Dreams

One of my ultimate dreams for our church (and by the way we may want to start thinking of a name, to simplify things) is that someday we will have some type of care for single parents, and mothers in specific. I think that this is a group that Jesus would hurt for, and one that all too often our churches have really neglected. I would like to find a way to help with child care, groceries, laundry, emotional injuries, mentoring for boys without fathers, etc. This passion and idea of mine has grown from previous hurts in my life. I realize that this will not be something that we will have at the beginning, and it is not something that will happen overnight. But it is a dream to work toward.
Is there something like that that God has put on your heart? How would you like to work towards that goal? It is important in this whole project to remember that nothing happens overnight, and these ministries will take energy and work. What do you think?

choice

great thoughts guys. when i think about the things we will go through as a community, as a team, there are a lot of things that go through my mind. i think about what will be our first baptism, our first eucharist, our first marriage, our first funeral. there are exciting times ahead, i think we have this wonderful chance to start from the ground up, to learn from other churches victories and failures, and to make, not a perfect church, but maybe a perfectible one.
i think about the stresses that will push on us, and this makes me think of marriage. in marriage, and i know you are all aware of this, you choose a person, that person chooses you, and you go. you set off for a new life, a new adventure. worries press in, money gets tight, decisions must be made. sometimes one spouse sacrifices so the other can do what God has called them to do, but the point is that the first priority for each is the other. each wins some, each loses some. but each, in the end, has gained the other.
i think this reflects on the way we should do church. there are a lot of things that we will have to decide on. what color will we make the walls, what time will we meet on sundays, or saturdays, or whenever. how will we elect leaders, will we elect leaders. the thing i think we have to keep on the very front of our minds at all times, is that we should first commit to people, jesus and eachother. there is no other way for us to make it. if we come into this with the idea that we must meet at 6pm every saturday, and we must have children do bible drill, and youth must go to super summer, etc, then all is lost. these things are subordinate. i want each of us to be aware of that before we head in, when times get tough, when we are broke and when we don't know where we will meet next week, we have got to decide first and foremost that we will be loyal, that we will care about eachother.
this does not eliminate criticism, or accountability, but those things should always be done out of love, in the interest of the other. we should refuse to talk behind eachother's backs, we should encourage, we should build up, we should choose eachother. it is my prayer that this is the type of community we can build, what do you think?

denver

The great difficulty with moving to a strange city and starting a church there will be that most of us will be moving without jobs. We may not know where our next meal will come from. I think that is legitimate concern. This is why I think it is important to seriously evaluate whether you are called to do this. It will not be easy, at least not at first. But I think, to steal a line from Caedmon's Call, "had to walk the rocks to see the mountain view." Things that are worth doing are not always going to be easy.
I don't want this to sound trite, but I do believe that where God calls us, he provides. If you feel a little, or a lot, discontent with your present situation, then it may be that God wants more for you. I think we have an opportunity to go to a place where there are very few that follow Jesus, and an opportunity to create a community that can help others find the God that loves them.
You may feel called to be a part of this, God will provide. Robin and I really felt like God wanted us to move to Waco to finish school and God provided her with a great job. Not immediately, but eventually. I think when things get tough we have to remember that God doesn't necessarily provide in excess, or before we need it, but we should remember the birds of the air and the grass of the field. He provides for them right on time. So you may be struggling with indecision or difficulty as to embarking on this adventure with all of us, please pray and evaluate what your life would be like with or without this little experiment we are going to be doing. And remember that God knows before we do what we need and how much we need.

busy busy busy

hey everyone, sorry i have not been all that consistent with blogging. i have a 20 page paper due tomorrow, so its been occupying most of my weekend and most of my wrath. OU also lost on sat, so i was a bit depressed about that, but I'm getting over it. i just wanted to ask what kinds of topic you guys would like to discuss here.
also, im watching "the way of the master" on tbn right now. there is no way we will ever use that in denver. it is awful. sorry. i just could not live with myself if i was ever the pastor of a church that endorsed it. so, what do you guys want to talk about?