A very interesting meeting for me to observe today in Fort Myers. I'm humbled at the very idea of being able to be in the position I am within Infinity Alliance.
It's safe to say that the outcome of the meetings for today did not reflect where I would thought we would land. Quite the contrary. However, the contrary makes me begin to stand in awe of what, perhaps, God might be doing at an even greater level.
As I headed back to my hotel room after an 8am-10pm sort of day, I pause here tonight in my hotel bed, wondering what is around the corner. It's incredibly exciting; incredibly humbling.
Our heart continues to stay motivated about reaching every man, woman, and child with the repeated opportunity to hear, see, experience, and respond to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. If that is the glue that continues to hold us together, I have high hopes for the future. It's difficult when men get involved. Ego ultimately rears its head, and we pray for help to keep it in check. Some days are better than others.
In the end, it's an exciting day. The outcomes of the meetings leads to more and more work for us at the Chapel in Buffalo, but we're ok with that potential, if it leads to a reduction in "lostness" among the 308 million Americans living here in the United States of America.
Lord, give us America we pray.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Main Event
Had a chance to speak this weekend at our men's ministry breakfast known as the Main Event. I was really thankful to have had the opportunity to talk about my grace story and what God had done in my life in drawing me into a relationship with Christ.
I guess what was so exciting for me primarily was the variety of guys who were there. Our church truly is growing, and a variety of people groups represent such growth. As I looked out to the audience and shared my story, it was with great hope for the men that were there-- of all colors, of all backgrounds, of all situations/circumstances of life.
As our church continues to grow, I pray that it would represent a spectrum of diversity. Further, I pray that God would really grow and develop in the hearts of our men, positioning them to be more committed as husbands, fathers, co-workers, friends, neighbors, and lover of lost people. That's what gave me such excitement and such hope on Saturday. The room is full of grace stories; stories in which God has radically captured the heart of men and changed their life for the better.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Bye, Bye, Braylon
Braylon is gone. I'm honestly not surprised. Sure, I'm bummed that I got an autographed helmet from him in my room, and now he's gone. Sure, I'm bummed that, as a Michigan fan, he's gone.
HOWEVER- I know people hate Mangini in Cleveland, but I've got to say this- Braylon is talented, but Braylon didn't want to be in Cleveland. The NFL is a business, and business decisions need to be made. Two players and two draft picks. It's a good move for the Brownies.
I will not side with Braylon, when he rips on people in Cleveland for not liking him in as a Michigan Alum... Aaron Shea and Steve Everrit!!!! Two Brownies, who loved the Brownies, and fans loved them. Get over your ego, Braylon. You're in a better situation now, enjoy it, and don't back bite on your time with the Browns. Just move on. Cleveland will.
In closing, the dude decked a guy who was 5'7" and 135 pounds (allegedly). Frankly, it's just not cool, and I'm fine if Mangini sees that as a character issue. I'll miss 2007, but the reality is that it's just time for a change...
Friday, October 2, 2009
Letterman.....
I watched the Letterman confession from last night. I had to. I had to see how he would address an issue that time and time again, he has thrown people under the bus over. I'm not here to ridicule the man; rather, it's just a sad state of affairs we find ourselves in morally. This is what is so troubling to me about moral relativism. What's good for you may not necessarily be good for me. What's right/wrong for you may not be the same for me. The problem, however, is the carnage left on the side of the road.
Let's take Letterman's example. He's been in a relationship with a woman since 1986; he has a six year old son; these relationships have been supposedly going on during that time. I know that many people immediately will say, hey, it's not for me to judge. My point, is that I feel so sorry for the people who have been hurt in this. What about Regina Lasko? What about his son? What about the women in this scenario that he had been with? One can't help but ask the question if he leveraged his power to have his way with them.
The main issue that I come away with from Letterman's scenario is one of irony and one of sadness. The irony is that this man has made millions (and will likely continue to do so) at the expense of others, and now he finds himself in the center of this controversy, and he'll have nothing further to say of it (although others will make him the punchline of their jokes now). The sadness is that of broken lives. I just can't help but believe that these decisions have left a wake of hurt in the lives of others impacted by this series of events. The further sadness is that of the continued affinity for moral relativism. But no one wants to address the carnage left on the side of the road with events like this.
My heart breaks for this situation, honestly. I know that I'm not above making mistakes. I'm mindful that I need to be grounded in that reality (and I pray that God will continue to help my heart be soft for scenarios like this- hoping to bring the hope of Christ and forgiveness into stuff just like this. I know it's a lot, but I believe Christ can do a lot to help us in this). Finally, I pray that good could come out of this hurt- for Letterman, for Lasko, for their son, and for the women involved. I'm not expecting much, but hey, I thought it was worth the time to at least write about the sadness of this scenario. It's sad for me, but it may not be sad for you-- that's cool though, b/c it's all relative, right?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Ishmael's life
I find the story of Ishmael's life very interesting. Sarai cannot have children, and has ignored the promise of God that she will have a child. Therefore, she gives Abram Hagar, her servant and the two conceive a child. That child is Hagar. It's interesting to me, b/c the unfolding drama between Sarai and Hagar becomes pretty nasty. Hagar assumes some feeling of superiority toward Sarai. My commentary talks about that briefly, but I assume that it would likely stem from Hagar's ability to conceive and Sarai's inability to do so. Above and beyond that, you have good old Abram, compliant with Sarai, which, in my opinion, speaks to his inability to trust God to deliver both he and Sarai a son of their own.
So what unfolds from this sort of Springer-esque episode? Well, Ishmael is born, into the strife and into the drama, and naturally, it impacts his life.
My big take away from this morning's time has everything to do with the inability to obey God and his timing. Obedience is a concept to me that is constantly in the forefront of my mind, particularly because we have a 5 year old daughter, and the idea of obedience to her is more like a process of negotiation. I can get frustrated with her so easily, because of her inability to obey.
The humbling thing for me in all of this, is that I see Abram, Hagar, and Sarai and what they did, bringing Ishmael into a situation that he had no control over, and I judge that behavior. In reality though, I think that what I'm learning is that I've brought my daughter into a broken environment as well. One that she observes and can learn from. She sees when dad is frustrated; she sees when mom and dad aren't seeing eye-to-eye with one another; she sees when dad is selfish and wants his time on the weekend, as opposed to spending time with her. In essence, these things don't happen all the time, but they happen, and my daughter was brought into that environment, and she had no control over that.
So after tearing my clothes and covering myself in ashes for my behavior, the one thing that I'm so thankful for is this: my wife and I both are on the same page of Christ's intervention in our life, and even though the pursuit of sanctification is a daily, uphill climb, we are both committed to showing Hailey (and Samantha for that matter) the love of Christ, and his ability to cover for our family shortfalls as well as our character shortfalls.
I'm so thankful for Christ's love and intervention in my life. I now hope not to sit in condemnation of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar; rather, I hope that I can continue to learn the lessons that I've learned from that story this very morning...
So what unfolds from this sort of Springer-esque episode? Well, Ishmael is born, into the strife and into the drama, and naturally, it impacts his life.
My big take away from this morning's time has everything to do with the inability to obey God and his timing. Obedience is a concept to me that is constantly in the forefront of my mind, particularly because we have a 5 year old daughter, and the idea of obedience to her is more like a process of negotiation. I can get frustrated with her so easily, because of her inability to obey.
The humbling thing for me in all of this, is that I see Abram, Hagar, and Sarai and what they did, bringing Ishmael into a situation that he had no control over, and I judge that behavior. In reality though, I think that what I'm learning is that I've brought my daughter into a broken environment as well. One that she observes and can learn from. She sees when dad is frustrated; she sees when mom and dad aren't seeing eye-to-eye with one another; she sees when dad is selfish and wants his time on the weekend, as opposed to spending time with her. In essence, these things don't happen all the time, but they happen, and my daughter was brought into that environment, and she had no control over that.
So after tearing my clothes and covering myself in ashes for my behavior, the one thing that I'm so thankful for is this: my wife and I both are on the same page of Christ's intervention in our life, and even though the pursuit of sanctification is a daily, uphill climb, we are both committed to showing Hailey (and Samantha for that matter) the love of Christ, and his ability to cover for our family shortfalls as well as our character shortfalls.
I'm so thankful for Christ's love and intervention in my life. I now hope not to sit in condemnation of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar; rather, I hope that I can continue to learn the lessons that I've learned from that story this very morning...
Monday, September 28, 2009
Grace....
There are so many needs in our church this morning for prayer. People are ravaged with cancer; others are out of work and in desperate need of help; some are wrestling with the reality of a broken home; others aren't sure that God could truly forgive them for what they've done.
As I look at all of the requests put out before us in prayer this morning, I was blown away by a simple truth prayed during the closing of our time by Dr. Deon Drake---God, in his character, is unchanging. As cancer takes people home, as sin pervades our daily life, as families are broken by human decisions, God is good, and that does not change.
I've never truly thought about how amazing it is for the character of any entity or being to not change. Yet, that's what we have in our God. Why is that important to me? For a variety of reasons, I guess. Probably first is the reality that I am not constant in any area but one- I am human, and therefore I am prone to falling short of perfection on a daily basis. How did I treat my wife before I walked out the door? How did I discipline my child today? What did I do to reach out to someone in need? The answers to these questions are anything but constant.
Second, the importance of God's faithfulness is in His promises. I'm not guaranteed to make it through this life unscathed. In fact, if Paul's life is any sign of what may come for believers, I would imagine that my life would be full of continual trials and difficulties (not saying that I want that, but that it could happen). But the guarantee of the hope that I have beyond the grave is so important to me.
The guarantee of Jesus' sacrifice and atonement for the sin of humanity at the cross-that is constant, and that is something that I rest in.
The guarantee of God's character being unwavering. How tragic to be in the hands of a flippant, non-consistent God.
The guarantee of God's grace. Ah yes, the Grace of God. How beautiful and yet how amazingly misunderstood by me. This is probably the most precious to me (and to all for that matter). Whether I'm ravaged with cancer or my family is on the verge of collapse, or even if life is good and things are stable, the constant of God's grace is so comforting to me. It's the source of hope beyond the grave that I have. It's what I cling to in trial and suffering, and it's what I take for granted when things are well. Regardless, it's something that is constant, and oh so precious to me.
As prayers were lifted up this morning in our meeting time, I'm so thankful that we can find rest and peace in God's grace and in our hope in things unseen...
As I look at all of the requests put out before us in prayer this morning, I was blown away by a simple truth prayed during the closing of our time by Dr. Deon Drake---God, in his character, is unchanging. As cancer takes people home, as sin pervades our daily life, as families are broken by human decisions, God is good, and that does not change.
I've never truly thought about how amazing it is for the character of any entity or being to not change. Yet, that's what we have in our God. Why is that important to me? For a variety of reasons, I guess. Probably first is the reality that I am not constant in any area but one- I am human, and therefore I am prone to falling short of perfection on a daily basis. How did I treat my wife before I walked out the door? How did I discipline my child today? What did I do to reach out to someone in need? The answers to these questions are anything but constant.
Second, the importance of God's faithfulness is in His promises. I'm not guaranteed to make it through this life unscathed. In fact, if Paul's life is any sign of what may come for believers, I would imagine that my life would be full of continual trials and difficulties (not saying that I want that, but that it could happen). But the guarantee of the hope that I have beyond the grave is so important to me.
The guarantee of Jesus' sacrifice and atonement for the sin of humanity at the cross-that is constant, and that is something that I rest in.
The guarantee of God's character being unwavering. How tragic to be in the hands of a flippant, non-consistent God.
The guarantee of God's grace. Ah yes, the Grace of God. How beautiful and yet how amazingly misunderstood by me. This is probably the most precious to me (and to all for that matter). Whether I'm ravaged with cancer or my family is on the verge of collapse, or even if life is good and things are stable, the constant of God's grace is so comforting to me. It's the source of hope beyond the grave that I have. It's what I cling to in trial and suffering, and it's what I take for granted when things are well. Regardless, it's something that is constant, and oh so precious to me.
As prayers were lifted up this morning in our meeting time, I'm so thankful that we can find rest and peace in God's grace and in our hope in things unseen...
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Missional Church Structure....
Reviewing a few papers lately, I came across an article from Jerry Gillis, pastor of The Chapel in Buffalo, NY. It's a great article, and instead of explaining, I thought it would be beneficial to simply post. Happy reading:
Developing Missional Church Structure
By Jerry Gillis
September 2008
It’s no secret. The North American Church is declining in numbers and impact as every
major research agency has endlessly testified. What are we missing? Do people not
understand the mission of the church? That doesn’t seem to be the problem. Ask virtually any congregation what their mission is and they will tell you something that at least moderately resembles the Great Commission. So if it is not that they don’t understand their mission, then what is the hindrance? Well, maybe they are actually structured to hinder the mission that they say they want to accomplish.
Far too often the church in North America lets its existing structure dictate the extent of its mission endeavor. It seems that for many, ecclesiology (the way in which the church is structured) is the starting point in mission. But for the missionally minded church, ecclesiology doesn’t lead, it follows. Alan Hirsch summed it up well in The Forgotten Ways when he wrote “Christology determines Missiology, and Missiology determines Ecclesiology.” Stated simply, what we know and understand about Christ and His Mission tells us, as the church, what our mission is to be. It is Christ Himself that gives us our marching orders. Based on that mission, we structure ourselves to point in that direction. The conviction of the Infinity Alliance, based on the revelation of Scripture from its beginning to end, is
that the Mission of God is for every man, woman, and child to have repeated
opportunities to both hear and see the gospel of Jesus Christ – a gospel that proclaims reconciliation to the Father provided through Jesus Christ.
While no structure is perfect, and while there is no one model for structure, what are some principles for structure that will keep a congregation pointed in the direction of this mission?
I. Be Intentional about your Geography
Though there is much that could, and should, be said about the mandate given to
the church in Acts 1:8, at its core is a geographical intention. The Spirit of God forms congregations of believers in various geographies for the purpose of accomplishing the mission of every man, woman, and child in that geography hearing and seeing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Church in a geography exists for that geography. The language and strategy for Infinity Alliance churches is to draw Circles of Accountability – geographic areas around the church for which that church will take the responsibility of engaging the mission with all of its energy and assets.
Understanding this geographical circle, with all of the appropriate research that it
requires, will change the way a congregation goes about its ministry in a number of ways.
First, the programmatic aspects of the congregation will be based on what is needed to reach that geography – not just based on trends, fads, or traditions. Second, the church will see the need in those geographies to plant additional churches if the mission is going to be accomplished. As well, the vastness of the mission will require more resources than any one congregation possesses, so there will be a need for cooperation (as expressed in the next principle).
II. Partner with Other Congregations
Ephesians 4 is a stark reminder that not only is there one LORD, one faith, and
one baptism, but that there is also one body and one Spirit. If there is genuinely only one body, and that truth rises out of the Scripture, then it is the responsibility of the missional church to do more than just agree with it – we must act like it is so.
Within a geography, many congregations of the one Church exist. Though there
is a great diversity among these expressions of the one Church in that geography, the one mission still applies to all. So, if a congregation wants to be active in the pursuit of the mission of every man, woman, and child hearing and seeing the gospel of Jesus Christ, that congregation will have to live in the reality that the solo congregation cannot, and should not, endeavor to accomplish the mission alone.
The unity so beautifully expressed in Ephesians 4 was not just for the sake of
unity. Viewed within the larger story of God throughout history and revealed in
Scripture, the unity God prescribes for His body, the Church, is for the sake of mission.
III. Lead Interdependently
The overarching metaphor for the Church in the New Testament is that of a
“body.” There are other metaphors for the Church, but the body seems to loom largest.
The New Testament is also very clear that this “body” already has a head – the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ. If the position of the “head” is already taken, then it appears that all followers of Jesus, including leaders, must find a way to fit interdependently in the body.
The idea of a church, or region, being led by only one person to fulfill the mission
is foreign to the New Testament. The idea of the singular, stand-alone leader is one that has either been mistakenly projected from the Old Testament to the New (such as Moses on the mountain) or is one that has been created by cultural influences. Ephesians 4 denotes leadership functions (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) that are designed to work together for the purpose of people empowerment so that the mission can be engaged by all Christ followers.
This principle for leadership is not only one that will more holistically round out
the gifts of a congregation’s leadership, but the reality of this leadership should be employed in a region, or geography, as well. Shared gifts and gifted leaders should be utilized in the greater body in a particular region so that the mission can be engaged more effectively.
IV. Make Spiritual Formation a Priority
The Church is a spiritual enterprise. As a result, it must be led and populated by
spiritually maturing people. If the goal of a congregation is to mobilize people for the mission of every man, woman, and child hearing and seeing the gospel, then it is
imperative to remember that these same people need to be maturing in their faith.
Mobilizing spiritually stagnant people will not produce much missional progress. A
congregation should at least be committed to measuring and nurturing some “outcomes”
of spiritual maturity so that the heart of people is formed more into the likeness of Christ, and, by default, formed more into the mission of Christ for the world. Those basic outcomes of spiritual maturing would be:
1. A deepening intimacy with the Father (expressed in Scripture reading and
meditation, prayer, and other disciplines that serve as a vehicle to support this).
2. Understanding and telling our personal stories of grace
3. Identifying and using our spiritual gifts
4. Living in all of our relationships in a way that bears the fingerprints of God
When these principles are engaged, it will not make for a perfect church. It may not
result in the rapid growth of a particular congregation. It won’t be easy to brand. It may even be hard for people to understand. But it will, at the very least, have you pointed in the direction of the mission of God to see every man, woman, and child have repeated opportunities to both hear and see the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Developing Missional Church Structure
By Jerry Gillis
September 2008
It’s no secret. The North American Church is declining in numbers and impact as every
major research agency has endlessly testified. What are we missing? Do people not
understand the mission of the church? That doesn’t seem to be the problem. Ask virtually any congregation what their mission is and they will tell you something that at least moderately resembles the Great Commission. So if it is not that they don’t understand their mission, then what is the hindrance? Well, maybe they are actually structured to hinder the mission that they say they want to accomplish.
Far too often the church in North America lets its existing structure dictate the extent of its mission endeavor. It seems that for many, ecclesiology (the way in which the church is structured) is the starting point in mission. But for the missionally minded church, ecclesiology doesn’t lead, it follows. Alan Hirsch summed it up well in The Forgotten Ways when he wrote “Christology determines Missiology, and Missiology determines Ecclesiology.” Stated simply, what we know and understand about Christ and His Mission tells us, as the church, what our mission is to be. It is Christ Himself that gives us our marching orders. Based on that mission, we structure ourselves to point in that direction. The conviction of the Infinity Alliance, based on the revelation of Scripture from its beginning to end, is
that the Mission of God is for every man, woman, and child to have repeated
opportunities to both hear and see the gospel of Jesus Christ – a gospel that proclaims reconciliation to the Father provided through Jesus Christ.
While no structure is perfect, and while there is no one model for structure, what are some principles for structure that will keep a congregation pointed in the direction of this mission?
I. Be Intentional about your Geography
Though there is much that could, and should, be said about the mandate given to
the church in Acts 1:8, at its core is a geographical intention. The Spirit of God forms congregations of believers in various geographies for the purpose of accomplishing the mission of every man, woman, and child in that geography hearing and seeing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Church in a geography exists for that geography. The language and strategy for Infinity Alliance churches is to draw Circles of Accountability – geographic areas around the church for which that church will take the responsibility of engaging the mission with all of its energy and assets.
Understanding this geographical circle, with all of the appropriate research that it
requires, will change the way a congregation goes about its ministry in a number of ways.
First, the programmatic aspects of the congregation will be based on what is needed to reach that geography – not just based on trends, fads, or traditions. Second, the church will see the need in those geographies to plant additional churches if the mission is going to be accomplished. As well, the vastness of the mission will require more resources than any one congregation possesses, so there will be a need for cooperation (as expressed in the next principle).
II. Partner with Other Congregations
Ephesians 4 is a stark reminder that not only is there one LORD, one faith, and
one baptism, but that there is also one body and one Spirit. If there is genuinely only one body, and that truth rises out of the Scripture, then it is the responsibility of the missional church to do more than just agree with it – we must act like it is so.
Within a geography, many congregations of the one Church exist. Though there
is a great diversity among these expressions of the one Church in that geography, the one mission still applies to all. So, if a congregation wants to be active in the pursuit of the mission of every man, woman, and child hearing and seeing the gospel of Jesus Christ, that congregation will have to live in the reality that the solo congregation cannot, and should not, endeavor to accomplish the mission alone.
The unity so beautifully expressed in Ephesians 4 was not just for the sake of
unity. Viewed within the larger story of God throughout history and revealed in
Scripture, the unity God prescribes for His body, the Church, is for the sake of mission.
III. Lead Interdependently
The overarching metaphor for the Church in the New Testament is that of a
“body.” There are other metaphors for the Church, but the body seems to loom largest.
The New Testament is also very clear that this “body” already has a head – the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ. If the position of the “head” is already taken, then it appears that all followers of Jesus, including leaders, must find a way to fit interdependently in the body.
The idea of a church, or region, being led by only one person to fulfill the mission
is foreign to the New Testament. The idea of the singular, stand-alone leader is one that has either been mistakenly projected from the Old Testament to the New (such as Moses on the mountain) or is one that has been created by cultural influences. Ephesians 4 denotes leadership functions (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) that are designed to work together for the purpose of people empowerment so that the mission can be engaged by all Christ followers.
This principle for leadership is not only one that will more holistically round out
the gifts of a congregation’s leadership, but the reality of this leadership should be employed in a region, or geography, as well. Shared gifts and gifted leaders should be utilized in the greater body in a particular region so that the mission can be engaged more effectively.
IV. Make Spiritual Formation a Priority
The Church is a spiritual enterprise. As a result, it must be led and populated by
spiritually maturing people. If the goal of a congregation is to mobilize people for the mission of every man, woman, and child hearing and seeing the gospel, then it is
imperative to remember that these same people need to be maturing in their faith.
Mobilizing spiritually stagnant people will not produce much missional progress. A
congregation should at least be committed to measuring and nurturing some “outcomes”
of spiritual maturity so that the heart of people is formed more into the likeness of Christ, and, by default, formed more into the mission of Christ for the world. Those basic outcomes of spiritual maturing would be:
1. A deepening intimacy with the Father (expressed in Scripture reading and
meditation, prayer, and other disciplines that serve as a vehicle to support this).
2. Understanding and telling our personal stories of grace
3. Identifying and using our spiritual gifts
4. Living in all of our relationships in a way that bears the fingerprints of God
When these principles are engaged, it will not make for a perfect church. It may not
result in the rapid growth of a particular congregation. It won’t be easy to brand. It may even be hard for people to understand. But it will, at the very least, have you pointed in the direction of the mission of God to see every man, woman, and child have repeated opportunities to both hear and see the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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