Catalyst Day 1-Just Labs?

As I write this I have a fear that my brain is so tired that I am going to start writing in tongues! (if that is possible) It has been quite a day, but it was great.
I just wanted to share a few highlights:

Reggie Joiner-prelab- RJ did a great job with two mac computers showing the changes that have taken place over the years. He had an old system with a tiny screen that was one of the first apple computers and he had an airbook that is paper thin. He used this to correlate with the new wine in old wineskins passage to remind us of the importance of being relevant without compromising the message.

Scot McKnight- Session 1- SM explained his experience with a blue parakeet which illustrates the importance of how we are scared by certain passages in the Bible. He used Rorschach's ink blots to explain the danger of people reading their own interpretations into scripture. Seeing what their life experience made them see. He also looked at the Maestros (Masters, Teachers) of the Bible and discussed how we have to bring them together for a full view of who God is.

Ed Stetzer- Session 2- ES will have his notes posted on www.edstetzer.com on Thursday. Among his many salient points, ES talked about how we need to Re-Jesus church planting because it has become very easy to lose focus in all of our creative methodologies and superstar leaders. He also talked about how we need to continue to strive to reach the unchurched instead of the churched. Many of those who are joining Churches today are simply changing from one Church to another. "Upon this rock I will build my Church" means that God builds His Church and not any one person. Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.

Gabe Lyons- Session 3- GL is the author of Unchristian. He did a brief recap and then looked at some additional resources and observations. He talked about the rising suicide rate and how we have to address this as a Church. He also expressed concern over how our young people are becoming so oriented to video games, internet, and tv that they have less social skills than they used to. He challenged us to consider how we minister to "different" people (like the homosexual) in the context of our Churches. He referred us to www.Qideas.org

Mark Batterson- Session 4- MB's newest work is based on a Celtic reference to the Holy Spirit as a wild goose. It sounded a bit strange at first, but it is an interesting perspective. He looked at 1 Samuel 14 and other passages focusing on Jonathan and the passage that says, "perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf." This reminded him of how God blesses the worst of plans many times. He said, "If you want to make God laugh, show Him your plans." He also said when talking about their vision, "Jesus hung out at wells, coffee houses are the modern day wells." Starting a new work was a challenge that made him consider whether he would be frustrated over the lack of volunteers as they began a new work or celebrate the opportunity for God to raise up new volunteers.

This really does not do the day justice, but it gives you a taste of some of the good things that we were exposed to.

I hope that something encouraged you as you read them.
Two more days!!!

Building a Church of Small Groups

I'm reading a book by that title right now. The authors are Donahue and Robinson from Willowcreek. Sometimes when I'm reading a book, I think that there are lines that are good enough to pass on. I hope this isn't some kind of illegal activity!

"Many of us in the church view community as optional. As Willow Creek's Director of Small Groups, I (Russ) talk with veteran Christians who resist being connected into what they call 'the system.' Both longterm 'Creekers' and churched people who have moved here decline formal connection to the church or a small group. We lovingly call them 'renegades.'
Some of them are 'church hopping renegades.' Applying consumerism philosophy to their church engagement, they treat Willow Creek like one item on a Chicagoland church buffet. Their agenda is to get themselves and their family 'fed,' the tastiness of the entree the sole measure of whether they will grace our establishment again. Life-transforming community is not part of the nutrition plan.
Granted, the church has done them few favors. We paint a picture of Christianity rightly lived as a simple matter of you and your relationship with God. Such minimalist, 'fire insurance' versions of faith may escape hell. But they have nothing to do with following Jesus. Following Jesus means following him into community. (p.27)

This quote says a great deal. My heart is to see the community that this book talks about fill the Church and go beyond the taste that we have in the gathering. There is much more and we are headed that way! May we never be lulled into a life of going through the motions of doing Church and lose the wonderful opportunities that we have to be and make disciples (aka missionary followers) of Christ.

Bigger than Big!

Have you ever done something and you had no idea what God was going to do with it?
That is where I was with the Big Serve. I knew that people were kind of excited and that some were not. Regardless, I felt God's leading and had determined to follow through.

I am so glad that I did! The fruit is already being harvested in so many ways.
I will copy a few testimonies from an email that I just sent out:

Another couple realized that they still had food left over after feeding the firefighters for the Big Serve, so they found another firehouse to take food to on Monday. When they were delivering the food in their Big Serve shirts, one of the guys recognized the shirt and asked if they had delivered food to another house on Sunday. She explained that she was not, but that our Church had ministered all over Hampton Roads.

A student was in his Philosophy class at TCC (Tidewater Community College)on Tuesday morning when the Professor asked the class if they saw the article in the Pilot newspaper http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/congregation-goes-out-practice-what-they-preach. The response was very good and the class was impressed by the ministry of our Church.

One member had an encounter with a neighbor in Suffolk while walking her dog. The neighbor was in tears describing the gift that her Mother had received at an extended care facility. The greatest surprise came when the neighbor shared that her Mother was in a specific residence in Chesapeake which was where that member had just served for the Big Serve!

Another member shared about how the Big Serve inspired her Bible Study Class to establish care groups and do more to foster inreach and outreach in their class.

A member who also serves on our support staff shared about how her husband read of our Big Serve project in the newspaper and cried as he was so deeply touched. He is not involved in our Church, but wants to serve when we have this opportunity again.

Our Hispanic Pastor, Vernig Suarez, shared with me that many in his congregation work 6 days per week and have not been able to assist with their VBS efforts or other missions work until the Big Serve. This opportunity to serve with their Church in Pembroke gave them a new excitement for missions and the ministry of their Church.

It just goes on and on. New ministries are being birthed. Ministries to the homeless, ministries to our public servants, and ministry being done by other individuals who just can't stop serving!

A fairly popular preacher is known for saying that he is about God's fame and that is what we are seeing in Hampton Roads. God is famous among the people of our community because His Church did the unexpected and loved people like Jesus. It may be controversial, but the fruit is undeniable as God's fame spreads and His glory shines in our region!

Keep praying that we can be a Church that washes feet like Jesus did. Not just one another's feet, but those of the lost, our enemies, the drug addicted, the mentally disturbed, and the list goes on.

Big Serve 08 Meditations

So what do you say after seeing a 200+ year old Church take one of the boldest steps ever toward engaging their community with Christ? I don't know exactly. I am virtually speechless.

The one thing that I keep coming back to is Luke 2:

All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

Mary heard the Shepherds' report about Jesus and was impressed with the way in which she could be a vessel for God's glory. It says that she kept these things in her heart. My heart is so full right now after seeing the Word become flesh and blood and move into the neighborhood (btw that's the message paraphrase) I'm not a hero or worthy of glory, God has chosen to show his favor because our Church has been faithful to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Our Pastor said it well last night, "I am so proud of you all." We challenged many to get out of their comfort zones and do some things that they had never done before, but God blessed exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that we could think or imagine. People said to me repeatedly last night, "Something is different here and I don't know how to describe it, but it is exciting."

My wife went to Farm Fresh the next day, Labor day, and crossed paths with Firefighters who were talking out loud about how they did not have to buy many groceries because First Baptist Church Norfolk had brought such a wonderful meal yesterday and they were still eating the leftovers! They walked up on Lori and saw her Big Serve shirt and could not say enough in gratitude for all that our Church did for them. I'm getting teary eyed as I write this. God's goodness touched lives through something so simple and everyone in the store heard about how First Baptist Norfolk said thank you to the firefighters in Janaf by feeding them on Sunday!

God is so good. He is moving. It is not about us. History is His Story. We are making history as we see the mighty wave of God's love pour into our community in an unprecedented manner. Some are asking, "When can we do this again?" To which I reply, "Don't wait for another Big Serve. . .just do it!!!" I received a report from a friend today that she and her husband saw another firehouse in their neighborhood and decided to serve again today by taking a meal to those guys. Its not a program, its a passion for taking the Good News to our world by being the Good News in the process.

As un-contemporary as it may sound, I wanted to sing last night, "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God." There are families that you want to be affiliated with and others you may not, but I am very glad to be a part of the First Norfolk family and this is just the beginning!!!

Stay tuned. There is much to share about the Big Serve when I can figure out how to compress it into a digestible format. Keep checking on www.bigserve.org

Keep serving!

Graham turns 6! PERMEATE

My Grahammer Jammer just celebrated his 6th birthday on Sunday and I am just amazed. He is growing rapidly and when I look at who he is as a young boy, I pray that he will grow to be the arrow that scripture calls us to be. Impacting the world with the gospel. His name is Graham for Billy Graham and Edward for Jonathan Edwards.

So what does all that have to do with a deep theological, church planting strategy blog like the Taco Assassin? Permeate. The Good News of Jesus Christ must PERMEATE everything that I say and do. It is not enough to do my Christian duty and then hang up my hat when I grow weary. When I go for walks with my kids on the mornings when time permits, I need to be talking to them about the faith. I need to share something with them that will bring them closer to my Savior. We have always been pretty "religious" when it comes to family devotion and reading the kids Bible, but the world that we live in necessitates more. We cannot trust that $2 worth of God is going to be enough to sustain our kids through their teenage years. It takes seeing a Mom and Dad who love God, love others, and live the mission. (our Church napkin, strategy)

I read this morning in Acts 17:16 where Paul looked at Athens and was physically distraught by the idolatry. I want to know that kind of distress. Eric, my pastor, preached on Sunday about the dangers of comfort in the Church and I believe that is at the core of the spiritual atrophy that has invaded our Churches. Atrophy carries with it the idea that unused muscles lose their strength, muscle mass, etc. when unused. That is my non-medical, ER watching, definition. The concept is very applicable. We have to use our missionary follower of Christ muscles constantly so that we will be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us.

I had lunch with a friend whom I have known for only a few months. I met him in the hall at Church, saw him come to Christ, and have walked with him in discipleship over the past few weeks. He is preparing to return to NY soon and what he wanted to talk about was simple. How can he make decisions that honor God and how can he share his new faith with others. My mind is boggled by the concept of making disciples in that he is now going as a missionary to his family and friends because of the limited time that we spent walking together in discipleship. I am confident that he will face difficulty, but I also feel sure that God has a purpose and plan for him that is exceeding, abundant beyond all that I can think or imagine.

It's late and I am rambling a bit. The picture of Graham is a Chuck E. Cheese disguise that he insisted on wearing in the van. It did not last long as it made it home to be trampled under foot and chewed by Chewy the dog (named for Chewbacca and not his ability to Chew nor the nickname in Mexico for people named Jesus. . .Chuey).
We must cling to a faith that permeates our being. Not something that we wear for a while and allow to be trampled under foot by the traffic of idolatry or spiritual atrophy.

Have a good night. Don't stay up too late watching Olympics. Pick up some dance moves from the Jamaican runners. Buy more than one newspaper so that your wife can save $400 on groceries. Tell your family that you love them and cease each day for all that it is worth because one day a Church will have an event called the Big Serve and a Bible study class will come to visit you because you can't come to Church.

When God says Duh!

Sometimes I wonder if God looks at us and says. . .Duh!
I had an incredible opportunity to share the Good News with a young guy who was visiting our Church recently and he prayed to receive Christ. All on a Sunday morning before worship. Not your typical Sunday, but I am humbled to see how God is working.
We met again tonight and he shared about how God has been speaking to him through the worship services and Bible studies that he has attended. He knows absolutely nothing about the Bible, prayer, etc. We are starting from square one. This is not someone from Africa, Germany, or even Mexico. This guy grew up in New York!

What amazes me is how God is speaking to my new friend and addressing his needs directly without my manipulating anything. I watched our Pastor share Bible study tonight for an hour and a half and everything he shared applied directly to my friend's life. I know that God knows the number of hairs on my head and my friend's head, but I forget sometimes that when He is at work. . .I may only be a small part of a much bigger plan. I have watched God sow seeds of truth in this guy's life that are like those small green balls on the movie "The Rock" with Nicolas Cage. If one of them fell and made contact, they would cause a ginormous explosion. I am seeing God's Word do that in this guy's life despite so many influences that are trying to pull him away. I am reminded once again of God's amazing grace that saved me. I did not know the Bible, how to pray, etc. Somehow God changed me and gave me the understanding that I needed to apply His word in my life.

These are all things that His promises tell us over and over. I know them, but to SEE them personally once again, I can just hear God saying. . .Duh! I told you that like a million billion times and you are still surprised? Wake up Craig! Have some faith that I am at work and can do great things when you trust in me! Have you forgotten that I am God? You are my messenger. People do not accept or reject you, they accept and reject ME.

I am just amazed to see God changing this young man's life right before my eyes in such a radical way that it is just miraculous. Oh that I might see more. I cannot be content with this isolated experience. May there be much more in the days ahead. Not just converts, but disciples. That is what the great commission is all about isn't it?

No ranting this time. Just humbled by all that God is doing. Thanks for your prayers.

Go Ed!

I am reading Ed Stetzer's Breaking the Missional Code book and had to share page 80:

"Churches that break the code are paying a high price for reaching the unchurched/unreached. They are discovering that churches that focus on the unchurched/unreached often create a degree of discomfort among some churched/reached. In other words, you cannot have it both ways-either the lost like you or the satisfied religious crowd likes you.
We have pastored and been around many churches that have made a commitment to focus on the unchurched/unreached. In churches that move to Christian maturity, satisfied churched people often miss the point. Instead, they want to go 'deeper' with 'meat.' Ironically that 'deep meat' is often a focus on the obscure or unclear in Scripture rather than on the life-changing nature of what is clear.
The irony is that most people crying for 'meat' are really crying for minutia. They want to learn the deeper truths about the times of the rapture rather than how to live the Christian life. True meat teaches people how to be transformed by the renewing of their minds so that they will live like Christ, love like Christ, and leave what Jesus left behind. But believers in church-focused ministries often think that it is more important to teach about controversial subjects rather than transformational truths.
People who want life-transformational preaching and teaching will find such at churches that break the code. Furthermore, they can and do go deeper-through deeper biblical study in the church but also through their own study."

There is much more, but wow. . that pretty well sums it up.
Lord, make us a church that breaks the code. Help us to awaken from our religious stupor to see the world around us. Give us boldness and strength for all that lies ahead as we seek to move beyond minutia and leave what Jesus left behind!