Dance Party w/Dad

Construction is underway!

Great connections

This week has been quite eventful and encouraging as I've had the opportunity to connect with several leaders in Orlando regarding church planting.  It started off on Monday night at the Vision 360 dinner.  This was the first time Heather and I got to connect with the staff and board members of our sending network.  This truly is a movement of God in our city and around the world.  Can't even put into words the Kingdom heart that these people have--they are so enthusiastic about church planting.  As we heard stories and got a further glimpse of the vision, I had this overwhelming sense that I have no idea what I've stumbled into.  This thing is so much bigger than our church plant.  It was obvious to me that God has put us here and that it has nothing to do with my planning or skill.  It is simply His gift and His grace. 

Then Wednesday I got the opportunity to connect with a pastor named Jason Dukes.  Jason pastors Westpoint Church.  Just love that God keeps allowing me to connect with like-minded leaders who share a vision for our city--I have much to learn from all of these people.  The reason for the meeting was to find out about a very intriguing coffeehouse concept Jason and his church pioneered.  They want to be intentional about being missional and creating points of intersection with the culture.  To that end they started House Blend Cafe.  It is their pilot location and they hope to spread the concept into other contexts.  Well if you take the time to link over to the House Blend Cafe site you will read about an idea that resonates with me because it is one of my hopes for the Winter Park area.  Once I stumbled upon their website I just had to connect with whoever was behind this.  My meeting did not disappoint.  I'll keep you posted, but this is what I want to see happen in our context.  I love the idea of resources, building, etc. being a reflection of a church's desire to live missionally.  It's a very creative and practical expression of how the church is not something one attends on a Sunday morning.

If you're in the Orlando area, and you want to talk more about any of this, I'd love to connect.  Shoot me an email at jamierhart@gmail.com  The information site for the church plant should be live in a few days.  I'll let you know when it's ready to go.  It'll give you more information about the vision and mission of the church plant and how you can get connected and partner with us.

Survival Weekend

Getting my blogging in now, as Heather departs for St. Louis (gone until Sunday night) in a few short hours--which means dad is flying solo with the 2 kids!  Mellow Mushroom and Dunkin Donuts here we come, but probably not much time for blogging.  Hopefully you'll hear from me early next week...if I survive. 

David Wilcox Concert & Podcast

You have no idea how excited I was when I saw a tour update on David Wilcox's website declaring that he will be playing in Florida!  Of course I already have my tickets, and you should get yours.  It's a great, but small venue called Cafe' 11 in St. Augustine.  Can't wait.  If you've never heard him you should definitely check out his music (which you can get on iTunes). 

Was also excited to find a podcast interview with Wilcox.  The link is here.  Started listening to it and very good thus far. 

Two things I've been looking forward to...

The new book from the Fermi Project called unchristian.  Check out the videos below for more information behind the book and the motivation for the project.

The second is the latest David Crowder Band offering, Remedy.  Get it on iTunes here.

New Eyes

The past few days have afforded me the opportunity to see things from a new or fresh perspective.  Here are the two anecdotes...

One happened on Friday night when we returned home from our vacation to Boone, NC.  As the twelve hour drive came to a close, and we started hitting some of the familiar streets of Winter Park and our neighborhood, I found myself seeing the area with new eyes.  I really like our area.  Granted, there are no mountains, and a few months of the year it is crazy hot, but all in all I like it.  I like that being away brings a refreshed perspective.  I like winding back to our neighborhood.  I see more character here than I sometimes realize.  It's a pretty cool place.  It gets me excited about church planting here.  The area has much to offer and much potential.  I've also recently re-discovered an old college band cd that offers the following line in one of their songs:
        Sure there are many places much prettier than this
        With mountain streams and glaciers

        But I've got the sun, the moon, and the stars
        And the one thing I know...He put me here.

Not a bad way to view things.

The second moment happened yesterday at CrossPointe.  Chan was preaching on faithfulness and the idea that it is closely related to integrity.  To have integrity is to be undivided.  Not compartmentalized.  To be whole.  For whatever reason, as we got ready to take communion (which we do every week at CrossPointe--big fan of that), these thoughts returned as I looked upon the broken pieces of bread.  There in that basket of broken bread was this wonderfully counter-intuitive and subversive message...through the broken body of Jesus I am made whole.  I can live an undivided, whole life.  I am invited in.  Somehow, in some way I don't completely understand, Jesus is broken and I get healed and put back together again.  In that moment all seemed right in the world. 

I am thankful that God gives these moments.  I know the feelings and the perspective won't always be there, but I am glad when they do occur.