It's Really Happening

For over a year now, we have been thinking about, planning for, praying over, and preparing to move to Big Lake to launch this new ministry with the people of the area. All those words, however, (thinking, planning, praying, preparing) are not quite the same as it really happening. Now granted, they are vital, necessary, and active in themselves, but there is a distinct difference when things are really happening. For us right now, things are really happening!
Tomorrow morning, the moving van arrives with all of our stuff to move us into our new home in Big Lake! Tomorrow morning, what has been thought about, planned for, prayed over, and prepared to do will really be done ... we will be living in Big Lake. We are excited! We are thankful! We are tired! We are there (well almost)!


Starting a new church has some of those same dynamics – for over a year we have been actively thinking, planning, praying, and preparing (all vital and good); and this too will eventually give over to “it’s really happening!” We are not quite there yet either, but getting closer! Even the almost-but-not-quite steps of really-happening ministry are exciting right now.
For example, our first two community events have been taking shape over the last two weeks: a mini-VBS is scheduled for Saturday, August 23rd from 9-noon, and a Good Cents money management course will be tested out starting the following week. Actually purchasing over $750 in VBS supplies might have something to do with making it feel more real; actually recruiting Launch Team members and giving them specific jobs to accomplish to pull these events off might be another part of it; actually telling people “this is what we are doing” versus “here’s what we are strategizing, what do you think?” is another. I know, I know ... but when the real thing is only a month away, it feels more like it’s really happening than ever before! Cool!



The Older Testament prophet, Jeremiah, bought a piece of land from his uncle long before he actually occupied it. War, deportation, and strife would take place before it would really happen, but Jeremiah had believed and had faith in God who proclaimed, “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jer. 29:10-12 NIV)




I now know the feeling Jeremiah had seventy years later, the night before he walked onto the land which God had promised him. “Wow! It’s really happening! Faith in God pays off! Though I’m not surprised, I am so pleased.”




P.S. We’d love it if you’d leave us a house-warming blessing; just click on the word “comments” below and drop us a quick thought from your heart!

Who Am I by Casting Crowns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug-ru18IktU

Got this YouTube video clip from a friend and thought it was great! Can imagine doing something creative like this in the worship services at our new church. What do you think?

(By the way, can anyone tell me how to add this YouTube directly to this blog, instead of just the link? I have tried several things but this is the best I can do right now. Thanks!)

Bring the Holy to Their Doorsteps

Thank you all for your prayers for a smooth closing on our current home last week ~ all indeed went rather smoothly (but it was a ton of work!!). For you pastor-types out there, here’s something you might copy (as we did).

Remember the great old Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart? Well, just as George Bailey did when the Martinez Family moved into their new home, we gave the buyers of our new home a one-minute blessing before they crossed the threshold for their final inspection. A loaf of bread was presented to represent the bread of life and prayers that they never go hungry, and a blooming plant was gifted to represent the happiness we prayed would take root and grow here for them over the years. The ritual was witnessed by the couple, the couples’ parents, their realtor, and a few of the new neighbors (who we intentionally invited over to welcome them to the neighborhood). I think my wife and their realtor were the most choked up by it all, but the family certainly seemed to appreciate it as well. Perhaps, by bringing simple spiritual rituals to the unchurched in every day affairs, we can spark an awareness of the holy which has been missing. Regardless of their reactions, we seek to bless them with unconditional prayers of blessing and support.

So, we are now homeless for two weeks. A closing date has finally been set on our new home and church-planting is literally working out of a box on the floor right now! Our old email address is no more; our new email address is not yet, and our current email address is ... let’s just say, inconvenient! The same can be said of almost everything else we have taken for granted over the years. Two days ago my soul was feeling strangled by the inefficiency of it all, frustrated by moving at the speed of tar on a July driveway. But angels came and fixed things up, including my impatient spirit.

Preaching each week at neighboring United Methodist churches has been richly relational; connecting with fellow church planting colleagues at our bi-monthly Great Challenge Leadership Academy was wonderfully strengthening; and organizing our first community event for the end of August has been solidifying (nothing like something practical to move one from the abstract to the concrete!).

Small steps continue to move us forward. The support of family, friends, and colleagues continue to strengthen us. The love of the Lord continues to compel us. We wish the same for you.

I'm not trying to get my way in the world's way. I'm trying to get your way, your Word's way. I'm staying on your trail; I'm putting one foot in front of the other. I'm not giving up. I call to you, God, because I'm sure of an answer. Psalm 17:4-6 MSG

So, What's New?

We have been going through a busy couple of weeks recently. Church-planting has been focusing on two areas these days: 1) volunteering in the community, and 2) strategic planning.

Volunteering was intense over the weekend; SpudFest was Thursday thru Sunday. I think I put in approximately 37 hours on those four days alone: setting up, checking IDs, grilling hamburgers & hot dogs, hauling tables, cleaning up, and a lot more. I loved getting to know the people on the Board better, meeting their families, and being out there with the crowds of people. At first I was uncomfortable not knowing what to do or how to help out, but by the end, things were better. As I told the people at Cross Winds UMC (where I was preaching on Sunday morning), we in the church must be the ones to bear the burden of being uncomfortable; we do this by going out to the unchurched, instead of expecting the unchurched to come to us and consequently feeling uncomfortable in our space. It was a weekend of practicing what I preach! Here are some pictures with others from the Spud Fest Board.

Strategically, we have been working on just what is new in this “New Method for a New Day.” Two distinctive qualities for today’s busy families have surfaced:

The Good Life! – Courses, activities, and programs designed specifically for those not connected to a church community. These courses will offer practical instruction / support with a Christian edge. They will most likely be held off-site, and in public spaces whenever possible. Courses which may be offered include:
Good Sense (money and budgeting)
Good Sex (sexuality, dating, and relationships)
Good Grief (disaster, death & dying)
Good Night Moon (family dynamics & communications)
Good Job (career exploration)
Good for You (healthy lifestyles)
Good Heavens (basic spirituality)
Other Good Life! events:
Good Times (friends and family activities)
Good Neighbor (community support projects)

E-Life! – a personal, flexible, intentional program for the spiritual stuff of life. A guiding method will provide the framework upon which participants fill in the details their way; comes with 4 levels for upgrading one’s spiritual life, starting with discovering the spiritual side of real life issues, all the way up to “High Risk: High Reward” Christian living. It is especially designed for young adults and young families who want it all on their time.

In church lingo, the first is all about needs-based evangelism, while the second places a strong emphasis on methodical spiritual development for adults. Of course, we will strive to offer worship, children’s programs, youth ministries, and all the rest with excellence, but evangelism and adult faith formation will have a distinctively new and strong focus in this setting.
Stay tuned for more on these and other experiments with new methods for a new day. And feel free to add to the idea pool with your own ideas, reflections, and ruminations. What do you think church needs to do to be relevant for today’s 25-45 year olds?

What Does a Church Planter Do?

It is now the 18th week of this church planting adventure, and the key activity continues to be ... NETWORKING! But I find that most people don’t initially grasp the magnitude of this activity. Relationships and trust are the foundation upon which this community of faith will grow. Relationships near and not-so-near must be patiently nurtured for things to happen in the future. Let me give you five concrete examples from my pastoral work this last week. Although they are five very different forms of networking, they each have the potential to be significant contacts down the road:

(1) Jacob – the general manager of the local Caribou Coffee. Fantastic young guy! Quite musical (went to college on a full ride music scholarship on trumpet). Embraces the values of excellence and hospitality which Caribou is about. Brainstormed the possibilities of doing several joint events together (Hey! Why not have the best coffee at all our fellowship gatherings or hold Bible Studies at their place?!)

(2) Kelly – Director of Children’s Ministries at Brooklyn UMC. Sharp as they come, and a young dynamo of organization! Showed me all of the magic they have prepared for Vacation Bible School next week. We threw around the idea of sharing the VBS props with the other UM churches along the corridor. (Hey! Why not let every church have more by working together?!)

(3) Jennifer – a 45-minute phone conversation with an unchurched mom of young kids in Big Lake. I called as part of my Spud Fest volunteer-sign-up duties. Ending up hearing all about their exciting out-West vacation plans for 17 days over the 4th; lead into church-talk and an open-ended invitation to call and talk more about church stuff in the future (Hey! In-roads into a family’s spiritual life sometimes begin with volunteering elsewhere and talking about other things!)

(4) Lyle – retired United Methodist pastor serving on the Metro West Builders Association. No one does graciousness or hospitality better. Invited me to join the Builders for lunch and before I even knew what was happening, the entire group and I are talking about land, buildings, ministry dreams, and financing for half an hour (Hey! It may be worth much more than a free lunch down the road!)

(5) Joanie – looking for a job as a Worship / Music Director in a church near Maple Grove. Vivacious, experienced, and genuine. Were able to connect thanks to the MAC Bulletin Board (email version). Now, I am no where near ready to hold formal job interviews, but a shared cup of coffee now allowed each of us to share visions, passions, and faith-views long before deadlines are coming due (Hey! If she is not the right fit, she may know another who is and now she knows all about us!)

What do church planters like me do in the early stages of getting a faith community going? We build relationships which may or may not amount to anything. We go and scatter the seeds of God’s grace along the pathways of life, hoping that some will grow to bear much fruit (Matthew 13:1-9). In a nutshell, we do a lot of networking.

Know anyone you think I should talk to?

Time for Wonder

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;

the whole earth is full of his glory."

Isaiah 6:3 NIV

Today just feels like good day to sit back and ponder the wonders of God's world. Here are some pictures I took while on a family vacation along the St. Croix River Valley a couple of years back. While camping at Taylor's Falls, we had time to explore God's creation in many ways ...

Hot air ballooning is such a peaceful way to get above it all, and take a bigger look at life from the perspective of angels ...

All of life flows with the life touch of the creator, sparkling and dancing even in the quietest of hillside streams...

Those who walk slowly, with eyes open to wonder, may discover beauty where others see only rocks ...

Sometimes it is only by being quiet and still can we drift to places where majesty lives ...

Even the rocks cry out what the Lord has done for us!

And do you know what the St. Croix River is named for? It is named for the rock formation shown here, a permanent reminder of the love of God through his Son, Jesus.

Take a moment to rediscover the holy for yourself this day. Where do you sense the wonder of God around you today? I'd love to hear what you find ...

Kingdom of What?

I am curious ~ what visions for the world get you absolutely stoked? In this political election year, are there any issues that you just dream our next President will embrace and bring about? What kind of emotions do these potential realities stir in you? Do you believe that this kind of change is even possible in your lifetime?

At the beginning of one of the books of the Bible are the following words: “The time has come,” He said. “The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15 NIV

Now, the Gospel of Mark reads quickly and is full of action-based accounts, but even this passage moves a little too quickly for me. We are at the very beginning of Mark, and these are Jesus’ first recorded words. Granted, they are probably only the thesis statement of a much longer speech, however Mark writes it under the assumption perhaps that everyone understands what “the kingdom of God” means. The focus is NOT on the meaning of the phrase, but rather on the timing of it. NOW is the time! TODAY you must repent and believe!

I wonder if people today have a grasp of that phrase “the kingdom of God.” I think the common vision, common hope, common fear, common wonder and understanding of that kingdom has been lost to us modern American Christians. I think the beauty of it, the longing for it, and the anticipated relief of its coming is not a part of the daily life of today’s faithful, let alone today’s unfaithful. Without it, however, does the fact that Jesus proclaims its immanence (its closeness at hand) really matter!?

Because Change Happens

Six months ago I was a regular pastor, in a regular United Methodist Church, with a regular mid-life routine. It kept me busy. I knew what I was doing. I was good at it (most of the time. anyway!). I listened to CDs on my 5-disk changer; I watched Tivo-ed shows at my leisure; I kept my calendar on my Palm; I emailed, voice messaged, and I felt modern. Not any more.

Now, I am anything but a regular pastor. As a new church planter now, I have no church building (though that is everybody's first question), no official members to care for, and a schedule that changes daily. I am still busy, but I'm less and less sure of what I am doing. I now listen to music on an iPod, watch episodes of favorite shows on-line or You Tube, keep my calendar, contacts, tasks, photos, and more on my iTouch, have just learned to communicate via facebook and blogging, and I although I feel even more modern, I hardly feel proficient at anything anymore. All of this in six months or less.

Change.
It happens.

How do you handle it? Do you resist it, fight it, deny it, stress over it? Do you try to embrace it, only to discover there are a thousand more questions you didn't know that you didn't know? Can you live with the risk of being the naïve learner, the dependent colleague, or the incompetent beginner again? Are you patient with yourself, and willing to forgive your mistakes? Until things are routine again, are you OK with who you are and where you are right now?

These questions are part of the reason I need God. I need God because change happens, and it is happening faster than ever. I know how God helps me through change, and I'd be happy to share that, but this blog is already too long, so let's just leave you with something to reflect upon: how does your spirituality help you with change? If it doesn't, how in the world are you coping?

Woohoo! Here we go!

Do you remember what it feels like to stretch yourself out beyond your limits, beyond the places you've never dared or were able to go before?

I remember the story of one of our best friends taking her 10 year old son on a bike ride along a converted railroad line. Prior to this ride they always, and I mean always, stopped at the bridge, turned around and went back home. But this day was different. This day Peter was ready to cross the bridge to the pathways that stretched out to places beyond. Having his mom on the bike next to him made things safe and better. For our friend, crossing the bridge and riding the trail beyond was no big deal, an ordinary experience. Imagine her startled reaction upon pedaling across the bridge that day, when quite unexpectedly her son let out a wild "Woohoo!" and punched the air! He had just moved into an entirely new world and could not hold back his cheering!

I feel a lot like that right now. For most (all?) of you, you have been down this path of blogging before. You know your way around the sites and have seen this landscape a thousand times. But for me ... Woohoo! Here we go! This is something totally new for me. What do I say? What do I do next? Is this really something that people potentially around the world could see? What kind of communications will this open up for me? It is thrilling and yet intimidating. Thanks, Michelle, for being there next to me and accompanying me on this blogging ride! When is it time to turn around and head for home again? After posting this first entry, I will have stretched beyond my limits to new personal frontiers. My heart is pounding!

Spiritual journeys often feel the same way. Although I have been down those paths a thousand times, I must remember that another's spiritual ride often stops and always turns around at a certain point and heads home. How about you? Would you like to get your spiritual heart pounding again? Maybe it's time to cross the bridge. There's a lot more world ahead to experience. Maybe it's time to stretch out beyond your self imposed limits. I'd be happy to ride along beside you, if you'd like. And if you feel like letting out a "Woohoo!" of your own along the way, I will understand, for breaking through and discovering a whole new world of God is worth cheering!

So, let the cheering begin! Here we go............