I found out that the “blizzard” I blogged about in an earlier post was actually the result of what’s called the lake effect. Admittedly, I was puzzled by this unique experience. It came on suddenly and in full force. Being from the Northwest with all our beautiful mountain passes, I’m used to driving up and over and consequently through snow storms. But this place is flat. I mean pancake flat!

Lake Effect snow is the result of warmer Great Lakes water providing the moisture and a strong South wind funneling it toward land or what they call a “snow belt”.

In the church world there are Lake Effect Churches too. These are those anomalies that no one can predict and get all our attention. Their pastors become rock stars with gazillions of Twitter followers. And we attempt to replicate their success in our settings.

But the conditions have to be just right for the Lake Effect: Freezing temperatures, warmer than freezing water and a nasty horizontal wind. All of which are the result of our Creator.

I’ve got this theory: Just like the conditions of the Lake Effect, church growth is a result of the many conditions being in alignment and spiritual conditions is just one category.