PC's Thoughts

Why re-name Osceola Assembly?

First, we need to remove the geographical limitation posed by the name of our city in the title. Yes, we exist here in Osceola, but our vision is to be able to establish satellite churches in other communities. A geographical reference in the title of the church makes that extremely difficult, if not impossible.

Second, we need a name that reflects the vision and purpose of the church, rather than a denominational affiliation.

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way." I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it."

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so blessed that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Are we giving people information or inspiration?

Third, denominational names are barriers. This applies to all denominational barriers. People tend toward distrust of large organizations. So if we can remove that barrier, why not do it?

We seem to be concerned about “losing” a few families who would be upset with removing the denominational name. That could happen, but that would beg some questions:

1) If someone is willing to leave the church over the denominational name, then what is their priority; the denominational name or people’s souls?

2) When did the denominational name become more important than the souls of lost people?

3) If it was their family member who refused to attend a church with a denominational name in the title, would that sway their opinion? If not, then what would?

4) For some it’s an issue of “heritage”. If removing a denominational name would bring in more people, then isn’t that like taking a solid foundation and building a skyscraper? That would actually create a greater heritage!

5) We often tell people that God is far more concerned about their future than their past - and He is. So then, why does “heritage” trump vision? Paul said that he “forgot the past and pressed on toward the mark......”

6) When they stand before God, what will He say?

I doubt that He will be proud of their accomplishment of maintaining a denominational loyalty over being willing for people to spend eternity in hell.

Are there other churches someone could go to? Sure. Will they? Maybe. Maybe not. But why should they have to? In front of the west building we put in a cement ramp to make it easier for those with disabilities to get into the building. In turn, that made it easier for everyone to get into the building. No one argued that making it easier and more accessible was a bad thing.

Did everyone use the ramp? Nope. Many still used the step. Will people still come here if we keep the denominational name in the title. Sure........but what about the ones who need “the ramp”? They won’t. And if we believe it’s important to make an entrance door accessible by removing the step barrier, doesn’t it also make sense to make the church more accessible to everyone by removing the denominational affiliation barrier?

Another argument is that missionaries aren’t “ashamed” to be affiliated with the A/G. First, we’re not “ashamed” either. But like so many of our missionaries, we don’t make our affiliation the central focus. We have numerous missionaries throughout the A/G - some of whom we support as a church - who are in sensitive countries and aren’t even listed as missionaries. They are there as teachers, or engineers or architects. They don't use A/G in their name at all. That’s not because they’re “ashamed”, but because it’s wise. It opens far more doors. That’s all we’re trying to accomplish here as well.

Just like some of those missionaries would never be able to set foot in the country God has called them to if they were A/G missionaries, there are people who will never set foot in a church with a denominational affiliation as it’s central focus.

We need to base everything on Scripture - Why? The Great Commission and the Great Commandment can be boiled down to two essential statements:

1: Love God

2: Love other people

These are really the only two things Jesus saw worthy of contending for. Everything else is secondary. I love the Assemblies of God, but a denominational affiliation wasn’t a priority to Jesus.

More questions about those who “might leave” if the denominational affiliation is taken out of the church name:

1) When did keeping people happy become a priority over reaching the lost?

2) Some of those people are faithful givers. When did money (tithes) become a priority over reaching the lost?

This is a contentious subject, to be sure. People have strong feelings on both sides of the issue. That’s why we must approach it with great care and loads of prayer.

I like the idea of putting it before the church family and letting them make the choice. However, I pray that we use wisdom and don’t go “campaigning” for our particular viewpoint. That’s what the informational meeting will be about. That’s what the discussion prior to the vote is for. When it comes to choosing a deacon you wouldn’t “campaign”. You would say, “We need to let the Holy Spirit direct the vote.”

The same applies here. Sure, there will be discussion about it. That’s to be expected.......and welcomed. But any kind of concerted effort to persuade people to vote a particular direction will only become divisive. Please, please, please..........we are experiencing great momentum and we must do all we can to avoid division. Gaining momentum is difficult enough........regaining it after it’s lost is even more challenging.

Once the church family makes the decision, we move forward TOGETHER. We take the essential legal steps and begin the “re-branding” process. Then we go about the business of taking the Gospel to Osceola, southern Iowa and the world!

All in Favor?

All in Favor of a New Church Name?

Our game plan for changing the name of our church.

One Monday morning at staff meeting, Jerry, our pastor of student ministries, told us that it had happened again. A high school student had invited a friend to the church youth group, and the friend was planning to come, until he found out it was at a "Baptist" church. Then he backed out because he felt his parents would disapprove.

This had become an ongoing problem. Nassau County, just outside of New York City, is about 55 percent Catholic, 25 percent Jewish, and the remaining 30 percent covers everything from any world religion to atheism. In our neighborhood the word "Baptist" is met with complete ignorance or is considered a form of extremism.

The high school student was open about it, but we knew that for countless others, even if they didn't say so, our name was an obstacle.

When I was called to be senior pastor of Manhasset Baptist Church in the fall of 2002, I realized that changing the name of the church would need to be one of my early priorities, if we were to reach beyond the boundaries of Manhasset and beyond the boundaries of those already positively inclined toward Baptists.

But in a congregationally governed church, it wasn't my decision alone. I needed to proceed wisely and carefully. I waited until the third elders meeting to broach the subject. While none of the elders felt our current name was an asset to accomplishing our church's mission, some were concerned about the timing of any change.

We agreed to wait one year before going public with any recommended name change. That way the congregation could get to know and trust my leadership.

In hindsight this proved wise because building relationships is crucial to any bold leadership decision. Many people, because they know you, will give you the benefit of the doubt even when they may disagree with you over something.

That first year the elders and I laid out a plan of action:

Present the idea of a name change at the October 2003 congregational meeting and ask them to pray about it.

Teach the theological underpinnings of a name change. We focused on 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, which culminates with the phrase "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."

Hold an all-church prayer meeting, inviting people to an informal meeting for them to ask questions, and then calling them to come before God concerning the issue.

Vote on the concept of a name change at the January congregational meeting. This would be done without a particular name proposed. Any specific name could become a distraction. Voting only on the concept would keep the main issue on the table.

Upon a favorable vote, we would then give the whole church, members and regular attenders, an opportunity to suggest possible names via postcard.

The elders would then select the three top names and send out another letter, announcing the possible names, and asking the congregation to return the enclosed postcard as a straw poll, identifying which name they considered the best.

Propose the name that had the greatest support for a congregational vote at our April congregational meeting.

Hold a "Celebration Sunday" to get the word out and reemphasize our desire to see people come to Christ.

The plan proceeded mostly the way we anticipated. The whole process, from the first October meeting to our Celebration Sunday in June 2004 took about nine months. We had 120 names suggested, and going through them all was one of the most enjoyable parts of the process. We all had our favorites that made us chuckle like "The Love Church" or "Streams of Living Water of Jesus Christ."

What's In a (Church) Name?

Gordon MacDonald told us a while back that the church he serves was considering changing its name. It has finally happened. His account of a 180-year-old congregation's year-long wrestling with its identity is amusing and instructive. Read on.

About a year ago I filled some of this space with comments about changing a church's name. At the time our New England congregation (Baptist in background) was thinking about exchanging its 180-year-old name for something more adaptable to the times. I invited comment from all my readers. And all four of you wrote to me. (Just fooling). Actually, there were a significant number of responses.

Many e-mails were thoughtful and gave evidence that people had done their homework and accumulated useful insight about how and why a church's public moniker ought to be reappraised occasionally and sometimes changed. One or two respondents trumped me by writing that if I prayed more, Jesus would provide the name since it is his church.

A name is important. It can say something about who you are or who you want to be.

There are name-changes throughout the Scriptures. Jesus renamed Simon Peter in order to map out his journey to maturity. The early church called Joseph of Cyprus Barnabas because he was a fountainhead of encouragement. And Saul of Tarsus became Paul in order to contextualize himself in the Greek-speaking world.

I'm one who believes a church name ought to arouse curiosity, reflect congregational character, or provide some sense of meaning as to why a church or organization exists. My opinion? First Baptist Church doesn't cut it any longer. And most of our people agreed - some enthusiastically; others with a compliant shrug of the shoulders.

Our people studied church names and the stories of name changes all across the country. Some stories they collected ended well; others reflected the anguish a congregation can go through when a few become determined to fight change of any kind. Here in this church we're New Englanders, the people who didn't go west many decades ago when Horace Greeley suggested it. Those who did embrace change left us and moved to California. We who stayed behind continued to love our stained-glass windows, our pipe organs, and our hard wooden pews. Why should it surprise you, then, that name changes come hard?

It was a big day when our leaders unanimously affirmed their desire to go for a change. It was an even bigger day when we identified a name that every one liked. It just popped up in conversation. I'm not sure that any of us remember who had the idea. Jesus, perhaps! When we first heard it, we raised holy hands and said in concert, "That's it!" And we stopped looking. The name we picked was CenterPoint Church. It grabbed us, and it offered a meaning that we quickly embraced.

We could become CenterPoint Church with joy and confidence. Forty-eight hours later a new sign was on the front of the church. CenterPoint Church. And in small letters below: established 1818. We had our new name and a reminder that we've been around for a long time.

CenterPoint: what does it mean to us? It says that Jesus is at the center point of our lives together. And it says that we like being a church at the center point of our city where we want to make a difference in community life in the name of Jesus. And, finally, center point reminds us that each of us are "center points" of loving and serving influence wherever we work, live and pursue community involvement.

You can build an entire church mission around that name and those three meanings. And that is exactly what we're trying to do.

Better this wonderful name - CenterPoint - than the one an Old Testament mother gave her son: Ichabod, meaning, "The glory has departed from Israel."

So now you know the rest of the story. And you know that even in New England, an old church can find a new name, a fresh vision, and a confidence that there is a wonderful future.

Selecting a Name

Many churches are named to signify a place, like Main Street Church. Others are named to designate a denominational affiliation, like Faith Baptist Church. Other names, such as Community Bible Church, open broad doors while some names hold out spiritual ideals, like Church of the Open Door.

Many church names present biblical pictures, like The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Some contain nearly an entire system of theology, like Pillar of Fire Mount Zion Holiness Church of the Straight Gate.

Whatever name a church has, a good name is better than a bad one. And a great name can be one less barrier that a church must overcome to reach out to its unreached community.

Today many churches are changing their names. To some this is a new concept. But changing a church name is not as new as many people might think.

For instance . . .

The vast majority of early Americans were Anglicans. In fact, two-thirds of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Anglicans, as were George Washington, John Madison, Patrick Henry, Alexander Hamilton and John Marshall.

After the American Revolution, the Anglicans lost their dominate position. Since the Anglican Church was identified with England, thousands of Americans left to become part of the free churches with reflected America's zeal for freedom. Not until the Anglicans renamed themselves the Protestant Episcopal Church were they able to enjoy growth again.

Why Change Your Name?

Why would anyone want to change their church's name? Here are four reasons some are choosing to do so.

1. A New Location

When Park Street Church moves to Fifth Avenue it will need to change its name or suffer a loss of identity. If the name is not changed, there will be increased confusion as new people move into the community and are unaware that Park Street Church is now located on Fifth Avenue.

2. A New Target.

The First German Baptist Church initially ministered to a primarily German audience. However, over the years the community has changed and a new target audience must be reached. Without a name change, it is unlikely that people of other ethnic descents will even attempt a visit.

3. A New Identity.

Twenty years ago Broadway Presbyterian Church struggled through difficult times. Many people left and joined other churches in the local area. Broadway is now experiencing love and peace within her membership. Yet, her previous reputation lives on. A name change is one way she may clear away the old memories and create a new

identity.

4. A New Direction.

Faith Community Church organized a VISION 2000 team to redefine its mission and has decided to set a new direction for the 90s. Noting that their community has many hurting people, they elected to communicate their new desire to help with a new name - New Hope Community Church.

Seven Guidelines

If you have given some thought to a new church name, here a seven guidelines to think about as you work through the choice.

1. Choose a name that attracts the unchurched.

One key to reaching the unchurched is to use a church name that is understandable and attractive to them.

•Consider what unchurched people think about names like "Faith," "Grace," and other names with religious sounding connotations.

•Narrow your choice down to five names and then survey people in movie lines, ball parks, shopping malls and by phone to see what they think of your choices.

2. Choose a name that sets you apart.

Churches tend to choose similar names. One church realized that it's name was like nine others in the same area.

•Ask yourself what causes your name to stand out.

•What makes your church unique?

•How is your church different from other churches with similar names?

3. Choose a name that is simple to remember.

An unwieldy name must be classified along with a poor location or a run-down facility -- each can be eclipsed but it often takes extraordinary effort to do so.

•Keep your name short.

•Don't try to say too much in your name.

•One word is best but two or three words is okay.

4. Chose a name that will helps people find your church.

One pastor jokingly said, "It takes Daniel Boone to find our church." His church, like many, was established in a small, quiet neighborhood which today are off the beaten path.

•Help people locate your church by naming it after a street, a local attraction, a physical landmark or other unique feature.

5. Choose a name that removes barriers.

Some people remember churches as places with long lists of "don'ts." People shouldn't trip over your theology because of what your name suggests.

•Look at a potential name through unchurched eyes.

•Ask unchurched people to give you their first response upon hearing your new name.

•Hire a consulting firm to investigate possible new names for you and make a recommendation on which one to select.

6. Choose a name that expands your potential.

Don't limit your drawing power to one city or geographical area unless there is tremendous potential for growth in that area.

•Select a name broad enough to include an entire city rather than simply a neighborhood.

•A name with regional identity rather than a city.

•A name with wide appeal rather than a limited appeal.

•A name that communicates to a larger audience rather than a smaller one.

7. Choose a name that communicates vibrancy.

Church names that communicate excitement and celebration are attractive to people who are hurting and in need of support.

•Use a name that includes words like"hope" or "life."

•Try using the word "new" since people like to be part of a pioneering venture.

•Ask if your name communicates excitement.

Some Considerations

You may be very happy with your church's name and have no desire to change it. However, if you do decide to change your name, consider the following.

•List your church in the Yellow Pages or the local newspaper under your denomination. Research has found that most new residents who are church attenders look for a church either through one of these means.

•Check with your denominational leaders to see what, if any, regulations they have concerning your name.

•Take the proper legal steps to file a name change with your state government. In some cases you will simply need to file a DBA

•Change all the items containing your old name, such as church stationery, bulletins, programs, business cards, brochures and church signs. Don't wait until you use up all the old stationery, etc. If a name change is important to make, it is important to change it throughout.

Names, Names and More Names

In the process of trying to think through a name for our new church in Chicago I brainstormed an initial list of 156 names. Some were so ridiculous that I had to remove them from this list, which now contains some less ridiculous names.

I will not reveal here what the new churches name is. I'll be sharing that with the core group in a few weeks. In choosing a name I wanted to keep these things in mind:

Something simple. One or two words with the word "church" after it. People need to know we are a church, so having "church" is important to me. Some exclude this, but I personally think that is a mistake. I wanted one or two words because some church names are so long it's hard to say them. I want things to be simple in this regard.

Would the unchurched be more or less likely to visit purely based on the name?

Would the name connect with Christians?

Be certain no other churches in close proximity had this name.

Something that would work in different locations around the city.

I felt that it was important to find something non-traditional, because we are targeting a younger urban crowd, yet something not too wacky that would turn away Christians who are looking for a church.

I went through the process of having a number of Christians present 4 possible names to their unchurched friends in Chicago and pose this question: Purely based on the name, which church would you be most likely to visit if a friend invited you or if you saw an advertisement? This process was VERY eye opening and SHOCKING to some degree. Christians and unchurched people had widely different reactions to the names. I could not have predicted how our unchurched friends would have responded to the options.

119 Cool Church Names (some aren't so cool!)

ONELOVE church

Recreate church

Eklesia church

Connect church

CHURCH CAST

The Race Church

NewGlobe Church

NewChurch

Restorer Church

Defender Church

Rescuer Church

Giver Church

Act Church

The Overture Church

The Endeavor Church

First Act Church

Venture Church

Great Endeavor Church

The Exchange Church

Truth Church

The Source Church

All Things New Church

Pitch Church

The Launch Church

OutSetChurch

Link Church

Encounter Church

24 CHURCH

First Love Church

Replenish Church

Global Church

The Center Church

CONNECTION CHURCH

Epic Venture Church

The Root Church

DANGERMOUSE Church (added for tobiwan)

Renewal Church

Renew Church

OneWay Church

Landmark Church

Century Church

Central Church

CleanSlate Church

TombStone Church

Kinetic Church

Movement Church

Motion Church

Activate Church

Dynamic Church

Rhythm Church

Pulse Church

Beat Church

Sound Church

New Music Church

Portal Church

Music of Life Church

Rhythm of Life Church

Reactivate Church

TheCause

LIFECAUSE Church

BeTheCause Church

Motif Church

Designers Church

ThePattern

LifePattern

Pattern Of Life Church

The Design

Redesign Church

The Sketch

Objective Church

City Beat

Fresh Church

Start Church

The Figure

The Crux

The Core

Guardian Church

Keeper Church

Director Of Life Church

One Church

The Messenger

Messenger Church

Message Church

Stream Church

Streaming Church

LIGHT CHURCH

VIBE Church

Verve Church

Manifold Church

Home Church

Open House Church

Propulsion Church

View Church

Vision Church

Honor Church

Celebration Church

Churchopolis

Churchopia

Star Church

Jesus Church

New Tribe

Kin Church

Commit Church

Change Church

Resolution Church

Enthuse Church

Overflow Church

Drive Church

Enter Church

Embark Church

Purpose Church

Multiply Church

Reproduce Church

Celebrate Church

Access Church

New Deal Church

Joy Church

Crimson Church

Red Church