Apparently, marathons have grown passe’. Running 26.2 miles simply isn’t challenging enough anymore.
There has to be something more. And believe it or not, there is. It’s called “Tough Mudding.”
Ok, I’m not making this up. According to TIME magazine, “mudding” is the new phase of endurance sports.
Instead of just running a regular marathon, “mudders” have to swim through pools filled with ice, ditches filled with mud—and get this—run through dangling electrical wires that shoot 10,000 volts into your body.
Really? Side cramps and shin splints aren’t enough?
Why would anybody in their right mind do this? Why take something that’s already hard—like running a marathon—and make it harder?
Simple answer?
People like challenges. People like doing hard things. And once you’ve done a hard thing, you want to do something harder.
This got me to thinking about our churches. Have you ever sat down and tried to figure out the value of human resources that sit in your church pews?
Several years ago we did a manpower audit. We tracked the hours of our volunteers, and assuming you paid our volunteers $10 per hour, we quickly calculated a resource worth over $10 million!
Your church is no different. Tennessee Baptist churches are filled with hard-working, creative and intelligent people. All week long our members solve difficult problems and get hard things done.
So, why do we ask them to come to church, sit down and be quiet?
Our church members want to do something hard for God. Let me give you an example. . .
Derek Evans and Matt Blinco went on a mission trip to Set Free Church (a church for the homeless in Los Angeles). When they got back to Nashville and found out Set Free was coming to Music City, they determined they wanted to do something—but what? They decided to start a T-shirt printing company called Project 615.
Working with the homeless men who are part of Set Free, Matt and Derek print Christian and Nashville themed T-shirts and sweat shirts. Catch me at the gym and you’ll see me sporting my Project 615 hoodie.
Let’s see… starting a company is hard. Starting it to serve the homeless is harder. Making it all work so you can stay in business, well, that’s harder still.
Post-moderns don’t believe church is a place where you go. Church is something you do—and the harder the better.
Look around your community. What are the hard problems that have to be solved?
Who in your church—for the sake of Jesus and His kingdom—can attack this issue?
Think about it.
Pray about it.
Talk about it.
You might be surprised. God’s people love doing hard things.
