The Summer Plan

Excited for this Summer at GraceRiver!  We are focusing our worship around prayer and have a few practical experiences planned.  No doubt this is the next step for us.  We have celebrated many baptisms and delighted in our growth groups growing nearly 40%.  Still, the presence of the Lord is what we most desire, what we pursue, what we need.  This Summer is an open door to experience what can happen when a church does just what the Word of God says, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (II Chronicles 7:14).  

Forming a New Community

GraceRiver is so exciting right now. We are forming a New Community of mission minded people who passionately live core values. Proximity is never the key to community, proximity of the heart is! One of our core values for this new community is how we deal with conflict. The culture, in conflict, blows up or backs up. People unfriend each other or "let them have it". We are committed to doing it different. We are committed to "stepping up" which means:
-we take the leadership role to resolve conflict not just let it ruminate and destroy
-we "step up" to see from a higher vantage so that we can see others stake, risk, reason for their perspective
-we choose to value the larger body even if it means it cost me personally


And here's the real deal. Families will be different all across this community. Moms and dads will deal with their own conflict in more healthy ways, kids will learn how to resolve conflict rather than just mimicking what they see, back up or blow up. And family systems will breathe health and wholeness into the families in our neighborhoods. That is spiritual influence and that is bringing the Kingdom of God to people all across this community. And that is a new community!!!

Key People Who "Bring It"!!!

Every hot spiritual environment has a few key people, people who "bring it". In a small group it is the person who does their preparation with passion and anticipates what the Lord will say and do in the group time. In worship it is those who come to worship, to celebrate their awesome God. Those in worship need not be on the stage, they just "bring it" (passion, joy, hope... themselves) to the moment. Some of "bringing it" could be a calling but mostly, it is just desire and passion. Everyone of us can be among the few key people that make a small group really powerful, a worship time full of hope and anticipation simply by bringing "it" (ourselves fully) into the moment. At GraceRiver we have some who bring it and we are gathering more. Consequently the environments are gaining power. Want to be among those who "bring it"? Just by a single choice to be prepared for worship and small group, to bring hope and joy, to welcome others and lead by example we are impacting many. This week, "bring it" to your places!

Increasing the X factor of Spiritual Power

Our growth groups have an interesting study this week as we continue to learn about spiritual power. In Matthew 10:1-4 and Luke 10:1-20 Jesus sends out the disciples in 2's. Why? What happens in 2's that may not happen when we serve and minister alone? For one, we can find encouragement and support, gain another perspective when ours is clouded.

But this one may be bigger. Could it be that spiritual power is multiplied when we walk together into ministry? Could it be that the synergy of me + you = spiritual power multiplied? Could it be in Matthew 18:18-20 (where 2 or 3 are gathered Jesus is in the midst) means that our spiritual power is multiplied? And further, if we are alone, is our power decreased?

Churches often speak of teams but teams may be more significant than we (or at least I) have realized! When 2 or 3 are serving together in the name and for the glory of Jesus spiritual power is unprecedented! Maybe that is one of the reasons we see such little power released today?

Exploring Brokenness

Our growth groups this week have had some powerful, holy community moments around what the Bible says about brokenness. Job 2:1-10 was the basis for the study. What we learn about brokenness is that life brings its own challenges and struggles but when we see behind the scenes (which Job did not, he was in the story, we read about the story and see more than he does) we can see that the challenges and tragedies of life GIVE OPPORTUNITY for the Spirit's work deeper within. None of us ask for brokenness but life will bring that anyway. If we can respond to life from the center of the Spirit our challenges and tragedies become "brokenness moments" which means they become spiritual and places for the Lord to move greatly among us. Brokenness takes life and laces it with spiritual reality. Without that, we are mostly left with bitterness that life isn't working, that people let us down, etc.

But in the scripture is a powerful reality, that God limits the brokenness! What a turn! Satan wants to destroy but the Lord limits his power (as Paul says in Corinthians, no temptation is beyond our ability). If we could only remember that... if we could only have people in holy community respond to our challenges and tragedies of life with a reminder that this is a holy moment and we are not left (abandoned by the Lord) and we are not left alone (for the community will stick with us).

God Sent Me to Starbucks!

Last week was a tough one.  Lots of stress, packed schedule, etc.  Pastors have those too!  Friday as I was leaving I reached for the door and the Lord reminded me of Psalm 23, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."  The word of that Psalm is that in the midst of a battle we sit down to eat!  Chaos all around but the Lord provides not just food but a feast of joy, hope, taste and the pleasure of eating.  Then, immediately He reminded me of Nehemiah 8:10 where Nehemiah tells the people that the moment is not for worry and weeping but to celebrate, to rejoice!  

The point was this.  In the midst of the chaos, stress and anxiety the Lord is with me.  I have a God and I can choose defiant joy!  Defiant joy says that the circumstances do not dictate how I am, His word dictates how I am!  I was to enjoy a Chai in defiance of the chaos but in celebration of the Lord.  How special!  The scripture is the story I live, not the craziness of stress.  I can celebrate and drink a Chai, live joyfully and sit and celebrate when the world is chaotic... because His word is strong.  

How cool that the Lord would interpret the simple fun of having Chai with His word.  And defiant joy seems like a real way to live faith.

Seasonal Leadership

What is the one thing your church could do this Fall that would open the near future - either in the Spring or a bit later?

That's what we call seasonal leadership.  Seasonal leadership begins with asking, "What could we do this summer that would help us in the Fall?"  Could we equip some leaders?  Do a summer reading challenge at our church that could involve everyone?

One church launched "Summer Pursuit: More than Rest…Restore."  The dream was to keep the people connected as they vacationed and played by reading, blogs and facebook.  Restore was built around a reading schedule and each week the worship highlighted something from the reading schedule and recast the vision of what the summer was about. 

What was even more telling was the response of the church!  By setting direction for the summer it allowed the peopleto take action!  It was restorative action not busyness.  Still, it brought a sense of direction, joy, and anticipation to the body.

Setting a seasonal direction can make the vision even more "earthy" as the people not only hear the larger picture (vision), but see the next steps toward that vision.  Seasonal direction also gives meaning and significance to every thing the church does.  Sermon series, an outreach event, small groups, etc. all have meaning in the season which helps to accomplish the larger vision.

Seasonal direction can give handholds for the vision so that the average person knows how to engage the vision, knows what to do that can add significance to the church, sees their part as a meaningful piece of the larger vision that the Lord is breathing into the leadership.

Seasonal leadership can be as short as 3 months or as long as 12 months.  Leaders need to cast vision beyond 12 months but when a leader brings it down to the next 3-12 months with real action steps (launching small groups, hosting a Friend Day, etc), the leader empowers the people to action.

What's the most important thing for your church in this season?