my son was not dependent upon his focus on me. God’s love for us isn’t dependent upon our focus on Him.  At that moment my son had probably forgotten I was in the room. I smiled a little shamefully thinking of my constant efforts to earn God’s love realizing that even when my eyes are off Jesus he still adores me because I am His…

Today I want to share what I would say has to be my biggest takeaway of the day. I think one of the biggest apologies that we need to make not only to the Gay & Lesbian Community, but to ourselves, and to the world is that we have not maintain a true community. That is one of the things that hit me the hardest as I stood up and took questions. The LGBTQ community is immediately and openly welcoming of people that share in their lifestyle. Their community sees, beyond color, economics, gender and education. We seem to be constantly divided,  why would people want to be involved in with us.  I heard this over and over in the large group as well as in the smaller discussion after the Forum. Why would we expose our hearts when inevitably we will be rejected. We get all the love all the support all the family and fellowship that you could want. Why would we come to the church where even of some might look past our sexual gender surely we will be rejected, its just a matter of time.

As someone that has run in the Criminal community, there is a greater understanding of a general acceptance than in Christianity. Now certainly I am generalizing, and I have people that I have incredible community with some in the Faith. But I think we need to really examine what is the state of our community. How does it look to the outsider? And shouldn’t the Body of Christ bring from the world because of the love we demonstrate to one another?  It was the Commandment that Christ gave us that if we obeyed the world would recognize us without a banner of a building.

Later on Tuesday the group of guys (the Barbarians) that I meet with took a long hard look at Psalm 133

Psalm 133: 1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

Do we realize that our fellowship, our unity is not only just holy, and good, and right before the Lord. But that it is beautiful, and life giving, and it is a demonstration of grace and hope?

Consider this, do  your relationships  say more to the world than your religion.

I hope to have a audio and video link uo in the next week for The Forum

Blessings

I’ll be honest the question for me is simple. YES, We owe a huge apology. The tough part is for what, and how that looks.

Now before you get to freaked out on their sin being an abomination, etc… Lets start with this, Lets assume for the sake of the argument it is. I still say we own Our Brothers and Sisters an apology. Why you ask? Let me tell you a story and then I would love your feed back.

Many of you know that once upon a time I was a professional fighter. I fought in the MMA Arena (mixed martial arts) for years and had the opportunity to travel  all over the world, meet tons of people and grow deeply in my walk with Christ.  While training at AMC (One of the top gyms in the world) in Kirkland, WA. I had the privilege of meeting a great guy named Kim Mason.  Kim came to AMC and showed tremendous potential. He became close friends with all the guys, attended our bible study,  sweat, bleed, and had fellowship with  the rest of us daily. After a few years I retired and moved to Tucson, AZ to pursue full time ministry. Kim stayed in the Seattle area and did very well in the fight game. A couple of years later, I received a phone call from a friend and was told that our friend Kim was arrested for murder. What? I was shocked, how could this be, what happened?

The details where sketchy but it turns out that Kim had broken into the victims house, cut his throat, stabbed him repeatedly and then disposed of the body (which has never been found) and then took the car to the airport, to make it look like the victim had left town. It took two years for the police to put together all the evidence and now Kim was being arrested.  I was sick, it turns out the victim was Hartanto Santoso, a friend of Kim’s that used to come to the Gym occasionally with Kim. A nice guy but really quite, not a fighter. Why? Why did this happen, I was in shock?

Fast forward to me visiting with  Kim in prison (being a pastor has its privileges). Bro what happened, I asked. The answer changed me forever. Kim and Haranto had been having a relationship together and Haranto was going to expose Kim. I could hardly breath, Why, why did you have to kill him? Why didn’t you come to us? We are your brothers. The answer, “You would have never accepted me, I heard what you guys called people like me, I came to the bible studies, I knew God wouldn’t  love me because of who I am…

My apology had to start that day, after a tragedy that can never be taken back, with a friend a brother that will be in jail for the rest of his life without the possibility of parole. To “Kim the Sensation Mason” and to Hartanto Santoso my heart breaks and I am eternally sorry, my heart breaks for you your families and your community.

Have we brought so much shame that there is no room at the foot of the Cross?

What are your thoughts, please share.

On November 3rd, we will be taking on this issue @ Bellevue College. We are going tackle this issue head on seeking after truth without apology. So join us if you can 12:30pm in room N201

Would Jesus Smoke with me? If so what would he smoke, a cigar, a cigarette, or how about a “J”?

I would love your opinions on this topic. Is this a cultural issue or a moral one? If you think he would Why, and if you think he wouldn’t why not?

Does the time 2009 vs. 32AD vs. 1920s make a difference?

This is a topic that I will be taking on at the Forum at Bellevue College on Oct 20th.  So sound off and tell me what you think.

Sam Franada has an incredible ministry. Check it out at Jesusbranded.com