A Year Ago – Church Planting Reflections
July marks the month everything changed. With a little fear and a lot of faith we decided to finally do what we had no interest in doing, but God seemed to have a lot of interest in doing.
We began meeting with people to explore planting a church in our hometown.
In some ways it has been exactly what I imagined.
In other ways it’s been nothing like I imagined.
I imagined some people being strong supporters who didn’t make it this far.
A year ago I didn’t even know most of the people who now serve with us.
We are nowhere where I thought we would be, and yet we are exactly where we should be.
Support has come from the unlikeliest of places, thanks Central Church!
Conflict has come from the unlikeliest of places…no names here. 🙂
Through it all this is what I have learned.
1. Obey the call of God, then trust Him for the results.
2. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
3. Evaluate, re-evaluate, and then communicate some more.
4. Set the bar high from the beginning after all God gave his Son for this.
5. Always do it with 100% commitment, but never think you know what you are doing.
6. Smile. It goes a long way.
7. If it’s not working change it.
8. Share the work…all of it.
9. Ask for help, or pay for help.
10. It is entirely possible to successfully plant a church without denominational, mother church, or agency financial support. Don’t let a lack of it deter you!
Getting Married All Over Again
I awoke at 4:00 AM again for the second day in a row. On my drive to work I began to think about complexity of emotions I am experiencing: anticipation, anxiety, excitement, fear, doubt, trust, burden, freedom, unsatisfied yet satisfied. Sunday is going to be just another day for the majority of the people in the world, but not for me.
Launch Day is a lot like a wedding day, only it’s not. At 20, when I married Kristi, I was foolish enough to think I knew what I was getting myself into. I REALLY believed my expectations were realistic, and that all my fantasies would come true.
Don’t laugh!
Actually, laugh all you want. I don’t remember a whole lot about my wedding day, or the days leading up to my wedding day, but I do remember one thing. I remember being fully confident that I had it all under control. Two days into the honeymoon cracks emerged, but I kept pretending and four years in I almost lost it.
I’m more than twice 20, and the years have taught me one thing well. I have very little idea of what I’m getting into. I have very little control of what the results will be. I am not very confident in my skills or expertise in navigating these waters. No matter how hard I work it ultimately isn’t really even up to me. I’m a failure more than I am a success. I am more weak than I am strong. I seem to want to flip a coin to make most decisions. Cracks have already emerged and the “wedding day” hasn’t even arrived. This is nothing like my wedding day, but I wish it would have been.
Because just like my marriage, just like my wedding day, Launch Day isn’t about me. So, it is with fear and trembling that I step into this weekend hopeful that my expectations are aligned with God’s and that regardless of how incompetent I feel I know He is more than able to receive the glory He is due because of and in spite of me.
Regeneration Church Launch Day
Sunday, November 24, 2013
10:10AM and 5:20PM
Sleep has Awakened Me
The following video and the story behind Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir has sparked a renewed sense that every ear will hear about Jesus in my lifetime. Now it begs the question, how will I participate and with whom might I partner to begin answering some of these questions?
- What opportunities await the Church in a world that continues to increase it’s knowledge ability exponentially with each generation?
- How might we be able to communicate the truth of who Jesus is and what He means to the world through the use of technology?
- How might the fellowship of believers change as intimacy and depth become more possible while remaining thousands of miles apart physically?
- How might we usher in the Next Age more rapidly if we put our minds to making disciples through the use of technology?