Evangelical

Preaching in the Storefront…

/ pastorlynnmalone / 2 Comments

Yup! I preach in a storefront every week. Who would have thought after over 30 years in ministry that I’d end up in a storefront church? Well, apparently the Lord thought it because here I am.

Haughton Methodist Church (the church I began pastoring late last year) meets in a rented storefront. Well, actually the building was originally a church that outgrew the facility. It was converted to an office building and was used as such for the last couple of decades.

I must say the rented storefront is much better than the rented hotel room the congregation used for the better part of nine months. I gotta give props to the faithful in the congregation who were committed enough to set up and tear down that hotel room week in and week out. That’s a lot of work and a lot of commitment.

Of course, Haughton Methodist Church was meeting in the hotel room (and now the rented storefront) due to its disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church. Well, not really disaffiliation. They missed that boat for reasons I won’t go into, but suffice it to say, they walked away from their property…just threw the Louisiana Annual Conference the keys…and began the journey as nomads. I applaud the congregation’s faith and faithfulness. It’s one reason I’m blessed to serve them as pastor.

Preaching in a storefront has really had me thinking and praying about a strategy for the congregation moving forward. That part of being a pastor hasn’t left me. In my contemplation, research and prayer, I’ve discovered there are a few advantages to meeting in a rented storefront. I thought I’d share a few of those with you today.

Financial Flexibility

The first (and perhaps major) benefit of renting a storefront for church meetings is the financial flexibility it provides. Establishing a permanent church building requires significant upfront capital for purchase or construction, not to mention ongoing maintenance, utilities, and other operational costs.

I did a little investigating and discovered the congregation’s old facility is listed for sale by the Annual Conference for $445,000.00 (you can check it out here). That’s a lot of money to a small congregation like ours! If someone wanted to purchase it and gift it back to the congregation, now that’s a conversation we’d be open to!

For a small or growing church, this financial burden can be overwhelming and will divert resources from ministry programs, outreach, or other crucial areas. Renting a storefront, on the other hand, often provides a more affordable alternative. The monthly rental cost is predictable and easier to manage, allowing us to allocate our resources to other vital areas such as outreach efforts or mission work.

Additionally, renting avoids the long-term financial commitment and debt associated with owning property, offering us the flexibility to adjust as our needs evolve. Hey? We’ve got a one-year lease. That gives us time to discern God’s next steps for the congregation.

Visibility and Accessibility

Another benefit that a storefront location can offer is significantly more visibility and accessibility than a traditional church building, particularly if the church is situated in a busy commercial area like ours. There’s not a lot of foot traffic where we’re located, but we get great exposure to passing drivers, and our proximity to local businesses makes our storefront church a visible part of the community.

We’re located right next door to an oil change shop, which I find incredibly ironic, but that’s for another blog.

I’m praying this increased visibility can attract new visitors who might not have otherwise considered attending church, whether due to curiosity or the convenience of being located near their place of work, shopping, or living.

Community Engagement

A third advantage (should we choose to capitalize on it) to renting a storefront can be an intentional decision to engage with the surrounding community. Unlike churches housed in large, traditional buildings that may be tucked away in suburban areas, a storefront church is situated in the heart of the local community.

This proximity offers numerous opportunities for interaction with people who may not otherwise step foot inside a traditional church building. Church members can become familiar faces in the neighborhood, and the church itself can become known for its commitment to the well-being of the community.

I’ve already made several visits to the neighboring oil change facility to carry left over treats from our fellowship time. I hope to build an on-going relationship with those guys.

Additionally, I can see our storefront offering opportunities to host events, activities, and programs that reach a wide array of people. Whether it’s offering after-school programs, hosting community events, or providing social services like food banks or job training, a storefront church can effectively serve as a community hub.

Because of its location in a commercial area, a storefront church is more likely to attract people who are not actively seeking a church but may be drawn to the church’s services or outreach activities. This creates a sense of accessibility and relevance, positioning the church as an integral part of the community rather than as a separate entity.

Adaptability

Renting a storefront gives our congregations the ability to remain adaptable and flexible in our growth and development. As we grow, our needs will change, and our storefront offers us the flexibility to move to a larger or different location when necessary.

Unlike a permanent building, a storefront will allow us to scale up or down based on attendance, financial health, and ministry priorities. This adaptability is especially beneficial for us in what I’m calling “our formative years.” It will allow us to respond quickly to changing circumstances without being tied to a long-term commitment.

Furthermore, our storefront landlord has given us some flexibility in changing our layout as growth and needs dictate. Our storefront can be customized to suit the needs of the congregation and community. Unlike traditional church buildings, which often have fixed architectural features such as pews, stained glass windows, or large sanctuaries, storefront spaces are usually more neutral and open.

This gives us the freedom to design our space according to our unique vision and style. Whether it’s creating an inviting, contemporary worship space or setting up an area for fellowship and community gatherings, a storefront can be easily adapted to accommodate various church activities.

A Final Thought

As I’ve had time to pray and reflect on our situation at Haughton Methodist Church, I’ve discerned that being in a storefront is both practical and strategic. It’s a choice that can support our long-term growth and success (even more than getting our old property back).

Ultimately, the success of our congregation will not be defined by the building we meet in, but by the relationships we foster, the ministries we engage in, and the impact we have on our community.

So, if you’re in Bossier Parish, Caddo Parish or Webster Parish, and you’ve never considered the possibility of worshipping in a storefront, why don’t you join us at Haughton Methodist Church. We’d love to have you on this incredible journey!

Until next time, keep looking up…

Is Jesus Worth It?

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

I’m not the perfect pastor. I’m not the perfect pastor because I’m not a perfect person. Among the many foibles I possess is not know when to keep my mouth shut…well, let me clarify that. I know when I should keep my mouth shut. The foible is in actually keeping my mouth shut.

I should probably clarify that further. My tendency is to keep my mouth shut when I should speak up and to open my mouth when I shouldn’t speak up. I’m uncertain as to which I’m doing this morning, but here goes anyway…well, because I’m not the perfect pastor.

Faith and Politics…again!

Those who know me know (and I’ve confessed) that I am a bit of a political junkie. Naturally, the election season has my interest peaked. Because I’ve also been a pastor (and probably will be again someday), I’m always looking at the intersection of faith and politics. It always raises the question, “How does our faith inform our politics?”

Some people might proffer the question, “Should our faith inform our politics?” I say if our faith doesn’t inform our politics, it’s probably not much of a faith.

So, how is faith informing politics this election cycle? Well, I’m glad you asked!

I came across this interesting survey from Rasmussen Reports last week. Rasmussen is an independent polling organization that polls daily through each election cycle. It is independent in the sense that it is neither left nor right leaning, and it does its best to “weight” its polls so that their polls aren’t skewed one way or the other. It is also independent in that they neither depend upon outside money, nor do they receive outside money to conduct polling. Seems to me that is how it should be.

Here’s what their polling found, and what I find interesting in the intersection of faith and politics: people of faith (all faith backgrounds) are generally voting for Donald Trump. Here’s the breakdown Rasmussen reported:

This poll is getting little attention in the media. The only reason I found it is because I was looking for it. Though it is getting little attention, I find it quite revealing in showing there really is a clash of cultures in this election and that clash is between the religious and the non-religious.

Every major faith group (except “other”) is voting in the majority for Donald Trump, and the only group even close to the margin of error is the Jewish faith. “Other” would include Hindu, Buddhist, et. al., and I only assume they were lumped together because the sample size of each was too small to be reliable.

While people of “other” faith backgrounds support Harris, the overwhelming majority of atheists support her. I’m sorry, but that just gives me pause as one who identifies as an evangelical believer in Jesus Christ.

It’s not that I believe Kamala Harris to be a non-religious person. According to Biography.com, she grew up in a black baptist church, has attended Hindu temples (as a result of her Indian heritage) and married a Jewish man. Now, that’s what I call an intersection of faith and politics!

Atheism in the Public Square

When I consider that the “atheists” could be the deciding factor in the most consequential election of our lifetime, I am concerned about the direction of our nation. Every national poll shows this election to be a toss-up (see here and here for two of the most recent). The atheist vote could very well make the difference.

Why do so many atheists support the Democratic Party? From what I’ve been able to discern, it comes down to two things: abortion rights and Christian nationalism. I’d post a few links here on abortion rights and Christian nationalism but you can do a simple Google search and find all the links you need. You’ll be reading for days.

Let me just get this out of the way: I am staunchly pro-life, and that is pro-life in the sense that life begins at conception and that every avenue must be pursued to protect that life. I am also a pragmatist (and not a Christian nationalist) and I believe that the Supreme Court of the United States got it right when they returned the abortion debate to the individual states. That is just one place where my faith informs my politics, and yes, I know it sets up its own clash of cultures. But, I’m just an old white guy, so what do I know?

A “Christian” Nation?

No, I’m not a Christian nationalist (as the term is most commonly defined–it’s a relatively new term, by the way). I do not believe that the United States must be a “Christian” nation, but I do believe that the United States of America was formed (and its underlying foundational documents designed) by people who were Christian, or whose philosophical/ideological perspective were rooted in the Judeo-Christian worldview.

The values and morals that shaped this nation are the values and morals that have their foundation in Scripture. The further we move away from those values as a nation, the more endangered the American experiment becomes…and the more godless the culture becomes. We are far down that road now. I’m wondering if there is a U-turn in our future? I’m wondering if this election cycle will tell us?

Not that Donald Trump is a bastion of Christian morality. His moral failures have been documented copiously, and you can do your own Google search on that, too. Honestly, I believe we are left with the two choices we have for President of the United States BECAUSE we have become unmoored from the Judeo-Christian values upon which this nation was founded.

I also believe the election of Donald Trump won’t provide the U-turn the nation needs to preserve our nation. It might slow it down a little, but it won’t turn it around. The U-turn that matters will happen in the Church through the power of the Holy Spirit. It will take a spiritual revival on the level of the first and second Great Awakenings. It will take prayer and preparation that can only begin in the faith communities of our nation.

The Ripkens

I won’t say who I’ll be voting for in this election. I’ll only say I won’t be voting with the atheists. You can if you want, but don’t come crying to me when we become a completely godless nation. Of course, becoming a completely godless nation might not be such a bad thing. Ask Nik and Ruth Ripken, they can tell you.

The Ripkens were missionaries to Malawi and Somalia, and it was while they were in Somalia that they lost one of their three sons. Their loss forced the Ripken’s to reconsider their calling, and after some reflective time, they were assured they were called to be missionaries, although the focus of their ministry shifted.

They felt called to go into the regions of the world where Christians were persecuted greatest to discover ways they could be in ministry to them. Nik Ripken began by traveling to Russia, China and Central Asia to interview members of the persecuted church.

What he discovered was not that we needed to do anything to help the persecuted church, but that it was his faith that was resurrected by the faithful witness of those Christians. They heard stories of pastors imprisoned and emaciated, yet still clung to their hope in Christ. They heard stories of fathers separated from their families because they smuggled bibles in for others to discover Christ.

In China, he was able to meet with about 150 house church pastors to hear their stories. He said no one really knew what they would find in China. In 1948, when communism came to China, the church was outlawed. At the time, there were between 400,000 and 700,000 Christians.

No one really knew if the church had survived after all these years. Yet, today there are over 10 million Christians in a nation that is openly hostile to their faith. The church flourished in conditions it should not have. The 150 pastors, after telling their stories to Ripken began to ask, “Has Christ made it to the rest of the world?”

What the Ripken’s discovered was that where the church was persecuted the greatest was the very place where faith has thrived the greatest. History has taught the same lesson. The burning question Ripken had for all he interviewed was, “Is Christ worth it?” Is Christ worth the suffering, the imprisonment, the loss of family and even death? As one interviewee said, “Oh, Christ is worth it!”

The lesson for me as I live in this culture that is shifting around me is to ask myself, “Is Jesus worth it?” When all cultural accommodation for the Christian faith ends, will Jesus be worth it? Will Jesus be worth my family? Will Jesus be worth my job? Will Jesus be worth my life?

I pray that I can say, “Oh, Christ is worth it!” My fear is I won’t have the courage.

Until next time, keep looking up…

My Lesson from a Battleship Sermon…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

So, I’ve often told folks that I never preach a sermon that I haven’t first preached to myself. In large part that’s true…but not always. It wasn’t necessarily true this week when, in the middle of a sermon I was preaching, the Holy Spirit convicted me on a deep, deep level on a matter I had not previously considered.

Going on a “Journey”

I had the blessed opportunity to preach on Thursday evening to the gathered body at the last “Journey” session for the Evangelical Methodist Church in Copperas Cove, Texas.

What is a “Journey” session? For all my former United Methodist (and present UM) friends, think Annual Conference. “Journey” is the time of year when EMC pastors and laity gather for meetings, business, worship and encouragement.

The theme of the evening was “Be Watchful,” and the passage of scripture around which the Journey session was framed was Paul’s departing speech to the elders from the church at Ephesus in Acts 20:

28 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders. 29 I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock.30 Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. 31 Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you—my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.

I chose as the text for my message Ephesians 6: 10 – 20:

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

Bermuda Shorts and Battleships

I’ll do my best to make a long story short. The title of my message was “Wearing Bermuda Shorts on a Battleship,” with the point being that many people come to Jesus expecting life to be a cruise ship when, in fact, we are boarding a battleship. We have to have the correct attire for the occasion. We must put on the full armor of God to be prepared for life as a disciple, otherwise it’s like wearing Bermuda shorts on a battleship.

The full armor of God is, of course, Jesus Himself. He is our salvation. He is our righteousness. He is our peace. He gives us the gift of faith. He is Truth. He is the Word made flesh. We must clothe ourselves in Christ and we do so through prayer. And, that’s where the Holy Spirit convicted me in the middle of the message.

I was bringing the message to a crescendo (don’t you like that word?) with these words:

“Friends, we don’t strap on a Colt 45 and look for some evil to confront. Evil will find us on its own. Our battle is won or lost on the field of prayer. We cannot advance, let alone win the spiritual battle, if we are not empowered with prayer. We need to pray for each other. We need to pray for protection from the evil one. We need to pray that God would guard our moral lives and protect our people from moral failure. We need to pray for the strengthening of families in our church. We need to pray for love and unity within the church. We need to pray for wisdom to discern false teaching. We need to pray and not give up. But, we must never pray to be taken out of the battle.”

And, there it was…”we must never pray to be taken out of the battle.” I even repeated it twice for emphasis. In that moment, the Holy Spirit impressed upon me that praying to be taken out of the battle is exactly what I had done in 2019 when I left the United Methodist Church.

Jumping Ship

Between 2019 and 2024, the United Methodist Church was in a battle for its future. I like to believe that in 2019 after General Conference, I saw the handwriting on the wall…that the battle was already lost…so, what was the point of sticking around?

I prayed for a door to open so I could make my exit. Time to move on…time to fight other battles. Well, doors did open, and I thought those doors were answers to prayer. Perhaps they were answers to prayer because, well, God is just good that way, but as a result of the message I preached on Thursday evening I feel convicted that I left friends on the battlefield. To use the analogy of the message: I jumped ship. I abandoned a church I loved and friends I loved because I thought the battle wasn’t worth fighting.

I don’t mean to suggest that either side in the battle for the UMC was “good” or “evil.” What I am suggesting is that the devil got all up in the business of the UMC, and the division is a direct result of the devil having his way with us. We spent years fighting each other when who we should have been fighting was the devil. At least, that’s my perspective (with all due respect for those friends of mine who remain UM).

Now that I’ve had a couple of days to reflect on the Holy Spirit’s conviction, I think I need to apologize to my shipmates–I’m sorry I jumped ship. I got caught wearing Bermuda shorts on a battleship.

The Goodness of God & Coming Home

Yet, God is good! After almost a year of being spiritually homeless, the Lord (in July 2020) led me to the Evangelical Methodist Church. In His goodness and grace, He has shown me over the past three+ years that I have always been an evangelical Methodist, now it’s just official. I’m glad to be home. Yet another answer to prayer, for sure. He answers our prayers in positive ways even when we’re not praying for the right things.

So, I’ll do my best to fight the good fight in my new home. I’ll do my best to serve Him wherever He might lead me as a result of this new relationship. I’ll do my best every day to put on Jesus Christ (the armor of God) and board the battleship in the fight against the spiritual forces of wickedness. I’ll do my best to pray and never give up. I’ll do my best to never abandon my shipmates again. I’ll do my best to honor Him at every turn. I’ll do my best to be prepared for the journey that is faithful discipleship in Christ. I’ll try not to bring Bermuda shorts to a battleship.

I’m certain I may fail at some point. For those times, as in this one, I’ll ask for forgiveness, for mercy and for grace. I’m sure the Lord will extend all three, well, because He’s just good that way. I can only pray that others will, too.

Until next time, keep looking up…