It’s been strange the last month not working every day at Lakewood Baptist. I work for a church that only exists in my mind. Everything I’m doing is to make this church a reality. It is really an adjustment not having a consistent schedule and while I still meet with people for counseling and bible study, my meetings are becoming more about looking for help, prayer and funding. Below I’ve inserted some of the copy that is going into a pamphlet/brochure thing we are making to tell people about our church. I have someone working on a logo right now as well. Over the next few entries, since I’ve now had time to think more about it, I will try and flesh out some of our values and philosophy of ministry.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says that “if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old is gone; the new has come.” We cling to this truth and believe that a relationship with Jesus Christ wipes away the past and brings hope, healing and renewal. That is why we are Horizon Church. There is new life with Jesus for the person who surrenders their heart to Him. When a person surrenders their heart and will to Jesus it’s a new day. They can now reach forward with hope because of what Jesus has done.

Sometimes churches praise the people who serve the hardest and the longest in a church program but neglect to honor the person who did something for God outside the walls of the church. It’s easy to get caught up in a “busy bee” mentality, working so hard at the church that we forget to be the church outside the building.

Horizon Church is about being on a mission. (Phil 3:10, Matt 28:19-20)

The corporate mentality of the church and its inclination to copy business structure and the world’s way of doing things complicates matters. Acts 2:42-47 is marked by simplicity. The church is guided by the Holy Spirit and its head Jesus Christ.

Horizon Church is about simplicity. (2 Cor 5:17-21)

The Church tends to praise education. As long as people are in a chair with their Bibles open, everyone is happy. The myth is that discipleship is taking place because the Word of God is being taught. But knowledge is not salvation nor does it equal maturity.

Horizon Church is about discipleship. (Luke 9:23-25)

 People should have a sense of ownership in ministry and serve where they’re spiritually gifted.

Horizon Church is about equipping people to do ministry. (Eph 4:12-13)

Planning a program at the church in the name of outreach seems like having a party on the beach after a tsunami in the name of lifesaving. Reaching the lost with the gospel means going to them where they live, work and play and showing and telling them about Christ. The worst thing we can do is put new believers in a classroom and teach them how to share their faith.

Horizon Church is about helping people live out their faith where God has placed them. (Acts 1:8; 18:1-4)

We believe God is calling us to Fenton at this time because there is not only a great need but also a great opportunity. Less than 1 in 10 people in Michigan are attending an evangelical church. Fenton is no different. Two churches in the region have been praying for some time about a way to reach into this community of 13,000 people. God may be using us to answer those prayers.

Overall, the church in Michigan is declining. The economy is a factor in this decline but we also believe that this is a key reason to start a church there. When life does not go as planned, when jobs are lost, when people experience real need, they often turn to a place they may have experienced as a child or a place they believe may have some answers – the church. There are almost 30,000 people in the Fenton region who are nominally attending church or are not connected to a church in any way. We want to reach them with the good news that Jesus Christ can give them a new life and bring about a new day.

We want the people of Horizon Church to feel free to be in the community, spending time with the people we are trying to reach. We believe in the church being sprinkled throughout the community, not always tied to or huddled together at a church building. We want to reach the lost the way Jesus did. Through relationships. We want to leave non-essentials behind and reach forward; toward hope, toward Jesus, toward the horizon.

MISSION STATEMENT: Our mission is to reach people who don’t know God with the Gospel of Jesus and help them become His mature disciples.

I saw a video on a church planting blog I have been frequenting. It is an introduction to a church plant in downtown Chicago called The Painted Door. The planter is a friend of mine named Mark Bergin who I met at the assessment center we went to in Indiana. He comes out of Seattle and the Mars Hill church planting network. He’s a sharp guy, well-spoken and very driven. If you want to check it out click here.

It was Thursday night and we went to bed late. We had only been in bed for about 45 minutes in fact when Jody woke me to tell me something strange was happening. She was leaking fluid every time she stood up. Never having had her water break we were in uncharted territory. I was a bit groggy and so I asked “who do we call? Do we call someone? Is this it? Are we having a baby tonight?” It took me a while to get my brain active.

We finally got it together and raced up to Brooks Hospital in record time – 36 minutes to be exact (I blew a few stop signs and red lights and drove faster than usual in order to set that record) We arrived by about 1:30am and in less than 2 hours Sofia had arrived. 6 lbs 3 oz and just under 19 inches long. It has been 2 1/2 weeks now and we have found a routine. She’s a  great sleeper so we are blessed. She has been born into a very busy time though. We spent her second week of life packing up the house (getting started anyway) to get it ready for sale. The house is now on the market by the way. Click the link below to see our little Busti home in all its realtor enhanced grandeur.Listing of our house in Busti

Of course no post about Sofia would be complete without a few pictures!

Sofia's first official baby pictureSleeping peacefully

Sleeping peacefully

 

Yeah, I'm not cute or anything

You can check out more pics on Facebook if you haven’t already seen them.

We were stuck on this for a long time. What do we name this church we want to plant? Because we’re both musical we were dealing with names that had the word “song” in them. NewSong, KingdomSong, FreshSong etc . . . None of them really grabbed us and then Jody, out of the blue says, Horizon and we both loved it. We didn’t know why at first but we both naturally gravitated toward it. As I’ve had time to think it through and bounce off a few people I like it more and more because it describes exactly what we want to do.

The horizon is the place where heaven meets earth. Jesus was the one person in all of history who truly embodied that idea. He was, literally, heaven meeting earth. If our church is to be “Horizon Church” we want it to be a place where heaven meets earth, where people experience the presence of God. We want people to engage in worship that, again, is earth meeting heaven. Our primary value is life transformation. To ultimately be like Jesus. So the goal for each person at Horizon Church is mimic Jesus in every way and live on the horizon, bringing into their earthly sphere of influence the presence of God.

I’m really not trying to be cute or anything. I just feel that the name says a lot, not only to those that are part of the church but also to those outside of it. Just hearing the name should give you a mental image of what might be inside the place. Horizon and its accompanying meaning is the image we want to convey.

I started work a few nights ago on a complete strategy for this church plant. A strategic aim, mission, vision, values, major objectives, goals, tasks. It’s going to be big and it’s going to span 24-36 months when it’s all said and done. (not the paper it’s written on, just the plan) I can’t raise funds until I have a budget and I can’t write a budget until I know what I am spending money on and I can’t know that until I have a list of concrete goals and tasks with a dollar sign next to each one. (side note starting here: The funny thing about my strategy is that the heading at the top reads, “Plant Strategy for   __________ Church”. I don’t have a name for our church! It seems a bit premature to name something that doesn’t exist except in my mind. But when I present this to people it would be nice to call it something other than “this church I want to plant.” side note concluded)

While this is a big undertaking, it’s also kind of fun. One of my strengths, to borrow a  word from our last president, is strategery. I naturally think in terms of a strategy to get something accomplished. It helps me a great deal to sit down and think about what will be happening a year from now and what I will need to do to develop leadership in the church plant at that time, among other projects and objectives. I see pathways very well. I like to plot moves out in advance. It’s one reason I’ve always loved reading about wars. I like to read about how generals think, planning their actions 10 steps in advance. Strangely though I’m not thrilled with chess.

This strategy is also a living document so at any point if it becomes clear that something is out of order or I under or over estimated the cost of something it can be changed. What is more difficult for me is thinking through the mission vision and values portion of the strategy. These are the parts of the strategy through which I filter everything else. If I’m going to raise funds, I must filter that step through my mission vision and values. If I’m going to plan an outreach event I must filter it through those three things. The good thing about this method of planning is that the difficulty is on the front end. For those of you who like to do things by the seat of your pants I’m sure it sounds anal to plan for the next three years. But in the midst of crucial decisions facing our young fledgling church I want to have a baseline to go back to, something that has been prayed over and hashed out. It doesn’t take many mistakes to sink a church start. My hope is to make as few as possible.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

It can’t be!!!!!!!!

How can you be in first place since MAY 10!!! and lose on the last day of the season!!!!

Only in Detroit.

I made a kamikaze run to Michigan Monday. I left at 4:30am and returned home by 10:30pm. Thankfully John Sowa went with me and shared in the driving responsibilities. We spent the bulk of our time visiting key sites and getting lots of video footage and photographs to be used in the production of a promotional video for down the road a bit. I spent time with several people in Fenton City Hall and Linden City Hall which is just a few miles away. We also spent some time at the Chamber of Commerce and the school district administrative offices. 2 hours of the day was at an extended lunch with my friend Stephen Cottle, his wife, Jody’s parents, sister and brother-in-law. My impressions of the trip:

• People love to talk about their city, especially when they’re paid to do so. Several people when asked about Fenton’s churches were quick to say how great they all were and how active they all were, but when pressed, had to admit that they really only meant the 3 or so key churches. (they did not know why I was asking these questions so I tried to filter their answers through the fact that they wanted to make their city look good to a newcomer)
• If you show interest in someone personally (as long as you’re not creepy about it) they actually willtell you things about themselves. I met Charlie at City Hall who went to a Nazarene College and has a 9-year-old daughter. He is not a believer. I told him what I was doing, which he liked the sound of and he gave me his card so I could look him up when I arrived. He’s thinking about going to church.
• If you look like you know what you’re doing, people will ask you questions. I had a lady approach me on the corner of Main Street in Linden and ask if I knew of a good restaurant in town. I directed as best I could to the one I was going to eat at. I didn’t see her there.
• God is at work everywhere. Just start talking to people.
• As soon as you tell someone you are a pastor or that you are starting a church, they immediately want to know what denomination so that they can categorize you and decide what to do with you. It was recommended to me that next time I am asked what I do or why I am in town I should say “I’m a church entrepeneur” and see how that grabs them. I did try that once and the lady just nodded like she knew what that was. She didn’t.
• People are not looking for a church to come to town. They are looking for a business so that they can have tax revenue and have more jobs. At the city hall, a lady joked that she hoped I was doing just that. I just chuckled; nervously. It makes me wonder how my new church might feel about paying property taxes anyway just so that we are on the same plane as everyone else. It might help make some connections with people in leadership.

Lead Pastor

I saw this about a month ago on Pastorfinder. I would have posted it sooner but I had a few other things to say. Let me know what you think about this:

Apply now »

Senior Pastor

 A new series in development for a major cable network seeks pastor of a congregation of 100+ who is willing to allow his work and home life to be filmed.
Candidate must have life experience, strong leadership skills, 5 plus years of pastoral experience, and feel comfortable in front of a camera. Not looking for any actors. Must be a true man of God who always strives to help people who are lost, find their way.

Candidate should be between the ages of 30-55 and must be married with at least one child in the school age years.

Please write in to ftptcasting@yahoo.com with your story and a photo of you and your family. Be sure to include: why you are the Pastor we are looking for, your experience as a Pastor, your biggest success, your future aspirations, etc.

• Job Category: Senior Pastor
• Job Status: Full-time
• Education required: Seminary/graduate degree
• Experience required (years): 5

• Denomination: Non-denominational
• Church Size: 101-250
• Worship Style:

ftptcasting@yahoo.com

I almost wrote to the above address to tell whoever it is that posted this to stop playing pranks on guys looking for church jobs but then it occurred to me – it’s probably legitimate. Keep your eyes out for this show, whatever it’s going to be called.

Several people have asked me about my call to church planting. Though we are all called to something in this life the only “calls” that seem to be recounted and talked about are pastoral calls. What is a call or calling?

A call is the Holy Spirit making evident in your life the direction you must take or the vocation you must pursue. It is an undeniable pull from God that you feel you must obey; God’s hand of direction on your life.  A call comes about in several ways. It can come as a result of studying God’s Word, the Bible. It can come as a result of prayer and seeking God. Other Christians can speak into our lives and advise us. A pastor’s sermon or even a book that moves us to think more deeply about what God wants in our life can help us hear God’s voice. Notice I do not mention “feelings”. Feelings tend to be driven by the current circumstances and not by a true assessment of our life. Feelings are usually RE-active; a response to life. I have learned that what I often refer to as a “feeling” is usually God moving in  my heart and this is confirmed by other sources. They do not stand alone. If you feel led in a certain direction or you feel God calling you to do something for Him, what is the confirmation? Who in your life affirms this call? What does God say to you in His word? Do circumstances seem to be closing off an opportunity or something you feel called to or do the doors of opportunity seem to swing open wide inviting you to pursue it? (not that any opposition means “no” but often when God calls us, as we seek Him, He also shows our path, Proverbs 3:5-6) These are the criteria I have used throughout this process.

As it relates to church planting, God has been drawing me toward it for a long time. When I first took my position as youth pastor at Lakewood Baptist Church I remember being so impressed with a church that was willing to plant another church right down the road. That had a huge impact on my decision to minister there. In the last year of youth ministry at LBC I thought about church planting a great deal. I was in transition, trying to decide if I should stay at Lakewood or go. Ultimately I felt God had released me from youth minsitry but not from LBC. But, as I recounted in my lastest church plant update, I wrote in my journal several times in 2006 that I felt God stirring in my heart a passion to plant a church. It stayed with me over the course of the last 4 years.

In July of 2008 I made the decision to pursue another area of ministry. Specifically, I was looking for a senior pastorate. I had church planting in the back of my mind but I had dismissed what God was telling me by thinking, “Church planting is for guys who can’t hack it in a real church.” Or “church planting is a last resort for the pastor no one wants” and various other negative thoughts. But the idea just wouldn’t go away. It was March of this year that I finally called ConvergeMichigan, the Michigan district of ConvergeUSA, our denomination. It was difficult to do because I thought I was giving credence to all the thoughts I’d had earlier about church planting. I was so wrong.

From the moment I talked to Converge Michigan and got things moving it has been one confirmation after the other. From a pre-assessment meeting in Michigan to the Assessment Center in Indianapolis to sharing it with friends and fellow pastors I have had many confirmations of God’s leading in my life. I have been blessed with ” peace that is beyond understanding” and confidence that I am in the will of God.

Not many of you will appreciate this unless you are in proximity to me and know what this is all about. But then again it may be funny no matter where you are. Here goes . . .

For some time my eyebrow has been the center of some attention. It’s difficult for it not to be since it’s ginormous and a little bit wild. I try to tame it but it has a mind of its own, not unlike the angry eyebrows of VeggieTales fame. I’ve had tribute videos made in honor of my brow. It was in fact called “for the love of the brow”. I have been told that the brow can intimidate, inspire fear, elicit agreement or direct ones behavior. I was not aware I had these powers but they are sure to come in handy if I can learn to control them. Samson must have felt this way when he was learning to handle his incredible strength. I must learn to use my brow, but only for good, never evil.

[By the way, in case you are wondering why I refer to the eyebrow in singular terms, it is because I often have only one, also known as the Uni-brow and must keep a constant watch to make sure the brows do not meet. When they do, the true power of the brow is unleashed!]

So, today while I was taking a little break for lunch I decided to create a logo that would express how important the brow is in ministry. It’s been my partner for a long time and deserves to be honored. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

It’s hard to really get the sense of it on a program like publisher but I did my best. It needs refining. It’s too much like the halves of a mustache. I’ll leave the refining to those of you who have way more time on your hands than I do. I think as a logo it has promise though. Just make sure that whatever you do, it’s for the love of the brow.