15 minutes around Postcode 2000 (Redeemer's People Profiles)

I learned a *lot* spending a year with Redeemer's Church Planting Center. But one of the things that struck me was the following simple list: The Profile of a Professional Manhattanite.

The list is an attempt to humbly work out (through a process of dialogue, listening and researching) specific and thoughtful people profiles for a professional Manhattanite.

I quote:

From brainstorming with the core croup and in the evangelistic encounter, Tim Keller developed the following profile of the professional Manhattanite:

a) extremely bright-experts; highly proficient in their fields
b) years of counseling, self-analysis; tend to think in psychological terms
c) very sexually active
d) absorbed in their careers--many/most relationships in their job field
e) liberal social conscience
i) commitment-wary (phobic); very private individualistic
g) somewhat lonely; experience numerous transitions
h) highly secular, yet have tried 2 or 3 religions or spirituality-systems
i) deep mistrust of organized religion and especially evangelical Christianity

Our Evening Church Congregation Planning Team have begun to write our own profiles for those we are trying to reach. We don't pretend to represent everyone (as Redeemer's doesn't). The idea is that they pick up the majority of people living withing 15 minutes walk, drive or public transport from Postcode 2000.

I will blog them this week. Two a day. They are based on our collective intuition, as well as some research, but we are happy to have them put through the fires of Blogging, and in our friendships with those who are not Christian.

You can read them HERE.

We've grouped them:

1. RELIGION
2. EDUCATION
3. MONEY AND CAREER
4. LIFESTYLE
5. TASTES
6. RELATIONSHIPS
7. FAMILY
8. MORALS
9. BEING AUSTRALIAN
10. CHURCH

Keen?

I begin tomorrow.

________________

Is James Cameron's 15 Minutes of Fame the Coffin of your Dreams?

OK -- I know that this is so last week: But James Cameron hauled out a coffin claiming it to be the coffin of Jesus. If you don’t know about it, I’m glad. The whole thing reeks of a publicity stunt that guaranteed Cameron’s desired 15 minutes. You can read about it HERE.

And the coffin of Jesus is the coffin of my faith, right? – we’ve said this forever.

So I have a question. It’s a question that you can respond to only if you believe that Jesus came out of that tomb alive; that he was raised as Messiah. You can only answer this question if you believe that by rising from the dead, Jesus has conquered death; has vindicated his people; was raised as the Second Adam; will return to judge the world; gives you reason to risk your life for the cause of Christ; rendering your life not meaningless; and only if you believe that at his appearing, he will restore and redeem all things to their good, stunning, gorgeous, God-honoring rightful place.

Put simply: You can only respond to this post if you’ve made the link between the ‘Resurrection of Jesus’ and the ‘Answer to every Question, Hope and Dream that the Universe has ever had’.

What if James Cameron is right? What if Jesus stayed in that tomb (or any other tomb)? What if Cameron’s stunt could actually be proved to be true? Like really and conclusively true!

My question for your comments:

What will you do about it tomorrow morning? (Monday in Australia/Sunday in the US)

And if you think that it’s inappropriate to ask this question, bear in mind that our Apostle unapologetically raised this very question in his Blog to the Corinthians.

S0 – answer, my friends.

(Because this is so important, I will probably delete anonymous comments. Sorry.)

New Evening Congregation brainstorm...

Our Evening Service met last week.

We gathered in the front of our church. The lights were dimmed. We sat in the round. Lots of anticipation. Good Gandevia coffee and fruit and chocolate. (see my iPhone pic)

And we then spent about an hour discussing how we could be sensitive to the newcomer. We brainstormed, and prayed, and discussed what we thought may work for someone who does not know God, especially for someone who lives within 15 minutes walk, drive or public transport from POSTCODE 2000.

This is the upshot of our discussion:

Lighting

People felt the current lighting was adequate, but would prefer spotlights on main areas – on preacher and band, less yellow light, and other mood lighting. A few commented that the lighting was potentially too dim. One comment was to have mood lighting illuminating the bell ringing area.

Food

Our people identified food as hospitality, either inside or outside the church. The thought is that we should have food where possible served before and after service, but it needs to be good, otherwise not worth doing at all. Universal support for good coffee to be served, either by a barista or good quality plunger.

Food after church was broken down to those wanting to share a meal in church as a witness of community, and those wanting more casual but open welcoming to going elsewhere for food after the service. It was felt that cost, accessibility from the church (no more than 5-10 minutes), ability to cater for large groups, noise and variety of food options were most important. Some felt like they would like a venue where they could opt of either a full meal, or just a drink.

Venues for food after church included Jacksons on George, The Glenmore, The Australian, Cargo Bar and the two Japanese places on York St opposite the church.

Positioning

People felt like the Chancel (front of Church) worked for the short term, and preferred the orientation as it was set up. They suggested maybe that the band stand in the middle, but were soon at risk of overcrowding the area. Others wanted the musicians to the side, and the preacher facing the main area of the church as to not make latecomers feel embarrassed. Most people did not like the use of the communion table in the middle. They felt it was either ritualistic (high church) or cultish.

If using the existing pew setup, people were universally against the use of the pulpit (seen as high church). Suggestion then for greater visibility of the musicians and preacher was that the chancel should get a raised platform of about 1 foot, but needed to be done tastefully.

Money

Universal support for direct debit and credit card giving. Felt that plate passing was uncomfortable to seekers and new people. Felt there needs to be a box in the back to give, but (naturally) it needed the accountability of how that money was to be handled.

Other

One point that was raised: we should be potentially more thoughtful about where our church sits relative to our culture. Should it match or be different to our cumulative backgrounds? Thought needs to be given on how the space can let us anticipate an encounter with God, with silent spaces, and not being too formal, ordered or predictable.

It's the right discussion to be having.

Has your church thought through all this?

We have a long way to go, but I'm keen to see where God takes us.

_________________________

Pic of the food on Sunday taken on an iPhone

#3 Money and Career (15 minutes around Postcode 2000)

MONEY AND CAREER:

Sydneysiders are hard-working, straight-talking and even addicted to work. They invest in clothes, fashion, weekends, food and real estate. They identify themselves by their jobs, and this dictates their perceived importance or status in life. But they will often take less money to make life more enjoyable.

True or False?

Discuss.

____________________

Pic on Flickr by Brianapa.

On Being Australian

Today is Australia Day.

It is earily quiet here in the city. Almost silent. But it is early in the day. All this will change later in the day.

I wrote a series of posts a few months back called: 15 Minutes Around Postcode 2000. A group of us at York Street are trying to work out who it is that we are trying to reach. And so we came up with 9 things we think characterise Sydney-siders.

Three that apply to Australia Day:

BEING AUSTRALIAN:

Sydneysiders belong to 'multiple, highly-motivated global tribes which exert influence, not control'. Like most Australians, they are passionate about being Aussie, without any substantial understanding of what constitutes the national identity (unlike many Americans). Sydneysiders don’t know Australian history; they only know some Australian stories. Traveling brings out some sort of essential Aussie-ness, and so young people travel often and regularly, with families often holidaying overseas.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Sydneysiders pride themselves in community spirit, helping fellow Aussies when in need. They value time to socialise, and they like crowded summer events (e.g. Cricket, NYE, and Australia Day). They have numerous social connections but often few deep friends. They are often sexually active, with the assumption that something is not right if they are not.

LIFESTYLE:

Sydneysiders choose pleasure over pain; beauty over ugliness; simple over complicated. They are comfortable and maybe even indulgent. They love the weekends over weekdays, knowing that Sydney is its own heaven. They have unusually good water skills, and they are into personal time, sport, sun, socialising, weather, concerts, movies, and the SMH. They care deeply *where* they live. They are green, but only when convenient.

Thought I'd repost this today.

Any thoughts?

Have a day of joy. We're having a BBQ in Mascot with 2 other families.

___________________

Pic on FLickr by robyngeeringphotography.

#7 Family (15 minutes around Postcode 2000)

FAMILY:

Sydneysiders are rarely interested in marriage until around 28. They regularly live together before marriage. And before then, they couldn’t imagine having a baby, but when they do they can’t imagine anything else. (Babies are burdens before marriage and accessories after marriage). As they get older, the men in particular are hurting, and they are sensitive to the possibility that they have not been close enough to their sons and daughters as they imagined they would.

That accessories bit is kind of harsh, but someone said it in our brainstorm session, and I'd be interested to know your thoughts.

__________
Pic of St Philip's on Flickr by Ian.Climacus.

#8 Morals (15 minutes around Postcode 2000)

MORALS:

Sydneysiders are generous, and younger generation of Sydneysiders are getting more passionate (or at least interested) in issues of justice. They want to serve and they appreciate service. However, there is no overarching moral vision of life, and most determine their own versions of right and wrong, and are quite defensive of their own beliefs and opinions.

Yes?

________________________
Pic on Flickr by psd.

#2 Education (15 minutes around Postcode 2000)

EDUCATION:

Sydneysiders are highly educated and professional, although not given to self-reflection. They are not driven politically. They are happy to talk about important things briefly, but not deeply.

True or False?

Discuss.

____________________
Pic on Flickr by Convexstyle.

#5 Tastes (15 minutes around Postcode 2000)

TASTES:

Sydneysiders love to taste and experience. They like a superior beer and good food, preferring quality over quantity. They love good coffee (and are generally repulsed by the instant variety) and they eat out frequently. They use their eyes, rather than their minds.

No?

__________________

Pic on Flickr by d_web.

#4 Lifestyle (15 minutes around Postcode 2000)

LIFESTYLE:

Sydneysiders choose pleasure over pain; beauty over ugliness; simple over complicated. They are comfortable and maybe even indulgent. They love the weekends over weekdays, knowing that Sydney is its own heaven. They have unusually good water skills, and they are into personal time, sport, sun, socialising, weather, concerts, movies, and the SMH. They care deeply *where* they live. They are green, but only when convenient.

Yes?

________________________
Pic on Flickr by NSW Ocean Baths.

#9 Being Australian (15 minutes around Postcode 2000)

BEING AUSTRALIAN:

Sydneysiders belong to 'multiple, highly-motivated global tribes which exert influence, not control'. Like most Australians, they are passionate about being Aussie, without any substantial understanding of what constitutes the national identity (unlike many Americans). Sydneysiders don’t know Australian history; they only know some Australian stories. Traveling brings out some sort of essential Aussie-ness, and so young people travel often and regularly, with families often holidaying overseas.

This one is my favourite.

________________________
Pic on Flickr audi_insperation.

#6 Relationships (15 minutes around Postcode 2000)

RELATIONSHIPS:

Sydneysiders pride themselves in community spirit, helping fellow Aussies when in need. They value time to socialise, and they like crowded summer events (e.g. Cricket, NYE, and Australia Day). They have numerous social connections but often few deep friends. They are often sexually active, with the assumption that something is not right if they are not.

No?

_____________________
Pic on Flickr by inail1972.

#1 Religion (15 minutes around Postcode 2000)

RELIGION:

Sydneysiders are interested, tolerant and polite about ‘religion’, (having engaged with Scripture in Schools), but skeptical that any one version is the only true version, and rarely motivated to change. They hate confrontation, but are open to Jesus.

Discuss.

____________________
Pic on Flickr by Assaf F.

'Sydneysiders' is code for the people we are trying to reach: People in or near Postcode (Zip) 2000. Again, I stress that this list does not capture everyone (not least of which is the incredible amount of Asian people in our area of Sydney). It is simply meant to ring true of many Sydneysiders. See the original post HERE. And all posts in the Series HERE.

(#2) John 16 Sermon: Pearls Before Breakfast

(This is my SECOND sermon on the Work of the Spirit in John. Read John 16:5-15 before reading.)

Allow me to quote [With some edits] from last month’s Washington Post.

“He emerged from the METRO at the L'Enfant Plaza Station and positioned himself against a wall beside a trash basket. By most measures, he was nondescript: A youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and a Washington Nationals baseball cap.

"From a small case, he removed a violin.

"Placing the open case at his feet, He shrewdly threw in a few dollars as seed money and began to play. It was 7:51a.m. on Friday, January 12 - the middle of the morning rush hour. In the next 43 minutes, as the violinist performed six classical pieces, 1,097 people passed by. Each passerby had a quick choice to make, One familiar to commuters in any urban area:

"Do I stop and listen?

"No one knew it", said the article. "But the fiddler standing there was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written, on one of the most valuable violins ever made.

"All an experiment exploring this: In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?"

The Article was named: “Pearls before Breakfast”

Who was he, and how did people respond?

His name is Joshua Bell , a non-descript person if you met him (A Jew interestingly), one of the finest violinists, playing a Stradivarius violin worth $3.5 million. And yet Only 7 people stopped to listen, 27 gave money, most nickels and dimes, and on the hop… For a total of $32 and change!

The obvious question is: How is that someone who in a future context (like at Carnegie Hall) will be adored, and yet at this point is ignored?

More to come...

Spoiled and Under 30?

OK -- I was just sent this email (H/T to our friend Heather). I just did a quick Google search on it, and (as far as I can tell) its been floating around since May. So you've probably already seen it. But indulge me... I quote unknown source...

THE SPOILED UNDER-30 CROWD!

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were when they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning ... uphill BOTH ways .. yadda, yadda, yadda….and I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of rubbish like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But now that I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!

And I hate to say it, but you kids today don't know how good you've got it! I mean, when I was a kid, we didn't have The Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!

There was no email! We had to actually write somebody a letter ... with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there!

There were no MP3's or Napsters! You wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the damn record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up!

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it! And we didn't have fancy Caller ID Boxes either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like "Space Invaders" and "Asteroids", and the graphics sucked! Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

When you went to the movie theater there was no such thing as stadium seating! All the seats were the same height! If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you and you couldn't see, you were just screwed! Sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like 15 channels, and there was no onscreen menu and no remote control! You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your backside and walk over to the TV to change the channel, and there was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little brats!

And we didn't have microwaves; if we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove or go build a frigging fire ... imagine that! If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid Jiffy Pop thing and shake it over the stove forever like an idiot.

That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy.

You're spoiled! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980!

Regards,

The over 30 Crowd.

So -

• Are you over thirty? Which parts are true? What resonates?
• Are you under thirty? Did you ever own your own Record Player?

(Pic is me before we owned a color TV).