Coming Alive

Tonight is our first mid-week gathering as a launch team!  It is such a joy to be having a cookout and game night and completely know that this is church!  As a community of believers united by our God for a common purpose we are going to be chowing down on some of the most mouth-watering hamburgers ever grilled (if I do say so myself) and enjoying some tooth and nail competition.  I love it!

My favorite thing about church planting is how everything has new life in it.  I mean, its a cookout right?  But for me, its the most spiritual thing I can think of doing tonight! 

If you are free tonight feel free to come on out to my place (mapquest 4101 pepperbush drive, greensboro 27405).  Just bring chips or a drink. 

Later! 

I love church website hunting!  In the past year I have probably spent hundreds of hours digging through the crap trying to find the truly great ones.  There are places to go that could tell you systematically what makes a good site.  I just know what appeals to me.  Give me 3 seconds with your church website and I can tell you if I will ever come back.  Obviously, when people go online looking for The Patio they need to see something special.  In the 21st century it matters…bottom line. 

Why do I bring it up?  Because today I saw the “rough draft” of our website.  I was concerned that I might be a little biased (no one believes their baby is ugly, right?) so I showed the site to one person today unaffiliated with all things “Coming Alive”.  His response was, “That rough draft is better than any church website I have ever seen, and 9360013287 times better than my churches website.”

I’ve seen some great church websites.  My standard is really high, but I have to give major credit to Lauren.  She did a great job with our logo, and she is going to blow you all away with this website.  Send her your love guys!

And if you are a church planter and you stumbled onto this blog somehow you need to get in touch with her.  I’ve worked with her for 4 years now and I have never been let down.  Here is her website.

I think one of the biggest challenges for church planters is keeping your Crash (a group of Rhino’s running together) all focused on the preferred future.  I’ve seen how quickly things deteriorate when the vision or the passion gets lost.  I feel like I am constantly talking about our vision, but I know that the day I stop is the day everyone forgets where we are going.

We all (church planters) want passionate people.  There are those coveted few out there in the world that believe with all their heart they are going to be used to impact the course of the Kingdom.  I love these people!  They don’t need to be micro-managed, they rarely complain about trivial things, and, if you believe with them, you just might get to see something really amazing!

The problem is that the passionate can sometimes be so focused on tomorrow that they miss out on today. 

I think one of the other main distractions for all believers committed to doing something great is the abundance of opportunity.  This point will resonate more with some than others.  As I was having lunch with a friend of mine today I realized he is in a place that is really common for Christians. 

His journey has come to a point of decision.  The two roads diverging in a yellow wood.  The difference for Frost was to take the less traveled one.  The decision, however, is rarely the problem for us when we are in that circumstance.  The problem is the commitment to the decision.  This is when the “what if’s” begin to haunt us. 
“What if I made the wrong decision?”
“What if I fail?”
“What if God is calling me overseas?”
“What if there was something better out there?”
“What if…?”

I like what Yogi Berra says, “When you come to a fork in the road…TAKE IT!”

Our temptation when faced with decision is to try to keep our options open.  Kristan and I had a conversation just two weeks ago about the reality that we had essentially leapt off the cliff now.  There is no going back.  No choosing to stay a youth pastor forever and forget about this whole church planting thing.  Although I never would have made that decision anyway, its a different world when you make that 100% commitment to leap.  Its freeing.  Scary, but freeing. 

From here on out I am going to be so passionate about The Patio vision and future that the “what if’s” are irrelevant. 

*Check out this blog by Chris Bell for more thoughts on decision making 

Today I came across a recipe for hamburgers that I can’t wait to try out!  Normally I am not into any type of cooking, but last weekend Randy Digh’s ribs knocked something loose inside my very core.  I will cook and it will be glorious!  There will be rejoicing in the streets!  And those of you who have the pleasure of experiencing it will never darken the doorway of McDonalds again.

 This wonderful day of burger eating will be this Thursday at 630 pm.  It is primarily for our core group, but if you would like to come and spend some time with The Patio community and experience the savory treat which will be revealed feel free to show up.  Email me for directions – caritasinf@hotmail.com

Summertime is the best time for a community church planter!  Our vision statement is to become, “a community of people coming alive through authentic relationships“.  Usually I highlight the “coming alive” part as the slogan for our vision, but without relationships the whole ship sinks. 

What does this have to do with summertime?  Everything!  In the winter you can go a week without seeing anyone, but in the summer everybody is outside walking or, better yet, at the pool.  I have joked that my office between Memorial Day and Labor Day is complete with a horseshoe pit and a water basketball goal!  In the past couple of trips to the pool I have met so many people.  By the way, nothing builds relationship with guys than dunking on them in a friendly game of 21 in the pool. 

This is really what Christianity lived out in community should be – being around people nonstop!  Its going to be great!

If you have had the luck (good or bad depending on who you are) to run into me this week I have probably talked your ear off about all that God is doing at The Patio.  Most of you seem to get excited with me, but some of you have a look on your face like I just told you I pee sitting down.  Seriously if you don’t like it you may just want to avoid me for a couple of weeks because it doesnt look like I’m going to stop for a while! 

There are so many amazing stories that God is writing in our community right now that I can’t even begin to unpack them all for you.  Some of them are out there on other people’s blogs, and others are private for the time being.  The good news is that no matter what, even if some of these stories don’t end the way I want them to, I can rest in the immortal words of Yogi Berra, “The future ain’t what it used to be”

~ For the record, I pee standing up

3 days ago Kristan and I were praying for The Patio and I said something like this to God: “So far, you have really been good to us.  I recognize that we are blessed beyond what we deserve.  However, everything you have done has been something I have already imagined you doing.  Although I thank you and praise you for these things, I know you want to blow my mind…I beg you to do it!”

This evening I thanked God for answering that prayer.  Since Sunday morning it has felt like God took that prayer as a personal challenge and has responded in a way that I have never before seen in my ministry.

I can’t tell you how much I want to go into detail right now, but I can’t just yet.  All I can say is stay posted!  The next few weeks are going to be off the charts amazing!