Anne Marie Miller

Category: Church

  • The Waitress is Watching

    This is an excerpt from an article I wrote for the Catalyst monthly online magazine thingy…

    Catalyst Magazine Anne JacksonEvidently, this little freestanding building was the place Nashville?s best comfort food called home. Tucked away in a residential area with limited and awkward parking, I decided, after several recommendations from friends, to explore what this cozy little caf? had to offer. I moved to Nashville at the end of June, and finding delectable hole-in-the-wall restaurants is one of our favorite hobbies.

    A waitress with frizzy blonde hair appeared. She seemed older than her fifty years, with deep wrinkles and a posture of a woman who has spent most of her life carrying food to hungry customers. Her southern accent was thick as she took our order. When she returned with our rolls and butter, she grinned as she asked us a question that caught us completely off guard.

    [read the rest of the article here…i hope you enjoy it!]

  • Catalyst Road Trip in Nashville

    friday, pete and i had the amazing opportunity to meet up with the guys from the catalyst road trip. if you’re not familiar with catalyst, well, you need to be. [read more about catalyst and the catalyst road trip]. if you’ve been around here for any amount of time, you probably know that i’m a bit of a conference cynic. catalyst is much, much more than a conference, and has totally won my heart!

    Catalyst Road Trip

    anyway, after some fine dining at star bagel, we took them to cross point to show them what it’s like to have church inside an old baptist church building…we talked about blogging, blogging, and well, blogging.

    (by the way, holy cow has my hair gotten HUGE since moving to nashville. the humidity here is nuts! why hasn’t someone told me??! big hair rivals having something between your teeth!)

    i’ll let you read more about what talked about here on their blog, but i have to say, it was such an honor connecting with these guys.

    have you ever been to catalyst? are you going this year? if you are…i’d love to connect. i’ll be there doing some undercover spy work.

  • Pastor Stats: Overweight & Unhealthy

    Here are some statistics from Mad Church Disease.

    This is from a formal survey conducted by Ellison Research.

    71% of all ministers admitted to being overweight by an average of 32.1 lbs.

    One-third of all ministers were overweight by at least 25 lbs, including 15% who were overweight by 50 lbs or more.

    Two-thirds of all pastors skip a meal at least one day a week, and 39% skip meals three or more days a week.

    83% eat food once a week that they know they shouldn?t because they?re unhealthy, including 41% who do this three or more days a week.

    88% eat fast food at least one day a week, and 33% eat fast food three or more days a week.

    50% get the recommended minimum amount of exercise (30 minutes/day, three times a week). 28% don?t exercise at all.

    ==

    When I was first in ministry, I gained 40 lbs in two years. I don’t blame ministry for making decisions for me, but I know because I didn’t plan my time well, I would be caught grabbing snacks in the break room or eating out too often or eating too much fast food and not finding time to exercise. I lived off the caffeine and sugar highs and crashed in front of the TV at night on the lows.

    Fortunately, I was able to get back into shape, drop the extra weight, and although not perfect, attempt to eat healthy and exercise regularly. I haven’t gone back to a huge weight gain even though I do fluctuate within a 10 pound variance throughout the year.

    Can you relate?

    ==

    Side note: According to the Center for Disease Control, the percentages for American adults over 20 years old (as compared to just pastors):

    – 66.3% are overweight or obese with 32% being obese (30 pounds or more).? According to this particular survey, it would appear that a greater percentage of pastors may be overweight in relation to an average American. But these are just two statistics.

  • Keeping the Church’s Soul Alive

    When someone invests into the unique call that God has placed on your church, there?s no stopping them. They?re inspired by what the future holds.

    It?s vital to the health of whatever team you are leading to clearly and consistently communicate that calling with your team. God has placed you there for a reason, and he?s placed them under your care because he wants all of you to carry out this calling together.

    Proverbs 29:18 says this,

    ?Where there is no vision, the people perish.? (KJV)

    Many times, the word ?vision? in this verse has been misinterpreted to mean ?goals? or ?plans.?

    The word ?vision? in this verse actually means ?divine guidance? or ?revelation.?

    And without divine guidance, people will perish. As important as it may be to be on the same page with your goals and your plans, without relying on God for wisdom and guidance that only he can provide, your environment will fall apart.

    Matthew Henry?s Commentary says, ?How bare does a place look without Bibles and ministers! And what an easy prey is it to the enemy of souls! That gospel is an open vision, which holds forth Christ, which humbles the sinner and exalts the Saviour, which promotes holiness in the life and conversation: and these are precious truths to keep the soul alive, and prevent it from perishing.?

    Without true divine guidance, we scatter. Our unity is broken.

    ==
    [this is an excerpt that may or may not be cut from Mad Church Disease. thought i’d give yall a little peek as i finish editing this week].

  • THE COMPETITION-DRIVEN CHURCH

    We are creatures needing affirmation. And the spotlight seems to promise us everything we?ve ever wanted. Whether it?s an actual spotlight on the platform, in front of an adoring congregation, or a more passive spotlight ? perhaps you glow under the praise of a certain leader ? it?s natural that we seek out opportunities in which we can shine at our best.

    One of the problems I see plaguing unhealthy environments is ego. Ego can be loud and abrasive or it can be subtle and deceiving. Either way, it?s the antithesis of the character of Christ.

    Society today is competitive. We feel that our voices must be the loudest and carry the furthest in order to be heard and validated. It breaks my heart when I hear pastors of small churches say, ?we only had seventy-five people today? or ?only two hundred people showed up.?

    Only? I?m sorry. Are those seventy-five or two hundred people not enough for you?

    I am not going go into length discussing the perceived importance of numbers. Keeping track of ?how many? is a valid metric to measure some kinds of effectiveness in what we are doing. Numbers do represent people. Christ did say that he would grow his Church.

    However, our view is so limited as far as what that actually looks like in our church today.

    Unfortunately, I think numbers have become an addiction. We flaunt our numbers, we despise our numbers, we fret about our numbers. Our numbers can validate us. But they shouldn?t. We have absolutely no right to know how God is using us. We only need to know he is, and be grateful.

    This spirit of competitiveness (whether clearly stated or implied) has damaged so many churches and leaders who haven?t seen the same ?success.? After hearing it over and over again, leaders who aren?t as ?successful? start believing the lies that maybe God just hasn?t blessed them like he ?blesses? other churches or leaders. And at that point, those leaders either shut down or they begin to be driven by their need for man?s affirmation.

    Just yesterday, I met with a church leader. She went to a church creative leadership conference (and she is self-admittedly a conferenceaholic, loving to meet other leaders to encourage and network). But after walking through some hard times in her own church and ministry, at the conference, she sat on the back row and wept.

    “How can I ever keep up with this? I’m just not good enough.”

    Looking back, she knows that nobody is good enough and it is by the grace of God we do what we can do, but when most churches are under or around 500 people, with little resources, although aspects of these conferences are practical…it seems like a lot of times, they can do more damage than good.

    Not because a host intendeds to flaunt their stuff. Not because they are able to hire professionals when someone else is lucky to have found Bob who can play guitar on Sundays. But because the church culture has gotten so competitive. And it’s happened so slowly, we don’t even notice it.

    When we think our calling is to be the biggest, the most creative, or the best, we have completely lost sight of the only important fact.

    And that is that we are called.

    ===
    [this is an excerpt that may or may not be cut from Mad Church Disease. thought i’d give yall a little peek as i finish editing this week].

  • celebrating the church’s “big givers”

    sometimes churches have special events to celebrate their top givers. most of the churches i know do this for members who give over a certain amount of money per week/month/year. usually there is an appreciation dinner or vision casting event.

    so, i’ve always wondered why this is. don’t get me wrong…i realize those who give significant amounts of money to the church typically do it consistently and that saying goes “20 percent of the people give 80 percent of the income” and i do think giving (in general) should be celebrated.

    but equal giving does not mean equal sacrifice.

    someone who making six figures a year can easily drop $500 a month in tithing but for someone else to give $500 a month could be extremely sacrificial.

    why aren’t those things equally celebrated?

    does your church celebrate the “big givers?” do you celebrate all the givers? do you celebrate giving at all? what do you think?

  • response to joel osteen apology & i made a decision about my phone

    don, who is the senior advisor for pastor osteen, sent me this email this morning:

    Anne: What a pleasure it was to read the kind words you posted on your blog. Joel does not use email or surf the net (he?s a bit old fashioned in that respect), but I will print and give your comments to him. He is the sweetest man you?ll ever meet, and I know he will greatly appreciate your words. I also know that he and Victoria would enjoy meeting you and hopefully one day that will happen. God bless. –Don

    okay. joel osteen doesn’t use email? that is just amazing.

    i replied to don, asking if it was okay to share our conversation with you (considering my previous post) and he said:

    Anne: You?ll love this? He only began to use text messaging a few months ago. I think it?s because his kids started sending him text messages and he had to adapt. Now he thinks texting is the coolest thing. Anyway, feel free to blog about it if you wish. Blessings –Don

    now that is just too sweet…i don’t care who you are!

    so…all this, plus your comments, put the nail in the coffin.

    I DID IT!!!!! i no longer have email or internet on my phone. it’s done. that’s it. finito!

    please pray for my withdrawals!

    maybe it’s time for you to leap, too?

  • my apology to pastor joel osteen

    Dear Pastor Osteen,

    Since I have not had cable for four of the last four and a half years, Sunday nights provide little entertainment. More often than not, I am left to veg in front of an infomercial for the Cookie Diet, the movie, Liar Liar (in Spanish), or your TV program.

    I must embarrassingly confess that in the last five years, we have intentionally tuned in (and affectionately named you “Smiley Pastor”) to do nothing more than to criticize you and the feel-good messages you have become so well known for.

    (I also admittedly enjoy your Texas accent, as I do miss my home state, but I digress.)

    People in my generation like to poke fun at things that are different than we are. And we tend to do this more in groups, egging each other on. I’d like to say I’ve done this out of a “fun and games” mindset but when I dig deep, I realize I’ve done it because of pride. 

    Trolls on the internet do not have the authority to hold you accountable. Even if they believe what you are teaching is false, aside from God, only the people in your life…who know you…have the scriptural “go ahead” to make sure you are not leading others astray.

    This Sunday was not unlike others. I flipped through the six or seven channels and landed again on your broadcast.

    And all of the sudden I realized that I have been a really petty person.

    This world is so negative. Even in our christian circles, there seems to be a spirit of cynicism and defeat. You are different. The joy I was making fun of is something I so desperately needed to experience. And I thank you for that.

    I don’t know you personally, Pastor Joel, and likely never will. And I’ve been in the church my entire life so I also understand that there are many dimensions to people God places on platforms. But in that moment I was entirely ashamed for the way I had talked about you, even in jest, or the times I’ve rolled my eyes at your books in Walmart or in airports or when someone talks about how your influence has impacted their life.

    So, Pastor Osteen…chances are you’ll never read this apology, but I pray that if you do, you’ll accept it. I ask for your forgiveness for my immaturity and pride.

    Yours,
    Anne Jackson

  • Carbon Copy Churches produce Cookie Cutter Christians

    I was recently reading through some old drafts I had written and saved. In the fall of 2005, I wrote this after listening to an Erwin McManus podcast. He said,

    ?We need to reclaim the movement of Jesus Christ – it?s not the place where people are forced to conform and be standardized. But a place where people are seen as unique and find their originality in Jesus Christ. ?I think those of us who have been entrusted with followers of Christ must not simply cast vision and call people to it; We must create visional environments where dreams and visions of those who work with us and serve under at times, have their dreams and visions set free and ignited.?

    I’d love to hear your thoughts.

    Is the modern church today producing carbon copy, standardized Christians or are we, as leaders, helping release God’s unique calling in each believer? As the Church, are we helping build and release others’ dreams or do we focus on our own?