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!

Only 5 Days!

It's only 5 days until Christmas and our family has been experiencing a great Christmas already. Because of travel, we opened gifts on Saturday the18th and enjoyed each others' company for the day. We had a great day at the church too...25 in attendance and one salvation decision! This was our First Christmas Service and it included extra music, stories, videos, Christmas baked goods and sermon. It was a good day all the way around. Plus, one family that used our childcare services for holiday shopping came! This was all a great blessing for us. Christmas is only 5 days away but we have been celebrating for about a week now! :-)

For the message on Sunday, I tackled a very simple subject of Peace on Earth. Simple in that peace comes from simplicity, difficult when you take into account the news that another Canadian soldier gave his life in Afghanistan. (Yep, Canadians are there too...) Peace only comes through knowing Jesus as your Savior and simply trusting Christ brings peace. Good question to ask your friends and neighbors this Christmas. Are they/you experiencing peace on earth? Peace on earth becomes difficult when we are too focused on all the other stuff of Christmas and life.

We can have peace on earth and God gives it freely. That is just great news, right? Great news from the Angels, to the shepherds and now to us today.

Relationships, Relationships!

We have had to learn how important it is to keep building relationships since we have begun this church here in Burlington. It is a test of patience for sure! We have been meeting a lot of people and inviting them to church or to come to our home for a visit. We are having some success but I am looking for the day when all these relationships lead somewhere. You know what I mean?

We had a great Christmas Open House last evening. We started at 4p.m. and the last guests left at 10:30. It was a great time with a mixture of church families and neighbors. If you know Tracey, you know what a wonderful cook she is. We do pretty good at throwing a party and making people feel welcome. We pray continually for the salvation of our new friends and others we are meeting.

You just never know what a relationship may become down the road. My wife and I go back and forth about a few people on our BC3 email list who visited our church once, showed a lot of interest then, but have never returned. I keep them on the list because, they are not enemies. And...you never know when something will change in their lives and they are willing to come be a part of a great church God is building here in Burlington. I am just blessed that they took the time to show some interest at all. They are our "honored guests." Remember that phrase in church when referring to visitors. ;-)

I have had to remind myself to be interested in people and not in building the work. Too many people have hidden agendas for relationships and I just need to be genuine. I read a tweet from Rick Warren that simply said, "Stop trying to be interesting to people and be interested in people." It was very profound and something I will never forget. Out of my own need to be liked and appreciated, I spout off all kinds of things I think will impress or catch attention but miss any kind of impact.

Sadly, I compare who I am today in building relationships vs. my past. I come to very lonely conclusions. I find myself wishing I took more time to be interested in others...maybe I would be reaping the paybacks now. We always had fun, good parties (as we still do), but too many shallow experiences that were more about the fun than the interest in those around me.

I am different today. Trying to build relationships in which I have invested genuine interest. Trying to show a love and concern with the passion Christ would have for me. "Relationships are everything, the rest is just the details," as Gary Smalley would say.

Relationships...I want mine to be genuine, sincere, reciprocated, respected, and cherished. Know anyone out there who needs a relationship like that. Maybe ALL of us! :-)

Merry Christmas!

We had some great pictures taken for our Christmas cards thanks to the Franklin family. They came to Burlington for a Holiday Photo Outreach on November 20th. We met several more families in the community and got a chance to give them the gift of professional photos complements of Burlington Community Church.

God has been good to us and has given us several other opportunities this Christmas season. This past Sunday, Dec. 5th, there was a big Christmas Craft Show in the hallways just outside our meeting rooms. We got a chance to meet many more families in Burlington and invite them to our Christmas Service on Dec. 19th. We also invited them to take advantage of free childcare we are providing for holiday shoppers on Dec. 12th. Tracey and I were blessed because everyone in our church stayed after services to talk to people and invite them to our Christmas events. This is huge in our church development! To add to these opportunities, I am speaking at a Burlington Businessman's Breakfast on Tuesday morning the 7th of Dec.

Keep us in your prayers because we are always looking for ways to meet people and make friends. Our strategy is 3D living of Developing friendships, Discovering stories and Discerning the Spirit. This is an evangelism strategy something Bill Hybels introduced and I like it!

That gives you a little idea of what is going on in the church, here is what is happening in the family...

Tracey is doing good. She went back to work the middle of November. It is not a great job but it brings in a little extra and the hours are great. She works from 8:30 - 1:30 Mon-Fri. at the UPS Store. She is still trying to get the hang of things there but manging quite well. She has also been doing some book reviews for Ed Stetzer, writing blogs for her brother Blake's company Agora, and helping me with church stuff, hospitality, media, childcare, you name it...she is there with me!

Ceilidh is working toward to G driver's license here in Canada. It is a graduated program that is a little different but she will be there soon. She has been working toward nursing. She really has her heart set on this and considering Mohawk in Hamilton as her starting point. There are several great options for her. She has a great future in store and being a huge blessing to me. She and Sarah sing with Greg and I every Sunday and take their turns in childcare too.

Sarah is taking classes in high school for cosmetology. Yes, she wants to run her own shop and work with me at the church. I love her charisma and positive spirit about all of this. I hope she is not expecting the church position to be a paid one. ;-) Anyway, she is really getting better at the keyboard. She has taken on that instrument as I have moved to playing the bass guitar. All in all, she is making incredible strides with school and music. We are also praying about a youth group and leader so she can help with that too. Beyond that, she is a vivacious reader like her mother, sings, plays the keyboard and takes turns in the childcare area for the church.

As for me, I am keeping busy with church work. I am always looking for opportunities and ways to get our church or my face in the crowd. It seems to be working. I was at the Santa Parade here in Burlington on Sunday with 3 lovely neighbors we are trying to reach and saw 3 people in the parade that I knew! I guess I am getting to know more people than I thought. I am also working one day a week in counseling down in Hamilton. This is in efforts to finish my counseling degree at Liberty and build hours toward Family and Marriage Therapy here in Ontario. For licensure in Ontario, I have to get 1000 hours and 200 supervision hours. With all that work, I am thinking about seeing if Liberty will just trade my 60 class hours for some other degree! I try to spend 2 nights and 2 days out meeting people and other times studying, admin stuff for the church and catching some time with my family.

As I think of all the things our church and family is doing in Burlington, I can be very thankful for the continued gifts of friendship, support and encouragement fromPastor Stokes and Fair Oaks Church. Christmas is a time of giving and our home church and pastor have been a great example of that all year long. I thank God for this rich opportunity and for the blessing of this man and ministry.

That wraps up my thoughts for Christmas and all the things going on with us. I wish everyone reading this a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!