Thursday, February 28, 2008

Never get complacent.

As a staff, there are some things we have to constantly remind ourselves. One important thing is to remember that not everyone in our fellowship knows everything we take for granted.

I was reminded of this today when I was asked a question by someone fairly new to Argyle, an earnest seeker who is looking for answers to spiritual questions. "I heard someone on radio talking about Lent. I have heard the word, but what does it mean?"

Every one of us has their own level at which understanding stops and blank stares begin, so none of us can afford to laugh at this question. But, it does perfectly illustrate why we have to be very careful to remember how easy it is to communicate poorly because we make the wrong assumptions about what and how much people know.

Hal Hunter

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

ArgyleArts in StudioC

This past Sunday, something exciting happened. Almost two dozen people came to the information meeting about the new visual arts ministry here at Argyle- ArgyleArts in StudioC.

Do you draw? Paint? Sculpt? Take photographs? Do you want to use your talent to glorify God and beautify our campus? ArgyleArts is for you.

Contact John Santillo for more information. Click here to view the information brochure.

Hal Hunter

What really matters anyway?

Some of you who were raised in a traditional church will remember those little plaques on the front wall. One of them contained a little box score from the previous week- how many present, how many visitors, how much money collected.

What you value, you emphasize. Since those numbers were in such a prominent place, they must have been pretty important. Right?

For many people, that is the only way to measure success in church- count noses, count dollars, measure square feet of buildings, enumerate people passing through classes or studies. It seems if you can't count it, it doesn't matter. Our own denomination seems to highly value numbers. Open the annual report, and you will be swamped with page after page of small font numerical tables.

Do these numbers mean anything to God? After all, isn't everything we do supposed to glorify Him? Aren't we supposed to be moving on His agenda, not ours? Is it headcount He values, or is it changed lives?

We believe He really values changed lives. We aren't so concerned about numbers, except where they help us understand if we are reaching people. That's why we don't much talk about numbers, why we don't have one of those little plaques on the front wall, why we don't run a box score in the Argyle Connections.

But, are we changing lives? We think so. Not because we are counting noses on Sunday, but because we constantly are talking to people who tell us there is something new, different and exciting going on in their lives since they started coming to Argyle. People are encountering the living Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, and their lives will never be the same.

Listening to these stories is a lot more fun than counting.

Hal Hunter

Thursday, February 07, 2008

More than a little surprized

The Church at Argyle is conducting Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. We have over 50 families enrolled, with over 100 people attending each week.

This past Tuesday was the third of thirteen weekly sessions. We asked each family to anonymously give us an index card with their family's total debt, excluding any first mortgage. 49 responded. We expected a lot of debt, but not what we saw.

The total debt was $2,273,000! Only six owed nothing, and some of these were teens who were asked to participate apart from their parents. Of those who owed debt, the average balance was $52,860. Eight of 49 owed more than $100,000. The carrying cost of that amount of debt will be in the range of $24,000 to $34,000 (or more) per month. It makes you wonder how high the total would be if first mortgages were included.

We hear media reports about rising debt loads and shrinking savings in America. But, seeing the real numbers in families you know, people right next door, makes for an entirely different impact.

Hal Hunter

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

A new toy

It's way past Christmas, but you know guys and their toys- it's always Christmas when it comes to toys. Our newest toy is this blog- an opportunity to be heard far and wide and perhaps influence someone for the Kingdom's benefit.

The staff of The Church at Argyle is a pretty diverse group. God has assembled a team here that works together well, trusting each other and trusting that the Holy Spirit is leading. Click here to meet us.


As we begin the new year, we are well on our way to making a major shift in our direction and emphasis. For years, we have spent most of our effort on becoming an attractional church- on building environments that will attract and engage people by their excellence and relevance. Now, we feel that we are being called to more directly obey the Great Commission- to go instead of letting them come. Simple to express in words- difficult to do in terms of attitudes and actions within the whole body of the fellowship.

We are still wrestling within the staff and senior leadership to clarify the win. (Check out this invaluable book by Andy Stanley and others from North Point Ministries; clarifying the win is the first practice that must be mastered to do effective and efficient ministry.) We know beyond a doubt that God is leading us to take a missional approach- to be the church rather than going to church. But exactly what does that look like. How do we model it to the fellowship? Importantly, what is it not?

Hal Hunter