Big News!

It has been a long time since I have even logged into this blog. It isn’t for the lack of wanting to that is for sure. There has been much consuming my wife & I’s hearts & minds as of May 24th. On that day, Stacie & I began the conscious conversation of asking the “big what if” question in our lives for what God may have in store for us next.

A what if that isn’t what most youth pastors or associate pastors ask. It isn’t a question a couple asks when they just built a house, both have incredible jobs and amazing freedom to do what they love. But for the past year we have been entertaining the thought of starting a church… Not news we share lightly. Yep you read that right. We have been praying through thoughts of starting/planting a church. News we share with excitement but down right crazy fear of what is next for sure. The journey we have been from last November to May 24th, into June 2nd (they day we said yes) and July 3rd (the day we began movement in telling our current staff & leadership) has been a very incredible one. One that I could only say is prophetic in sorts.

I will be transitioning this blog into sharing some of those thoughts about planting a church along the way of this journey. The best way to keep up to date is to click here to sign up for our newsletter. It will have prayer needs, ways of joining our team, and answering questions some might have.

You can also head over here to check out the website, my good buddy Matt Cleaver set up for us.

There are many details, way to many for this particular post. All that we can say is that there is a new day bursting forth from the Lord for us, and a gathering of people who will come together to praise God for the new life He gives. We are excited to say the least and can’t wait to see all that God teaches us through this journey with Him and others.

The Best Youth Ministry Sale!

If you are in Student Ministry, Youth Ministry, Parent Ministry… well ministry at all you need to check out Simply Youth Ministry’s 40.40.40 sale starting today!

For 40 hours, up to 40% off and 40 free backgrounds for your ministry go check it out!!! click here to spend your churches money or your tithe for the month

Tell um Brit sent you… not really it doesn’t matter just go check out these great deals!

Friday Five: Lent is around the corner…

It is crazy to think that the time of year has come for the celebration of Lent. My tradition as a younger christian was not based in this practice at all, but with my involvement at a Lutheran church I get the privilege to partake in it & bring about some great resources for our church to participate in the season as well.

This year I am a little more excited than normal. I think because of the prep time I have had to get ready for this year & our theme. I wanted to share five reasons I am super excited about this year’s Lenten time at Faith Community…

• We are teaching through Parables of Christ. I have always been fascinated by this teaching style of Christ. Some of the parables I ‘kinda’ understand. Some are total ‘what the heck’ to me, but needless to say I am so ecstatic to be teaching on them for the next 6 weeks on Wednesday nights at 4.30 & 7pm…

• We have created an entire devotional booklet (I will be posting next week) for our congregation to be guided, grow and go deeper in their faith. To often we simply just focus on the guiding or the growing, but very very excited to be giving people the opportunity to go this year as well…

• We have added a new element of spiritual practices each week to our devotionals. I am so excited about this because I am getting to use more of passion for spiritual formation in our church & helping peoplegrow a little deeper into their relationship with Jesus…

• I have some pretty radical prayers coming from my soul that is so ready to experience some radical transformation in my life, physically, emotionally, spiritually… am I missing any ‘lly’s’ there?

• I will be taking this Lenten year just as much for myself  if not more as I bring to others. I serve others a lot in my job but rarely take time for myself. I am going to refocus that this year & really spend some time for myself with God trying to understand more about my soul & my heart.

So, what about you? Lent is around the corner… are you ready? Are you participating in it? If so how?

Check out our Lenten Promo video as well…

Friday Five: People Who feed my soul!

As of late I have begun to realize and place a greater importance on my ‘soul’. That fuzzy, kinda hard to explain essence that is a part of who we are. Some say it directs us, some say it connects us with God, some say its the true essence of who we are called to be. I say… I’m figuring it out, but I know when my soul is out of whack and I need some help.

As I take time to figure out how to strengthen it, care for it more, I have come to the conclusion that my soul is fed by many interactions and thoughts I ‘ingest’ day in day out. I wanted to highlight 5 people who feed my soul in different ways, but all ways that help keep my soul nourished.

• Rick Lawrence Is editor and chief at Group Publishing in Loveland Colorado. He just authored Sifted, has another book coming out called Shrewd, leads an incredible track called Jesus Centered Youth Ministry at possibly one of the greatest youth ministry conferences in the world, Simply Youth Ministry Conference. Rick’s writings and teachings have been a huge blessing to me. Rick is a masterful story teller and ‘wordsmith’ of painting pictures that help you better understand attributes of God and situations. He is a man who is so transparent and open with what God is teaching him, through the hard things and the incredibly nourishing things. I get the pleasure of getting to have him speak into my life from time to time.

• Patrick Lencioni  Is the found of Table Group, a consulting firm and writes leadership fables to help illustrate great leadership points for successful business and life moves. I have not had the pleasure of meeting Patrick other than at the Leadership Summit this last year. Patrick’s ability to tell fables is so inspiring to me not only in that it teaches me how to be a better leader but to strive to be a better story teller to help people connect to a greater story.

• Steven Furtick Is the senior pastor of Elevation Church in North Carolina. He is 31 years old, author of Sun Stand Still, husband, father, pastor, and anointed child of God. I have never met Steven, but as a young pastor myself I am inspired by Steven, his heart, his vision, his drive, his ministry, his marriage, his staff, his boldness & humility. I have heard him preach several sermons, speak at conferences and read his book. Steven is the reminder of Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4.12 that let know one look down on you because of your youth. Steven encourages me in  my walk because he reminds me that God is looking for those whom He can burn brightly in to show the world His love.

• Henri Nouwen was a beloved priest, author, humanitarian and man of God. He wrote over 40 books on the spiritual life. His books are short little snippets of thought all revolving around knowing God more and knowing self in order to know Him that much more. His books and thoughts are a constant refresher and place of nourishment for my soul. A constant pull of growing closer to Christ.

• Ben Mason a seminary student, interning at Hope Des Moines,  best man in my wedding, and dear friend. Ben is a constant encourage in my leadership at Faith, in my marriage to stir me on to be a better husband, and to think beyond myself and grow closer to Christ. Ben is one of those life long friends that will do anything for you. He feeds my soul with friendship and accountability, as well as my belly as an amazing cook and ‘drink’ connoisseur.

Having people to feed your soul, whether you know them in person or through the kingdom through other means is a must to keep you soul fresh and healthy. Who are the people that feed your soul and why? Maybe you should let them know…

Sound-byte Theology

I participated in an event recently called The Elephant Room. It was an incredible time of learning and stretching of my faith. The format is as follows…

The Elephant Room features blunt conversations between seven influential pastors who take differing approaches to ministry. No keynotes. No canned messages. These are “the conversations you never thought you’d hear.” All conversations are moderated by James MacDonald of Harvest Bible Chapel and Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church ~ From theelephantroom.com

As a young pastor I get into lots of conversations with other younger pastors and youth pastors who talk about the idea of ‘tribes’ and what ‘tribe’ I belong to. I have to confess I read a lot of books, blogs, posts and articles from lots and lots of people and organizations. Not all are christian or of religious nature but things I read none the less. I watch a lot of podcasts and sermons from time to time. It is refreshing and an incredible tool to be able to go the web and hear the word of God from different pastors simply by clicking a button.

That said, for the last several years there has been this measuring stick for every single group where you are judged based on who you read and listen to.

“What you read Rob Bell‘s books and watch his Nooma stuff? You are one of those people…” “You actually can stand listening to Mark Driscoll? You must be filled with a lot of anger to do that.” “You actually listen to Steven Furtick? That guy is too young and arrogant.” “Joel Osteen, can’t be a believer and you mean to tell me you would actually watch his sermons?” “You work for a Lutheran church? Do they even believe in Jesus?” “What you grew up Southern Baptist? Have received the Holy Spirit and made a real commitment in your life?”

The ‘name dropping’ can go on and on with countless bigger pastors and ministries that far exceed my reach and my current calling to ministry. What I have come to see taking place in the ‘clergy’ is that we have created a ‘sound-byte-theology’ where we see a clip, read a quote, read a blog from someone who doesn’t like that particular tribe or way of thinking and doing ministry and we then label that pastor or person or denomination or church from hence forth. And then if you read or listen to that person you then become lumped into that same ‘sound-byte-theology’. I have been really convicted, especially after participating in The Elephant Room, that we have begun to judge others in such a harsh light and are willing to critique and throw others under the bus so quickly because of this careless kind of theology.

We are more than words and even more than actions. We are the divine total of both, multiplied by the Love of Christ poured out on the cross, divided by His overcoming of death and being resurrected. If my guaranteed admittance into heaven is a culmination of believing the right brand of Christian theology of God, the right books I read, right things I said and did, right people I associated my self with, then none of us are safe from eternal separation from God.

I know there are smarter and wiser theologians that I am out there, but at what point will we start living out the Prayer of Jesus in John 17.20-23? I’m praying we can quit attacking our brothers and sisters (and quit being attacked by them) long enough to live out the kingdom by sharing the Grace of God that is found in His Son Jesus Christ that calls us out of our Sin to repent and live new and constantly refreshed in His Holy Spirit! (How is that for a creedal statement)

If you are judging out of a ‘sound-byte-theology’ for others, what is the ‘sound-byte-theology’ you are living for others to see? I want to be known more for my life lived than my few quotable phrases and poor decisions I made in life.

It’s been Quiet here!

My last post was back early this month on Why Resolutions Don’t Work. And how true that post was. I had made a few resolutions that I really haven’t put forth any effort what so ever in. One was reading and writing. I have been reading ‘a little’ more, but no where near the extent I should be and could be to further my knowledge on God, leadership, marriage, and counseling.

So what the heck!?!?

What have I been doing?

Why haven’t I been doing more of what I set out to do?

Well honestly 3 reasons I think

#1… I am obese with hearing the words and thoughts of so many other people I just don’t have ‘mobility’ to write or think on my own. From Facebook to Twitter, from reading online Sermons to Podcasts, from blogs to books I get deluged with so many thoughts and words of others there is no way my words could even begin to surface.

#2… I retreat from all the different voices! As loud as I can be, as important and necessary I feel my message & words are I retreat and pull back because ‘everyone else’ is talking. I don’t want to get in a screaming match with the internet, the guy down the road (or across the nation), I don’t want to simply come up with a simply flashy new thing (thats actually an old thing). So I simply don’t participate. I don’t share, I just keep quiet over in my corner and allow my thoughts to fester and die out.

#3… I am not disciplined! At all! I am realizing I am worse than a child when it comes to the discipline areas in my life… honestly, I just took a 10 minute break from this post to look at 3 emails, read two blogs and check facebook & twitter.

Now the most important thing here is despite these reasons I feel a need to try and push through. I do feel deep in my soul God has placed something unique inside me that is being refined as it needs to be shared with others (who doesn’t feel that though in ministry…thus the problem with lots of voices). I have 9 blog drafts of things I started then just said “I don’t want to post this… no one wants to read this… this isn’t that important…”

I have allowed my existent to become lethargic in just about every area. I have not been living for John 10.10 at all, but listening more to the ‘thief’ than the ‘giver of New Life’.

Needing to earnestly & honestly pray through what ‘fat’ mentally, physically, spiritually needs to get cut from my life to have a healthier existence!

As I work through my road blocks and hurtles in life, I’m curious what are your areas that need to be trimmed or areas you have trimmed?