Surviving the Tornado

Burlington Community Church has been going through some changes as we have seen God send us more people.  We have entitled the November series, Tornado Survival for Dummies.  This is a series designed to go through the storms of doctrine that sway a person with "every wind of doctrine."  My initial purpose was to teach and preach about the foundations and truths that will always guide our vision and purpose.

The series has taken a turn because I started to think systemically about the church and how to survive storms so we (as a church) stand strong.  We began with restating our vision.  This is a good place to start so we know what we are standing firm on.  BCC is Building Community in Christ!  We are to build each other up in faith, reach out to our community all for the cause of Christ and the changes He has made in our lives!  What a wonderful way to think through what God has done for us.  

Today, I focused on a Servant's Heart and what that means.  Commitment and to each other and service makes all the difference in the world!  It is also what bonds our hearts together in Christ.  I am the closest and strongest with those who I serve and serve with.  That bond is the strength like a rock that can stand the winds and storms.  

Next week we finally get to the doctrinal pieces.  It is not enough to have a vision and commitment.  It MUST be anchored in the Word of God and the truth that each church must have to stand for years to come.  We are proud of our church and can't wait to bring this message next Sunday!

October!  This month holds some very busy but fun memories for Tracey and me.  We used to lead a big event at our church in Virginia called Trunk or Treat.  It was a lot of fun and had a lot going on in a 2 hour window of time that ended with a professional fireworks display.  What a fun thing to do for trick or treaters and church families.  We had as many as 7000 in attendance one year but that crowd was a little overwhelming.  

Though we are not doing something that grandiose in Burlington, we are hosting a series of Sunday sermons called, Beyond the Grave.  A man who just started coming to our church and reconnecting after years away from the Lord did some great artwork for us.  Very happy to have him around.  

For this series, we are going to explore messages from people beyond the grave.  Hollywood has given its spin on these concepts through character popular to teenagers.  In the last few years, there has been a fascination with vampires, werewolves, zombies and other beyond the grave creatures.  Why not show what the Bible has to say about this and what really happens Beyond the Grave.  It is a scary reality unless you have faith in Christ.  

One Year!

Burlington Community Church is one year old!  We have had some tremendous things happen and have to praise God for all the He has done.  We could not have come this far if He were not our guide.  The Bible says it is foolish to build on any other foundation than Christ so that is what we have tried to do.  

On August 28, 2011, we had 64 in attendance!  To have that many is incredible and it is the highest attendance we have enjoyed so far.  There were a lot of guests both from Burlington and other places.  It is always a blessing to have family around and my parents were there to celebrate with us.  Tracey's mom also made the trip up from Windsor with an old friend from years ago.  I really appreciated them being there!

Allan Gallant and his group from Church By The Canal came to worship with us for the day.  This church planted last fall and will soon celebrate their one year anniversary.  There are a number of us who are partners in ministry and watching God work in our churches.  We are blessed to have other pastors starting churches and reaching out to help each other.  Allan and others are becoming great friends in ministry up here.   

Tom and Tammy Haines from FEB Central were also there.  Tom helped us get the paperwork and process done to become a legal entity in Canada.  Not only that, but he brought a check to pay off our sound system.  What a blessing to have that bill behind us so we can use our funds in greater outreach ways.  

Finally, some sweet friends from Fair Oaks Church showed up to encourage us.  The King family and Jackie Jones and some of her family arrived that morning.  We did not know they were coming but so thankful they made the trip.  To complete the day of Fair Oaks Church visitors, we were blessed to have so many great wishes from the staff and friends via video.  Pastor Stokes completed the video with his greeting.  The video was such a hit for our church family that 2 couples will probably take a trip to visit VA this fall.  I am looking forward to them getting some ideas and support from our home church!

All in all, it was a day of celebration for the things God has done.  We are working hard talking to the Burlington guests and asking them to be a part of what we are doing.  Some of these guests still need to make a faith commitment to Christ so we are busy in our witness too.  We pray we are double our size in a month then moving forward to greater things in year 2!

Looking Back

I have had a lot of reflection lately as we approach the 1 year anniversary of the Burlington Community Church. I had been warned of the difficulties of the first year as a church planter and even more so when it is just your family to start. As I think through what we have accomplished and how much there is still to do, I can get overwhelmed but have a sense of joy for the things God has done!

When I look back over the year, we have had a lot of activities and lives we have touched along the way. From neighbors we met at the beginning to church attenders, we have met people that have enriched and blessed our lives! We have seen 3 salvation decisions and hope to see more before the year is out. We are approach

ing our first baptism service and will baptize a man who has become so faithful in the church and helping with our music ministry. There are times that his growth in the Lord has been the fuel to my passion for ministry here.

Soon, another man in our church will take a post as a minister in prisons in Hamilton. He has his orientation soon and will begin leading men to Christ in that setting. Praise the Lord for that! He and I have been meeting weekly for prayer and Bible study since the church began. I love to see a committed Christian who grew up in church take a position of service. I wish all who grew up in church would see that potential and press on in Christ!

My daughters have grown in the Lord. They have a place of service and using their voices and talents for the Lord weekly. I cannot begin to describe the gift God has given this church with the work they and Tracey do.

Tracey has been helping in every aspect of ministry here and I am VERY thankful for her in my life! Last week we celebrated 21 years of marriage. Her mother and brother came up from Windsor and took us to dinner to celebrate.

Tracey is not only helping me but she has picked up a position for Toronto Church Planting. She is an administrator for them and helping us connect with more support organizations. I am so thankful for her drive and determination in this area of ministry in Canada.

We have been blessed by FEB Central helping us get planted and a group to fellowship with too. This church planting group helped us file paperwork to begin our church, took me to a conference and connected us with a group of pastors I have enjoyed working with. This group helped me get my credentials to marry people in Ontario too. Enjoying the networks God has used to help me.

Finally, we have been blessed by Fair Oaks Church that has taken care of my salary and some to begin this work in the GTA. Pastor Stokes has been there when I called for help and offers excellent advice! We had the Vision TO Team up from Fair Oaks here last summer, Mike and Brenda Zizolfo in the fall, Brooks and Izzy (and Bella) Franklin around Thanksgiving time to help with an outreach, Jenny Alt up for a visit during Christmas, Christian, Stephanie and the youth group up for a missions trip and dodge ball tournament early April, Jim and Fran Clifton dropped in during a business trip in Rochester, NY, and Phil and Amber Bassham (Penny and Nate too) and Taylor Boose up for Ceilidh's graduation and tech ministry support in June. Very grateful for Fair Oaks Church support!

Though it has taken a lot to carve out what little we have now, we are praying for God to open the windows of heaven and bless u

s more in year #2! Our highest attendance was 50 this year and lowest 8. If you haven't been up to visit, consider coming to our Anniversary Sunday! It is August 28th!

Lord Bless You and keep us in your prayers!!!

I Was Broke...

As I pray and work through what God would have me to do in ministry and for the next series of talks, God seemed to keep pulling me toward the topic of finances. Some of it born out of my own frustration over money and others from those in my church who have shared some concerns. Money is certainly one of those areas of life that can keep you discouraged!

It can also destroy relationships. Larry Burkett used to say that he could save 70% of marriages by just helping them with their finances. I believe that to be true! He was a very wise financial adviser who was the first to talk about the 10/10/80 plan. He encouraged families to tithe 10% to their churches, save 10% for self and live on 80%.

We have been using the financial advise of Joe Sangl for our series and I really appreciate his premise for becoming financially free. He presses people to truly be financially free so they can "give to the things they are most passionate about." I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to give more to something but had my finances so stretched that I could not be a help or blessing to anyone! I was always plagued with "if I give this, we won't be able to cover this bill." I HATE living there and do not want to live that close to the edge.

On Sunday we talked about the premises of how we would work through this series. The premises are these:

• God is our provider and everything belongs to Him! When we start there, any amount we could/would make is because He has blessed us with the job or the resources we have.
• God wants us to plan and use our money/resources wisely as good stewards of what He has entrusted to us.
• We reap what we sow. When we use money correctly, we see it reap benefits or have savings we can use. When we use money unwisely or incorrectly, we reap the consequences of those decisions and always find ourselves running out of money or nothing left to spare.
• It is more blessed to give than receive! It is always great to give gifts. That is usually the benefit of doing the wise thing with our funds. When we are able to give and give more, we are being blessed and in a place for God to bless us again. You cannot out-give God!

Working from these principles, we are hoping to see God work with and through our church and help others in our community. We had 2 visitors this weekend at Burlington Community Church and look forward to others coming. We also want to see our church get to the point where we are able to do more. Those faithful attenders are also faithful givers, but how much greater this could be if tithing were routine and God blessing because of wise use of funds!

Money, are you needing help with handling it? Hope you will join us or respond to this if I can help...

You Are NOT Invited to Church

Have you ever tried to share your faith with someone and all they can gather is that you want them to go to church? I would certainly like them to go to church but hear about the difference Christ makes in their life first. It gets frustrating to try to get people to church anyway. And...I have just as hard a time with convincing Christians and non-Christians by the way. Maybe I am TOO committed but I really think Christians should do what the Bible says and "not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing...and all the more as you see the Day approaching." I could go on and on about spiritual disciplines and how Christians need to get with it and start doing what is right...and I am talking about more than just going to church! I wrestle with the fact that for many, Christianity is that thing they do on Sundays then it's back to whatever. For both the Christian and non-Christian, I'd rather call you to something else.

For the person who is not of faith, the idea of church can be boring. You go there, someone my be friendly to you and make you welcome, there is some singing (and that experience can be dreadful), then some guy talks about the Bible (and this experience can be irrelevant), and there may be some coffee, donuts, etc... Nothing to exciting in their mind. "Why would I do this on a Sunday when I can sleep in and enjoy time with my family?" is probably what they are thinking. If I did not believe the Bible to be true and faith essential, that is what I would be doing! That person and I are not that far apart except for one HUGE thing, what I KNOW to be true and that is why church becomes important. I do not want to invite this person to church but I do want to invite them to have a relationship with Christ. I do want them to see their need for salvation and come to faith. THEN...church becomes a no brainer. This is not to say that they cannot come to faith in our church service as they may have been invited to church. Once they are in the doors, I pray the Holy Spirit will convict them of sin and repentance, and that I have done my part in faithfully preaching the Word.

For the person of faith, the Christian, the Christ-follower, I call you to be crucified with Christ! "For I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live; yet not I but Christ Who lives within me." Think about how dynamic that life would be! The conversation of whether or not you came to church would be flat stupid because you would KNOW and understand that Christ gave His life for you and He can live in and through you! You would know the importance of the church because it becomes your place of hope and growth for your future. It is the Bride of Christ and you would want to be a part of it. It would be more than a meeting, it would be a celebration of who Christ is and what He has done in your life. It would become the Family of God for you and you would want to be around your brothers and sisters in Christ. I am not calling you to church attendance but to a life in Christ! A life that realizes there is nothing more important than Him and nothing more exciting than seeing people come to a saving knowledge of Christ, repenting and asking Jesus to be their Savior. Then we all grow in our faith and works so that we are bringing more to faith who will continue to do the same.

So...you are NOT invited to Church. I am inviting you to something far greater and you will NOT miss the Church, His Bride in the process. You hearing me on this one?

One Year!

Wow how time flies! We have been in Burlington for a year as of yesterday. It has been and incredible journey filled with many ups and downs. We have seen God do some great things and want to see more! Actually...have to see more! I am not satisfied with where we are but satisfied with where we are headed. I have a vision for the future that keeps me moving and on my knees. I have hit "crisis moments" when all I wanted to do was quit but I haven't. I am still trying to determine if that is because of God or my own determination...maybe a bit of both! :-)

I am happy about the fact that we have a church running around 30 but had bigger expectations. I am managing through this in my heart and reevaluating my purpose and call. I think this is normal to do...especially at the year mark, right? I have been overwhelmed by the amount of work just to get to this place in Canada and frustrated with the strongholds Satan has in our community. I have waded through moments of discouragement and had nothing but tears. I have been asking God about what is going on and what more I need to do.

I have our church involved in an outreach event once a month and spontaneous ones like the open mic night just this past Friday. I am on a council board with Burlington to help honor outstanding citizens and achievements. I talk to people all the time about our church and the Lord. I volunteer (family too) in a bunch of stuff here. I advertise as much as possible and have put our family in more debt to advertise, so...What more? This verse keeps coming to me "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy!" Psalm 126:5 I am assuming since it is a Bible verse and all, that it is from the Lord. ;-)

What I want to know is...When are we done the sowing in tears part and move on to the reaping in joy part?!! My wife will remind me from time to time that we are in a sowing season and results may not be as big right now. Those that know Tracey and I KNOW that this is a huge twist in our characteristics. It is usually me calming her down and NOT the other way around...

As we find our way through year 2, keep us in prayer. Our church will celebrate it's first year on August 21! Come up to visit us...that is very encouraging for us too! And keep asking God to give us direction. We are here, in place and ready to follow!

Modern Family

I decided to use a title from a popular TV series for my messages for May and June. With Mother's Day and Father's Day in these months, I thought it would be great o hit a series on the family. We will be discussing a lot to modern family topics and addressing the commitment issue in marriage and to the family that society seems to think is very unimportant.

The commitment to family is so important and the and below is the message I preached this past Sunday. My church family may be looking to finish the outline from Sunday...sorry if it doesn't make sense to you but hope it is a blessing if you study it through!

Text: Ephesians 5:21 – 6:4

Modern Family

…Yet Happy?

q Relationships

“Life is relationships; the rest is just details.” Dr. Scott Sticksel

· Make Jesus first (Matthew 6:33 & Joshua 24:15)

· Commit to your marriage (Matthew 19:6…asunder)

· Enjoy your kids!

q Respect

“Earned respect will always outweigh positional respect.”

· Take responsibility for your own actions (Ephesians 5:21 & Romans 12:10)

· Listen & Understand each other

· Resolve conflicts quickly (Ephesians 4:26)

q Rules

· Follow God’s rules (Psalm 119)

· Agree on Marital rules (Hebrews 13:4)

· Reasonable and age-appropriate rules (Proverbs 22:6 & Ephesians 6:4)

“Rules without relationship lead to rebellion.” Josh McDowell

q Rest

· Comfort and healing

· Creativity and individuality

· Encouragement and instruction

q Reconciliation

· Free to confess

· Free to forgive (Ephesians 4:32 & 1John 1:9)

“I’m sorry, will you please forgive me?”

Mother's Day

"Did you say something encouraging to your children today? The average parent has 10 negatives to 1 positive. Don't be average. Look for opportunities to express love and encouragement to your children today! If you were critical, remember it takes 4 plus encouragements to negate the effect of one negative statement. Do your best to raise a positive children." Al Menconi Ministries

Mothers have a great responsibility in building their children up. There are so many negative things in this life that can discourage and destroy a child's destiny so home has to be a place for building up not tearing down. If you ever take the time to read a biography of Abraham Lincoln you will discover just how much his mother had a part in building him up. I read one biography of him back in school and another about 6 years ago. What an incredible love he had for her and what potential she saw in him. He was motivated to read and learn while his father wanted him to do chores and a lot of physical labor. His mother found ways for him to do both and told him he would do something great one day. What a wise woman.

I have been blessed with a mother who believed in me and built me up. Time and time again she would instruct me to do the right thing. She also joined many of my backyard baseball games, played cards, games, puzzle races and all sorts of fun activities when we were kids. She instilled such love and acceptance that I had a lot of confidence to do whatever I wanted. From piano lessons to what I do today, I always had confidence. Maybe too much at times! She always did this by staying positive and saying positive things. I was not a perfect kid and I'm sure I gave her many reasons to say something negative. If she did say anything negative, there was more than enough positive to cover it up!

Are you able to say the same of your mother? If you are a mother, are you able to find enough positive things to say about your child(ren)? If it is a struggle for you, here is a great guiding principle. "Whatever is true, noble, honest, right, pure, lovely, admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think on these things!" (Philippians 4:8)

Happy Mother's Day!

Simple yet Profound

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt you were doing what you were supposed to, prepared in every way, committed to the task, but just spinning your wheels? I feel that way sometimes. I had this happen to me within the last 2 months. I had been running along on empty for some time. I was doing a lot of things in my own strength and offering nothing to my church or my family. I had not been taking the time to refuel.

At a day conference 2 weeks ago, the speaker talked of our work and how our public life may look good, but it will only be as strong as its roots. He was referring to Psalms 1 and telling us how important it is to have a devoted life because of the growth, fruitfulness and strength it brings. I knew all of this but how easily I forget. I even have all of Psalm 1 memorized and have meditated on it in the past!

The speaker than went on to describe the difference between shallow roots and deep roots. This is where it stared getting too personal for me! I had to confess and ask God to recharge me and fill me. The speaker talked of serving God, our family, and our church from fruitfulness and an over flowing of His work in us rather than giving everything we have until we are empty and unproductive no matter how hard we try.

How do we refuel or get strength? Through our prayer life, listening to God, and worshiping Him! Add to this our hunger and searching in God's Word and He will refresh and renew us. What a powerful message! We gain 10% by reading God's Word, 25% by studying God's Word, 80% by memorizing it and 100% by meditating on God's Word.

This is simple yet profound...things I leaned in the last few weeks. I would like to say I would never forget it but I did in the past. I know God will remind me again in the future because His Word is alive and powerful. I just need to keep seeking and being strengthened by it.

Worst Blogger Ever...

I am probably the worst blogger ever! I try to find the time to sit down and write and when I find the time, I want to hurry and get it over with. Then, I discover that I haven't blogged in about a month! Makes you wonder why I bother. Well...because that is what a pastor does in this era. We blog, twitter and facebook. Isn't this encouraging? Doesn't it make you want to keep on reading? :-)

Good! Check back next week!!!

Think Outside the Boombox

Faith or Works?

Ask Pastor Roy

To help you remember our February series of talks for BEING IN THE MOOD, I thought I'd share these videos we used as part of a series back at our home church in Fairfax, VA.

You're welcome.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Sacrifice?

I am often bewildered by how much it takes, costs, and draws out of a person when it comes to planting a church. I was talking to a fellow church planter who said to me, "If you are going to start a church, make sure you are wearing your spiritual cup!" Of course his reference was to the many bumps and bruises along the way to accomplish what God has called us to. At this stage in the game, I can tell you a few stories, oh yeah! Holy cow can I tell you stories of sacrifice...and transition, and loneliness, and discouragement, and frustration, etc... But is it really any different for anyone really trying to do something for God? And are there not just as many rewarding if not better things than the rough stuff we face?

One pastor asked me how I was doing and I jokingly said, "Well, we just need more people and more money." :-) He replied, "Me too!" Is it really any different what we pastors need and pray that God will give us? Nope! Pastors serve a risen Savior who we love to serve and pray that He will bless us according to efforts and sacrifice. Is it wrong to think that or pray that way? Are we really "sacrificing" when Jesus said this, "I tell you the truth...no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." (Luke 18:29-30) So if we have a promise like this, are we really sacrificing? I would say, No. We are being obedient and God will take care of us. It even sounds to me like we are rewarded in this life and in heaven. Are you reading this the same way I am?

This is a great boost for me on a Monday morning! Mondays can be a day to look at things very negatively but when I read this, I know I just need to stop being a baby, right? Another very precious promise in the Bible that seems to support this idea is this, "and let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9)

Hope you are making sacrifices today because they are certainly rewarded!

About My Wife...

My wife is a lovely person with a lot of great qualities. I have been married to her for 20 years and she has been my best friend, lover and support of everything I do. I do not give her the credit she deserves for following me in our last adventure to Canada. She couldn't help but wince at what we were embarking on and I played "chicken" with her all the way here! ;-) Neither one of us were going to give up on what we felt God was calling us. We had moments of doubt, anxiety, loneliness, fear and many other feelings but these are enough to mention for now.

On top of all this, we discovered that she has been medicated for her thyroid condition almost 3 times the dosage! Our doctors in VA had a treatment plan to "out smart" the thyroid cells so the body would be "tricked" into thinking there was more than enough chemicals floating around in her body. With that happening, these thyroid cells would not regenerate or do what they were designed to do. With lower activity, there was less chance of cancer forming again in her body. This sounds like a good plan but what was the end result of this? Irritability, lack of concentration, depression, and loss of sleep so bad that she took an ambien (sleeping pill) most nights and still did not sleep many of those nights. This has been her situation for 3 years and I assumed it would be the way we lived from now on.

However, her new doctor wants her to be normal. I think I would like that too! ;-) We are now on a correct dosage and I am looking forward to seeing how she responds. She will notice a little difference in 2 weeks and full difference in 2 months. I will update you on her changes back to being "normal." :-)

I didn't have a deep thing to blog about but I love my wife. That is kind of deep...I am glad she is going to get some relief soon and pray that cancer cells keep away as she adjusts. This doctor would like to try this new treatment and we feel it may be a good thing and time for the adjustment. Believe it or not, she has already been cancer free for about 5 years. Wow! Praise God for that!

So...how lovely is she and what great qualities does she have? She is an amazing cook, very well read, knows sign language, media ability, administrative ability, great mom, and quick witted. There are many more but I should stop here and go tell her myself.

Consumer Christianity

I came across the term Consumer Christianity during my last associate pastor position and it has become a great term to describe a lot of ways Christians seem to view the church. Today it is as if we have to measure up to some expectation of church experiences or "stuff"that has nothing to do with the real basics of church, Christianity or what Jesus came to die for! It is remarkable that the western church culture insists that a church have specific services to meet their needs. For instance, I led an outreach basketball program that was intended to reach the community, families and see some come to Christ. I was bothered when someone thanked me for having an "alternative" basketball program for their kids. They were pleased that there was a Christian experience for their Christian kids. Though this is good (maybe), it was not the intention of the program. The same goes for Christian school perhaps and the list can go on and on... How much to we accomodate and our people and children never experience hardcore faith and practice?

In preparation for starting a church, I took in quite a few conferences and things to prepare for this journey. The latest work of Hugh Halter challenged my thinking in several ways including how much we offer here in western culture and church as opposed to eastern cultures and faiths. Our church start has had to scrape back to the basics of church which is something I have not had to consider since the early days of ministy in Canada with my father. Burlington Communtih Church has one big addition...Coffee and Donuts! I would have to say this is probably not an ordained part of church experience but we like it.

Though I would like to guard against this consumer Christiantiy mentality in our church, I find myself having to do so personally. I can get caught up in all the things our church "doesn't have"that I don't appreciate what we DO have! I can complain about things and try to make changes that would be more comfortable but that is not what it is about. What am I willing to give up of my current experiences in church development? Am I frustrated with what has or hasn't happened? And then...am I trying to create and do things and are not even necessary and adding to the comsumer Christian phenomenon? Tough!

Then...I am reminded that MY expectations are not what God is about. My daughters do not have a youth group in our new church, but they are growing! We sang in another church plant in our area on Sunday afternoon and what a blessing it was to see their gifts and talents used beyond our church. I spent 20 minutes with my daughters last night answering a bunch of questions they had as they were reading through thier Bibles together. That's good, right? Though we have not catered to thier need for a youth group, they are growing and serving. I am a very proud dad!

So I ask myself, is it too easy for ME to get caught up in that? How do I encourage our church to press forward and not get messed up in consumerism when I face it myself? All I can to is pray and be faithful. God will give us the talent and passion for ministries He wants us to have in His time. I pray for wisdom to recognize them and courage to make them happen. I don't want to be a consumer or do things just because that is the way I used to do it or another church I know does it that way. But I do want to do what God is directing me to do and challenge our church family everyday with "what can we do more?" and "are we ready for visitiors?" That is what has been our focus in January. Shaping a core team for a huge impact!

Am I Ready?

This is a very simple yet profound question for the new year. We had our first service of the new year and faced this question in terms of our church and as individuals. We have a big job to do and it cannot be done without counting the cost and evaluating who we are.

On Sunday, I called for our committed few to become the core of Burlington Community Church. In many church plants, there is a group of committed leaders who come into town with everything "ready to go." Each one has their specific task and area of ministry to lead. This is great because they are able to meet as a team and be sure they are ready for any task or mission they face that week. Everyone has gifts and talents that strengthen these efforts and help everything to go as smoothly as possible. I came with...my family. We have our talents and gifts to offer but we have definite needs. We stretched ourselves as thin as possible to handle as much as we could for the church. Ceilidh and Sarah are as important as another ministry couple would be. I could not be a prouder father of my teenage girls and their dedication to what we are doing.

We have been able to secure a decent sound system to set up at a community center we rent. We set this up every Sunday. We have a children's ministry set up each Sunday as well. We have a hospitality table with coffee, donuts and items for visitors and attendees to take. My daughters and wife take turns in children's ministry and I preach every week. The girls and I also sing and play instruments. Outside of a weekly Bible study and band rehearsal, we are at the end of ourselves and need God to take it further. How long have we operated like this? Since day one and we continue to do so.

So...God taking us further has brought in others who play guitar, sing, run the sound board, offer skills in graphics and website, help with set up and pack up and engage in outreach events. We have been blessed by those who have seen what we are trying to do and have jumped on board. This group is now confronted with my challenge to form the core or "founding fathers" group of our church. What will that mean? We all take ownership and participate in everything that needs to be done! I used the lamest illustration ever about a bellybutton and how you have an "inny" or an "outy" but God wants both in our expression of service. In my mind this was going to be very funny and practical but...my wife has banned me from ever using that illustration ever again! :-) I agree with her. It was horrible! But everyone needs to see themselves in terms of what we do out in the world to reach people and what we do in the church to encourage each other and make our church a warm inviting place for guests.

On top of this, we will explore exactly what we believe, what our mission and purposes will be and how we practically live that out. We will also take the time to do a little training and be on task for the jobs set before us! Next Sunday we will have a list of all the things that need to be done, who can do them and how we can spread the load so no one is overwhelmed. This will be exciting to see how a little can mean a lot in our service and worship.

Before all of this can happen, we take the time to concentrate on 3 simple words - Clean, Clear and Close. In order for any of us to be effective, we must clean up our lives and remove sinful habits, get a clear vision of who we are, what our purpose in life is and what we believe, and draw as close to God as we can so we are always in fellowship with Him and obeying His commands.

Big opportunities that require big inner searching. So...Am I Ready? I hope so!