The cool factor

In a rare occasion, I had the pleasure of meeting someone that I first learned about through their blog. Marty Duren is leading New Bethany Baptist Church through a huge transition right now. He’s also a voice in the emerging church within the SBC. We met for lunch at the Red Sky coffee house and cafe (It’s one of the coolest places around that doesn’t have a website. What gives?). If you’re ever in Buford, GA you can find it across the street from the Buford Post Office.

Marty says I have cool hair. Thanks for the compliment Marty.

Marty is cooler than cool. Marty is a guy I couldn’t be, even though I tried. He’s in the process of transitioning a church that, if they don’t change, will see the world pass them by at hyper-speed. He’s taken the church a long way. He’s lasted a lot longer than most guys have in transitioning a church. I think transitioning a church is tougher than planting. Not only do you have to be spiritually at the peak of your game, you have to have great leadership skills.

Don’t get me wrong, planting a church is no easy task. I have plenty of friends that have done/are doing it. It’s just that I think the old saying, “It’s easier to birth a baby than to raise the dead” is so true.

On the other hand, if we had more faith we could see more entombed churches raised from the dead. Here’s a thought……If we had more faith, more than the 25% of churches that are planted would survive and thrive.

It takes both hard work and faith to transition and/or plant a church. Both are very different tasks. Both are very cool. Cool meets at Red Sky.