Difficult Times

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I haven’t really been in the blogging mood the last couple of weeks. Honestly, it is difficult to really focus on this type of medium when things are not going well in your life. I think that there was this naivety that thought that since we have been doing this for almost 5 years now, that the “hard part” was over. Now that we are at this point, I am hearing and reading that there is a “wall” at about year 5 for most church plants. Naive indeed!

It sure seems on the surface that things are good at church . . . on the surface. We, like many churches in this area, are struggling with finances. I think it is a matter of trust (sounds like a Billy Joel song!) We really do have a hard time “waiting” on Him as the Scriptures tell us. However, in the midst of these difficult times, there is a sense that God is really moving in a powerful way! We have always prayed that God would allow us to be a part of something only He could do–and as Bill Bright says, “God, you’ve got a problem.”

I think we have exhausted all of OUR resources and God is going to have to provide HIS resources. As if we really have much of anything to offer to the God of the universe. I often wonder if He kind of sits back and smiles as we do all of our stuff and really try harder to do things “for Him.” I think there are times, like these, when He simply says, “Are you finished?” Then He comes in and does what He wills to do.

In the midst of a pretty dark time, I am reminded of what a cool people we have at Finley Crossings. Jenny and I got this email today and was a HUGE encouragement to us both!? Here is the prayer/email.

God I pray right now that you would reach down and wrap your arms of Love around David and Jenny.

I pray that you provide for their every need. I ask you to give them peace that passes all understanding.

God I ask that you give us wisdom, discernment, vision, and clarity. I ask that you provide us with every thing we need to complete the task you have placed before us and that you would make it completely clear what that task is. God may we be disciplined in being on our faces before you, that as we seek you, you will be found by us. Fall on us. Do a work. Provide our needs. Move in a way you have never moved before. With everything that we have Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief. where there is doubt, grant reassurance. where there is pain, grant comfort. where there is confusion, grant clarity. where there is pride, purge us. Break us of everything that is not of you and rebuild us resting solely on who You are. It is not about us God. But about You, and glorifying your name. Glorify your name in us and through us. Make us rest in your strength alone. Not in our capabilities-but in yours. Without you, we can do nothing.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

Thank you for the encouragement!!? The Lord really knew we needed it!!

Great Quote

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I don’t pretend to understand the universe – it’s much bigger than I am. –Albert Einstein

I think that is the way it is for me. The longer I am on this planet, the less I really know anything. I remember a little refrigerator magnet on mom and dad’s fridge growing up that said, “Hire a teenager while they still know everything.” I am finding that is so true. I don’t know near as much as I thought I knew even a few short years ago. Read more

The Day America Went to Church, Part 3

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I don’t where I heard this, but I heard it was said that America indeed did go to church on 9/16/2001, but they looked around and found it was just as they left it and so never returned again.? Basically, Americans were coming back to church for answers and got some answers–just not to the questions they were asking.? I know Barna did some research and found that church attendance grew a little bit the months following 9-11, but went back to it’s “normal” trend of decline the subsequent years following the tragedy.

So who’s fault is it? Read more

The Day America Went to Church, Part 2

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I remember that week very well.? It seemed that everyone spent hour upon hour watching the tragedy.? Praying that people would be found.? Praying for those who hadn’t heard from loved ones.? Watching the dedication and honor of the rescue workers.? I can remember one of my first statements in my sermon on 9.16.2007.? I said that I feel totally exhausted from watching the horror over and over.? It was amazing that we would stay up until the early hours in the morning just shocked with the pictures and video.

I remember using Isaiah 25 as the text of my message.? An unbelievably powerful message of restoration and hope.? Here are some excerpts: Read more

The Day America Went to Church

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I was reminded of the 9-11 tragedy again last night as MSNBC had the day “as it happened.” I can still remember sitting with Jenny and Taylor (about 5 months old) in the living room before leaving for church. At the time I left for church, the towers had not yet collapsed.

I remember that event quite well because it matches up with my calling to plant this church. We had been struggling with a calling to start a new church that would be focused on those outside of the church–not necessarily ignoring those inside the church, but basically reaching those who don’t have a “place” in the current church landscape. Read more

Raving Fans

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I got the book Raving Fans, by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles at our garage sale atraving-fans.jpg church this weekend. It is all about customer service. One of the ideas in the book is that “satisfied customers are not enough.” Basically, you don’t want people to be satisfied, but to be more than satisfied–to be “raving fans” for your organization.

It seems that true customer service is really a thing of the past. Case in point is our internet service provider(s) (both our current and future ISPs). Our internet access has been really pretty poor for quite some time, but we always got the “better check your equipment on your end” line when you call for help. Come to find out, the service we had been charged for was literally impossible for them to provide as we are too far away from the “central hub.” In getting down to the bottom of the problem, a guy in St. Louis was totally dumbfounded that they “sold” us the service. He said we need to call and get a refund on the several years of bad service. Of course I called to get the refund to no avail. Nobody ever wants to admit that there might be a problem that needs to be fixed. I have really been working on this in my own life lately, so I guess I am more sensitive to it.

So we decided we needed to make a change in services. The second company couldn’t make it until Monday “morning.” The guy shows up at about 12:30 p.m. to hook it up, but needs another guy to help him install it, so he said he would be back in the morning. Of course morning comes and goes . . . as does the afternoon. Calling the office is useless as they are scheduled to come “any time from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.” Who else could get away with that big of window of time than the cable company? Plus the irony of a “communications company” that can’t (or won’t) simply pick up the phone and call us to let us know they are stuck at another call, need to move the appointment, etc. Customer service matters! It really matters in ministry too! Because eternity hangs in the balance!

Makes me think of our website hosting company, but don’t get me started on that rant!

Mad Church Disease

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This is an interesting book that is coming out soon on the topic of John’s post yesterday morning on “another one bites the dust.” Burnout is a HUGE problem in the church with leaders. Honestly, if their calling wasn’t so sure, I think there would be many more who decide it is just easier to go get a job in the marketplace.

As the writer of Hebrews says, it ought to be a “joy, not a burden,” but sadly it is often a huge burden that people endure. There comes a point in time when they simply can’t endure it any more and they don’t want to “jump ship” to another church because they were called to that church, so they simply leave the ministry altogether.

Pray for your pastor and staff on this Monday morning, whoever they might be! Mondays are probably the hardest days for many pastors as they sort through the previous day. The majority of resignation letters are written on Mondays after simply being too overburdened.

The Mission by Darrin Patrick

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Came across this by a fellow planter in St. Louis at The Journey.? We actually went through a church planting “boot camp” together before we planted.? God is really blessing their church and I think it is because of Darrin’s heart and passion for this mission.? Here is a great essay on “the mission” that we are all called to.? He does a much better job of explaining the frustration and the passion that God has put in our hearts as church planters.

“Oh, so you hate the church “

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One of the four people that read this thing said that to me in jest the other day. I have read over my entries over the last little bit here and listened (yes, I do do that) to some people close to me in my life about the “tone” of the entries.

If they sound as if they are full of frustration–they are. If they sound as if we are losing the race to reach the world for Christ–I think we are. BUT, I hope you could hear my heart–they are full of passion for the “called out ones,” the Church! I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is THE ONLY way we are going to “fix” our world. If I didn’t believe that, I would be doing something else for a living! As Bill Hybels says in Courageous Leadership and has said for years, the “Church is the hope of the world!”

I am not anti-building or anti-program–unless the building or program draws our eyes and focus off of Jesus! How foolish for us to be anti-building all the while meeting in a building! However, it is also foolish to simply dismiss the lack of focus on Jesus as “just the way it is.” Maybe that is part of the problem. We aren’t concerned that we have lost our focus on Jesus. Read more

Extreme Makeover: Great Aunt Edition

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Because of my laying laminate flooring in the motorhome, my mother-in-law has been bragging to everyone about how good it looks.? She has been bragging to her aunt who lives here in Ozark.? She has been wanting to do something with her kitchen and dinning area for many years now and was ready for me to help lay some nice flooring.

Last Saturday, we went out and she picked out some flooring and she left town on Tuesday to help a friend move here mother.? We got a key and are making over here kitchen and dining area while she is gone.? I spent a long time over there yesterday and got the lions share of work done.? I think she is going to LOVE it!!? It looks SO much better!

I was thinking about how many people all around this community need these kinds of things done.? I was thinking about how the Church here in America is sick and dying.? What if part of the problem with the Church is that we are constantly asking FOR something from each person who walks through our doors?? What if all they see is an outstretched hand with an offering plate attached?? Why is it that the world’s largest volunteer force has basically been silent for decades now?? Some would say, “we don’t just feed people, that would be a social gospel.”? Nonsense!? We have been relegated to Sunday morning worship “serve-us” and big Bibles and buildings!? We have been marginalized into simply a voting block!? We have forgotten what it is to simply be salt and light in our communities.

We have some plans for a Sunday coming up where we go out and serve our community.? It can’t come soon enough, honestly!? We have been huddled around each other in our building talking about how great the Shepherd is and we need to go out and show our community how great He is!? Wouldn’t it be great that we would begin to do all kinds of random acts of kindness with “no strings attached?”? As one pastor I listen to a lot says, “we’re not serving because we want you to become saved . . . we’re serving you because WE ARE!”

Lord, help us to become the kind of place that moves past coddling insiders and our own agendas and looks to become salt and light in our communities!