Gary Garris :: Friends blog

http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2008/09/friday-is-for-fr

Politics

The Bible says we should be slow to speak. Good idea. Something I said on Twitter while watching the RNC was picked up by Brian Ayers - and he is encouraging me to run for office in 2012 with Sarah Palin. It's probably a good match in some ways, though I am afraid she would beat me in a hunting contest.

But we do share a sense of style. It looks like we shop at the same store for our glasses (Lenscrafters, I am guessing). But I'm not sure where Brian get's the idea that I am smaller than Palin. And why am I hiding behind her?

Missionaries

When some people think of international and cross cultural missionaries they conjure up unrealistic images super-saints. Here's a video that shows a more honest picture of those who have gone into West Africa; who they were before life on the mission field, and who they are now.

To learn more visit www.gowestafrica.org/cardboard

BTW: If you know an SBC-affiliated 20 something guy or gal, the West Africa mission has a fully-funded (insured and salaried) 2 year mission experience with their name on it! (They have a real need for guys especially because in some of the cultures in Africa guys can go places women are not allowed.)

http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2008/09/sent-a-study-for

In the next few weeks, I will be releasing a Bible study with LifeWay's Threads initiative. It is called Sent: Living the Missional Nature of the Church.

I'm hoping that the study will be a helpful tool to put in the hands of church leaders who want to ground their people firmly in an understanding of the mission of the church and what it means for the body of Christ to live together as the sent people of God. The study has 6 sessions, so I'm going to be writing over the course of the next few weeks some summaries of the main points of the sessions to whet your appetite. Today we deal with the title and the idea behind the study.

Jesus said over and over again in the Book of John that He was sent from the Father. Then in John 20:21, He said: "As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." We take from that the idea that the very nature of the church is this "sent-ed-ness." It's part of our DNA. The problem is that many churches have the "arrived" mentality rather than seeing themselves as sent out from Christ on mission. It's time for us to reclaim the core of our identity, that we are a people sent by and for God. It's more than a choice or a program; it's about a fundamental understanding of our Savior and ourselves that leads us forward as his people. That's why it's called "Living the Missional Nature of the Church."

Love for you to check out the study; you can download a free sample and get more info here. For people establishing a church's DNA, or trying to reconfigure a group of people to think rightly, you might consider taking your entire church through the study. I think it will provide a good understanding of what the church is supposed to be in the world.

More soon...

http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2008/09/lostfound-in-tra

Next week, I will be doing a half day seminar at Brentwood Baptist Church. This is a church that wants to think and act in missional ways, but is also seeking to do so in its own cultural setting.

Brentwood is a big church (thousands on a Sunday), in an affluent area, and has a long history. That makes for some challenges and some opportunities. They have to recast language carefully and slowly.

So, in order to make a sharper focus they sought to cast their language in a way that was helpful for their context. They sent their "lexicon" to me to prep for my time with their church. I found it interesting and I thought I should share it with you.

I am one who believes that new language can be helpful, hence I started using the "missional" word back in the 1990s. However, it is essential to note that people have been being missional long before Francis Dubose started using it in the way we use it today. So, the language matters less than the emphasis. And, I find that Brentwood is doing some important thinking about how to use language in a way that communicates truth in meaningful ways.

Also, they DEFINE terms, something that I think you will need to do if you choose to call your church missional. For example, "missional" means different things to different people (see my Meanings of Missional series) so it is important that you clarify what you mean if you use the term.

The actual files are linked below, but here are a few highlights of Brentwood's new vocabulary related to evangelism and outreach.

connectors: people who are already connected to Christ.

You are a Connector if you have a personal, life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ - if you are grounded in worship, growing in discipleship and going in service.

And this raises the first question: Are you sure you are connected to Christ? Are you still firmly grounded/growing? Have you checked your own connection?

You cannot be a Connector if you're not connected to Christ.

unconnected: people who do not have this personal, life-transforming relationship to Christ.

Old vocabulary: "nonbeliever" or "unchurched"

Our goal is not to "church" them. And while our ultimate goal is that they become believers, our immediate goal is to get them engaged with Christ in some way - as seeker, questioner, hearer.

Keep in mind: Some people may be church attendees or church members, but are

not connected to Christ.

Some people may be disenfranchised from organized religion, so they are not connected to Christ.

Some people may know nothing about Christ, or what they know is inaccurate, so they are not connected to Christ.

story: There are three parts to story:

my story: my personal experience with Christ.

their story: their personal experience/lack of experience w/Christ.

God's big story of redemption.

Old vocabulary: "testimony."

This is what I have seen and heard. This is what I know about Jesus. This is what I want you to know. This is where I am. Our stories are not complete. At certain times, our stories are not neat or resolved...

We want to have Christ-followers:

who have first-hand experience of Jesus and can talk about it authentically

who know how to ask good questions of others who are not connected to Christ

who know how to listen to the other person's story

who know how to tell God's big story in a simple way.

To tell God's story, we will be using the four principles and diagrams from James Choung's book, "True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In."

Here are links to their relevant documents: Connecting (PDF), and Connecting Vocabulary (Word doc).

This is an important subject to me. Their terms deal with evangelism and outreach, though we also hear discussions around the term missional. Some say the word has become to diluted or is often misunderstood.

But, language matters. Its use changes over time. And, words that once pointed to new ideas eventually lose their usefulness because of the baggage they carry.

So, I would love to get your thoughts:

1. What do you think of their lexicon?

2. Do you use the term "missional"? Why or why not?

3. Do you use an alternative term(s)? If so, why? And, if so, what terms do you use?

4. Have you opted for less traditional language when attempting to communicate biblical truth with the world? If so, why? Please give examples.

http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2008/08/we-interupt-this

If you know anyone in the storm path or serving evacuees, feel free to link them below so we can follow them and pray together.

Here are the twitterers I know so far:

NOLA News Twitter feed

Dino Rizzo, Healing Place Church, Baton Rouge.

Rebuilding Lakeshore, a ministry of Lakeshore Baptist in Mississippi.

IMNewOrleans Church Planter Rob Wilton in New Orleans.

Thom Reagan, pastor in Fairhope, Alabama.

Jamie Dunbar, pastor from Mandeville, LA.

Twitter will give you a better read, so if you don't already subscribe, this would be a good time. (I will also be listing folks who twitter on my twitter feed.) Or, you can read it using your brower by clicking the links above.

Blogs:

Trinity Church Hurricane, Trinity Church Hurricane blog, Covington, LA

Who do you know with a blog or twitter in the area?

http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2008/08/something-neue.h

As the Compelled by Love Blog Tour continues Phillip Nation and I had a chance to be interviewed by Ashley Wolpert at Neue Resources concerning the ideas we present in the book. Neue Resources is a ministry aimed at equipping ministry leaders of the 21st century church. Neue is the from the team behind RELEVANT magazine. "What RELEVANT is for consumers, Neue is for the leaders, innovators and frontliners that are shaping the future of the church." What follows appears in Neue's newsletter (and is printed with their permission).

Missional Living
By Ashley Wolpert

In a culture that feeds off a vast array of social justice causes, it seems that the term missional living is being bandied about increasingly in our churches. But what does this really look like? Recently Dr. Ed Stetzer, co-author of Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living, spoke with Neue about what exactly "missional living" means, how church leaders can encourage their community live missionally and what some major barriers are. Philip Nation, Stetzer's co-author, follows with a list of practical tips to help communities engage in missional living.

How would you define "missional living"?

Missional living is essentially living with our primary perspective as that of an ambassador for the Kingdom of God. It means making our lives not about us, but about Jesus and His Kingdom.

In an alliterated sense, missional living is an incarnational (being the presence of Christ in community), indigenous (of the people and culture) and intentional (planning our lives around God's agenda) focus on the power of the Gospel to bring the reign of God into people's lives.

When did you first arrive at this idea of "missional living?"

I think I first read missional ideas in The Missional Church (1998), edited (primarily) by Darrell Guder. I believe the subtitle of the first chapter is a great summation for the entire work: "From Sending to Being Sent." After that, I was most impacted by Francis Dubose's God Who Sends, which I read during my Ph.D. in Missiology.

Through their writings, and those of many others, the late 21st-century Church was again reflecting a local missiology for churches that moved from "pay for others to go" to "pay the price for me to go."

Working through these ideas for nearly a decade as a church leader and missiologist, I arrived at the conclusion that the vast majority of missional literature and conferences were solely for the benefit of church leaders. So, I asked Philip to co-write with me to address that. Compelled by Love is a remedy for the average believer who is looking for a theological and practical bridge to move their lives in a missional direction.

What would you say is the greatest example of "missional living" in the Bible?

Without hesitation--it is Jesus Christ. He is sent by the Father. He is the incarnation of God. He sets aside His privileges (and rights) to live in our neighborhood. He communicates the Gospel in a way that is understandable to us. And, He is supremely sacrificial in the manner of His life and death.

Choosing one such example from mortal humanity is tough. However, for today, I'll choose Moses. Without his knowledge, God was preparing him to participate in God's work of deliverance. After he had failed miserably because of his sin, God still chose to use him--an imperfect vessel for God's great work. In his old age, Moses served as God's emissary to declare the glory of the one true God, awaken hope in the people of God and shake a society.

How can church leaders encourage their community to live missionally?

Missional living must be motivated with the truth and from the heart. Without the truth of Scripture and the Gospel, there is no reason to live any particular way. Since God has revealed the truth of His character and will, we should teach it to the Body of Christ as what we should do. Church leaders leading people boldly to understand God and His Kingdom should influence our manner of living.

We are blessed that God also desires for the truth to affect us. So through such heart motivations as love, hope, urgency and compassion, believers can be shown how missional living must be a compelled portion of life. Obviously, that was the point of Compelled by Love, as we used 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 as the central theme of the book. Because they are learning the greatness of God and His truth, believers must exhibit a deep desire to share such with the world.

What keeps people from missional living? Would you say there are any unique barriers for twenty- and thirtysomethings?

Believers do not live missionally for two primary reasons:

a) because they believe someone else is doing it; or worse,

b) they are selfish.

Too many Christians assume or deceive themselves into believing that someone else has explained the Gospel to our neighbors, co-workers and friends. Beyond that, believers choose their traditions over the mission. Entire congregations have decided that "the way we do things" is superior to the mission to go, be and tell the Gospel in understandable ways to the culture surrounding them.

The unique barriers for twenty- and thirtysomethings are also twofold. First, many are trying to await the renewal of the Church. Their hope is to show up one Sunday and it will suddenly be different--more missional, more externally focused, more compassionate. The problem: It won't, unless they are willing to lead the way by serving in the church to which they are committed.

The second barrier is that the culture they face is farther from the Gospel than any other in American history. The young adults and families today have grown up without a mooring to biblical truth, and young Christians now have to begin at the beginning. They were raised to present five-point Gospel outlines, and it is not working very often. Instead, they must describe God in Genesis 1 and then Colossians 1. They will need to share about the freedom God offers first from Ecclesiastes and then Galatians. What I am trying to say is that twenty- and thirtysomethings must recognize the distance their culture is away from the cross and be prepared to work in soil that is dry and parched.

Philip's ideas for missional living are also in the magazine:

1. Understand the Gospel. The mission of God is consumed with the person and work of Christ. As you understand Christ, you can accurately participate in God's work of redemption. So read the Gospels--a lot.

2. Take an eternal view of people. The friends, neighbors and co-workers around you have an eternity in front of them. We need to see them as God does and care for them accordingly.

3. Be friendly. A Christian should be the most trustworthy confidant another person has in the world. Believers should be the kind of people everyone else wants to be around.

4. Watch for a chance to serve. People use up all of their energy on family, work and menial chores. Look for ways you can care for your neighbors--even if it is just cooking a simple dinner for them.

5. Be truthful. Missional believers contend for the faith while speaking in a way understandable to the hearer. No matter what, be ready to talk about the truths in Scripture.

6. Love like Jesus. He lived a robust life of caring for the lost. In elevating sacrificial love far beyond any previous thinking, He gave an example for us.

7. Be on guard. As you work alongside the King to extend His Kingdom, our spiritual enemy will immediately attack. Guard your heart in holiness.

8. Live missionally at home. Family is the first place for the mission of God in your life. When people see the impact it has on your home, they will be more willing to trust its veracity for their own lives.

9. Show patience. People are farther away from understanding the Gospel than in previous generations. Do not hesitate to invite them to submit to Christ, but know that they have plenty of questions that might need answering first.

10. Do it for one reason--the glory of God. The only reason to be missional is to make Christ more widely known. God is worthy of being honored by all of creation, and it should be the main reason why we participate in His mission.

http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2008/08/webinar-today-on

Come join me for a Webinar today:

11a.m. Pacific,

12n Mountain,

1p.m. Central, and

2p.m. Eastern.

Here is the 'register' link for the seminar.



Or, if want to just jump in at the time, click here.



Also, the schedule of all the NOC webinars is here. There are several and you will want to come back for more conversation.

This is part of the lead up to the National Outreach Convention.

They have a great line up of speakers. It should be a great conference.

The webinar is free. See you then.

http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2008/08/theological-preo

I have written an article for the September/October issue of Outreach Magazine called, "Learning from Each Other." In it I point to those I call the "theologically preoccupied" and the "evangelistically fixated" and encourage us all to learn from one another. If you are not a subscriber, you can and should be: click here.

Here's the article in total. I will follow it with a few additional comments.

Learning from Each Other

I am a blogger. Just thought I should get it out there in the open. Mind you, I am not a member of the Pajamahadeen--you know, one of those Bible bloggers who lives in his mom's basement, sleeping till noon and writing theology in his pajamas. But I have met them--and they've partially inspired this column.

Moths drawn to the flame

Certain blog posts seem to attract the Pajamahadeen like moths to a flame--for instance, when the post contains key words like "Rick Warren," "missional," "emerging" and "loving people." They seem to hate these topics and post 3,800-word comments with 27 links proving they've exposed the evildoing of their latest heretic du jour.

Well, these bloggers provoked me--and you're reading the result. Whenever I blog about a growing church that is reaching people, I get comments like, "They're growing because they're not preaching the Gospel." Or if I pose some theological questions, I get it from the other side: "Why bother with theology, let's just do whatever it takes to reach people."

In this column three issues ago, I defended Bill Hybels and his view of rel­evance, mentioning John MacArthur in the process. To some, it was as if I decapitated a goat and threw it on an altar--"How dare you defend Hybels and not fully support MacArthur?"

When I had questions for multi-site churches two issues ago, one person expressed concern that I would "denigrate what others have given their lives to." Raising questions is denigrating someone's ministry? Oh, really? (Come by my blog and check out the discerning and charitable conversation multi-site author and pastor Geoff Surrat and I had about multi-site: EdStetzer.com--click on the multi-site info on the right.)

"Theologically Preoccupied" vs. "Evangelistically Fixated"

Blogs seem to magnify an existing problem in the body of Christ: We don't do a very good job listening to and learning from one another.

It seems large numbers of the Theologi­cally Preoccupied scowl across the pages of their study Bibles at the Evangelistically Fixated and accuse them of being culturally adrift--in some cases rightfully so. Many of the Evangelistically Fixated chuckle when they see books on evangelism written by many of the Theologically Preoccupied who sometimes consider the smallness of their churches a sign of their faithfulness.

Let me propose a different way: Learn from one another and take the best from one another's approaches. Theologically deep believers with a passion for those far from Christ--I want both.

Back to balance

The first chapter of Acts closes with the disciples sequestered for days praying and waiting. Jesus kept talking about the Holy Spirit coming next. They weren't sure what that meant exactly, but there was no mistaking the power when He arrived. The rest of the book is replete with rock-solid, wrath-propitiating, substitutionary-atoning, life-giving, grace-filled, Kingdom-centered, culturally relevant, Gospel preaching. You read it from Peter, John, Philip, Stephen and Paul. They began with a deep, fun­damental teaching of the Gospel and went out from there in love for people, preaching and serving in the name of Jesus Christ.

I don't see enough of this type of balance across Evangelicalism. As I move in and out of groups across the spectrum, I see a growing polarization between those who embrace and teach doctrinal orthodoxy and those who are aggressively reaching a lost world.

We desperately need each other and we need to strike the biblical balance of doctri­nal soundness with missional engagement and creative action.

In the next issue of Outreach, I will share some insights from the largest and fastest-growing churches in America. Some will say, "But are they faithful?" Others will say, "But are they missional?" Those are fair questions, but can we also ask, "What can we learn from them?"

Originally published in Outreach Magazine Sept/Oct 2008

I hope we can all agree that theology should always give birth to word and deed, and evangelism make no sense apart from doctrine. To share the gospel is to articulate unchanging truths about God and man. Nevertheless, it is easy to drift into imbalance. For some theology is treated lightly and all serious efforts are poured into methodology. For others evangelism is put on the back burner in order to clearly develop a robust "body of divinity." This all amounts to serious illogical and unbiblical deficiencies in our churches. While God continues to use us in spite of our errors we are not excused from the pressing need to change where necessary.

Passages of Scripture like 1 Peter 2:9 speaks well to both camps. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

Those who are distracted from the mission because of theology are missing the point entirely. God has created us in Christ to be a people who proclaim his excellencies. This is essentially the dissemination of doctrine; the beautiful, life changing truths about God that, when received by faith, unite sinners to a holy God. It is unfortunately easy to see that some of us are better at knowing doctrine than sowing doctrine. Let me be blunt, amassing a knowledge of God and shelving it instead of sharing it is sin. We are made to distributors of his glory.

On the other side, the same passage of scripture challenges the evangelistically fixated. Eagerness to tell others about God is undermined if our theology is weak. Let me say it this way, you cannot proclaim God's excellencies if you do not know what they are.

I have been saying it for years, and I don't mind saying it again; we need to be both biblically faithful in doctrine and practice, and missiologically sound in our approach to people and cultures.

I believe many of us are in need of repenting of our willful weaknesses in one of those areas. Along the way, we would do well to listen to one another in those areas where we do excel.

http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2008/08/twitter-advice.h

When I started using Twitter I wasn't sure that I would like it, or continue to do it. But I have really taken to this social networking service. It is an easy way to share parts of my life, thoughts, or links that do not warrant a blog post. Since I tend to write LONG blog posts, this is a refreshing change.

Others have shared their thoughts on why Twitter is worth it. Michael Hyatt gave 12 reasons to jump on the bandwagon, and also wrote a helpful beginner's guide. Now that I'm comfortable with Twitter I thought I'd share a few pieces of advice for those getting started.

1. "Tweet" the angles (Twitter is the service, "tweet" refers to the update/post).

It's not worth tweeting that you had lunch. But the fact that your boss stole fries off your plate while he thought you weren't looking is. Avoid the obvious and find the angle of an experience. People want you to share your life, so give them the good stuff.

2. Use your cell phone.

Part of what makes Twitter so great is the easy of updating via your phone. If you have a Blackberry be sure and get TwitterBerry. It is easier than texting all the time. You can also send email if you use Twittermail.

3. Use your cameraphone.

If your cell phone doesn't have a camera, it's time to throw out that Nokia 6110 and upgrade to a phone released in the 21st century. The ability to share an image of where you are, or what you're doing can let people in on fun, exciting, or even deeply meaningful moments.

4. Do not respond to all comments.

People won't expect you to. And, if you respond to most people will expect you to respond to all. That is a time-waster. I respond to 1 in 10. Remember, that when someone asks you a question like, "Why are you selling the Shack?," only people who read his Twitter see it... so your people won't know. However, if you respond, everyone who follows you sees your response. So, try to restate the question in your response if you choose to respond. All of your responses are public unless you use direct messaging.

5. Pace yourself.

Don't tweet multiple times in a row. If you have that much to say write a blog post.

6. Think before you tweet.

Keep in mind that anyone can see your Twitter, not just your subscribers, so don't say anything you wouldn't say on a blog.

One word of caution. If you want to get people upset on Twitter, just point out that you don't use a Mac, and that a Mac is for people who are not technologically savvy (like when I mentioned that my mother recently bought a Mac).

You can follow me on Twitter here.

http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2008/08/friday-is-for-fr

Here are a few updates from friends along the way:

Politics with Land and McLaren

I could be wrong, but I am guessing that I might be the only person who has the cell phone of both Brian McLaren and Richard Land (for the right price, I will share).

I have also talked a little politics with both of them. So, when I see them together, it is must see TV. Click here to watch two guys you just don't see together much! (It may be the only time I have ever seen Richard not wearing a suit.) They are both among Time magazine's 25 most influential evangelicals. And, most remarkably, they have a pretty good conversation. Why? Because they care for many of the same things. They just come to some different conclusions on how best to address the challenges of our world today. Kudos to both for having the conversation.

Old People and Church Health

My New Jersey friend, Randy Smith, Lead pastor of Discovery Church, says too many believe the elderly have "cooties", and that this belief is damaging our churches. He explains,

We are missing out on something when we ignore the older generation. There I've said it. I like old people! When it comes to church, I don't like their music, I don't like their formality, and I don't like a lot of their traditions but I like the people.

...I think we hurt ourselves when we exclude the oldsters. They have wisdom, they have time, they have energy (for short periods of time!) and for all you pastors, they usually are good stewards! I'm not advocating that you haphazardly appoint five or six AARP members to your Executive Leadership Team. Actually, I'd warn you not to do such a thing with any age group. But I am saying that we need to find ways to marry the wisdom and years of spiritual growth of the old with the energy and adventuresome spirit of the new. How that's done is your job to figure out - you're the leader...lead!

Ticking Twitter Bombs

As I continue my (lame) quest to get people to Twitter, I mocked Jonathan Falwell until he started. I'd like to think I influenced Thom Rainer to twitter as well. However, in hindsight, is that really a good idea? Thom is, after all, my direct supervisor. He is now following me on Twitter. Why did I not think of that beforehand?

Another guy I called out for not Twittering started on Thursday... he is Matt Fry, pastor of C3 Church. Nice job, Matt... good to see you at Liberty.

Taylor Field Knows Squat

A couple of weeks ago I had lunch with Taylor Field, pastor of Graffiti Church in NYC. I am always humbled to be around guys that are engaged in ministry to the urban poor. That is where I started, but I don't serve in an urban setting anymore... and guys like Taylor make me want to.

He wrote a book that I really enjoyed. I asked him to tell me why he wrote it. He sent me this:

When I started out to write the novel Squat, I thought I was writing about the people I saw around me in my work--a guy begging on the streets wearing a blanket and reading copiously, a disturbed runaway living in an abandoned building, a do-gooder short-term volunteer who comes for a few months to help out and then returns to his normal life with some good stories, and an idiot with a baby squirrel in his pocket. Of course, in the end, each of them were really a part of me, and their feelings were my feelings. I think this realization has helped me as I continue to work in the Lower East Side with people in deep trouble, sharing nothing too theoretical-- a sandwich, a pair of socks, a word of encouragement wrapped in Christ's great news.

You can order the book here. Pick it up.

The Power of the Gospel - Translated

My friend Steve Childers sent me an email this week about his new book. The new book entitled Living in the Power of the Gospel by John Piper, Jerry Bridges, Steven Childers & Tim Keller (edited by Jerry Cross) was recently published in Spanish (as Vivir en el poder del Evangelio) by Lighthouse Publications' Harmony Books division in Mexico City .

Book Description: Learn how God's grace found in the power of the gospel brings transformation of individuals, churches and society.

To learn more about the book and purchase a copy: Click Here

http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2008/08/yellow-box.html

While I was in Chicago this past weekend I had the opportunity to worship with Community Christian Church where Dave Ferguson serves as Lead Pastor. CCC is a multi-site church with nine locations in and around Chicago. Dave invited me to lunch so we attended the Naperville "Yellow Box" site and went out after services.

I am not usually a church "attendee" as I preach most Sundays at my church. But, I was already in Chicago celebrating my anniversary and doing a TV shoot for the Assemblies of God and TLN. And, Dave and Jon are friends...

So, Donna and I rented a car and headed out to Naperville from downtown. About a long HOUR later, we arrived.

Community Christian and the Fergusons are having a growing imact. Their church is continuing to reach new people, launch new campuses, and start new congregations (though their New Thing Network). I thought I would share with you some thoughts as to why (I think) they are growing like they are-- this is not a "review" in the sense that I am listing what I like and don't like. Instead, I am just pointing out what I observed that I think contributes to their growth.

Here are four observations I made while in attendance.

1. People are excited to be there.

As we drive up the big "yellow box" (the nickname for this site) can't be missed.

When you walk in someone greets you at the door. You immediately see the coffee shop and see people mingling. (Pat Masek told me they were going to give me a free drink, but I did not stop by as we were too late!) But, clearly, there is a sense of welcome when you walk in.

Here is a pic from the lobby right before the service:

From when you walk in the door, there is a sense of excitement in all that is happening - and it is contagious.

2. Everyone is on the same page.

One of the things I noticed was that everyone "gets" their vision and purpose.

For example, this site has two venues in one building. One is a theater, the other is a gym. Dave was "live" in the gym, so we went there (even though Jon is my favorite of the two... a joke that Dave and Jon will get).

However, I went over to the theater venue to learn more about their approach. While I was walking in I met Amy, a very alert and attentive greater. She tells me everything - including the fact that though they have two venues they have the same mission, "to help people find their way to God."

When I ask the differences between the two services, Amy explains that one service is louder than the other and the other sings more hymns. You can see this in the contemporary band and feel of the service.

She tells me that the Icon theater service is more traditional, and has no drums or guitar.

Yet, she goes on to share that both venues are helping people "find their way back to God." Actually, I heard that phrase 13 times before I left - this is a shared vision in the church. And Dave later explains that "we believe Jesus makes it possible to find our way back to God."

3. CCC is very focused on reaching the unchurched.

After telling a story about Scott, an unchurched friend, Dave shares, "we are going to teach straight from the Bible... but we will explain it... I am going to start a church for my friend Scott..."

When I went to lunch with Dave, Sue, and Jon, Dave said they are not a "seeker church." However, they are certainly focused on reaching seekers regardless of what term you use.

They do that through clear and frequent reminders of the basics-- the need to follow Christ, clear repetition of their purpose, and an invitation to follow Christ.

I noted three additional things that stand out:

a) Clear communication to guests.Their signs are clear about where the main things are.

Children's registration is clear, well staffed, and secure:

b) The use of secular music and illustrations.

The church works hard to connect and they consider using secular examples and music as a part of that plan. In today's service they talk about leadership and show a video that features the Wright brothers as an example. They sing the Learning to Fly from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Most people know these examples well. They also showed a moving video testimony that you can see here.

c) The message is basic without being simplistic.

Deep Bible knowledge is not the agenda, but "one big idea" is. Today, the message (big idea) is "We are all meant to lead in helping people find their way back to God." Dave called people to find the place and/or issue (poverty, evangelism, family, addictions, etc.) that God has called you to so that you might live out that vision.

4. They focus on excellence.

In everything they do, they do their best. This doesn't mean that everything in the building and service is expensive, but that they work hard at doing their best for God, his people and their visitors.

Surprises and Random Observations

Now, on to a few things that I found surprising or just needed a random place to mention. Some of you would expect much of what I observed in a church like Community Christian, but here are a few other thoughts:

The building is, well, not fancy. The place where we met had plastic chairs, an exposed frame ceiling, and hanging basketball hoops. They are not putting their money in their facility.

They are teaching through the book of Nehemiah. The series is called "The Leader Within."

They passed out note sheets, but it was too dark for me to see, so I don't take many notes.

This is not a church of young adults. It has many, but it is really a multi-generational church. I saw many people older and younger than me.

They serve communion at the end of every service. This is unusual for a contemporary church, particularly one as focused on reaching the unchurched as CCC. However they are a part of the Restoration Movement, where weekly communion is an essential practice. Right before communion, Dave briefly explained what it meant and who should partake.

In the theatre, the bread and cups were passed down the rows. In the theatre, it had a little more of an ancient future feel as you can see:

We headed out afterward for lunch and called it a day. From left to right is Donna, Sue, Dave, and Jon.

A fascinating day with many takeaways including the importance of excellence, communication, and execution.

I have always appreciated the Fergusons because they love their church, and are growing it through multisite. Yet, they are also heavily invovled in church planting. They do "both/and" rather than "either/or."

And, Dave, thanks for buying lunch!