BCC Heals

50K in 5 years: The clock starts September 17th

While conversations go on about David Foster's fitness to pastor a church, Foster will, as expected, do just that starting September 17th. Although it's not on agathering4hope.com yet, I received an email tonight from Dave Seldon:

Great news!

On Sunday, September 17, 2006, we'll begin to meet on a weekly basis as
David Foster leads us in "A Gathering 4 Hope".

At the moment, we don't know exactly where, or what time, the first
meeting(s) will be, but those details will be resolved shortly, God
willing.  And we'll certainly let everyone know just as soon as possible!

For the moment, however, we need your help. We're needing to develop
teams of volunteers for the following areas:

Parking
Greeters
Volunteer Signups & Development
Database and Phone Team
Worship Music & Sound
Prayer Team
If you would like to serve in any of these areas, please reply to this
message, and let us know your interest and we'll be in touch shortly!

As recently as August 13, Foster said he had a vision for a "Gathering" that would grow to 50,000 contributing members within 5 years. At the time he said he didn't know whether that was God's vision also. I can conclude that he feels lead to take the next step.

Quick Links - 8/24/2006

I found this blog today authored by a divinity student at Vanderbilt.  This post resonated with me and seems relevant to our BCC discusion:
http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2006/08/thinking-more-about-church.html

This post is about church blogging:
http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/archives/2006/08/the_power_of_th.html#more
Also read the justification for the unusual (to say the least) domain for a church related blog:
http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/about.html

Next "Gathering" planned for September 17th:
http://www.fosteringhope.com/agathering4hope/

A replacement for the "Non-religious journey to God billboard"? ;)
http://www.evotional.com/2006/08/giant-popcorn-box.html

Chritian Classics Ethereal Library
http://www.ccel.org/
Disclaimer: My cousin Harry Plantinga founded this site. Even so, it is a wonderful reference resource.

Have you heard...?

An interesting conversation got started after I posted that MinisterSearch would be recruiting the next lead pastor for BCC.  Michele commented:

I don't understand why this information was in the City Paper, BEFORE Vision Night. I thought they were going to keep the press out of it.

Jared responded:

Michele, the elders said, at least as early as the second cottage meeting, that they'd be using this same minister search service again. It's not really "news," and the fact that this newspaper reported it before the Vision Night is insignificant. They've never hid their plans to use this service once again.

I jumped in as well. You can read the entire thread in context here.

I'd like to make a couple points and invite more discussion:

• I believe the cottage meetings were the best way to inform the congregation of the details behind Dr. Foster's firing.  However, as with any undertaking this sensitive and involving this many people, problems arise.  The cottage meetings were held over the course of about two weeks to give everyone a chance to hear the presentation.  But not every presentation contained the same details. This is natural given that new details developed and were disclosed over the course of two weeks AND folks were given the freedom to ask any question.  So responses to different questions elicit different details.  The problem is, not everyone gets the same information and that results in rumors and folks learning pertinent information about their church from the newspaper.  I really liked the FAQ page that was added to hopepark.com.  I also received prompt personal responses to email when I had a question.  But how about the church authoring a blog that offers the latest relevant information?  That's all I'm trying to do with this blog.
• Even if MinisterSearch wasn't breaking news, as Jared points out, I think it's relevant that this recruiting firm brought Bill West to BCC's attention. That's a plus in my book. And along with Randy's testimonial to their service, I believe we're on the right track. My two cents.
• While transparency and communication from the elders has improved dramatically since Foster's firing, there's still more to do.  For instance, I have not seen the results of the forensic audit of church finances published on hopepark.com.  If the elder board announced to the world that the audit was being done I think the results ought also be disclosed, if only (hopefully) to show there was no intentional wrongdoing.  If that's not the case, contributing members deserve to be officially informed as well.  I'd like to separate fact from fiction.

I'm sure Vision Night on August 30 in the auditorium will provide the opportunity for more official and direct communication.  I'd like to see that backed up by church leadership engaging in the conversations that are going on here and elsewhere to clarify facts, dispel misinformation and over communicate at this time.  I see that a great effort is being made already.

Recruiting firm to help find new pastor

In an article in today's Nashville CityPaper, reporter Kathy Carlson writes that BCC has retained recruiting firm MinisterSearch to help find a new pastor.  This is not the first time BCC has used MinisterSearch.  BCC Administration and Operations Director Randy Thompson wrote a testimonial that appears on the firm's web site after hiring (now) interim lead pastor Bill West 2004:

A big THANK YOU! for all of the hard work you put into our recent job search for an Associate Pastor. We had exhausted our own personal network of who we knew and whom we liked and after 8 months of searching and interviewing we couldn't find the right fit. I then went to some of the job placement web sites and posted what I thought was a fairly comprehensive listing of our needs. Shortly thereafter, truckloads of resumes and tapes were being dropped off daily. The problem was that 95% were unqualified, the other 5% really didn't understand our culture and approach, or they were running away from something. Coming from 25 years in a business environment, I was used to dealing with what we called "headhunters" - companies that we could retain to go find top talent. But my experience had been that these companies were more like "meat markets" rather than "meet markets". So I did not look forward to going through that process again, but I had exhausted my options. So with consultation from my Senior Pastor and Leadership Team, I took a leap of faith, and am I glad I did!

I found MinisterSearch and gave them a call. Within a day, Greg Allen, my competent guide in this process, called me back. The contract was simple and straightforward and the professional fee was reasonable and fair. I signed on the dotted line and got the process underway. Immediately Greg patiently yet thoroughly extracted all of the information he needed from me. This was not fun. We are all so busy with day-to-day activities that I saw this as a distraction, but Greg would not take no for an answer. He needed to completely understand who we are as a church and who we were looking for. He forced us to really pull apart what we are doing and describe to him, in detail, the ideal candidate. That front-end work paid off great dividends in the weeks that followed.

Remember, we had been searching and praying for well over a year for the right person. It was around Christmas time 2003 that I retained MinisterSearch. I boldly told Greg that I wanted someone in place by Easter 2004. He didn't blink an eye, but rolled up his sleeves and went to work. Within a week or two, Greg and I were burning up the phone almost daily. Shortly after that, very capable and qualified candidates were pre-screened by Greg then with my permission forwarded to me for consideration. Some I rejected, but most I liked and continued with the interview process. Greg was the perfect middleman. He listened to my objections, pushed back when he needed to push back, agreed when he felt I was right. As the process went forward, it matured into Greg knowing exactly who we were looking for. Since I was looking for an Associate Pastor who can teach and lead alongside our founding pastor, this was an important fit for the staff and the church, I felt Greg was working alongside me as a protector of our vision and mission. I felt he was my partner in the process.

Long story short, Greg brought BCC what we consider to be the perfect choice for an Associate Pastor and a vital member of our leadership team. And all of this was a done deal by Easter 2004. When I talk with other Executive Pastors who are looking for key staff members who can grow their church and advance their mission to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then I do not hesitate to recommend Greg Allen and MinisterSearch. I am convinced that they make the whole identification, courtship and recruitment process as productive as possible, as professional as possible and as pleasant as possible. When I needed to make sure I've got the right people in the right place doing the right thing for the right reason, I finally quit working hard and started working smart. I got good help. I called MinisterSearch. And they'll be involved in every key hire I make in the future.

Randy F. Thompson
Chief of Staff
Bellevue Community Church
www.hopepark.com

Recruiting firms are typically paid on a negotiated flat fee or more often a percentage of the salary paid to the person they helped hire.

New blog posting from Dave

It makes me happy to see new posts on Dave's blog come regularly.  Dave's latest is about being "Way to blessed to be depressed".  That one hit the mark for me today. If you're not a MySpace member, Dave posts it at fosteringhope.com as well.

Vision for the Future

Watch this weekend for an announcement of what's been called in the past "Vision Night" on Wednesday, August 30.  I'm told we'll hear about BCC's top 4 priorities for the future. If the FAQs on hopepark.com give any clue, they are these:

• More Accountability
  We must build for the continued growth of our church and its mission. When we say "accountability," we believe the foundation of that discussion includes much more transparency and better ways to communicate church concerns to its members.
• Vibrant Student Ministries
  We have a hunger for a vital student ministry that will touch the lives of our community's youth. In fact, we believe a church our size should have 300 high schoolers every week; middle school could be even larger. The key is connecting confident leadership with parent involvement to create a virtual army of volunteers who want to impact a kid for God. And of course, our affection for our little ones will never change. They are the future and must be nurtured with the utmost love and care, as they always have.
• Small Group Ministry
  We will be investing our hearts and minds in the development of a small group ministry that every BCC member can be a part of, believing that Christ's example of "twelve men" is instructive of the importance of intimate relationships we all need to remain connected and feel loved.
• Spiritual Growth
  We are passionate about personal discipleship opportunities and leadership training that gives every member and attender the chance to go deeper in their knowledge and understanding of Christ and His scandalous love for us. Only in this way will we be equipping our body to meet the demands of the coming days.

I regret that I will be out of town on the 30th.  But if anyone in church leadership is reading this...please stream the audio on the web site or post a recording of the service shortly thereafter.

If this proclaiming of BCC's vision is to be the sowing of seeds for the future, we should all be prayerfully serious about the matter.

Galatians 6:7, KJV - Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

I've attended several vision nights in the past and happily jumped on board for the ride, but surely we have now reaped what we have sown.  Often, we then sow what we reap.  Sowing seeds pleasing to God will involve a greater commitment of our body than ever before.  I'm deceived if I think church is all about entertainment and great speakers on the weekend.  It's about community, worship, actively loving and serving others.  If not, I will reap what I sow. (Thanks to my Uncle Neal for explaining this to me.) 

UPDATE: Click here to see the item on hopepark.com about BCC's Vision Night.

50,000 "gathering" within 5 years?

Reflecting on "The Gathering" Sunday, I listened to Dr. Foster's remarks several times. I've also read some other accounts and met with some fellow BCCers.  One friend dismissed the idea of a "Gathering" of 50,000 "contributing members" within 5 years. 

When I heard Dave say that was his vision - starting with 5,000 on the first weekend - I thought "wow" I have trouble envisioning how that's possible.  But Dave's always been known for his vision, so...well...OK.

But let's take a look at the idea of 50,000 contributing members within 5 years.

• A church within 5 years about 15 times the size of the one Foster helped build over the course of 16 years.
• At BCC, roughly 20% of the members contributed 80% of the serving and giving. If that were roughly true for The Gathering, you'd have to have something like 75,000 people attending or on-line every weekend.  That would constitute about 6% of the Nashville Metro area's adults aligning themselves with one church organization within 5 years.
• The Titans draw about 670,000 over 10 Sundays each fall.  The Gathering would draw about 750,000 in the same time span.

Maybe reason doesn't apply here if Dave's vision is God's vision.  However, let's remember Dave's "Crazy Campaign" vision of being able to raise $15,000,000 for BCC's next phase.  It ended up being $3-4 million and played a role in bringing us to where we are today.  Many believe the Crazy Campaign was poorly planned, poorly executed and went way over budget.  I'm told the Curb Center event attendance was lower than a typical weekend.

One thing is sure, the organizational dynamics of "The Gathering" are going to have to be a lot better than they were at BCC if The Gathering ever gets close to 50,000.

"The Gathering" - Video

I took my video camera to "The Gathering" Sunday afternoon and captured Dr. Foster's talk.  I uploaded most of it to my YouTube page over the last 24 hours.

A couple disclaimers:

• I know there is a part missing from the middle of the talk.  I recorded it but that chunk of digitized video turned out to be too large (YouTube limits the upload to 100 Megabytes) to post to the site.  I will try to burn a smaller chunk from the video tape and post it as soon as possible.  In the meantime, a full and unbroken up audio recording of the message is available at www.weloveyoudaveandpaula.com.
• The audio portion of the video is ambient sound. I did not have the equipment to try and set up a direct audio feed so I apologize for the relatively poor quality.  Again, www.weloveyoudaveandpaula.com has a great quality audio version if there is something you can't understand from the video.

My synopsis and impressions of "The Gathering" is here. But here is the headline in my mind:

BCC Weekend Program - Aug 12-13

Here is some BCC information, including the program, I picked up this weekend. You'll need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these files.

Download BCC_20060813_1.pdf

Download BCC_20060813_2.pdf

Download BCC_20060813_3.pdf

Download BCC_20060813_4.pdf

This was "promotion weekend" for the students.  There's a new table in the atrium where you can sign up to get involved in BCC's student ministry.

"The Gathering"

Bible in hand, Dr. David Foster went back to what he does so well Sunday afternoon - preaching.  Drawing heavily on the New Testament, especially I Corinthians 1, Dr. Foster cast himself as the renegade peacemaker:

I Corinthians 1:10 - I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Dr. Foster emphatically said that he has but love, grace and forgiveness in his heart for every brother and sister. "Period." Speaking to "The Gathering", packed into a hotel ball room, he asked everyone to pray that BCC's best days are just ahead.  Noting that some in attendance may report on "The Gathering", Dr. Foster said let the report be "peace".

The hundreds at The Gathering, including me, were thrilled to see Dave and Paula when they emerged from the kitchen behind the ball room.  Shouts of "We love you" could be heard above the applause.  I imagine I wasn't the only one curious to see if Dave would talk about what he had in mind for the future.

Dr. Foster is committed to staying in Nashville and impacting this city for Jesus.  And at the end of his talk he spoke of his vision, qualifying it by saying he didn't know yet if it was God's vision too.  Although he didn't say it outright, my clear impression was that "The Gathering" could very well be the next church Dr. David Foster founds.  A church that starts in 5 locations could have 5,000 members on the first weekend, Foster said. Those 5,000 could grow to 50,000 contributing members within 5 years, in locations around the city and on the web.  "That's my vision," he said.

I'm uploading video of Dr. Foster's message to my YouTube page. You can also hear it at weloveyoudaveandpaula.com.