Journey

Blessings and maybe even more Blessings

2008-01-14T16:49:00.000-05:00

One of the blessings Cathy and I have received on this sojourn is the opportunity to counsel/disciple young folks who are getting married and are seeking guidance for their partnership. We worked with a young couple recently who gave us hope for the generation behind us.

They are not perfect, they know it, and they are just now realizing how miraculous it is that God saved them and brought them together. I think they are beginning to see now, that He has a higher purpose for them and they are beginning to embrace the mystery of what that purpose might be. It is our privilege to walk with them on this part of their journey.

Sometimes we older folks can gain from a relationship with young ones like these. The trouble with that is that we are segregated from young folks in our culture. We live in single family homes, we put the old folks in retirement centers, and even our Sunday school classes create separation and lack of opportunities for relationships. We hope our small groups will be a mix of young and old.pan style="font-style:italic;">

As Dallas Willard writes, it matters for all the world to know that life is ahead of us.

2007-12-16T10:19:00.000-05:00

To Build or Not to Build....... a Fence

2007-12-06T19:29:00.000-05:00

From Mark Priddy's blog and Simon Carey's blog....

There’s an interesting post by Chris Smith circulating at the moment entitled 10 ways to live more intentionally in the suburbs. It includes some great insights and is worth a read.

There is one thing in Chris’s list, though, that I’m not sure about. His point 8 reads "Don’t fence in your yard", and includes the following assertion: “the fence is a major component of the impenetrable fortress syndrome; it protects our privacy and keeps out our ‘evil’ neighbors. It often is a statement of distrust.”

On one level, I understand Chris’s point. In today’s suburbia, the fence is often a marker of exclusion, a clear communal preference for anonymity, privacy and independence—the higher the fence the louder the preference.

I have noticed fences going up in my neighborhood. When I was a kid we had very few fences. We knew every neighbor for at least a block around us. There were a few who yelled when our "army" ran through their yard. Why are we building fences?

Did Jesus come to tear them down? Did He penetrate our fence? Did He knock on our door; our gate? Is there another side to this story? What about loving your neighbor as yourself? Do you have a fence? Do I have a fence?

Is it in your back yard? Is it in my heart?

We've been Elf'ed

2007-11-29T23:58:00.001-05:00

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1114109919

Free night at the children's museum

2007-11-28T08:11:00.000-05:00

The first Thursday of every month there is a free admission night from 5 to 8 to the downtown Evansville Children's Museum (picture to the right).

We have been the last couple months and will probably go next week.

If anybody is interested, please join us. We can meet you there or you can follow us from Newburgh. There is a cafeteria room to eat if you take food, but only vending machines.

ugh...

2007-11-20T00:04:00.000-05:00

Well, the layout got all messed up with the graphics b/c I cancelled a host for the graphic.

I may or may not get to this, but since we are converting over to www.thesojourn.org, I have to admit, I'm not sure this will ever get fixed.

Sojourn!

2007-11-19T04:10:00.000-05:00

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Tell me the Story of Jesus....Blessing Happens?

2007-11-07T18:22:00.000-05:00

When God announces news of a blessing it can come in a star, in angels singing from the heavens, or in a gift from someone almost completely out of no where. Today blessing happened.

Vicki told me of a church that was moving out of their building and since we are looking for a place in Newburgh, I began trying to contact the pastor with whom I had spent some time 2 years ago. We finally connected yesterday, visited the building today and found it smaller AND MORE EXPENSIVE than what we have presently. No good news huh?

Even worse on Monday I spent much of the day pricing chairs like these on line. The cost was going to be $25 or more APIECE! Matt and I were depressed at how expensive they are. No good news huh? Wrong!

While looking at the facility, Pastor Anthony told us we could have all of the chairs in this old facility; 130 -150 nice, padded chairs.

WOW!

Today, God gave us a $3-4000 dollar gift! It is quite clear to me that He really wants us to be missionaries to Newburgh. He is at work!

More blessings seem about to happen as we search for a larger mission site, a new website design, and other resources for the mission. Tell the Story of Jesus; Blessing COMING SOON!

I could not have said it better! Take me out to the Ballgame,...

2007-10-27T13:22:00.000-05:00

"What Heaven Must Be Like"by Kevin Wallis in Sojourners Magazine

"This is what heaven must be like," I said to my wife Joy on the cell phone. I was between home and first, about 15 rows up from the field at Fenway Park for the opening game of the 2007 World Series - and my nine-year-old son Luke was sitting right next to me. The "most beloved ballpark in America," as some call it, looked absolutely fabulous last night. The grass was the same dazzling emerald green color that I still vividly remember from the first time my Dad took me to Tiger Stadium in Detroit when I was just about Luke’s age. The base paths were in immaculate condition, the lights were almost sparkling, the atmosphere was electric, and the smell of great food was in the air. This is baseball.

We were there two hours early watching the Colorado Rockies take their batting practice. Luke, proudly wearing the brand new Red Sox jersey I had splurged to buy him that afternoon, just kept saying, "Wow," as Rockie hitters kept putting balls over the "Green Monster" wall in left field. "Dad! Did you see that one? Awesome!!!" We talked about the only other time Luke had ever been to Fenway, in his mother’s womb when I took my new English wife, Joy Carroll, to her first baseball game in America. Luke was soooo glad to be back, and we kept talking to Mom on the cell about how amazingly COOL everything was. She and four-year-old Jack were at home in Washington, glued to the television set and trying to spot us. A wonderful friend had given me and Luke two priceless tickets to the Series opener. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

I don’t think I’ve written about my "other life" much on this blog, as a Little League baseball coach every weekend for Luke and 13 other fourth graders whom I’ve had now for the last four baseball seasons, beginning with t-ball. My first instructions were things like, "Throw the ball overhand." They’re the veteran AA Astros now, and are undefeated again this season (but we all know that, as Christians, winning and losing doesn’t matter). I also would never brag about my son’s play - like ever tell anyone about the recent game where he went four for four, with a double and three homeruns (including a grand slam), or that he is an Little League All Star first basemen who backhanded a smash ground ball that would have gotten through on the right side of the infield and then outran the other kid to first base, winning the game. I would never talk about such things.

Those batting practice hits over the Wall were about the only ones the Colorado team got all night, as the Red Sox cruised to a 13-1 victory. The whole night looked like batting practice for the hometown boys like our favorite David ("Big Papi") Ortiz, Manny Ramirez (I love the fan’s sign from the last playoff series—"Don’t worry be Manny"), Kevin Youkilis (whose every at bat gets the fans yelling "Yoouuk, Yoouuk, Yoouuk,!"), captain Jason Varitek (who showed how a captain ought to play last night) and Dustin Pedroia (the sensational rookie who shows that little guys can play this game too). We were also amazed by starting pitcher Josh Beckett who got nine strikeouts last night (and who also inspires my son because Luke’s baseball role model is Babe Ruth, BOTH a power hitter AND a pitcher, just like he wants to be).

On Sunday, one of the other kids from our team gets to go to Denver (he’s an enthusiastic Rockies fan) for game four of the World Series. His grandfather is dying of cancer and this may be one of the last times that grandson and grandpa will do something special together. Very special indeed. Baseball is like that. "Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd, buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack, I don’t care if I never get back ... !" Yep, just like heaven is going to be.

Looking for "Real Life" Article?

2007-10-24T13:09:00.000-05:00

In a recent issue of Real Life Magazine, my wife, Cathy pointed out this interesting lead in tease for an article in the magazine. It might be evidence of many who have abandoned the church but are still searching. What do you think she really wants?

"My husband and I would like our daughters to have a strong sense of spirituality, but we prefer not to raise them with the traditional church background that we both had. How do we teach them to have a strong faith in God without a special congregation or place of worship that would guide them with formal religious customs?"

I did not read the article but the tease reveled some truths and misconceptions of why we plant churches...or not.

First, what did she not like about the traditions of her old church? If she noticed that (1) her old church only kept people happy, (2) her old church failed to help them address sin in their lives that Jesus can heal, and (3) if her old church reached out very little if any to the lost of their neighborhoods, then she is aware of what is missing in the dying churches of our culture. If this is the case, she wants good things from her local church.

However, if she was only looking for "a strong sense of spirituality" without addressing sin, then she might as well stay in her old church or out of church altogether. Being spiritual or religious is not what Jesus is about. Jesus is about addressing sin with honesty, openness, grace, and love; not avoiding it and acting "spiritual". I should know; I did that for years and made a mess of all my relationships.

Second, I would invite her back to church. I, too, left church for a while and sometimes I want to do it again. But I know that God wants us to assemble together in order to encourage one another, to pray together, to teach one another, and ultimately to send one another out into this lost and hurting world. Our church or any church should be preparing one another for the battle that comes along with being sent into a hostile world. We should not just hide out from the church and/or the world.

The true fellowship (koinonea) of Acts 2 is intimate, open, honest, forgiving relationships and is an irreplaceable part of what God uses to grow faith in each of us. Without the true church where intimate fellowship (koinonea) is practiced, faith is hindered. Without faith in Him, we are weakened as we are being sent out.

At Sojourn want to see the miracle of redeemed and changed lives. We don't want a more disciplined, but doomed attempt to follow the law. When miracles happen, nobody needs "formal religious customs" to make faith grow. Customs and traditions never did work anyway. Ask a Pharisee!

Finally, I would tell she and her husband that they should keep looking for that body of believers who want the same things that I hope she really wants for her children; intimate relationships and a faith that is growing. Changes in our hearts where we become adventurous disciples of Jesus are so much better than an external spirituality. Real change is messy but wonderfully mystical when it happens deep in the heart.

We gather together as missionaries to be the real church to this lost, unreal world. We want to see the miracle of healed relationships and freedom from sin. If you want your life changed, you might check us out. If you are seeking merely a "strong sense of spirituality", we are probably not for you.

November 10th work day

2007-10-21T23:06:00.000-05:00

PUT NOVEMBER 10TH ON YOUR CALENDAR!

Most of you know that David H's injured foot has prevented him from being able to take care of the property we used this past month for the men's retreat.

We are planning on going out to that property for a work day on November 10th. Gather your tools, maybe get some good machines, and help us clear that land and maybe get some fishing or other playing done as well.

Contact Bill B to make plans or add any suggestions!

New Time of Gathering

2007-10-21T09:32:00.000-05:00

Change: WE WILL BE MEETING ON SUNDAY EVENINGS 5PM WITH PIZZA AFTERWARDS
Most of you know that we are in a time of change.

I wrote a couple of posts ago about realities of change and what it can do to you. It causes you to evaluate your priorities and what is important.

We are changing a gathering time and we will be working on when to implement the name change.

The leaders anticipate more change. It is almost a requirement going forward. We WILL BE FACING CHANGE!

We do consider all change right now in anticipation of what is coming. It's kind of like the winding of a rubber band or waiting for the wind.

As we wait, we are preparing for what is next. Things are being put in place, we are trying to anticipate needs, and we are getting things ready. It is like winding a rubber band up and getting ready to let it loose. But the timing of when it is to be let loose is not ours - it is God's.

And as we wait, it's not unlike waiting for the wind. You cannot catch the wind if your sails are not up. And our God is the one who controls the wind; the direction and time and strength.

Psalm 135:6-7
The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

We wait on the Lord as we wait on the wind. It will come, and He will give direction, and He will provide for what He intends to do. We just have our sails up and get ready to go where He chooses!

We get ready!

We Wait!

We Listen!

We Trust!

We Change as He leads.

Being Sent Into People's Lives

2007-10-10T14:20:00.000-05:00

Here is a sermon/teaching from the series "RHYTHM OF THE HEARTBEAT OF GOD; Gathering and Sending."

The topic is Being Sent Into People's Lives

Go to the link here.

A Little Rest for a Weary Soul

2007-10-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

A relocating Ekklesia (church)

2007-10-03T13:02:00.000-05:00

(As the leadership addresses issues regarding the building, I want to take time here to share and discuss issues regarding "space for 'church'")

One of the things that is so easy about life is to get stuck in a pattern.

Have you noticed? You get up at a certain time, go through the routine of getting to work.

It's kind of nice. You can put your mind on "cruise control."

It's like when I'm driving sometimes down the road and I'm thinking about something and all of a sudden I think, "How did I get here? Where am I going? Did I pass my turn?"

Routines can be helpfu. Sometimes that routine is incredibly helpful, because we know what to expect and what to plan for. We can more easily be at rest sometimes. Sometimes that rest turns to boredom, too, because we can go through it without much thought. We go through a routine and that routine becomes "the" way to do something.

I remember when I was first married I washed the dishes "wrong." As if the end result of a clean dish wasn't effective if the water and soap weren't put on and taken off in the correct way, or as if the scrubbing had to be done a certain direction with a certain sponge.

We get stuck pretty easily and get on cruise control. But we also critique other ways of doing things when it doesn't fit our own.

MOVING is one of those things that really really messes up those things you are stuck in.

Every time you move you have to re-evaluate how you do certain things because things are different. Simple things like putting the trash out can change. Maybe you live in an apartment and have a dumpster and you can take it out whenever. Or maybe you now have to set it out every Wednesday morning before 7am or you have to wait another week.

When you move, simple things like where the TV is placed. It changes how you behave sometimes.

I noticed that type of change in behavior when we moved to a place where we had a huge master bedroom. I mean...for us...it was huge. We put a TV way over in the other corner of the bedroom with a sitting area because it was like another room.

What that produced was a new morning routine on the days we didn't have to go to work. Our 4 year old would come in and tell us he was awake and he would turn on PBS cartoons in the room. Sometimes one of us would go get breakfast and bring it into the bedroom while the other stayed in bed and we just ate breakfast in bed, with the kids, with the morning cartoons on. Suddenly we were all "getting up together" in the same room. I don't know how it evolved into that routine, but that was the routine.

Moving even changes priorities on what furniture is important. A new space for this or that changes what is important. Even the color. And where do visitors come and sit?

Moving changes all your priorities. You learn what you missed about how you behaved as much as what you left behind.

You learn how you behave by moving and relocating and getting into a different physical setting but also a different relational setting.

OUR SPACE IMPACTS US...

So what if we moved our "church"space with us?

The space of a church impacts the body of Christ as well. The change of "stuff" and space changes relationship when a church moves or relocates. As I was pondering what a space does to a church, I am now pondering what relocating does to a church.

An ekklesia can get set in ways in a place, just like we do in our lives.

By moving an ekklesia alot of the priorities get evaluated and changed.

If we want to make sure we are building people and not spaces first, maybe the ekklesia should always be nomadic? If we are always nomadic, then we might become more aware of the value of the relationships. But maybe not. Maybe we would just hold on tighter to the stuff.

As I've said many times before, it seems that those who follow God (whether Old Testament or New Testament) are very nomadic.

Imagine an ekklesia that is nomadic. Never buys a building, but just moves as it is led and as the Spirit of God provides places to meet. Maybe leasing a space in an old strip mall, maybe an old abandoned church building, maybe share space with another church, maybe a warehouse... From neighborhood to neighborhood. From building to building. Maybe house to house.

That is kind of what Solomon's Porch has done through their history as a body of Christ.

Sometimes moving could be done out of necessity. Sometimes because maybe there is no space to rent anymore, there is not enough room, or maybe there is a need for less room. Maybe spend less money this year by moving to a new location and neighborhood.

One thing about moving to a new neighborhood is that in order to "love your neighbor" you really have to get to know new folks. You have to get to know and offer what they need. When you move you are impacted not just by the new space but also the new people and their lives you are "moving into." You are impacted and impact that neighborhood somehow. Hopefully we do...I mean I hope the presence of an ekklesia in a certain space impacts people. And I hope we are impacted by the needs of the people near that space.

It seems with an ekklesia that is nomadic that the relationships would really become more central. The relationships would be impacted, but if after every few years the church relocated (either because it had to or felt a need to) wouldn't it require you to leave behind things that are not necessary and take things that are necessary? Maybe even certain relationships?

Priorities are re-evaluated each move.

Leave behind what's not important. Take what is important.

Take the people. Relationships grow. You learn each other more. You impact the people around you.

Nomadic ekklesia...something to think about...

simple, small, oikos church

2007-10-03T12:30:00.000-05:00

(As the leadership addresses issues regarding the building, I want to take time here to share and discuss issues regarding "space for 'church'")

For lack of time, I'm going to post some comments by Tallskinnykiwi that resonate with me...

It is about "house churches" but not really house churches...it's hard to explain...but his entire post is more reflective of how I have experienced and known church my whole life.

I recommend the whole post, but here are some quips:

Church for some of us happens in TINY increments, TINY spaces and sometimes with TINY amounts of people. It happens many times a week and many times a day when the various aggregations of God's people come together around coffee or taking care of business or helping someone and especially at mealtimes. It happens more often in my kitchen than in my study...

...for the most part, it is tiny and often not recognized as “church” by those who attend a traditional-style church that is defined by a two hour meeting on Sunday. Simple/organic church people have got a cold shoulder from “church” leaders for a decade. Singularity frowns on modularity. They are considered a threat to the system. They are called “house church” but that doesn't really fit what they [we] are doing. Its not house church and its not “small groups” and its not rebellion against church. Its attempting to BE the church as God intended it...

...if you want to be a well known conference speaker or a local pastor with CLOUT in your denomination which measures success in the cold-war terms of size, weight and longevity (Friedman), then a shift to the emerging-missional-organic church is a VERY BAD CAREER MOVE. It may be great for the Kingdom, but it will NOT pimp your image or make you money or get you on the speaker list at conferences - Most conferences only invite speakers who RE-INFORCE their existing model which in most Christian circles, is the centralized ecclesial model with a tithing system, a set of buildings that need butt-filling and an army of M.Div Seminary graduates who need a position as pastor in the kind of church that theological education has trained them for. Not saying that system is bad, but I am saying it is DIFFERENT and difference is a threat that the promoters of that system do not want to deal with...

...Co-existence is possible, however. And so is the possibility of the various models blessing each other...

You are loved...

2007-10-01T08:33:00.001-05:00

This was a song I saw on another site in regards to an adoption process that was possibly going to fail because of some international legal changes. A mother waiting for her child.

It struck me to what degree our God loves us like a mother longing to be with her children.

The song is impacting when combined with the words below. Listen and read the words.

So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. - Romans 8:31-39

Great weekend!

2007-09-30T15:01:00.000-05:00

Hey, we had a great weekend men's retreat!

Big thnx to Steve T for all the food and Dave for the use of his property.

space for "church"

2007-09-24T10:26:00.001-05:00

(As the leadership addresses issues regarding the building, I want to take time here to share and discuss issues regarding "space for 'church'" - all these pictures are local churches)

What is "space for church"?

There is a common understanding that the church needs to gather, and to gather there is a need for a space.

We call it church.

We call the space church, as if that is the "ekklesia" sometimes. We pass our church building and say, "There is the church."

Our language, though only language, betrays the subtle influence a building has on us.

There is the church.

But the ekklesia is not a building, of course, and we know that theoretically. It's just the subtle impacts of "space" for our worship are hard to counter.

Buildings really do impact us tremendously in how we function as a Body of Christ. One of the most profound impacts has been the need to gather.

Again, we need to gather. What we do in our gatherings are very impacted by our building. Most people would recognize this. But I want to go deeper than how does the foyer impact our greeting or our programs.

What about simply having a "space" versus not having a "space." A space in flux. In other words, a church without walls or a building.

One impact a building has on us is a subtle implication that people should come. We invite people to come and hear the sermons, come to our studies, come to our programs.

We tell them to come. Fit our building, our programs, our studies. We get them to come but by the way we dress, act, speak, and the way our building shapes us we teach them that to fit in and become a Christian is to do that too.

It's not intentional. But it happens.

It sometimes feels like we think Jesus said, "Now...bring them into your space where you can make disciples and teach them." With that we put this pressure on them to be something.

We tend to forget that we are to go to them...and live with them...and become "all things..."

What about a church with no walls? It still has to meet together. Somewhere.

We just need to know how our space (or lack there-of) impacts us and others into thinking what they have to become to come to Christ. Because we are who we are (human) we will have a "culture of space" and subtly communicate to others that there is a certain way to behave to join us in our space. We want to be as aware as possible of what we do, why we do it, and if we want to continue it or not.

Does it help us gather and be sent out to follow Jesus? Is it effectively used to tell people about Jesus death and resurrection and help us disciple one another?

"...and I am one of them."

2007-09-12T22:38:00.000-05:00

Would you like to receive a letter like this?

This seems a cheerful world, Donatus, when I view it from this fair garden, under the shadow of these vines. But if I climbed some great mountain and looked out over the wide lands, you know very well what I would see--brigands on the high roads, pirates on the seas; in the amphitheaters men murdered to please applauding crowds; under all roofs misery and selfishness. It is really a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. Yet in the midst of it I have found a quiet and holy people. They have discovered a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasures of this sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus, are the Christians -- and I am one of them.
---St. Cyprian, c. 258, a letter

If Cyprian was my friend what would I say in answer to his letter? Would I tell him "I am one of them"? Drug abuse, abortion, the highest murder rate in the the western world, Sexual abuse tolerated, women and children abused through pornography; would we say it is a bad world but in spite of it all we have become a quiet and holy people? Are we despised and persecuted like they were in the first churches? No way. Maybe we would be different if we were persecuted. Can we pray for that?

I hope our community is radical enough to be seen as counter to this messed up world. So I want each individual to be radically committed to overcoming their personal worlds of addictive, relationship damaging sin. We must speak to that and seek that change in our community or we will become irrelevant like most churches.

Holiness should not lead to arrogance but to a deep desire to love our neighbor. That will be the measure of our faith. Will we sacrifice? I think so. I see it happening already. Will we live radically different. Will we speak to our neighbors with our lives?

Cyprian spoke to Donatus in about the year 258. Who will write about us? What will they write? Will they want to say, "I am one of them?" after watching us?

Why Plant Churches?

2007-09-10T22:52:00.000-05:00

I noticed this quote from a book titled "Forgotten Ways".

“Ivan Illich was once asked what did he think was the most radical way to change society; was it through violent revolution or gradual reform? He gave a careful answer. Neither. Rather, he suggested that if one wanted to change society, then one must tell an alternative story. Illich is right; we need to reframe our understandings though a different lens, an alternative story.. ” The Forgotten Ways, 190.

I sometimes look at the church landscape of Evansville and think, "Wow, am I radical!" But when I read this and think of the disruption Jesus' ministry caused in His culture, perhaps I am not radical at all. Is the story I am telling an alternative story in this culture? Is it because I am afraid I might not fit in or that I might be rejected? It is a constant temptation but I think I passed that fear 5-6 churches ago where I really tried to fit in and failed miserably. The reality is that we follow a Savior who was killed here; His reality is that He did not fit in either.

Are Reality Shows really showing reality? How can Jesus be Lord for people in this culture of Harry Potter, Food Networks, trans-gender rallies, and "Reality Shows"? We have to offer something radical in a culture of idols. Paul offered a Jesus; a man who claimed to be God, born in a room full of cow pies and animal dung, born to a virgin, who was a King and they...we killed Him. Did He really come out of that grave? Does He really care personally for me? Can Jesus possibly replace one's religion? Can He replace someone's idol?

Jesus is not an escape from reality; He is reality!

The Mountain Top prepares you for The Valley

2007-09-06T14:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we forget to mention why we gather together. Maybe we just forget what we are about on Sunday mornings? We are not just a social club! We have a purpose for gathering. We believe that Sunday morning should be a mountain top experience that energizes you.
THE BATTLE
Your week has been difficult. You are working at your job or at home while being a living witness in that world, loving your families sacrificially, and no doubt, enduring abuse from people who do not work or think like you do. Yet, you are determined to follow Jesus each day and if that is your plan, you have been opposed all week. Even getting out of bed to come to worship on Sunday morning feels like misery sometimes. But you come with hope in your hearts.
HOPE FOR WHAT? Because you hope to experience what the first church experienced in the first few Sabbaths after Pentecost; the presence of God through the movement of the Holy Spirit in your soul. He promises to be with us always but sometimes we forget. The first church worshiped God and they were energized by His power for their mission to their world.
THE BIBLICAL PATTERN FOR US
However, please notice that worship did not come first. (Acts 2:42-47) Worship was the outgrowth of, and the result of hearing teaching from the Word of God combined with intimate relationships. Worship was also a response to prayer and the breaking of bread; a remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice. In keeping with that pattern, our worship comes after the teaching of the Word each Sunday; not before. Some will argue that prayer and studying the Word of God IS worship. I can accept that but still like the physical worship of Sunday morning to follow teaching.
TEACHING
As for teaching the Word, we began teaching the book of Genesis on April 1st of last year. We are currently making plans to teach Ruth and then John. Whatever we teach, teaching the scriptures will always be our plan and sometimes, but not often, we will divert from the steady teaching of a specific book of the Bible for a topical message.
PREPARATION FOR YOUR MISSION
You were designed specifically to be sent to your world in the power of Jesus Christ to a hurting world that is seeking life in all the wrong places. You were made by a loving God and redeemed by the Blood of Christ for this specific battle; to take Jesus Christ, the living water, to a dry and thirsty land. It will be the continual plan at Journey to prepare you for your mission.

Journey Calendar/Newsletter

2007-09-03T15:27:00.000-05:00

Here is the Journey242 calendar (click here). If you like, save the (internet) address and bookmark it or even print the calendar. If you know of a church event that needs to be on the calendar, please email us at Journey242@gmail.com with the details. We will try to limit this to church and small group related events.

There is a danger in using the internet to communicate to people. As I think about this, it points to a possible confusing paradox to have most of our church information on the impersonal internet. We stress a relational focus rather than the impersonal focus of being event driven, program driven, and propositionally driven. If we do not continually and actively pursue relationships with one another as we follow Jesus, we could just become another non-relational, impersonal, propositionally driven church where legalism prevails and lives never change.

However, I (Bill) believe that the younger generations are using the internet to investigate and make decisions before they would ever darken the doors of our church or even more, before they would contact us in any way. With the internet we can be quite transparent. We can say up front who we are and what we are about. We can avoid being dogmatic and pursue open, honest communication where doubt is ok; where tough questions can be asked and hopefully answered.

I (Matt) also believe the internet forms a foundational and grounding place of many of our relationships already. We use it to find out about people, who they are, when to meet them, and alot of other simple aspects of relationships. The internet is an entry way into relationships for many, and for some it's often the only place of personal relationships.

For many young people, relationships begin on the internet and we welcome those relationships and the tough questions. Jesus did too. Jesus embraced the lonely, confused, and lost who had real questions and who were really seeking something they did not already have or understand. Jesus only attacked the hypocrites who thought they had all the answers. We want to reach the lost, the lonely, and the downtrodden.

Sometimes I (Bill) have to remind myself that we are on a Journey as we follow Jesus, walking and talking with Him as he changes us into His image. Jesus fulfills the laws by offering a relationship that by its very existence, changes our life. New friends can change our life by how they relate to us and how we relate to them. If we want to be "like Mike" we will buy Nike shoes and try to imitate Michael Jordan.

A relationship with Jesus does the same if we are following Him. To follow we have to surrender control. We have to want to be like Him. So don't let this calendar become something that replaces people or God. Let it become a planning tool that helps you find more time for living the Kingdom life now, following Jesus now, and inviting friends into that life with Jesus now.

http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=journey242%40gmail.com

Where is God? What is faith? What is courage?

2007-08-25T08:31:00.000-05:00

According to this Time Magazine article, There is an upcoming book on Mother Teresa's correspondence with confessors and superiors. It highlights her doubts and struggles over the years.

Even though her request was that her letters be destroyed, they are memorializing them.

Her expressed doubts and struggles of an absent God are going to be heralded as proof of atheism or proof of faith depending on the perspective.

If one were to look at Jesus prayer, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me" without looking at His resurrection, one would have the conclusion there was no God and this supposed God-man was a fake. I will assume, without reading her words yet, that Mother Teresa had many such prayers.

It all comes down to whether there was a resurrection or not. If there was no resurrection, Jesus was abandoned in the end and darkest times. If there was a resurrection, than there is a God that is merciful, just, and faithful beyond any of our wildest doubts and shame. Was God faithful? Is He? It is the crux of our faith in YHWH's salvation through Jesus

It reminds me of some words by Buechner regarding faith and courage (paraphrased b/c the book is in a box somewhere in this half-packed house):

Courage is not without fear. Courage is moving forward though feeling starkly naked by the fear that overwhelms us. Just as faith is not without doubt. Faith is not without reasons to believe or reasons to not believe. Rather faith is moving forward in belief despite the starkly naked fealing of our overwhelming failure to eliminate doubt.

(II Timothy 2:11-13, The Message)
If we die with him, we'll live with him;
If we stick it out with him, we'll rule with him;
If we turn our backs on him, he'll turn his back on us;

If we give up on him, he does not give up—
for there's no way he can be false to himself.

(It puts more meaning to this video)

Awesome video!

2007-08-21T15:26:00.000-05:00

You've got to see this through to the end. It is awesome!

For Men Only

2007-08-08T09:43:00.000-05:00

This article came to me and I liked it. Are we really living like this or just dreaming of it?

http://thedirtyshame.blogspot.com/2007/08/world-needs-mans-heart.html

Where is Jesus? Is He the least of these?

2007-08-07T07:58:00.000-05:00

Do we notice the "least of these?"

I have always thought that the least of these was our children or that the phrase only meant children. As I watched the movie "Thin Red Line" last week and saw the terror and fear on almost all of the faces, I remembered that we are called God's children. And there are so many lost children. Their faces are everywhere in our worlds if we just look at them.

Look at the faces. Can you see the fear? People do not know where they are going. Maybe even you will admit a little or a lot of fear. Maybe you are not really following Jesus and you are lost. Like Peter Pan's children, many, many are captured by Captain Hook. If we are following Jesus we are sent to rescue the lost. We cannot save them but we run and get them and take them to Jesus.

Acts 10:38 in the message says, "Then Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with him."
Who are they....really?

Matthew 25:40 Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it to me.'

Matthew 25:45

"Then He will answer them, `Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

How would we react if Jesus walked in to our community?

Maybe He does in the faces all around us?

Do we see Him in the faces of our world? Can we connect with the least of these, love them, and show them Jesus' love today?

Acts 2:42-47 says, " They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers. Everyone around was in awe - all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.

Praying for our Church?
Are we caring for the least of these? Are we caring for those around us beaten down by the devil? Do we notice the loneliness and pain in our neighbor's faces? Do we see Jesus when we look into the faces? Do we, like Jesus, bring healing to others? We are in a mission field; a war zone fraught with lost and lonely children. I pray you have an impact today. I pray you have courage and that the kingdom family is growing around you because of your sacrifice?

Good Books at Journey

2007-08-06T23:38:00.000-05:00

We have a book shelf in the office behind the stage at Journey with many good books on it. Our website will have a suggested book list for you too.

Some of you have made reading suggestions. If you can give up your treasures...some books I will not give away...please make them available to others by bringing them to church. If you don't like them pitch 'em out!! There are bad ones out there.

Scooter???? or moped??? Does anybody have one an old guy could borrow or know one I could buy reasonably? Well...not reasonably but cheap? Ahhhhh Colorado...here I come.

My Friend Kristopher

2007-08-02T07:42:00.000-05:00

Check out the article below. My young friend Kristopher, has quite a knowledge and understanding of war. He qualified for entry into the Indiana State Fair by winning Grand Champion Ribbons here in Warrick County. Those of you who are history buffs in Indy might get to see his entry there.

http://www.tristate-media.com/articles/2007/07/27/warricknews/news/03fair.txt

A Thin Red Line

2007-07-31T16:34:00.001-05:00

Actor Jim Caviezel stars in the movie Thin Red Line. It is a movie about men in WWII and their reactions to it and more importantly, about one man who loves sacrificially like Jesus did. It is full of blood and guts and foul language but it was much better the second time.

I had seen it years ago when it premiered...probably in 1998? I saw it last week on the $5 rack at Walmart and remembered it made me weep so I bought it. I watched it again last week and it has left a mark on me. I am seeing my world differently. The movie is full of faces living in terror. I think I am seeing the same thing as I walk around places like Walmart, my neighborhood, and my work place.

Sunday night Jocko took me for a walk along the river in downtown Newburgh. The full moon was rising through the clouds in orange over the river and the new lock and dam. It was incredibly beautiful. I just watched it rise. One could almost see it move.

I went again last night...I had to get back there. It was different but once again, breathtaking. While walking away, I noticed a young couple walking along the river. They sat down on a bench several yards in front of me and as I passed by I heard him telling of his desire to buy a wave runner. My thought was, "Boy is he romantic! What a shallow conversation! At least he could be romantic even if he does not notice the beauty in his girl friend... or in the moon! Come on buddie; come alive!"

Then I thought about God and how I have been thrown into this continual conversation with Him. I wonder what He thinks about all that I see and hear. Am I the nutty one who thinks this guy on the riverfront is not alive? Do I live in the real world or does he live in the real world?

Something in that movie threw me into an awareness of how lost people really are. I see the fear in their eyes. I hear the lostness in a dark comment on a dark night on the river front.

Should I have yelled "Jesus!" Should I have stopped and engaged them? Could I have been used by Jesus at that moment? Did I miss a chance? Or would I have just been blown off as some nut walking a small dog? ...a scary thought.

The world is changing or I am changing. I have felt dead for awhile and maybe this is a coming alive for me?

Burb Mission

2007-07-24T17:49:00.000-05:00

Mission to the 'Burbs?

One of my favorite periods of time was several months when I walked around our neighborhood to get in shape for the Young Life Colorado Trips. At 8:30 in the morning and at 9:30 at night, Chuck Swindoll preached to me on the portable radio. One evening he said something like this: "Do you know who the most ignored people group is in America? It is the rich folks. They look so much like they have it all together that nobody talks to them about troubles in their lives or even more important, about Jesus."

Chuck's statement struck me as quite true at the time having been one of those rich folks who had been set free from years of living in the "fake it 'til you make it mode". This article by Alan Roxburgh (kind of like Newburgh) linked below, says that the suburbs in America are a mission field and it reminded me of Chuck's statement.

Most of Evansville is made up of 'burbs and Newburgh is the big one where wealthy people live in their big, often heavily mortgaged, single family dwellings. They drive out of their garages in the morning and drive in each evening not to be seen again until the next morning. With their SUV's and deep tinted glass, you might not even know what your neighbors look like for years?(... could be an alien?) They have relationships with their careers, with TV personalities on 'reality shows', with the next American idol, but not with Jesus or really alive people. The 'burb folks look successful but are lonely, uncomfortably comfortable in their wealth, and lost in a world of illusion. They have no real friends.

This is the answer to the question "Why plant in Newburgh?"

I want to reach them with the healing message of the gospel. I want to see them set free from this captivity. I know of this captivity. For quite awhile as a Christian who really believed something, I claimed to be healed and free but never tasted what I believe to be the real kingdom life.

I moved so often that I did not know my neighbors. But now, after living in this house for over 8 years, I have gotten to know many of them. I have heard their stories and seen their heartaches. Their privacy is important but if I chronicled their stories to you for the nearest 8 houses, the stories would astound you. Maybe this is the mission to which our church is called? Is our mission to our neighborhoods...the 'burbs? How does that work? Where will we plant this mission? These are questions I am pondering with Alan Roxburgh.

http://www.allelon.org/neighborhood/?p=5#more-5

Does this article speak to you?

Vulture and Child

2007-07-22T18:26:00.000-05:00

This photograph showing a starving Sudanese child being stalked by a vulture won Kevin Carter the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for feature photography.

I found it...above is the picture that Kevin spoke of this morning in his sermon. I looked at it once and quickly looked away and got busy doing something else. I thought that later I would send it out to you.

Now, looking at it again, I am almost...I am nauseous. God is speaking somehow to me. How can you, me, & Journey be part of Jesus' ministry to heal the broken hearted and set the captives free? Where do we see vultures about to devour someone?

Remember 10:2B?...praying for workers to come. Some of you have found your place in ministry; some have not. Jesus calls us to leave the old life and follow Him in new life. What does that mean for me today?

Prayer request

2007-07-18T05:50:00.000-05:00

Most of you know that we have been in the process of moving and selling our house all while trying to both work and pay the bills just waiting to move out there.

The buyers on our house have started to balk and hinted that they may not be buying the house.

This puts a considerable amount of financial strain on us and significant difficulties.

We are asking for prayer that this might just blow over and the house still close on August 31st or earlier. Whether God brings another buyer or the current buyers do follow through.

We also ask for prayer for us as we work through how to cope with moving the kids and getting them in school, paying bills, selling the house, and getting an income.

Moving/loading party date change: "Only thing we know is that things change"

2007-07-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

It seems our moving/loading dates have changed already.

We are not sure yet, but it will probably be closer to August 30th/31st that we can actually begin to load.

Which means we would unload September 1st/2nd.

Still developing, but that is the latest...

Just Walk Across the Room

2007-07-16T05:52:00.000-05:00

How do we tell others about Jesus?

This video summarises a story and abook about sharing your faith personally with those you know or don't know, but could walk across the room to.

Somebody let me know if you start reading it. I want to borrow it after you're done or hear all about it!

http://garyrohrmayer.typepad.com/yourjourneyblog/2007/07/just-walk-acros.html

Journey News from Bill & Stuff

2007-07-15T22:19:00.000-05:00

Dear Fellow Sojourners,

As many of you know I have been working 55-60 hours per week in my tent selling job and have worn myself down physically. It has taken a toll on my passion and emotions. I am thankful that God loves me enough to stretch me but it brings on some confusion in my heart that needs to be cleared up at times. Kevin's message challenged me this morning as did a little reading of my own words.

I was visiting one of my old posts to our blog and was reminded of these words that motivated me more than once in recent years. They are from the book Original Intent by Wes Roberts and Glenn Marshall. In this quote, God is reminding me that I do have a vision for something quite different in a local church. I want us to be really alive! I want us to impact our world for Jesus. I do not want us to be a "normal" American church that just fits in. Please read these words and reflect upon them.

"If, like me, you want to trade in illusion for reality, if you're a pastor or church leader or hungry Christian who loves the church and longs to participate in authentic community led by people who are
more broken than confident and
more Spirit-dependent than naturally talented,
if you desire to see the church re-formed into a place where
character counts more than credentials, where life is lived in humble trust
rather than by careful method ,
where organic growth matters more than organizational growth, where
serving nudges aside controlling ,..."

then dream, work out your salvation, and follow Jesus with me. There is work to do. People are lost and we have the Word that brings life anew.I will be praying and seeking God's guidance about what this movement looks like in the next few weeks. Pray with me please.

Thank you, thank you, thank you....
I know there are many of you who are praying for us though you have never visited Journey. I am grateful for you because your prayers are being answered one by one, little by little, and in surprising ways. You are a shield about our family.

FLASH...finally
Matt and Mary Ruth's house is sold and they will be moving here in late August. Somebody wanna' help load and unload a truck??? I have done this sooooo many times... It should be a strong and convincing reminder that we have not yet arrived home.
August 12-19...Relaxin', Fishing and more with the guys in Colorado.
We have room for two more for this guys trip to the South Platte River. Some of you Texans, Indy guys, and Colorado lovers could go?

Places to live

2007-06-18T06:27:00.001-05:00

We are having those final detail discussions of how to move (which is all a challenge still sitting under the mortgage on the house) and the steps and timeline. We'll post things as they become definite.

The only definite on the timeline is pushing a few possible buyers on the house to find out if they are going to buy the house or not by July 1st (one couple has been checking into financing and we are praying they decide to buy it). If not, we get a realtor and make plans to leave it to the realtor to sell.

But we need living arrangement ideas - house/apartments to rent.

We need an income of course, but feels like that may not come till we get there.

We're still discussing things, and maybe a trip to get there, but if you have any ideas let us know.

Being a pastor

2007-06-16T07:55:00.000-05:00

For the majority of us, we don't understand how hard it is to be a pastor.

It's like not knowing the unique internal struggles of having children. I remember for years people always saying, "You can't really know the challenges to have children till you have them." I was always so frustrated because I knew I could listen and bear the burden with others who had children. And that is still true - we listen and immerse ourselves in stories of parenthood and we understand better.

But there is something about not being able to know some of the unique challenges until you are immersed in the experience of having children.

It's very similar with being a pastor. We can bear the burden, share the vision, play our part, but being a pastor is unique and challenging in unique ways.

Take the time to read these things listed from the post "Death by Ministry" from Mark Driscoll. They are interesting and very poignant.

Then take the time to pray for your leaders and leadership team. Those that pastor you, and pray for you, and do things for you when you don't even know about.

If we want leaders, each other, and our church to live effectively in the Kingdom of God, we must love God, love others, and pray for one another.

Pastors

Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
Fifty percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.
Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.

Pastors' Wives

Eighty percent of pastors' spouses feel their spouse is overworked.
Eighty percent of pastors' spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession.
The majority of pastors’ wives surveyed said that the most destructive event that has occurred in their marriage and family was the day they entered the ministry.

Father's Day Note

2007-06-16T07:51:00.000-05:00

Good story, taken from Expedition Family:

Last Friday, I had the privelege of hearing Coach Tony Dungy at a luncheon in the Colts Training Center. He gave us an inside look at the championship week leading up to the Super Bowl. He realized their moment wasn't just the game, but the whole Super Bowl experience. So, he gave his players an extended curfew, let them sleep in and enjoy the moment (not to excess of course) with their family and friends. Even the coach of a team playing for the Super Bowl took time with his kids to play at the NFL Experience, an football carnival-like atmosphere with games and rides. When people saw Dungy with his kids there, he said they thought they were seeing a ghost! They couldn't believe he was there. Didn't he have a game to prepare for? But for his six-year-old boy, playing with his Dad in the NFL Experience probably meant more to him than watching his Dad go to work on Super Bowl Sunday. Tony Dungy didn't wish time away that week
One of the things that I struggle with the most in waiting for something is wishing time away. I remember when Sharon and I were first married and saving for a house. How I wished time away to move from our apartment (furnished with 1970s, extra-long, olive-drab shag carpet) to the day we moved into our home. I regret wishing time away.

Our Website is being re-constructed

2007-06-16T07:48:00.000-05:00

Some dear (and honest) friends are heading up the rebuild.

And now our blog has taken the place of some of our communication so the rebuilding is a good thing.

Do you have ideas for the website?

If you have any requests for information that might be helpful to you or someone who might consider joining the Journey, send us a note.

In His wonder, Bill

For Fathers...a challenge on Father's Day

2007-06-16T07:45:00.000-05:00

You are on the front lines of the battle whether you know it or not. But then if you know me and trust me and believe me you now know it? Right?

One of my greatest passions; the one that drove me out of my car dealership to graduate school was my desire to see marriages survive (including my own). Now I, of all people, know that marriage can be miserable....or maybe you should ask my wife Cathy how miserable it can be. In any case, if you are in a miserable marriage the answer is not to get out! The answer is to get help. Jesus can change us! That is why He came; to set us free from the sin that messes up relationships. Your marriage can be better but it will take courage and the hardest work that any man has done in his entire life.

And then on top of all of that, it will take faith. It will take faith to believe that God does not want your marriage to be terrible either. He wants your marriage to bring glory to Him; to the God of the universe. And because He wants that, He will help you! He will mold you and change you.

But you have to want help; you have to be committed beyond what you might think you can endure. You have to want your marriage to be a miracle. You have to be a hero! You have to decide to accept what most people, even Christians refuse to accept in their marriage relationships. The fact is that your marriage was never intended to glorify you; to make you happy; or to make your life easier. Your marriage was made to glorify God and when it cracks and breaks, it will not glorify God.

So if you sense some cracks, tell somebody, be honest with good friends, and get some real help. What will not glorify God is doing nothing and letting the relationship die a slow, painful death.

Your marriage can be wonderful but not in the way you think is wonderful. Join the mysterious journey. Get out of the "slough of despond"! Go Dancing!

C'mon Dads...get in the Battle. Lead your wife to get help rather than follow.

This would be the most magnificent gift you could give; one I believe will load you up with more crowns in heaven than anything you will ever accomplish.

Get Radical! Go For It! Be a Blessing.

Newsletter:

2007-06-16T07:38:00.000-05:00

Dear Fellow Sojourners,

We want to begin by saying that if we are your spam and you would like to removed from our emailing list please let us know. It has become a reality that we now have so much spam in our lives, the clutter of our busyness, that email has become as annoying as solicitation phone calls. We hope we are adding and not detracting from your walk with Jesus.

At Journey, We Have Some Simple Goals...

Don't forget...Our Vision is Jesus

We want to encourage you to keep your eyes on Him minute by minute. You life will be changed. Maybe that is what scripture calls us to do when it says "Pray without ceasing".

How do We Do this Vision?

How do we live this vision? How do we do it in everyday life? We suggest a simple plan.

Strategy # 1; we study the Bible. Read it because you want to; not because you have to. If you are seeking God by some kind of internal law that says you are "bad" if you do not read today, then maybe you should pray instead of read today. Guilt is just plain silly when you are looking at Jesus.

If you come to the Bible with a demand in your heart that "God must supply an answer to my anguish; an answer to my dilemma", then you are reading the Bible no differently that reading any of the "fix it" books in the many Christian "marketing for profit" stores.

Read the Bible for delight. Read it for fun. Read it our of curiosity. Read it because you want to find a nugget of gold. Read it because it is great way to get closer to your real daddy; your Abba.

The second strategy, study the Bible with friends; in community, in koinonea, in intimate community, not shallow community. Do not read it like a text book. Talk about the Bible with people. Talk about what you have read that confuses you, frustrates you, makes you feel inadequate, makes you cry, and dare I say, makes you laugh. You are not bringing your whole heart to the reading of scripture unless it makes you laugh at times.

The third strategy; pray without ceasing. Our third strategy for sticking to our vision of Jesus; of seeing Him in our mind's eye minute, second by second as if we have to look around Him to see anything else, is to teach and/or encourage you to pray without ceasing. TEST YOUR HEART

As I think of who we are in our church and in our city and our country of rich Americans, which of these does the local church do well and which do we not do well? Maybe we should take a poll? Or maybe we should be honest before God. I have my opinion; what is yours for you and your church; for our church?

2007-06-13T06:16:00.001-05:00

The command is plain: you go into the whole world and announce the good news. It cannot be dispensationalized, typicalized, rationalized....
I have not the foggiest idea how or where God will lead you. Of this I am sure. He will lead you and not let you miss your signs. Rest in this-it is His business to lead, command, impel, send, call, or whatever you want to call it. It is your business to obey, follow, move, respond, or what have you...
The sound of 'gentle stillness' after all the thunder and wind have passed will be the ultimate Word from God. Tarry long for it.

- Jim Elliot, Missionary to the Auca Indians 1952, "Shadow of the Almighty"

The church...living together and in the world for a mission

2007-05-31T06:03:00.000-05:00

"The only true church is not the hotel Church, where guests rather avoid than meet each other, but the family church, life under one roof in communion, a church that can stand tensions and quarrels."

"We must return to the Church World relationship in which the laity by the fact of its living in the world, plays a more decisive role the clergy can" - A Theology of the Laity

Hendrik Kraemer, Dutch missiologist, 1888 - 1965

(HT: tallskinnykiwi)

The Forgotten Ways: The Apostle?

2007-05-30T16:25:00.000-05:00

In the forgotten ways, Hirsch describes a missing element in today's churches. That is the element of the "apostle." Throughout the book he has been defining and explaining "mDNA," (standing for "missonal"DNA) and apostleship through examples such as the Chinese church and the early church and the movement of the Spirit that makes it multiply itself in people's lives. Here are some things he says that "apostleship" does, and he says they are mostly missing in today's Western churches:

1. To embed mDNA, [or the missional realities of our faith in Jesus by multiplying people], through pioneering new ground for the gospel and church...As custodian...the apostle is both the messenger and the carrier of the mDNA of Christianity. As "the one who is sent," he or she advances the gospel into new missional contexts and embeds the DNA of God's people into the new churches that[come] in those places. At heart, the apostle is a pioneer, and it is this pioneering innovative spirit that marks it as unique in relation to the other ministries. "...the church is called to be a dynamic movement rather than a static institution. For that reason, it's leadership is to be drawn from those on the front line of the expansion of the church."

2. To guard the mDNA through the application and integration of apostolic theology...But for the custodian of the DNA of Christ's people, the responsibility of apostolic ministry does not end with pioneering missionary work. He or she is also mandated with the task of ensuring that the churches remain true to the gospel and its ethos. This aspect of apostolic ministry can be described as creating and mainting the web of meaning that holds the movement together. Apostolic ministry does this by reawakening the people to the gospel and embedding it in the organizational framework in ways that are meaningful....All authentic apostolic ministry does this. Apostles are not just hot-headed entrepreneurs; they are also working theologians - or at least ought to be if genuinely apostolic.

3. To create the environment in which the other ministries emerge...Ever wondered why, in all the lists of ministries, that of apostle is always explicitly listed first? And why it is considered the most important of the minsitries (I Cor. 12:28ff; Eph 4:11)? Or why in Ephesians 2:20 Paul says that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets? Not because of some hierarchical organizational conception of leadership, because such ideas of leadership did not exist in the New Testament movement. Rather, it is because apostolic ministry is the foundational gift that provides both the environment and the reference point for the other ministries mentioned in scripture [Hirsch goes on to describe this from what he calls an APEPT concept - apostolic leading to prophetic leading to evangelistic leading to pastoral leading to teaching/didactic].

He spends alot of time unfolding what all that means, and he is very thorough. But he describes the need for apostleship in this way:

Apostolic ministry is basically a function and not an office. Office as we normally conceive it, relates to a position in an established, centralized institution, and it gets it authority from being an "official" in an institutional structure. One simply cannot find this level of "institution" in the New Testament and in the postbiblical period. On the other hand, the New Testament church has all the hallmarks of an emergent people movement with little or no centralized structures, no "ordained" or professional ministry class, and no official "church" buildings.
...
All subsequent apostolic ministry models itself on this archetypal ministry of the original, and authoritative, apostles. This is to say that he/she is the person who imparts and embeds mDNA. And once the mDNA is embedded in local communities, apostolic ministry works to ensure that the resultant churches remain true to it and that they do not mutate into something other than God intended them to be.

Though that is only part of his unfolding of the mDNA and how apostleship functions in the church, is there anything that rings true for you?

The Forgotten Ways: Example of Incarnational/Missional

2007-05-21T06:39:00.000-05:00

What is a missional church and how do we find a mission?

I have been struck by a comment made once, though I don't remember where, regarding "community" and/or mission. It said something like this:

Community does not come out of community for community's sakes. No group or organization every lasted long or made great impact in the world by focusing on community. Too often, the church, focuses on creating community and eventually falls into narcisistic entertainment of "what I need for it to be community for me."

Instead, we must be focusing on the mission God has given us. Us individually, and us as a body or church. Once we embark on that mission we will find that community happens.

And community is never planned for or structured. Instead, community happens, and then a structure is borne out of that community. Unfortunately, over time, the structure becomes a box that limits, and eventually suffocates, community. Not because community doesn't happen or is not wanted, but because the mission has been replaced with a focus on maintaining the community. Once again, the mission is forgotten, and a narcisistic focus on "what I need for the community to continue for me" is focused on.

Churches need to pray for and follow what mission God gives them, not focus on creating community. The mission is not for our community, but to go out to tell people about Jesus and only in the going do we find "community" or the relationship of church that Jesus demonstrated and intended."

Hirsch makes some statements on that idea of being "missional" or "incarnational" (incarnational meaning living out your faith within the lives of the people and the world we live in - like God was incarnational as Jesus, we become incarnational in the world we live in).

We decided that in the context of Melbourne, a city obsessed with food and eating out, that we ought to try and see how we can engage our culture on its own turf (missional), rather than expecting them to come to ours (attractional). What drove us to this conclusion was asking missionary questions, namely, "What is good news for this people group?" and "What would the church look and feel like among this people group?" Both these questions assume that we dont' fully know the answers until we ask them in the active context of mission. They require that we pay attention to the existential issues confronting people as they experience those issues. And that we try to shape and form communities of faith so that htey can become an organic part of the cultural social fabric of teh people group we are tring to reach.

So, what is good news for the people around you? We can't know this until we know what the "existential questions" are, which simply means, what are the really really hard questions of life that they are asking? It could be as simple as, "Where am I going to pay my next bill?" or something like, "Is there more to life than this drudgery of working 9-5." Maybe they struggle with marriage, raising children, finding passion, depression, or whatever.

But we must go to them and live with them to find out. Then we ask, "What would a church look and feel like among this people and their struggles?" In other words, what would it look like for a people who had good news to my questions of life to live together? What would they be doing? How would they be living? How would they be spending their money?

What is good news for you? What would the church look and feel like for you?

"I am coming soon!"

2007-05-19T15:01:00.001-05:00

We've been following some friends and their adoption process for an orphan in Liberia over the last year or two.

The short story is (I think I can try to summarize, but no promises on accuracy) they had just about adopted him and someone claimed him as family and wouldn't release him without being paid, which was strictly prohibited. Meanwhile, their son (which they had now been moved to already take him as that) was left in the orphanage.

Over time, the situation changed, and just recently they are finishing out the adoption process.

This most recent entry on their blog post is very very moving from just about any perspective:

It was bittersweet to talk to Samson on Mother's Day. While our whole family loved speaking to him and hearing his voice, I was haunted by his plea, "When are you coming for me?" He has been waiting so long. All I could say was, "I am coming soon."
I was awaken at 3:00 a.m. today with the burden to pray for him as well as the 143 million other fatherless who are wondering will they ever have hope for their future. Thank God for our Savior who came so we might not be left as orphans. I relate in so many ways to Jesus when He said to his disciples about the promised Holy Spirit: "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:18).

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.
(Rev 22:20-21)

Why give money to church or why tithe?

2007-05-19T06:18:00.000-05:00

The church we've been attending has a very traditional worship service with hymns and standing up, sitting down, bible lesson readings, benedictions, the Lord's Prayer, and all that. Not my personal style, but I am learning to appreciate aspects of the liturgy and it's becoming easier for me to worship in it.

One of the things that we do is the traditional protestant passing of the offering plate and then the "offering benediction," or whatever you call it. When I was kid I used to hate that kind of worship, and frankly found it "pomp and circumstance." But I've learned to appreciate the aspect of "worshipping in our giving." That is, I understand more how worship is not just the singing, but all aspects of life, and aspects of the "gathering of the saints."

We worship in the giving of our provisions to the church.

The words to the "offering benediction" (again, I'm not sure what it's actually called, but I can sing it from memory) mean more to me now as I've had to live in times of quite extensive trust in God providing:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him all above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost

Both of my sons like to put something in the basket as it goes by. My oldest, Eli, has made a habit of putting in his own money he earned or was given.

This particular Sunday he gathered $0.21 from his "doggy bank" (we have a dog instead of a pig, so we call it a "doggy bank") to put in the basket. 21 pennies from his penny bank. He actually pulled out 20, but then found a penny on the floor that he dropped and decided to give that. My youngest, Caleb, was listening to his older brother gather money and found 4 quarters on my desk and decided that's what he was going to give.

Caleb doesn't know the value of money. But Eli knew Caleb was giving "more" money by giving 4 quarters, and felt a little ashamed.

We talked about money a bit and daddy's job and how daddy used to make alot more money than he does now.

Eli said, "When I grow up I'm going to get a job and make alot of money."

Well, I summarized the story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar (read it here: Luke 16:19-31), and how the rich man worked for all this stuff but died and went to hell and the poor man went to be with God. Not exactly the Gospel, but I did explain that money can be good or bad and is not one of the most important things (I've taught him that the two most important things are "Love God and Love others" so that when he is doing something he shouldn't I ask him, "What are the two most important things?" and then say, "Are you doing those?" It worked till I realized the definition of love had to be taught, so now I'm teaching him by asking, "What is love?" and he's learning that it is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"... my point being...money was not one of the important things.)

It was difficult because I've never really talked to Eli about the penalties of sin being "hell."

(I've always used examples of suffering because of sin, but I've never talked to him about "hell." I don't know that he's ever conceptualized "hell" before, but he does know sin and the damage it does to relationships and that Jesus died so that his relationship with God can be restored now. I guess I've always tried to talk in terms of forgiveness is now, redemption is now, and the Kingdom of God starts now...but I digress from the topic of money...)

Then I asked Eli,

"Do you know why we give money to the church?" He said, "To give to the poor." I thought that was a better answer than I would have given. Yes the church should be giving to the poor.

Why do we give to the church?

I think the church should be giving to the poor. But not that church.

What I mean is, Yes, I think the church, the body of Christ, should be giving to the poor and taking care of the poor. I am not sure it's as helpful if the "church," by that I mean the organized 501c3, is caring for the poor as much as the body of Christ should be.

Don't get me wrong, I think it is helpful (not as helpful), and probably necessary, that the organized church "budget" should reflect caring for the poor. But I think it's much more important that we, the body of Christ, us the believers, the true church, should have budgets that reflect caring for the poor, or at least being generous with our money that we do have.

What is a tithe then? Why do we give to the church?

Tithe means 10. You can't "tithe" unless it is actually 10%. That is, I can't say I'm tithing if I've given only 5%. That would be "penting" (greek word for 5).

I'm not overly scholarly on this, and there is much more in depth studies to be had, but I like the idea of "kiss"-ing it (Keep It Simple Stupid) for myself. So this is what I understand as a "tithe" biblically:

A tithe in the OT was 10% of everything you had (primarily agricultural at the time) that was given to "God" through the temple:

Leviticus 27:30" 'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.

And then the tithe was used for the "Levites." The Levites were the tribe of Israel (remember, there were 12 and one set aside for work in the temple, or the place to come before God before Jesus), because the Levites were not given any land by God. Instead, God made their work be in the temple and provided for them by requiring the people to give a "tithe," or a tenth, of their provisions:

Numbers 18:23 It is the Levites who are to do the work at the Tent of Meeting and bear the responsibility for offenses against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. They will receive no inheritance among the Israelites. 24 Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the LORD. That is why I said concerning them: 'They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.' "

So, a tithe was 10% of all you produced in life (materially or monetarily) and then:

1) Given to the Tent of Meeting (temple or place of worship) for the gatherings
2) Used to provide for the people who served at the Tent of Meeting, the Levites

A tithe doesn't seem to translate perfectly into our New Testament and American culture.

There are a whole host of problems with trying to directly translate a tithe to the New Covenant under Jesus and the Body of Christ.

One problem with drawing the idea of "tithe" from the New Testament is that we don't have one place of worship, or Tent of Meeting, that God asks us to meet at. We, the people, have become the "temple." We are the place of the Holy Spirit, (I Cor 6:18-20) the living stones, (I Peter 2:5) that are where God meets us because of the death of Jesus Christ on our behalf. It is Jesus' death that allows us to go directly to God from ourselves.

By my experience, most church budgets reflect about a 40%-60% of the "tithes" as salaries, or provisions for staff. In actuality, it is considered very bad "church business" to allow the budget to be much more than 50% for staff. I mean, what if people stop giving? Then what would the staff do? (a little sarcasm there - the staff would trust in YHWH Jireh, which means "God the provider").

So the first problem is that tithes in the OT were provisions for the Levites, but today our tithes tend to be about 50% for the workers in the "organized building place of meeting" and 50% for the upkeep of the building and other things. Some of that "stuff" is necessary. Others should be closely evaluated as whether they are necessary or not.

My point is, that the OT tithe is not something we can give today in the same capacity in the New Covenant or the church and the body of Christ.

There are some great principles behind the church's idea of tithing. But there is something more important.

TO MAKE A LONG POST...SUDDENLY SHORTER B/C IT'S BEEN SITTING IN MY QUEUE A FEW DAYS...

I see a few major biblical ideas that are influencing my ideas of "tithing" or "giving" to the church.

The true church, the people, should be doing two major things with their money:

Number 1 thing to be doing with money and stuff: Take care of one another, and the poor, and the needy. Widows, for example, that had no way to provide for themselves anymore (early part of Acts). The poor, obviously, since Jesus made that pretty clear. Not hoarding it, obviously, or making money a use of power and ultimately a place of putting our trust (easy for us to trust in a retirement plan to take care of us - hey, it's the American way to save for that...maybe some wisdom in it too...but I'm not sure how to think about that yet).

Number 2 thing to be doing with money and stuff: Advancing the "ministry of the word" or the spreading of the Good news of Jesus death and resurrection on our behalf so we could be with God now. Sometimes stuff is helpful for that, like a building can be. But sometimes the stuff can get in the way.

For example: Are we spending money on us, for us, our things, our stuff, our entertainment, our style of church, and not for those who are in need of the Gospel? Or maybe, paying the church to provide for us the ministry of the word when we should be doing it ourselves - that is, giving a tithe so the church reads and tells us what is in the Bible rather than us searching the Bible alongside them. Do we pay the church to read the Bible for us and tell us what it says? I fear we do far too much.

As far as giving, I have these concepts in mind:

My number 1 Biblical concept about "tithing:" In Acts people gave money and "put it at the apostle's feet" so that people's basic needs were taken care of:

Acts 4:34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

The emphasis to me is that we are all bringing what we have and who we are - ALL OF IT! And trusting the leaders in our body of Christ, or trusting those we choose to walk with and learn from spiritually, to help us understand how to use it to serve the Kingdom of God.

Number 2: Somewhere along the line we are to use the resources for everyone to partake in the "ministry of the word" to the world in which they live and are sent by Jesus.

I Timothy 5:17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

My problem with the "standard american protestant church" is that the tithe, a large percentage of it, is to support programs, buildings, material things, and what not, that have nothing to do with what the church (the people in the church) should be doing.

The money should be going to people who are living in the Kingdom, want to live in the Kingdom, and are using their gifts to live in the Kingdom. Not to things that get in the way of that.

And I do think we pay far too much for "stuff" in the American church, just like we do in our homes. Our churches often reflect the culture, sometimes to reach the culture, but sometimes we end up assimilating too much to the culture, even in how we spend our money.

A LONG POST, WAY TOO LONG, BUT I'M TIRED OF IT SITTING IN MY QUEUE, SO I'M JUST POSTING IT...FOR NOW...EDIT LATER....MAYBE....

The Forgotten Ways: Institutionalism or necessary organization?

2007-05-15T20:27:00.000-05:00

One of my biggest struggles over the years in church has been the "institutionalism" that I've run across.

In the leadership of a church I was previously in they were committed to "Roberts Rules of Order" in every meeting. At first, I found it fascinating, that no action could be taken outside of the written order of the meeting made by some random leader without saying, "I make a motion that..."

I once pondered out loud what would have happened if Peter had to follow such rules. "Excuse me, but I make a motion that we listen to what the Holy Spirit has laid on our hearts right now through the tongues of fire that seem to be appearing above each of us. Does anybody second that?"

I suggested that I was going to make a motion that we do away with Roberts Rules of Order, but was curious how we were going to "second" the motion and then apply the motion if we did away with Roberts Rules of Order. The suggestion was not laughed at as I had intended.

Alan Hirsch makes a significant point that we need to keep before us in regards to our organization or institutionalism. It is a point I have often tried to put words to myself, but he does it quite well:

"I am critical if institutionalism not because I think it is a bad idea, but only because through my study of the phenomenal Jesus movements I have come to the unnerving conclusion that God's people are more potent by far when they have little of what we would recognize as church institution in their life together. For clarity, therefore, there needs to be a clear distinction between necessary organizational structure and institutionalism. As we shall see, structures are absolutely necessary for cooperative human action as well as for maintaining soe form of coherent social patterns. However, it seems that over time the increasingly impersonal structures of teh institution assume roles, responsibilities, and authority that legitimately belong to the whole people of God in their local and grassroots expressions. It is at this point that things tend to go awry."

The Forgotten Ways; How do phenomenal Jesus movements come about?

2007-05-15T20:07:00.000-05:00

I've read and re-read the book "The Forgotten Ways" by Alan Hirsch, and I highly recommend the book.

I would greatly appreciate anybody's thoughts and discussion after reading it. I am greatly impacted by the book as it speaks to and puts "meat" to many things my heart has been longing for and called to be a part of as a body of Christ.

One of the questions asked in the book is, "How do phenomenal Jesus movements come about?"
There is a great summary on it by Hirsch in the book (page 21) where he discusses the early church and the Chinese Church movement.

"...the awakening of that dorman potential [of a phenomenal Jesus movement] has something to do with the strange mixture of the passionate love of God, prayer, and incarnational practice. Add to this mix the following: appropriate modes of leadership (as expressed in Ephesians 4), the recovery of radical discipleship, relevant forms of organization and structures, and the appropriate conditions for these to be able to catalyze. When these factors come together, the situation is ripe for something remarkable to take place."

He does discuss in more detail what each element is and how they have happened historically.

Do we (Journey) have a passionate love of God? Forsaking all unnecessary things for Jesus?

Do we (each member of Journey, and us as a body) pray with rich passion, intimate desire, hope for God to reveal himself, and faith that He is involved?

Do I/you/we practice our passionate love of God and prayer "incarnationally," meaning in every aspect of the life we live?

God as silent

2007-04-26T16:11:00.000-05:00

I recently heard something on the radio that said something like this:

We need to, as Christians, begin to realize and teach that sometime in our lives we will NOT hear from God and we will NOT feel like He is present and we will NOT know whether we are making Godly, righteous, or Biblical decisions. Let's make sure we tell new Christians to understand that every walk of Faith in the Bible, at some point or another, reaches out to God, speaks to God, and hopes for God, but gets silence or seemingly no answer.

Even Jesus struggled with the Father's seeming silence and abandonment: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"

What makes us think we will not? Or should not?

What makes us think we have to hide it when we do feel like God is silent, uncaring, or indifferent?

Just because we might get silence from God, does not mean we stop believing. It just makes us have to choose to believe in the midst of doubt - THAT IS WHERE FAITH BEGINS.

For it is precisely when we experience these things of "silence" that we cannot live in His Kingdom - and by trusting in Faith in those moments we ironically begin to live in His Kingdom by His power alone.

What do father's think?

2007-04-19T10:10:00.000-05:00

This coming week's Message is mostly for Dads. Some of the questions given to us in an email to think about are the following:

Questions to Think About:
1) What do fathers think of when they hear the Gospel story?
2) Does God tell you what to do in life?
3) Is the Bible an instruction manual?

I wanted to respond to this personally, and thought I'd do it on the blog here. I have no idea what specifically will be talked about this weekend.

I have always struggled with almost no direct New Testament examples of fatherhood. There are implications of actions, but nothing like the Old Testament where we read about David and his sons or Abraham and his sons.

How in the world did Peter have a family, even a wife, and travel around the way he did? Did he feed and provide for them? How? Did he ever fight with his wife? About what?

I imagine it going something like this:

Peter: I need to travel up to the Antioch church for a meeting with the leaders there.
Petrina (since we don't know her name I'll be creative): Ok...um...well...we have this bill coming due (I know there were no bills, but work with me here). I guess I'll just go get full time work and put our children in daycare now at the local synagogue where they will be taught the law over Jesus.

Peter: But I gotta go to this gathering of the leaders...the Jewish Christians up there want to circumcise the whole bunch of Greek born servants of the church (what the word "deacons" means) and if they do that now in the middle of winter who's going to get all those locked in widow's the food and wood they need for heat?

Petrina: What about our table!? Our kids?!

Peter: I know, I know. I'll find some way to make some more money or bring home some fish to eat or sell.

Petrina: And you're gonna do that where on the road to Antioch! Water into wine...multiplying bread and fish...healing my mother...but are you gonna turn dirt into fish?

Peter: Look...If I don't get up there we'll see a bloody mess from those circumcisions at Ananias' house and at least days of miserable pain for the wrong reason! You don't know what that will do to those marriages! And you know Ananias' wife - a great hostess but a stickler for keeping things clean!

Petrina: If Jesus can let you heal the blind and lame and drop a blanket of potential unclean food in front of your face to eat, why won't he at least drop me a blanket of food to put on the table...kosher of course so we don't offend the neighbors.

Ok, so maybe that's just my situation! But where in the New Testament does it tell us how to be fathers and follow Jesus "at all cost"?

I mean, the best thing we might have for teaching about sex is Song of Solomon. I can hardly understand that or read it to my wife without blushing. What about a 8-10 year old (which is the age we have to start these days, if not earlier!)

But there are some great instructions in the Old Testament, that seem to apply.

I think the greatest ideas of teaching in Scripture, and the most difficult to actually do, is to teach your children alongside you as you do the work of God, the mission of God, together:

Deut 4:9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
Deut 11:18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates,

And though this doesn't apply to children, it's along the same lines of how to teach each other and the next generation:

Exodus 18:19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.

So, practically, I'm wondering what it looks like to do things alongside my children.

Like, taking them to the shelter and serving food. Or, do they know about how we spend money? Tithe or not tithe? Do I come to church, spend church with them, and talk to them about what it all means, or do I just send them to some Sunday School program? Do I let them participate in my prayers?

What this seems to mean is that we should spend our lives with them, explain why we go to church, what we want from it, when it fails us, what Jesus' intention is...ideally, all this stuff we talk about as we do it.

Jesus loved kids and we do too. They are part of our community and we welcome them in our midst. More than anything, we hope your kids come away knowing they are loved and enjoyed. As you follow Jesus, they will follow you. We want them to notice and learn that you are devoted to learning from the Bible, to genuine worship, to prayer, to an honest walk with your Creator, and to a commitment to caring for others in the body of Christ and in your community. We do not believe it is the church's responsibility to teach the children what will be taught in the home. We will not try to replace you; it cannot be done. The story of your life will powerfully teach your kids and thus, as your children watch you, we want them to see your relationship with Jesus changing your life. That will be the best lesson they will ever receive. Our first goal is to equip you to lead them in both word and action to an understanding of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The difficulty is often that these days I don't work alongside my children, nor do we in America. We leave the house to work, and then come back to the house. It used to be that they learned the same things as fathers and mothers to learn a trade. Now parents leave the house and spend the majority of their "awake" time away from the house. Kids in school, parent's are at work. When do our worlds intersect? Not much anymore.

It actually makes it a greater sacrifice to be with your children in our culture, because we have to sacrifice "me" time.

A friend once said to us that we should home school because if you send them to elementary school they will learn how to relate in the world primarily from other children. This isn't about home schooling, just making the note that our kids in America, from the age of 5 on, spend more time walking alongside their peers than they do their parents. And those peers, and probably our own children, spend more time in front of the TV learning about how to relate in the world than they do from adults around them, much less parents. The TV and media teach children, and the children teach each other.

I really have to be more intentional about doing things alongside my children. I'm not sure how to do that, but I want to keep my eyes open to it.

And I have to remind myself that watching TV together doesn't count!

I saw a mailing the other day and it had this family all smiling and sitting on each other's laps and laughing. It was an advertisement for a Dish! So, if I got a dish, we'd make a great family right?

It's funny how the world knows what we want, and uses what we want to sell us stuff that will do exactly the opposite of what we want.

I've got to keep myself attuned to what is being "sold" to me as easy ways to get what I want, but that will do just the opposite.

As a church we've got to be just as careful. It's easy for us to start up children's programs, theology, teaching, and other things that promise great things we really and truly want, but

it's often the simplicity of Scripture, and it's simple truths, that we need to humbly apply. And that is very difficult because to do that means we do have to deny our own time (like our TV programs), our own enjoyments (like my sports or my reading), our money (working a little less or going out less or not paying for TV, Internet, or other things), our desired standard of living, and ourselves.

I am guilty of not denying myself to be a father very well.

Again, I have to remember...it's not about making my children or my wife like me. It's about loving them whether they like me or not.

Boy, my family would be upset if I thought we needed to cancel the cable. Got to pray about that one!

Revisiting Mission Statement: Start at the Beginning

2007-04-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

Our Mission: HELPING PEOPLE FIND THEIR WAY BACK TO GOD!

This is the mission statement that Bill, Matt, and BJ have been trying to work out. At the moment, the mission statement includes some practical steps of what that means and how we think it might look...practically.

Practically we are working out these (click to see) missional actions.

But why are we saying we want to "HELP PEOPLE FIND THEIR WAY BACK TO GOD!"?

Well, I want to answer that by asking: Where does the Gospel, the good news start? What do you say to people first?

Do we start by saying, "You are a sinner?"

I would say no.

Not that it's not true, but what good is it to start with people who have no concept that they were anything other than what they are?

That is, in today's culture, people do not have a pre-culturized context of believing there is a God, that He created us, had a purpose for us, or that He cares at all what we do.

Starting by saying, "You are a sinner" is the same as coming up to you and saying, "You are a ladifald." You don't know what a "ladifald" is do you? Of course not. So, what good does it do to call you a "ladifald" and tell you there is a way to correct it?

By saying we want to "Help you find your way back to God" it implies several things:

1. There is a God
2. You were with Him once
3. You are not with Him now
4. There is a way to get back with Him

All those are part of that statement, "Helping people find their way back to God."

Some of the most attractive things in the story of what God is doing in the Bible is

1. I am (that is God saying "I am")
2. I wanted you, so I created you very special and uniquely fit to be with me and like me and like me with all the others around you
3. I wanted to be with you but you left me
4. I still want to be with you, I still want you to be especially like me
5. I have provided a way for you to be with me and be like me again

What we want to communicate first to people are these things. Primarily this thought:

God created you uniquely special for a purpose and he is still wanting that for you.

Who doesn't want to hear about that?

Ironically, people really do reject the idea they are special more often than rejecting "you are a sinner." We have an innate given knowledge that we are not what we are supposed to be and everything in our lives is striving to be something. And it's not that we reject we are sinners, but it's more often we reject how special we were originally created to be because it means we have to accept our need for God to do something to make us special again. We know sin and how to act that out don't we? We know how to destroy, work to get what we want if we have to, even if it hurts people or makes things worse in the long run. We don't know God or how to act like Him by ourselves, though we try (Genesis 3:4,5). We don't know how to create the good deep things we truly long for.

Of course, the truth of the story is that we sinned and destroyed the "specialness" that God created us with (taking on His image in His presence) and went our own way to be our own God. And we don't want to give that up for fear that God really won't fulfill His end of the bargain.

But He has in my life. I'm changing and destroying less of the good things in my life because of what He has done to get me back to Himself. And I want to tell you that there is a way to get back to God. God has made a way for you to get back to Him. But you have to accept that:

1. You are specially made by God, like God, to be with God
2. You have rejected the image of God in yourself, rejected the presence of God, and denied he made you for any purpose, much less that he made you to be with Him
3. God has made a way for you to get back to that wonderfully joyful created purpose of being with Him to be like Him

And Jesus is the way! His death was the equivalent of destroying all your bad directions away from God. You should have taken on the direction of death and permanent separation from God, but Jesus died and took the separation so we didn't have to die and be permanently separated.

Jesus is the truth! He and His church (the gathering of all who choose to believe and follow Him as the way) embody all we need to know - not just knowledge - who we need to know, who we need to talk to, who we need to be with, who we need to listen to, and who we need to be.

Jesus is the life! He is alive! And we share in that life, that walking with God, by walking with Him through Jesus new life after death given to us - we walk with God, in His Kingdom, through Jesus resurrection.

Instead of seeing humans first and foremost as sinners, we need to see them as Eikons of God [(images of God)], created to relate to God, to relate to others, and to govern the world as Eikons. The Fall effects each of the previous: our relation to God, our relation to others, and our relation to the world. Humans, then, are cracked Eikons. There is all the difference in the world in depicting humans as simply sinners and seeing sinfulness as the condition and behavior of a cracked Eikon. Humans sin, but their sin is the sin of an Eikon [(image of God)]. They can't be defined by their sin until they are seen as Eikons. - Scott McKnight, "What is the Gospel?"

Mission Statement

2007-04-17T09:41:00.000-05:00

Our Mission: HELPING PEOPLE FIND THEIR WAY BACK TO GOD!

1. To plant Journey242 as a missional (outward going) church body that will help people find a way back to God.
2. To teach the Word of God in a relational context while providing a home for the "unchurched" that have lost hope in the local church.
3. To send one another to reach the "lost" in our personal communities with the hope of salvation we have found in Jesus Christ.
4. To enter authentic, honest, and open relationships with one another where we are becoming more like Jesus.
5. To support one another as we walk together as missionaries in this world while looking forward to the next
6. To grow large enough to send out at least 100 missionaries to plant another church in the Evansville area.
7. To multiply and plant at least 5 churches in the Evansville area.

God wants us happily married, alive with a sense of adventure and romance!?

2007-04-16T15:50:00.000-05:00

The last few months one of the jobs that I've been trying to "get by" on is furniture delivery for a custom furniture maker. It often takes 3 to 4 hours to get to the destination, so I listen to alot of radio.

One of the Christian stations (there seem to be hundreds around) regularly plays a show called "Crown Ministries." Now, I'm about to make some comments about my reaction to Crown Ministries. I'm not necessarily knocking what they do.

Crown Ministries is committed to helping people manage their money in a Biblical way. How to save, how to give, how to tithe, how to borrow, how to buy, etc. Now, I've only been pondering this, but I've been struggling with the reality that the early church simply "sold their property and possessions and gave the money to whoever needed it" (Acts 2:45). What does that mean for us? But I digress in that discussion away from what I was going to say...

My problem with the radio show is that...I don't have any money...and I feel guilty that I don't have any money, I'm not saving regularly, and even though I have tithed with quite a bit of dicipline when I had an income...I haven't had a consistent income for very long most of my adult life. I haven't had a steady income for a long time now.

Seriously...I don't have a steady income, normal life, or regular job. I've known what it's like to be totally relaxed and feeling like tomorrow is all taken care of financially and then I've also been a few dollars short of being "in the red."

I really struggle between two things: 1) the Christians who seem to imply that if you handle your money well, God will bless you with more money, and then 2) what Jesus says to his disciples about "take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep" (Matthew 10:10) and all the other stories that seem to say "follow me at all cost"...and that includes financial well-being.

I just have come to the conclusion that following Jesus is not so financially blissfull as all that.

In fact, I've kind of been pondering the reality that...it's quite a worldly bit of suffering to follow Jesus.

DUH!

I sometimes think I wasn't reading the Bible all these years...or just glancing over those passages and quietly thinking, "Well, that's only for some" or "That doesn't apply to suffering financially" or in "employment" or in "relationships" or maybe it doesn't apply suffering to that part of life.

I am reading, "Reclaiming God's Original Intent for the Church." The foreward talks about giving up up church as he knew it...and he's trying something different. This passage hit home quite readily for me:

Too often the whole church event feels like...a well-orchestrated event more than a throbbing-with-life community. The raw realism of the Bible is too often sugar-coated with cheerily optimistic promises that God wants you happily married, financially secure, and alive with a sense of adventure and romance. Whether it's a megachurch parading it's A-team every Sunday before a packed house of struggling people who are helped to pretend things aren't so bad, or whether it's a single-pastor congregation of a hundred faithful members trying to believe that life can work better than it does, the problem is the same: too often the church is aiming its people toward self-fullfillment through God's blessings and away from the failure and pain that could bring its people together as the community of the broken but loved and hopeful because of Jesus.

Ah yes...I am tired of that kind of church, too.

Kind of like the money thing...I don't have money, so why do I listen to the idea that I should have it (whether it's my idea or not).

I am not perfect, nor have I arrived in spiritual, mature bliss yet. So, why do I listen to the idea, and portray the idea, that I should have it and so should everyone else?

Pain, brokenness, and failure. It does seem that it's through those things that the people of the Bible found God. It was through pain, brokenness, and failure that the disciples grew to know Jesus.

Do we want God enough to accept the pain, brokenness, and failure that comes with seeking Him in our lives? Or, do we want to avoid those things, and end up with something less than all He is and has for us?

The community for you? Or you for the community?

2007-04-15T21:59:00.000-05:00

I don't have much time to really work through and clarify all these thoughts right now. But I have been pondering this struggle of wanting a church for me versus wanting to give myself to a church.

I do want a church to be something for me. It's just who I am...selfish...more often than I like to admit it. I am, like Paul says, a sinner who does what he does not want to do, and what I want to do I do not do.

But I want to give myself to the church community, not go to the church community for myself. "Me for the community, not the community for me."

But...

I am a sinner in need of faces of people who love God and others...and I am that "other" to you...

I'm not in need of touchy, feely, crying, and hugging love...though that could be part of it. I'm not in need of another program, men's study, or bible study...though that could be a part of it. What I am thinking of by saying I need others who love God and love me are people who know that:

God asks us to love others...not do things to get them to like us...and God is not pursuing us in our lives to try to get us to like Him...the things He does and the way He pursues us us is loving us regardless of whether we like Him or not...and regardless of whether we return that love or not

Do I want to be loved? Or do I want God and you to make me happy? Do I want God and you to work to find ways to make me like you? Do I want to be loved or liked? Do I want love others or work to make them like me?

A recent study says that:

More specifically, 28 percent of churchgoers who choose to leave their previous church do so because the "church was not helping me to develop spiritually," the study revealed. And 20 percent of respondents leave because they "did not feel engaged or involved in meaningful church work.

There is meaningful "church work" in every face we see....whether it's at "church" or not...

We love...we don't work to make others like us; or like our church service. Or our teaching. Or our sense of humor. Or our music. We don't work to make others like us for anything we do or say. We love them by "doing unto others as you would have them to unto you." Do I stop and think, "If I were that person, what would it mean to me to be loved?"

We are called to love God and love others. God created us...me...you...and He loves us so much He suffered for us to get you back to Himself.

He suffered and died to bring us back to himself. He loved us...regardless of whether we liked Him or not...regardless of whether we killed Him or not.

Believe and trust that God loves us, and then we don't need to work to make others, or God, like us. We love others, regardless of whether they like us or not...regardless of whether they kill us or not...in word or deed...

For God loves us first...

John 3:16God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.

Father, thank you for loving me and forgiving me...even when I turned my back on you, forgot you, killed you, hurt myself, hurt others, or wished you were dead in my own heart...help me to not work to make others like me...but to love them as you loved me.

2007-04-12T23:24:00.000-05:00

My Mentor's Words

My friend and mentor Wes Roberts and his friend pastor Glenn Marshall wrote a book entitled Original Intent. In the forward of this book Larry Crabb, another mentor, wrote these words that have enhanced my inspiration to see churches planted in the Evansville Metropolitan area.

"If, like me, you want to trade in illusion for reality, if you're a pastor or church leader or hungry Christian who loves the church and longs to participate in authentic community led by people who are
more broken than confident and
more Spirit-dependent than naturally talented,
if you desire to see the church re-formed into a place where
character counts more than credentials,
where life is lived in humble trust rather than by careful method,
where organic growth matters more than organizational growth, where serving nudges aside controlling,
then glance at the chapter titles of this book."

Covenant and communion

2007-04-11T18:53:00.000-05:00

Easter teaching on covenant and the communion table and bringing ourselves to the table.

http://www.graf-fiti.com/CovenantTable.html

It's in Windows Media File format...sorry Mac folks...I'm too tired and frustrated to try to change it to mp3

It's About Fruit -- Not Achievement.

2007-03-26T21:26:00.000-05:00

"It's About Fruit; Not Achievement"

This statement is the heading of chapter 10 in a book by Wes Roberts entitled Reclaiming God's Original Intent for the Church. Wes is a mentor and friend who challenged me (Bill) to return to Evansville and plant a church. I tried to avoid this call for several years but it would not go away. When a seed is planted in the heart of an individual and nurtured by God, it eventually breaks soil. When a church is planted by God it will yield fruit.

What is this vision? Here is a piece of it....

Many reasons to plant a church come to mind supported by statistics, cultural studies, and personal challenges from friends. But in the end, some things have to die in order to really live.

In John 12:24 Jesus says___ "Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over."

I think some of my thoughts about church have died over the years and out of those deaths a vision has emerged. I think what died is my hope that I would see fruit in the local church. I gave up for a while and did not even attend church I have been terribly disappointed as I see churches become irrelevant having no life changing impact on their communities. Yet I know that Jesus' church cannot and will not die. That truth had to become real again and hope in seeing real life change come from within the life of the local church had to be revorn in my heart.

Just as followers of Jesus will reproduce other followers of Jesus, healthy churches will plant other healthy churches. A healthy church will reproduce. If we do not reproduce, we will become extinct. From the very beginning and for several reasons, it has been and will remain my desire for us to reproduce churches in communities nearby rather than to grow large. By virtue of their size, large churches draw people out of their personal communities and make it easy to hide. Changed lives occur in the context of a life seen clearly by God and others where the truth of scripture can become personal and relevant. We want the church to be a personal, life changing community again.

We want to plant seeds as missionaries to our neighbors in communities nearby. The mission field in America is near to us, not far.

This vision of being missionaries not to a foreign culture but to our diverse culture, requires a greater discipline, a greater call to an open, visible, personal walk with Jesus. We will be counter cultural. This call is not to just a very few in our congregation but to each member. Our lives will speak more loudly than our words and therefore, none can hide. Hiding in a big church is much easier so we will divide and plant in another community nearby before we grow large.
All of us are missionaries to our own personal communities; to our neighbors. To walk in the light is to be seen, not hidden. It is a frightening thought but if our faith in Jesus Christ has not changed us to be counter cultural, we will be irrelevant as missionaries. We want our very lives to be a witness to those nearby.

II Corinthians 6:13 paraphrased by Eugene Peterson in the Message says, "Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!"

We repeat often at journey..."It's not what you do, it's who you be". If you "be" a healthy (church) plant, fruit will come forth and seeds will develop for planting. You will not have to try harder to achieve but only to be a follower of Jesus and fruit will come forth.

We invite you, our community, to join us and help us remember our vision for being personal missionaries to our neighbors nearby each day as we Journey together.

Why Evansville/Newburgh, IN corridor?

2007-03-26T20:08:00.000-05:00

We (the leadership team) all grew up within 30 miles or less of the area, and have a calling and desire to see people finding their way back to God through salvation in Jesus
The population within the 15 mile radius was determined to be over 258,000 and growing
If 1/3 of those folks attend a religious service (Christian or not) once very 6 months (research according to Barna) that means there are 172,000 people who are not finding their way back to God through Jesus within 15 miles of the location!

“Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” John 4:35

If we share the Good News of forgiveness of sins and salvation in Jesus Christ with only 1% (with a much larger vision) of that population, 1720 people will have heard the Gospel.

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:7

Where in the world is the Evansville/Newburgh area?

2007-03-26T14:09:00.000-05:00

The part of the world we will be going into with the Gospel is the Evansville/Newburgh, IN corridor. Newburgh is on the east side of Evansville and a continuing growing community (the current meeting location is here).

I (matt) graduated high school from Henderson, KY, only 30 miles south of Evansville.

The area and culture of people we are actually "targeting" is the Evansville/Newburgh "stretch" which is considered the East Side of Evansville, but Newburgh is in another county.

Toyota built a plant 30 miles north of downtown Evansville in Gibson County (Princeton), and has seen a considerable amount of economic and demographic development in the last 5 years:

Religiously, the area historically has a German and Catholic background. Having grown up in the area, Christianity can be very cultural and ingrained in the family for generations. After Catholicism, Evangelicalism is probably very much the predominant "religion."

Evangelicalism great contributions in the 70's, 80's, and 90's was a spread of the Gospel; but in some ways, the great "Evangelical Right" which produced alot of cultural and political Christianity probably did as much harm as good to that same Gospel message. Many who are turned off by the Evangelical Culture turn away from Christ for cultural reasons long before they can even hear the true "good news" (the word "Gospel" actual means "good news).

Who we are targeting, in many ways, are those of us (me, Matt, included) who grew up highly influenced by cultural christianity, but walked away from Jesus at some point because the intermingling confusion of the religious Christian culture with Jesus made us lose Jesus and not hear the good news of salvation and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

...I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard
what I have entrusted to him for that day - 2 Tim 1:12b

Separating out, or divesting oneself, from the religious culture of institutionalized Christianity (whether Catholic, protestantism, or mainline evangelicalism) can also mean a wandering or getting lost. Many want and are convicted that they need what the core of the good news (Gospel) is but because of the religious institutionalism created by cultural Christianity that is passed down generationally, they can no longer "hear" the gospel due to cultural noise.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they
believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without
someone preaching to them? - Romans 10:14

This means we are potentially "breaking traditions" and possibly stretching the boundaries. We want to be allowed to ask the hard questions of theology (who is God?), ecclesiology (what is a "church"?), and doctrine (what does it mean to "teach them everything Jesus commanded"?), and also grounded in the word of God. We want them to understand the meaning in the traditions.

Our greatest hope is that many find Jesus. For some it may be a revival of what was a dying hope. For others it may be really hearing the good news of forgiveness and life in Jesus Christ for the first time. But it doesn't matter where you are on your journey, we urge you to join us on a mission to bring people back to God through the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are hopeing to follow what Jesus has commanded and promised.

We are calling this a JOURNEY and specifically JOURNEY 242. It is based on Acts 2:42 and what happened when the first followers of Jesus Christ shared the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ (with the evidential help of God):

That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.

Links about Evansville:

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evansville,_Indiana
2002 Census info: http://www.helloevansville.com/Census.Cfm
University of Southern Indiana's description of Evansville: http://web.usi.edu/iceeagles/evansville.htm
Pictures: http://members.virtualtourist.com/vt/s/?m=6&l.q=bedb9

Downtown Freedom Festival: http://www.evansvillefreedomfestival.org/Festival_2007/Welcome.html

Bluegrass in the Park: http://www.bluegrassintheparkfestival.com/index_main.html?pathid=home

There is a comfort in the reality we cannot do this without the blessing and hand of God.

2007-03-22T16:33:00.000-05:00

As we (Matt and Mary Ruth) get off the ground and start moving towards Evansville, IN to join Journey242 there are things that we are trying to wait patiently for the Lord on.

There are things that we are, very simply, having to trust and wait that God will provide and guide:

1) Our house needs to sell! There is little we feel we can do until it does sell.

2) We need provisions for the family! As we join the planting team, we are limited by what we can actually contribute until we get the family settled and provided for. We believe it's likely we will have at least part time work, but possibly even full time.

3) Continued unity and vision for how to share about salvation in Jesus death and resurrection! But also a passion for the lost and the request that the Spirit of God lead and guide us as we obey him by teaching and baptizing.

We know the journey will be long. But we are encouraged by the reality that it was God in Acts 2 that brought the people. We simply live our lives going into the world and sharing the Gospel by obediently-loving and "teaching everything He has commanded."

We have alot of work ahead of us!

There is a comfort in the reality we cannot do this without the blessing and hand of God.

OUR VISION REMEMBERED

2007-03-21T11:29:00.000-05:00

OUR VISION REMEMBERED.

We, at Journey242, are on a mission. Here are some of our goals.

1. To plant one healthy church that will help people find a way back to God.
2. To teach the Word of God in a relational context while providing a home for the "unchurched" who have lost hope in the local church.
3. To send one another to reach the "lost" in our personal communities with the hope of salvation we have found in Jesus Christ.
4. To enter authentic, honest, and open relationships with one another where becoming more like Jesus is the focus.
5. To support one another as we walk together as missionaries in this world while looking forward to the next.
6. To reach 400 worshipers in our fellowship before supporting and sending out at least 100 missionaries to plant another church in the Evansville area.
7. To multiply and plant at least 5 churches in the Evansville area.

"What does this mean?" or "We've had too much wine"

2007-03-15T10:27:00.000-05:00

When the Spirit of the Lord moved the first church in Acts 2, the response was either:

Amazing wonder asking, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:12)
Mocking response, “They have had too much wine.” (Acts 2:13)

We could have had too much wine...but...We have decided to join a church planting team

Americans have become disillusioned by "church" and "organized religion." Yet according to a recent Gallup survey, the majority of Americans have not given up on God. In fact, I've found that most people aren't atheists ... they're just turned off or too busy!

That's why, with just a dream of building an authentic community of followers of Jesus Christ, some small groups were begun in Evansville, IN.

The Growing Vision: A place where…

…people can check out Christianity and seek answers to spiritual questions, and risk an encounter with God

…we ask and explore the question: "What on Earth am I here for?"

…we are seeking to reconnect with God through Jesus Christ in an authentically fresh way;

…we connect with each other, the body as He intends;

…we are on a mission together

…joining our journey team will feel more like a visit with folks in life than a formal meeting with a set plan

We know that once you have committed to following Jesus…
you will never be the same!

If you would like to support and help Journey242 continue to “get off the ground” by giving to one time start up costs (tax deductible) or a giving for a short term commitment (2 to 3 years) we would appreciate it. You may also drop us an email (matt.pastor@gmail.com) and we will keep you updated at your request in that way (or send you vision statements or other things you might request). The other option is to send any support now to:

Journey242

2280 N. Cullen Avenue

Evansville, IN 47715

The Journey...

2007-03-14T15:26:00.000-05:00

We have researched and prayed about joining a church plant last fall in Evansville, Indiana. Our decision at the time was that we were overwhelmed and not ready or in a place to make that immediate commitment or decision.

Through months of waiting, praying, and seeking discernment in several ways, we have decided to come along side this body of believers. The purposes of doing this are:

1. To serve Jesus by serving His body in a missional role of church planting
2. To serve Jesus and His body in a pastoral and teaching role
3. To establish a more natural means of succession over the next few years as my father and senior leader starts entering retirement.

You may be hearing from us more as things unfold and we covetously ask for your prayers or support. We are very excited, but we still have a long "row to hoe" in the continued effort to sell our house and relocate, much less the planting of a church.

We are also well aware that what we are being led to is beyond what we are capable of and are feeling very much like broken vessels in the hands of our God.

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ" - Phil 3:7
"I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." - 2 Tim 1:12
I will not boast in anything
No gifts no power no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
- "How deep the father's love for us"

Church Plants Reach The Lost

2007-03-14T13:31:00.000-05:00

"You see, new churches worth their salt...reach believers who dropped out of church years ago. They reach people who don't really know the Lord. They reach children who have never gone to Sunday school in their lives. They reach the lost."

- Dr. Ralph F. Wilson “Too many churches?"