Momentum

Servantowelogy

I believe I can now go on record for inventing a new word, servantowelogy.  It's the study of how to serve.  It is based on the 13th chapter of John's gospel where Jesus washed the disciples' feet.

Last Wednesday night over 400 volunteer servants of Faith Church gathered for what was called Serving Vision Night (see photos).  It was a spiritual pep rally, training, inspiration, and celebration of God's servants at Faith Church.  Our atrium was filled with towel-carrying servants that serve God through our children's ministry, youth, young adults, worship, greeting, ushering, technical arts, coffee, bookstore, set design, music and arts, kitchen, security, and many other areas. 

There was an energy and excitement in the room, and that was from God.  People were fired up, inquisitive, and ready to go.  We are so blessed by the servant volunteers at Faith Church.  A big shout out of thanks to Charlie, Karla, Valerie, Laurie, Phil, Bonnie, Kim, Annette, the TAG team, Shout Out team, and the servers for showing us what servantowelogy looks like!

Leadership Summit Debrief

Early Wednesday morning I drove to O'Hare Airport for the Leadership Summit debrief.  I gathered with 80+ senior pastors from New York to L.A. of churches that hosted satellite broadcasts of the Summit in their local churches.  When I am at the debrief, I'm fascinated by what I observe and learn.  I'd like to share what I learned today.

1. They invite brutally honest feedback.
2. They evaluate everything from speakers to music to video to length.
3. Some pastors think their opinions are very important and they give it often.
4. There are some amazing pastors who are humble, bright and engaging.
5. Excellence is still worth it, even down to refreshments, environment and coffee.
6. I was fascinated that my assumption of who was received best of all was actually least.  On a 1 to 5 scale, 1 being poor 5 being great: 
7. • 4.6 Bill Hybels
   • 4.6 Harvey Carey
   • 4.5 Jessica Jackley
   • 4.5 Wess Stafford
   • (six more speakers in between)
   • 4.0 Bono
   • 3.9 Tony Blair
   • 3.8 Roundtable Discussion
   • What fascinated me is that senior pastors rated the best speakers differently than the general audience (except for Bill Hybels).    
8. Bill Hybels is a brilliant leader.  He has a laser-like wisdom with the humility to learn from others.  He is a wordmaster who weighs his words very carefully.

 

 

The Reborn and the Unborn

It wasn't long ago that I had a young girl in my office who was a teenager and pregnant.  I had never met her before and knew she was not a follower of Jesus.  She was in the midst of chaos and a friend of hers sent her to me.  Not an easy meeting.  I prayed, pondered and prepared for her visit.  My number one goal was the life of the unborn child.  She was close to the decision to abort the baby.  She came in scared and desperate for advice.

After I built up a confidence, I shared with her what I believe from the Bible about her situation:

1. God created all human beings.
2. All created beings are made in God's image.
3. God's image in us is wonderfully made.
4. God has never made a mistake, and no unborn baby is a mistake.
5. God controls our birth date and our end date, and we should not touch those dates.
6. Taking a life is murder.
7. Jesus Christ is the answer to all of our struggles.
8. Jesus loves you; you are here because of God's love.  I love you and ask you not to take that baby's life.

The good news is that she promised not to abort the baby.  I was pumped.  She hasn't returned or communicated with me, but I trust in God's spirit to continue the work.

I say all this because I want all who read this to pray for the unborn.  Do all you can to be an advocate for the unborn and support ministries that labor so wonderfully with women who have unplanned pregnancies.  One fantastic ministry I visited recently is the Women's Center of Northwest Indiana.  Jackie Moffitt and her team are worth honor.  What have you done for the unborn?

Bittersweet

It is bittersweet to know that one of our teaching pastors, Kevin Harney, will be leaving us.  Kevin has taken a call to be the Lead Pastor of Shoreline Community Church in Monterey, California.  Kevin and Sherry have been friends of Laurie and me for 24 years.  We met in ways that can only be attributed to God's providence.  We've shared so much together.  We share a common passion for Christ Jesus, the Church, solid biblical Reformed theology, sports, laughter, salsa, and for the last two years, the same church and pulpit.  It was a God appointment that Faith Church was able to enjoy.  Kevin and I both knew that this step was right, but also maybe not long-term.  Kevin has clear senior leadership gifts that Shoreline Church will be blessed to have.  Kevin has written several books, most recently Organic Outreach for Ordinary People: Sharing Good News Naturally.  These books are not by some self-published, wanna-be author, but a high profile, national-level author and speaker. 

Kevin will carry on his responsibilities at Faith Church until the close of this year and begin his new ministry in early January.  Kevin and Sherry have been a total blessing for me and Faith Church.  They are the real deal.  Their love for God, each other and fellow Christians is worthy of praise to God.

Kevin and I will continue to deepen our friendship and hope to cross-pollinate ministry across this country.  I already hope we can exchange pulpits.  I've already suggested dates in February 2010 (date intentional!!).  Thanks Kevin!

Hebrews 13:1
"Keep on loving each other as brothers."

Hebrews 13:7
"Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith."

   

   

Sometimes I am amazed at how easily people's theology can get so out of whack.  However, then I stop and think about how convinced I've been about something I thought was right, only to later realize I was "off" from hitting a biblical target.

Lately I've read a few blogs of others and have been startled by the poor theology.  The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:15, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."  I've learned (and am still learning) to go through a process when something I believe is questioned:

1. Is it biblically supported in more than one place in the Bible?
2. Does it match what scholars, way smarter than me, say?
3. What do Reformed theologians say about my thought, practice or belief?  (google search helps a lot here)
4. What do those who disagree with my belief say?  Where have they gotten their training, teaching and insight?
5. I ask myself if I am humble enough to admit I was wrong, haven't studied it thoroughly, or just stubborn?
6. Have I really prayed about it?

The areas of concern than I've observed lately were areas of political beliefs and leanings, end times beliefs, strong beliefs about prayer and healing, social justice and the poor, baptism, communion and the like.

I guess this is a call for all of us to really test ourselves so that we don't strip God of His glory and power, and cause others to be led astray or into heresy.  Any thoughts?

Elim Hope Packs

This picture is worth a thousand thanks.  Faith Church, you packed a punch when you responded to the call to help school children in the Dominican Republic.  The Elim Hope Packs will be delivered soon to the DR to hundreds?? of smiling children.  Thanks to everyone who participated!

Leadership Summit Debrief

I've attended all 15 Leadership Summits over the years and I've enjoyed them all.  Each year I reflect with leaders from Faith Church on the highlights and transferable insights.  In years past, we would all agree that one or another segment was a flop.  This year we did not find a single flop.  Following are the Faith Church management team's highlights and transferable insights. 

1.     Biill Hybels: Leading in a New Reality: the "bucket method" - evaluate what we do by putting everything into three buckets: C: not essential; B: important but not essential; and A: essential to the core of what we do.  Good way to decide what we can do without and makes us really analyze what we are doing. He also stressed the importance of building margin into your life and spending more time on reflection.

 

2.     Dan & Chip Heath: Switch: focus on the “bright spots” – the things you do well. 

 

3.     Gary Hamel: Manage Differently Now: listen to the renegades - they can provide balance; learn from the positive renegades.  Ask yourself what has not changed in 3-5 years and study.

 

4.     Jessica Jackley and the KIVA Story: “If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together.”

 

5.     Tim Keller: The Prodigal God: great teaching on the parable of the prodigal son.  Putting this book on our 2010 calendar for church-wide study. 

 

6.     Wess Stafford: Leveraging Your Past: an extremely moving talk by the CEO of Compassion International.

 

7.     Bono: The Church…Three Years Later: Bono had been critical of the church in the past.  In his interview with Bono this year, Bill Hybels asked what he thought of the church now.  Bono replied, “I didn’t know a sleeping giant could run so fast.”

 

8.     Andrew Rugasira: Thinking Forward: Aid vs. Trade: stressed the importance of empowering instead of enabling.

 

It's hard to relay all the highlights - the best way to experience it is to be there.  Hope you can make it next year!!

 

 

One Special Woman: 25 Years!

This Monday, August 10, Laurie and I will be celebrating 25 years of marriage.  It hasn't hit me yet, maybe it won't, but it is a signfiicant milestone of life together.  I also believe it displays God's sovereign glory.  How a young man from Oostburg, Wisconsin suddenly switches his college choice to Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa and Laurie from Hawthorne, New Jersey listens to a high school teacher about an art program at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa.  The first two years we just knew of each other.  It wasn't until our Resident Advisor training that our eyes and hearts started to become friends.  True story, I told my mom when they were unpacking my sister into her dorm, "Mom, see that girl? Someday I will marry her!" before we had even had a first date.  And it became true!

Why did I say that?  Here's now why I believe I did:

1. Because God is in control, and He led us to an intersection of life at college.
2. I, my parents, Laurie, and her parents all prayed and knew that marrying a follower of Christ was a must.
3. She was a sweet, beautiful, selfless, giving, fun and mellow Godly woman.
4. She had the same Christian upbringing, values and beliefs in God that I did.
5. All my guy friends were after her as well.  I was just smarter and faster.
6. I knew she would be a great friend.
7. I knew she would be a great partner, mother, wife and woman of God.
8. She was creative.  I am energetic, spontaneous, always on the go, and she was cool with that.
9. She is open to new things, artistic, crafty and has an innovative view of life.
10. I knew she would dress me well.
11. She loves coffee (didn't at the time, but I knew she would convert); plus, both parents are caffeine-dependent.
12. She loves John Calvin.  Obviously, neither of us worship him, idolize him too much, but we really do know about who he was and what he believed, and it has impacted both of us.
13. She can handle me.  I am busy, hyper, passionate, sometimes out of control, and sinful but she deals with it in a God-honoring way.
14. I love the way she makes ordinary things beautiful.  We have had ordinary apartments and homes, but her touch has always made them warm, inviting, and home.
15. She is not perfect.  She knows it.  But she hides it well, way better than me.
16. I knew that with God's leading and much work, forgiveness and grace, He would be glorified and we would enjoy His favor together.

A shout out of thanks to our parents, family, friends and church family for your love, support and prayer!

I ask that those of you who are not married, choose wisely; those of you who are married, work at it with all your might; and those who are hurting, find your strength, hope and future in Jesus Christ alone. 

Marriage rocks!  Love you Laurie!  Happy anniversary!  Thanks God!

Monday Morning Post-Half Marathon

Yesterday I ran 13.1 miles in the Chicago Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon for Team Rwanda.  I was joined by 210+ others including my wife Laurie and three of four kids who also participated on Faith Church’s team.  It was a smashing success.  Team Rwanda has raised over $44,000 so far.  Our team was by far the largest team and the largest donors for World Vision in this year’s race.  Way to go, Faith Church!  World Vision has raised over $377,000 in total thus far.

As I sit at home on Monday morning, I’m reflecting on my experience.  I want to share some interesting, odd and peculiar observations.

·         13.1 miles is a long way to run on asphalt for a 47 year-old guy.  Plus, what’s up with 13.1?  Couldn’t they have rounded it off at 13? 

·         Having five of six from our family participate made me proud and also made it busier.  Trying to keep track of five in 15,000 runners is nuts.

·         When I’m running I vow never to do it again, but hours later I think about it.  I wonder how many others think the same way?

·         It’s annoying being the guy to beat.  Since when am I the rabbit to beat?  My son’s only goal was to beat his old man J.  Moms (unnamed) were saying, “I beat Pastor Bob.”  Others, “I almost beat Pastor Bob.”  What gives??

·         This was my second year in a row and I am a true believer in icing, stretching, and refueling post-race.  Last year, I didn’t do much and was sore for days.  Today I actually feel great.

·         Even though my time was the same as last year (2:05), I’m bummed.  I had to go to the bathroom at the 6-mile mark (I know – excuses, excuses).  But it did take several minutes off my finish time.

·         If, and I mean IF, I run it again, I need to find a partner because running alone this year made it harder to motivate me to finish stronger.

·         During the run, I seriously didn’t like it – mainly miles 10 through 13.1 – but 20 minutes afterward, I loved it.

·         Faith Church rocks!  To see and be with such a great bunch of children of God is breathtaking.

·         The fans’ cheering you on is awesome and embarrassing.  Awesome, because they are smiling, screaming, and cheering for you and Team World Vision.  Embarrassing, because I hate the attention drawn to me.  But the cool thing is I can, in my mind, divert it to Jesus.

·         Eating the day before is a blast!  No limits, in fact, encouraged.  Post-race, you don’t worry at all about poundage, calories, or fat grams!

·         When talking to the walkers post-race, they were way more observant about the great scenery and people they saw than the runners were.  Runners were only thinking about the finish line and times.  The walkers were enjoying and smiling.  Tempting next year to walk it!

·         Michael Chitwood from World Vision is such a riot.  I swear he was as exhausted as I was post-race (though he didn’t run it) because he was cheering, greeting and loving on everyone from Team World Vision.

I’m so grateful for all the participants, donors, cheerleaders, volunteers, family and friends that made this Team Rwanda so great.  Thanks in particular to Rebecca and Steve Holwerda.  You rock!!

 

p.s. pictures to follow.