Church Consulting – Redefined (Part 1)

As an entrepreneur, change is a constant. Anthony Coppedge Consulting has changed significantly over the past the six years I’ve been out on my own. Most of the changes have come through necessity, others through revelation. In each instance, change resulted in new ways of doing what I love: helping people to be more effective.

When I started the company, the focus was on audio, video and lighting system design. The tech-centric focus increased with the addition of teaching and speaking opportunities where I was able to rattle off the latest model numbers and point people to the coolest technology. By rubbing shoulders with manufacturers and reviewing their products, the consulting practice morphed to include training their staff on what products churches needed, which led to product development, product training, sales training and market research about the House of Worship market buying habits.

In 2006, God literally took me to my knees in a time of desperate prayer. I’d been doing things my way long enough and He gently kicked my butt and lovingly showed me how to take my focus off of the tech and put it properly on His people. As a result, in literally one day, I changed my entire consulting model. “It’s not about tech, it’s about people” became my mantra and the focus of my consulting, processes, training and teaching. Change happened again.

Jump forward to 2009, six years after launching my business on the expo show floor of Infocomm, and change is happening – again. With both the necessity of market changes and the vision I’ve received from the Lord, I’ve re-invented my version of consulting with an even greater focus on helping people – senior pastors, executive pastors, business administrators, worship leaders, ministry staff and technical artists – to become more effective.

Something I’ve learned along the way is that when you make people the focus of your efforts, the resulting processes, priorities and passions (an alliteration just for my pastor friends!) becomes clear. If you want to help an organization become more effective, start by helping the people become more effective.

Trust me, I’ve tried it the other way around. I’ve helped churches get the right technology. I’ve shown them how to make the necessary process changes. I’ve spent countless hours designing new systems to make things more efficient. But you want to know a really important truth about a local church? None of that matters if “what” isn’t preceded by “why”.

The What? Technology. But great technology does not overcome the lack of a friendly, genuine welcome to a each and every person.

The What? Processes. A terrific process model won’t pour life back into those who serve.

The What? Marketing. A solid marketing campaign won’t matter if the church doesn’t follow up with consistent, personal communications.

Focusing on people helps me understand what makes each organization unique. Once I experience their DNA and understand the vision given to them by the Lord, helping people will then bring about the right processes, priorities and passions.

My re-imagined consulting means I spend time helping the church go way beyond needs analysis and well into practical applications of holistic communications and technology implementation. All of it, of course, is based around making sure the right people are in the right places with the right tools to make the most impact.

In Part 2, I’ll talk more about the kind of changes I’ve been making and how it’s helping churches just like yours experience healthy change and growth.

Twitter This

Twitter Account Name: Password:

GUEST BLOG: Skip Moen – St. Paul Diet

I’ve read different Bible studies and more than a few books about the Bible. Yet I can tell you that none of those writings has been as helpful and insightful as the daily writings of my friend, Skip Moen.

Skip is a truly gifted man who spent much of his life chasing worldly success (and achieved it as a wealthy ex-businessman who retired on a beach house well before retirement age). Just to warm you up to the kind of learned man he is:

Educational Background

• D. Phil. Oxford University, Oxford, England. 1979
  Dissertation: “God, Time and the Limits of Omniscience”
• M.A. University of Washington, Seattle, WA. 1975
• M.A. (cum laude) Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL. 1973
  Dissertation: “The Epistemology of Karl Popper in Relation to the Problem of Science and Metaphysics”
• B.A. University of Washington, Seattle, WA. 1971
• B.A. (magna cum laude) Seattle Pacific College, Seattle, WA. 1969

Business/Academic Background:

• 3/05 – present Dean, Dept. of Biblical Leadership, Master’s International Divinity School
• 3/06 – 10/07 Executive Director, BlueSky Ministries
• 7/00 – 3/01 President, Wherever.net USA Inc.
• 6/84 – 1/96 President, TELEOS Incorporated. Management consulting firm.
• 9/93 – 5/96 Adjunct Professor, Drew University, Graduate School.
• 1/95 – 7/95 Adjunct Professor, Kean College. Philosophy and Religion
• 8/84 – 3/85 President, Worldcom, Inc. Technical search firm.
• 4/81 – 6/84 District Manager, AT&T.
• 12/80 – 3/81 Instructor, University of Puget Sound

God, however, wanted Skip to have more than wealth: God wanted Skip’s heart. In Skip’s own words -

I had everything in life, except purpose. God had to take everything away in my life to give me purpose, and I’d never trade it back!

I read Skip’s words just about every day. He’s a brilliant student of not only the Bible, but of Hebrew thought. He understands the why behind the words and the cultural significance in the teachings. You, too, can subscribe to Skip’s daily emails by supporting his ministry. Honestly, this is a gift worth as much as you have to offer.

Today’s blog post is from Skip. I’m taking the liberty of putting an entire lesson up on my blog site because it so resonated with me. You can find all of his writings and how to subscribe over at SkipMoen.com. Withour further ado, here’s Skip’s thoughts from today that deeply resonated within me.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts Romans 13:14

Provision – It’s that last ten pounds.  We start diets to lose weight.  The first few pounds come off.   Then we get invited to a dinner party or we go to the movies or we meet for lunch with our friends.  Suddenly we are faced with a big problem.  The menu doesn’t allow for the diet.  All that good stuff we used to eat is right there in front of us.  Now what?

Paul knew nothing about the South Beach Diet, but he knew a lot about his diet plan.  His diet is not about weight loss and it doesn’t start with calorie counting.  It begins in the mind.  Paul’s spiritual diet is about lustful anticipations.  Paul tells us to make absolutely certain that we make no allowances for the “just in case” behaviors that destroyed our lives in the first place.

The alcoholic who keeps just one bottle in the bottom drawer just in case problems overwhelm him.  The drug addict who keeps that distributor’s number just in case he has a really bad night.  The man who keeps a photo of a past mistress.  The woman who holds on to a past romance from long ago.  The businessman who squirrels away some hidden, unreported income.  The church member who has a secret chat room ID he swears he will never use again.  You can add your own “provisions” to the list.  The best ones are secrets kept in plain sight.  As Stevie Ray would say, “Things that I used to do.”

Paul says, “No!  Don’t even allow the slightest possibility.”  Actually, the Greek word is pronoian, a word derived from “before” and “to think”.  In other words, don’t think about it beforehand.  Don’t plan for the possibility of lusts (literally, sarkos – the flesh).  Just thinking about it brings back emotions that can trip you up.  Turning those things over in your mind, anticipating that they will one day once again be possible, is a very dangerous behavior.  Why?  Is it because God doesn’t want you to remember some past pleasure with nostalgic fondness?  Is it because God is a cruel taskmaster who just wants your total obedience to His next order?  Of course not.  Paul gives these instructions because he knows that God’s perfect purposes worked out in your life are the very best circumstances for you.  God is conforming you to the image of His Son.  That process leads away from past sinful actions and future, anticipated sins.  It is a singular focus on the will of the Father in your life.  Here Paul would say, “Forgetting what lies behind, I press on.”  If Paul were writing a weight loss book, he would tell you to stay away from the restaurants, dinner parties and theaters.  He would cross off every McDonald’s and prohibit all snacks.  But since he is writing about our spiritual well-being, you will have to fill in the “don’t go there” list.

I am sure you agree.  God wants your best and engineers your life to bring about what is best for you in the fulfillment of His purposes.  But that requires concentration on Him and denial of self.  Anticipating “just in case” behaviors is a sign of unbelief and distrust.  It just doesn’t fit.  So, don’t allow it.

Every diet plan is unique to the individual because every one of us has a unique set of propensities and past experiences.  But in total they are all common to the human frame.  So, lean on each other.  Share your burdens.  Lift up each other.  Build safety nets in your community.  We are all in this together and when it comes to spiritual health, we all need plenty of help.

Skip has a great way of helping you see things through the filter of Hebrew thought! And when it comes to Paul, he helps us see the Jewish Rabbi, not just the completed Jew. The Bible always comes alive, but when Skip adds in the contextual background and cultural history, things really pop off the page for me.

Thank you, Skip, for your insight and your love for our Lord!

Please support Skip’s ministry by donating here.

Twitter This

Twitter Account Name: Password:

In Your Eyes

I was listening to my music library while working today and heard one of my favorite songs, “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel, begin to play. But the version I have is from a group of guys who attended the University of Texas at Austin. I’d known two of the members (brothers) back in my youth. Anyway, they created a Big Beat A-Capella group called Schrodinger’s Cat and even released an album back in the 90′s that included their version of “In Your Eyes”.

Long story short, one of the lyrics from the song includes the phrase:

(In your eyes)
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
(In your eyes)
the resolution of all the fruitless searches

I was reminded of all the churches that open their doors for people in the name of religion instead of welcoming them to the ultimate relationship: Jesus. Church buildings are fine; but the Church is the Bride of Christ. The Church is people following Jesus.

People are looking at you and me. They’re seeing you in all of your humanity, broken like they are, but do they also see the hope and The Light in your eyes? I hope they do.

Go ahead and listen to this amazing A-Capella version of this timeless song. Just click play below.

Twitter This

Twitter Account Name: Password: