Everything is Spiritual

I was at middle school camp when this tour came through our area.  I've been wanting to see it for sometime and now it's available on DVD. 

 

Church Planting Assessment Recap

The following is my random thoughts and reflections on our time last week at the church planting assessment center.  I'm probably writing this more for myself, but if it's of interest to you, then keep reading.

Both Heather and I were pretty anxious and nervous prior to getting up there.  What if we got a poor recommendation?  For us it was weird because we felt like we had already headed down this church planting path, and what if we were told to turn around?  We felt pretty invested already, and so we worried what God would teach us.

As mentioned in a previous post, I also found myself, especially before it started, failing to live in light of the Gospel.  Deep down I struggled with an identity issue based on the assessors thoughts about me as a leader.  I know this will always be a struggle--to want to get better and steward what God has given me and at the same time be fully satisfied in who I am in Christ. 

It was intense from the outset.  Upon arriving, I found out I would be preaching a 10 minute mini-sermon.  Apparently I missed that email somehow, and so I just stared at the lady with one of those dazed and confused looks.  About 30 minutes later, after scrambling to put something together, I was up "preaching".  Crazy.  God was very good and after spending some time talking and praying with Heather, He gave me a peace.  I honestly think God wanted to cultivate a spirit of prayer and following His leading from the very outset.  It's not how I would have planned it, but I am thankful in hindsight. 

The next morning (Tuesday) brought my time to share my philosophy of
ministry.  Although I had missed this email as well, I felt okay about
this.  Not because I just know this stuff intuitively, but because this
is the stuff I've been having to work through as part of the
apprenticeship.  Sharing the vision and philosophy was a vivid reminder
of how blessed I am to be at CrossPointe for this season of my life. 

After these two initial "presentations", we began more exercises
with our team.  They put us in groups to discuss church planting
scenarios, planting strategy, etc.  All the while the assessors were
watching and taking notes, observing how we communicated, how we
asserted ourselves as leaders, etc.  Thankfully you just get immersed
in the project and kind of forget you are being watched.  It was still
weird though. 

We also spent a lot of time going over our personality and strength
tests.  It was fascinating to see the variety amongst the 40 people who
were there.  I was reminded and encouraged that there is no one
caricature of a church planter.  God uses all sorts of people and
situations.  The best thing I can do is to operate in my strengths and
leverage who God has created me to be for His kingdom.  Me trying to be
somebody else is not good for anybody.  These tests also prompted some
really good conversations for Heather and I as a couple.  It was as if
in the middle of a crazy time, God allowed me to hit "pause" and be
grateful for the gift that is Heather.  We are truly meant to do this
together. 

Speaking of Heather, and because she would never brag, I will do it
for her...she was great the whole time.  She led in her own unique
way.  She communicated well and spoke with poignant honesty and
candidness during our interview times.  I could hear the Gospel message
in her own life.  She challenges me to be a better Christ follower.
She was a great encouragement to me.  Hearing her re-tell where God has
brought us over the past few months, in regards to church planting, it
was so evident that God is in this.  He has knit our hearts together,
and for that I am extremely grateful. 

We also had the great joy of getting to know many of the other
"candidates" (i.e. lab rats/church planters).  I can't wait to hear the
stories of how God will use these men and women to further His
kingdom.  I worried the whole experience might be uber-competitive and
cut-throat--inadvertently viewing the other candidates as the
competition.  I never felt that was the case.  I think we all had the
same desires, fears and passion for planting.  I was challenged and
encouraged by all the interactions. 

As mentioned before, the church planter caricature dissolved a bit
for me.  Sure there are certain characteristics church planters have in
common (this is part of what they look for at the assessment), but
there was also great diversity.  People led in different ways.  People
had different visions and philosophies.  I really felt like Jesus'
prayer in John 17 was being answered in some small way--we were unified
in the essentials.  We want people to know Jesus.  To experience the
power of the Gospel.

Lastly, I was glad for both the encouragement and the challenges I
was given at the end.  I have some definite things to work on (personal
evangelism, leader development, strategy), and for those I would ask
for your prayer.  I really want to grow and I am thankful for the many
folks who spoke truth into my life last week.

Well I've probably "reflected" long enough.  If you are still reading, I am quite impressed.   

Analysis of Paralysis

Link: Analysis of Paralysis | Printer-friendly version.

This kind of thinking is going to be key in starting and leading a church. Do people know where you are taking them? Is the process simple?

Coming home

Well we are sitting on the runway ready to fly home. The assessment is 

over. We are very excited, relieved and a bit tired. Our "reality tv 

show" is now over. Nice to have the evaluations finished. Thanks for your 

prayers--we definitely felt them.

A picture from Wisconsin

I'm way too tired to really blog right now, but thought I'd post a pic

from the place we are staying. Absolutely beautiful.

Off to Wisconsin for assessment

It is 6:30am and we are on a plane right now. Not sure what to expect

from this trip, but we'd certainly appreciate your prayers. We will

try and update, but not sure how much time we will have.

C.S. Lewis quote

"comfort is the one thing you cannot get by looking for it. If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: if you you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth--only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair."

--"Mere Christianity"

Not sure how I made it through Wheaton without reading this book, but i finally broke down and bought it. I am finding that I am glad I did.

American Idolatry

Thought this was a really intriguing post from a Mark Driscoll teaching.  I think it's right on.

the Paradox of Freedom

Been reading John Stott's little book called Why I am a Christian, and appreciated the following quote:

This brings us to a startling human paradox.  Let me state it simply like this: true freedom is freedom to be my true self, as God made me and meant me to be.  But God made me for loving, and loving is giving, self-giving.  Therefore, in order to be myself, I have to deny myself and give myself in love for God and others.  In order to be free, I have to serve.  I order to live, I have to die to my own self-centeredness.  In order to find myself I have to lose myself in loving.  I have read somewhere that Michelangelo put it beautifully in these words, "When I am yours, then at last I am completely myself."  For I am not myself until I am yours (God's and others).

Again this is the radically subversive, and counter-intuitive nature and beauty of the Gospel. 

Just announced

As promised, some time ago, our pre-launch church plant website is ready for your viewing pleasure.  You can check it out at reneworlando.org

So please check it out, knowing that just because it's on a website doesn't mean it is set in the proverbial stone.  However, it may give you an inside look at what we have been thinking and praying about.  Please feel free to post some comments or email me with any thoughts or questions you have.  Even better, let's get together and talk if you are in the Orlando area. 

There is much work to do--in fact, this is the easy stuff.  The tough stuff will be actually trying to live out this vision and implement in our context.  Conceptual is fun, but not all that difficult.  This is why we need people to partner with us.  So please visit the partner with us section to see different ways you can get involved.  Please sign up for our monthly newsletter if you are not already on our mailing list.  We'd love to keep you connected and share our specific prayer needs.  Hope to hear from you soon!

Feeling like I'm in a Box

Next week Heather and I head out to a 4 day church planting assessment center.  In preparation for that I've had to fill out a bunch of paperwork and take 7 PERSONALITY TYPE TESTS!  I know they can be helpful, but if I never see another one of those things again I will be okay with it.  By the end I just wanted to get through.  I don't know if they got more accurate or more convoluted.  Who knows.  What I do know is that I'm tired and the real assessment has yet to even begin.  If you think of it, please pray for us October 22-25. 

It's crazy, but it was hard to believe the truth of the Gospel at times this past week.  It's like these tests have a way of telling you everything you are not--at least that is my disposition towards them.  It became difficult to feel fully satisfied with who I am in Christ, if I can be blatantly honest.   I know God is using this season of my life to grow me up and to trust in Him more than me, but it's crazy hard at times.  This is why I'm so convinced that the I need a daily work of the Gospel.  It has to be more than the ABC's of salvation, but the A to Z of life.  Without this daily Gospel in-breaking I am prone to believe the results of an online test--or at least my interpretation of them. 

However, God has been very good to me despite my quasi-existential crisis.  It's as if He's reminding me that if this church plant actually gets traction and gets going, it will be in spite of me.  I guess that's a good realization to have.  God seems to like to use our weaknesses to display His strength. 

Peace.

Our new master bath

Egypt

So in my "read through the Bible in a year" plan, I am currently in Isaiah.  I've read it before.  I've taken some classes on it.  I'm still not sure I get a lot of it.  However, a passage sort of jumped out this morning.  Here it is:

Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
who rely on horses, who trust in the multitudes of their chariots
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
or seek help from the Lord.

Taking a brief moment to remember the context, one quickly calls to mind the fact that the Jews were once enslaved in Egypt.  This was the place they left in the great exodus.  They had been given their freedom, and now they seem to want to go back.  They want to rely on all that place represented.  Its apparent strength and status, rather than seeking the Lord.  I'm glad things are so different today.  I'm glad I never long for my place of enslavement, falsely believing that will satisfy.  I'm glad I always seek the Lord.  I'm glad I never trust in myself or the things of this world.  I'm glad there are no horses or chariots to trust today.  I'm also glad I have the gift of sarcasm. 

So interesting that we have such a hard time with true freedom.  We falsely believe in the promises of "Egypt", not realizing we are enslaved.  It's a beautiful thing that the Cross of Jesus never stops wanting to free us, even when we chase after the wrong things.  The demonstration of this freedom is perhaps our best apologetic in an increasingly post-Christian world.