Church Franchise a Hit, but Hostile Take-Overs Rattle Congregations

This is from my favorite "news source" for Christians.... Lark News.


KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As the Podesta family traveled from Kentucky to Maine on vacation last summer, they stopped every Sunday and Wednesday at their favorite national franchise: Evergreen Christian Center.
"It was like we never left home," says Albert Podesta, 38.
For 12 years Evergreen Christian Center was just another mega-church in Tennessee. Then the church radically changed its ministry approach. It began franchising itself.
The franchise scheme was cooked up by several retired CEOs who landed on the church board at the same time.
"They asked for our input, so we didn't hold back," says one.
In 2001 Evergreen began gobbling up churches across the nation and turning them into Evergreen clones, with identical features, down to the doorknobs, ushers' jackets and sermons. Even the pulpits and Sunday school rooms are the same.
"We're like Burger King or Subway — a solid, trustworthy business," says Evergreen brand manager Stefan Borcht.
But ECC's growth strategy has caused alarm among many churches who fear being targeted in hostile take-over bids. After scouting a target church, ECC recruits a slate of church members to run for election to the church board. ECC woos church members with direct mailings, phone calls and pleasant emails. If ECC's slate is elected the church becomes an Evergreen franchise. Oftentimes the pastor is removed or demoted.
"They swallowed us whole," says one former pastor whose church was Evergreen-ed last year. "We didn't even know what hit us."
ECC targets medium-sized churches with a substantial asset base. Later it absorbs smaller churches in the area, a process they call "picking up the pennies." ECC franchise inspectors visit churches secretly to enforce specific guidelines.
Evergreen members swear by the model. The Clarke family moved from Seattle to Milwaukee, and their children never missed Sunday school.
"It eased the transition," says Dan Clarke. "The worship and preaching were exactly the same, down to the inflections. Even the pastor looked the same." •

All content © 2006 LarkNews.com. All rights reserved.

Four Words

We just got back from our nephew's wedding in New Jersey. It was absolutely wonderful to see family and friends we had not seen in five years!! In a very real sense we felt we had gone home again. We were able to see folks from our former church in Northern New Jersey. It was so encouraging to hear and see how the "fruit" we had in our ministry there has remained and grown!
But, back to the title of this post... "Four Words". At Johnny and Jaclyn's wedding the pastor spoke to them (and allowed us to listen in) about four words necessary for their married life together.
1) Servanthood - the importance of serving each other, listening to and caring for each other as a servant does... as Jesus exemplified in His ministry. He took the form of a servant. He came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for us!
2) Submission - mutual submission to each other as a way of showing love. We submit to each other out of reverence for Christ.
3) Forgiveness - this is so KEY! We are to forgive each other as God, in Christ, has forgiven us. No marriage (or relationship) can survive without forgiving each other, for big things as well as small.
4) Sacrifice - this goes right along with all the others. Jesus sacrificed His life for us. We need to sacrifice daily for Him and for each other. Sacrifice in small things is sometimes more difficult than the big things. How much better would all our relationships be if we would sacrifice for each other.

As I watched Johnny and Jaclyn exchange vows and enter a new phase of their lives and begin a new family unit I was reminded of my own marriage. I was also reminded of the church. What if, in the church we practiced these things with each other.... Servanthood, Submission, Forgiveness, Sacrifice. I don't see a lot of this right now but I am hoping for a renewal... a revival, if you will, in God's people.

After all... it's what God thinks that really counts

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
– Dr. Seuss

I Will Rise - Chris Tomlin (this is my new favorite song)

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say it is well
Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

Chorus

(And) I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow no more pain
I will rise on eagle's wings
Before my God fall on my knees and rise
I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes
Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

Chorus

(And) I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow no more pain
I will rise on eagle's wings
Before my God fall on my knees and rise
I will rise

And I hear the voice of many angels sing
Worthy is the Lamb
And I hear the cry of ev'ry longing heart
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb

I will rise
I will rise

The Perfect Pastor

The results of a computerized survey indicate the perfect minister preaches exactly fifteen minutes. He condemns sins but never upsets anyone. He works from 8:00 AM until midnight and is also a janitor. He makes $50 a week, wears good clothes, buys good books, drives a good car, and gives about $50 weekly to the poor. He is 28 years old and has preached 30 years. He has a burning desire to work with teenagers and spends all of his time with senior citizens. The perfect minister smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his work. He makes 15 calls daily on congregation families, shut-ins and the hospitalized, and is always in his office when needed.

If your minister does not measure up, simply send this letter to six other churches that are tired of their minister, too. Then bundle up your minister and send him to the church on the top of the list. In one week, you will receive 1,643 ministers and one of them will be perfect. Have faith in this procedure.

One chuch broke the chain and got its old minister back in less than three weeks....so don't break the chain.

Drama Outreach Team

CrossRoads Evangelical Free Church drama outreach team!
This was our first public performance and we have two more lined up. We performed this mime in Exeter's City Park on the Fourth of July and then again in our worship service on Sunday.