Mark Waltz | ...Because People Matter

GCC LaPorte County Pre-Launch

Pre-launch. It's everything that happens before the launch. 

Since 1958 NASA has been launching aeronautic and space exploration initiatives. Before every launch - manned or unmanned - there is pre-launch work to be done. The launch is strategic and noteworthy. So is every pre-launch initiative, but fewer people are aware of the work at that level.

Granger Community Church is going to launch a new work in LaPorte County. It's coming. It will be a definitive, significant initiative that will be known throughout the county. But first we have some pre-launch work to do. It's critical and just as strategic as the launch.

• We must come together as one team.
  • None of us can do alone what all of us can do together. Have you heard: The team out-performs the individual in the long-run every time. 
  • We need to invest in each other. We need to build community. We need each other. 
  • We need to focus around a common mission and vision. We're not merely friends huddling up for a nice stroll. There's work to do. We need a team.
• We must center around Jesus and His agenda.
  • This launch may be a GCC launch, but make no mistake: It's Jesus' work. His agenda. He's doing the sending. 
  • We're called to be witnesses to his love and grace in the world. We're called to give our lives living in and among people who need to know they matter to Him, so they see Jesus and experience his love through us.
• We must be clear on our mission.
  • We're not creating a holy huddle to isolate and find refuge from the culture or world we live in.
  • We're not creating "church" to appease our own expectations and desires for engaging religion or even God. 
  • We're learning to live as the body of Christ. Learning his character. We're committed to follow Him. To go where He went; to go where He goes. 

Because the pre-launch, preparation season is as strategic and critical as the launch, we've chosen a meeting location that expresses our mission. 

We'll be meeting at the Stardust Event Center located at the Blue Chip Casino and Hotel in Michigan City, LaPorte County.

Why? Because this launch isn't just about us. Because following Jesus means going where He goes, immersing ourselves in culture, being the salt of the earth.

John tells us, "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood." (John 14.14)

Paul tells us that we are the "body of Christ."  Church is not a building. It's not a location. It's not a sacred space in and of itself. As the body of Christ, we redeem every place, every space as sacred. Work, gym, school, home, neighborhood, casino. Where we are - that's where the church is. We are the Church.

We've made this commitment in our 2016Vision:

The number of people being the Church in their neighborhoods, schools, cafés and communities seven days a week will outnumber the number of casual Christians just going to church. 

I hope you'll join us in this pre-launch season. If you've attended any of the previous meetings in LaPorte County, if you live in or around LaPorte County, if you're willing to make the sacrificial investment of travel and time, if you're interested in being part of something new, something significant to advance Christ's kingdom in LaPorte County - join us.

• Mondays, beginning this next week - June 4
• 6:30pm
• Bring your Bible, a pen and your friends
• Arrange for childcare 

Now is the time. You in?

Mutiny. Your Fight. My Fight.

If you haven't read it in a while, grab your Bible or read Romans 7 here. It's Paul's classic dipiction of our struggle to be okay, to be right, to be whole. Paul says there's a mutiny inside. Each of us. 

This video we experienced this past weekend brings Paul's words to visual impact.

Now go read Romans 8.

Disciple-making: How Would You Answer These 10 Questions?

At Granger Community we're a year-plus into our 2016Vision. Within our vision to embrace the AND (both attractional and missinoal in our approach to reaching and growing) we've committed to the following disciple-making reality:

We will raise the temperature for life-on-life discipleship so it is normal for people to become reproducing followers of Jesus by owning their personal growth. Consumer-oriented Christians will, by design, not feel comfortable long-term. 

Here are some questions we're using to inform and guide our conversation about spiritual transformation as we continue to implement our vision:

1. What does a win look like in spiritual transformation?
2. How is spiritual transformation expressed in our mission, vision and values?
3. How is spiritual transformation defined in our church? By our people?
4. How are we trusting or not trusting the Holy Spirit to transform the lives of our people?
5. Will whatever we do simply feel like an “add-on” to everything else we’re doing? Or will we stop some things to do this? Will what we do be the focus?
6. What’s keeping our people from engaging spiritual transformation as a lifestyle?
7. What key words, what important concepts will we use to cast vision and create a culture of spiritual transformation that is embraced by our people?
8. What environments will we intentionally create to help our people engage the story of the Bible in their journey of spiritual transformation?
9. How do we help our people engage spiritual disciplines as pathways rather than task items to mark off their to-do lists?
10. How will we measure and celebrate spiritual transformation in the lives of our people?

What does spiritual transformation look like in your church? How are you defining it?

Here's another question: What does my personal spiritual transformation process look like? …and is it worth modeling?

 

In Case You Missed It. GCC-LaPorte Co Announcement.

I posted about this grand announcement last week. So did Mark Beeson. This past weekend Mark celebrated God's leading and our decision to follow Him with a launch in LaPorte County. 

Great Impressions... Can Turn Not So Good... Now

Maybe you've watched this happen with someone else. Or maybe it's actually happened with you. You're on your game. You're serving well. You're engaged. You making a great first impression with a new guest at your church (or place of business). 

And then, you cross a line. You went... just too far.

• You got new guests where they should be...
  • But you yelled their arrival to everyone
• You did your homework and had the right and helpful info...
  • But you made your guest feel like an idiot for not knowing
    • what to do next
    • what lingo to use 
• You're all about guest training...
  • But the guest feels like a naked experiment as you and your team all huddle around the monitor (bookstore, kids check-in, the register)
• You're laid back, not invasive, playing it casual...
  • But you missed the opportunity to engage when the guest showed their hand, "Yeah, I'm new."
• You were paying attention to your guest...
  • But then crossed the line into assumptions
    •  that was his boyfriend not his brother
    • she wasn't pregnant
    • that was his girlfriend not his mom

Sometimes a great first impression can go south with a word, a gesture, or an assumption. Keep it great! Stay fully engaged, always thinking about the experience you're providing from the other side of your experience. 

The Answer Is Yes. GCC in LaPorte County.

Mark Beeson casting vision for our LaPorte County Multisite

Nearly 150 people gathered in LaPorte this past Tuesday evening to hear the announcement: we believe God is calling GCC to launch our next multisite in LaPorte County. The enthusiasm was palpable. Scores of people in LaPorte county are ready!

Over the past several weeks several hundred people have prayed. Hours of research have been completed. Everyone connected to this process has had opportunity for input. We've made this decision together. And we'll set out to prepare this work - together. 

It's just who we are. Our mission for 25+ years has been "helping people take their next step toward Christ...together." 

• Our commitment, our goal, our purpose is Christ. 
• We all need help on the journey. We help each other. 
• The "we" is all of us. Not just the staff. It's not merely the pastors' job. It's all of us. We help people take steps toward Christ...together. 

This launch decison is not about making church more convenient to do. Church isn't something you do; Church is who we are. Church isn't someplace you go; Church is who we are. Church isn't merely a service of gathered Christians; Church is who we are. We are the Church.

Our vision as a church - in Granger, in South Bend, in Elkhart, in India, and in LaPorte County is bold. Here are two statements from our 2016Vision that frame our launch in LaPorte County:

• The number of people being the Church in their neighborhoods, schools, cafés and communities seven days a week will outnumber the number of casual Christians just going to church. 
• Every follower of Jesus will be a reproducing follower of Jesus. And every church will be a reproducing church. 

Those who are willing have committed to the following: 

• Attend Pre-LAUNCH gatherings on Mondays, beginning June 4 when you are in town.
• Pray regularly for GCC’s leaders, your neighbors and your active participation in this developing ministry.
• Discover your S.H.A.P.E. and leverage your time to serve.
• Give your tithes and/or offerings. (Malachi 1.6-14)
• Extend invitations to your friends and acquaintances to join you.

It starts now. You in? 

Granger Community Church in LaPorte County? Don't Miss This Announcement

Reflections on Daddyhood - Revisited

Our baby girl is home for the summer. Not from the hospital nursery. She's home for the summer from her first year of college. I'm often asked by younger, first-time dads if I have any advice for raising their new baby girl. 

I came across this off-the-cuff list I emailed someone several years ago: 

• Love her momma well. Make sure she sees it, hears it, knows it.
• Tell her how beautiful she is and how proud of her you are of her– often.
• Listen. Then listen some more. Keep listening.
• Trust her. Make sure she knows it.
• Always hug her.
• Show her what it looks like to be treasured: treat her like a princess.
• Don’t be afraid to say “no.” You’ll say it a lot.
• Be sure to say “yes” to lots of right things.
• Pray all the time.
• Buy a shotgun.

Today I'd add: 

• Brag on her a lot to other people. In front of her whenever possible.
• Brag on what a great mom her mom is. In front of her whenever possible.
• Let her make decisions at the appropriate times. It'll probably be sooner than you'd like.
• Tell her often that Jesus loves her. Tell her to lean hard on him. To follow close. Keep him first.
• Don't forget to pray. All the time. 
• Keep the shotgun handy. 

It's great to have our girl, Liv, home for the summer. Couldn't be more proud. Love you, Liv!

Spring Training Starts This Week

If I knew anything about baseball, I'd render a crafty analogy for our Spring Training experience that begins tonight at our Granger Campus. I have some ballcaps. I've been to a Mariner's game and a handful of Silver Hawk's games. Oh, and I've held a bat and swung three times...and heard, "out!" That's about it. 

However, I understand (I have friends and know how to Google) that spring training involves the entire team. Rookies show up, veterans too. It's unthinkable in the sporting world to enter the regular season without training. Practice is required. Coaching is critical. The team figures team out in practice. 

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9: 

You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally.

We'll engage insightful teaching and practice habits that help us grow as disciples of Jesus. We'll learn how to develop and live out intimacy in relationship with God.

It starts tonight at our Granger campus. It will be offered on our Elkhart campus this Thursday, April 26. Start time is 6:30pm at both campuses. Grab a friend, your Bible, a pen and get to Spring Training. 

Baptism: Go Ahead and Ask Why

I grew up thinking that to ask God the question "why?" was somehow irreverent. Not trusting. A slap in God's face. But, it's actually a great question. When we ask "why?" we're looking for meaning behind the scenes. We're searching for vision. We want to know the outcome, the consequence of what we're being asked to do or what has happened.

The same is true when it comes to baptism. Why? It's a good question to ask. 

This Easter weekend we'll invite people attending Granger Community Church to affirm their decision to follow Jesus by being baptized in each of our nine services. Maybe you've already registered. Maybe you're still not sure. Maybe, just maybe you'll be baptized this weekend as we celebrate the risen Christ. 

Still asking why? Check this out. 

(Features music from Blood Bank by Bon Iver and The Wider Sun by Jon Hopkins.)

 

Cadbury Eggs Are Easier

In a few days baskets will be filled with chocolate bunnies. Families will gather to carve a ham or turkey. Kids will search for plastic eggs filled with treasures. Easter is coming. An American holiday. But it wasn't the idea of Hallmark or even our nation's founders. Easter's been celebrated well before there was a USA. 

Don't get me wrong - I'll have a Cadbury Egg or two this season. But it seems Easter is simply more palatable wrapped in chocolate than a Mid-Eastern capital punishment device of wooden beams stained with human blood and a dark, musty cave of a tomb. I'll have another Cadbury.

If you believe in Jesus, it's easy to just "know" that he lives. It's easy to accept the celebration of Easter like Christmas. Jesus came, born of a virgin, lived on Earth, died and was resurrected and lives today. It's what we declare in the Apostle's Creed (Watch Mark Beeson's 4 mini-teaches and download the Creed here.) It's easy to put the story on fast forward and eat some more chocolate.

We need to stop. We need visuals and tangible encounters that help us enter and experience the story all over again. We need to experience his story in our story right here, right now.

This Friday at noon the people known as Granger Community Church will gather in two locations (University Drive in Granger and East Bristol Street in Elkhart) to observe the death of Jesus (more here). Before the celebration of his resurrection we'll consider God's love demonstrated, his life taken - and given - because his was a life of compassion and justice that defied the ruling entities of his day. Jesus' message of the Kingdom of God - a new lifestyle of self-sacrifice, other-focused love, and intentional action to see justice rule - got him killed. It cost him his life. 

And yet, the scriptures tell us he willingly gave his life. He stretched out his arms and proclaimed, "The Father loves you this much." This story of selfless love is gruesome and gritty. Archaic and cruel. (One more Cadbury, please.) It's difficult to embrace.

But we need to pause. We need to remember. We need to acknowledge what Jesus did and what it is to follow him in what he did... and what he is doing. How do we live this new life he calls us to? What does it look like for us to live his agenda to bring justice, to live with compassion?

Join us for a half hour on Friday. Choose a campus. Bring a friend. Together we'll remember that before there was life at Easter, there was death at Calvary. We'll worship Jesus Christ who lived love and died to demonstrate it for us. And we'll set aside the Cadbury and observe his death with the elements of communion.

Easter's coming. But don't miss Friday.

What a Woman. What a Blessing.

I'd all but stopped using the word "blessing" in recent years, convinced it was one of those churchy words like "fellowship" that only church people use. One more quirky thing to communicate that we know how to be irrelevant with our culture. Lately though, "blessing" is back in my vocabularly. And my wife of 30+ years is one of the most significant blessings in my life. 

Hugh Halter and Matt Smay's work in Tangible Kingdom shined a spotlight on this biblical word from Genesis 12.2-3 that refreshed its meaning for me: 

 God to Abraham:

“I will make you into a great nation
       and I will bless you;
       I will make your name great,
       and you will be a blessing.

  I will bless those who bless you,
       and whoever curses you I will curse;
       and all peoples on earth
       will be blessed through you.”

A blessing wasn't merely a nice word, a formal wish of sorts. It has always been about action. God's blessingg are anything but mere words. Through the Word, Christ, we have received blessing after blessing (John 1). Our lives have been transformed by his action, his blessing. 

So, when I tell my wife that she's a blessing to me, I mean she's demonstrated over and over her love for me. My life is richer, better, fuller because of her. Believe me, she says some very nice things to me. Most of it she really means. No, really, she does.

But it's more than her words. She acts. It's her pursuit of Jesus, her relentless commitment to me, her sacrifice for our daughter, Liv, her hours of domestic labor - little and large, all the things on her "task" list that say "I love you"... her work outside our home, her encouragement to others in cards, Facebook and personal comments... She is a blessing. A gift from God. Every day she acts. Intentionally. 

I like the word blessing. I love my wife. 

I'm grateful, Laura. I see Jesus in you. I'm truly blessed.

By the way - I'm still holding out on the "fellowship" word.

Guest Services: Do's & Don'ts on Easter

If you've been serving in a local church for more than a couple minutes, you're aware of the Chreaster crowd or the Eastmas crowd... or however you choose to refer to guests who attend church services twice a year: Easter and Christmas. Most churches are expecting more than a little bump in attendance this coming weekend. Are you ready? 

Here are some Do's and Don'ts to consider as you engage guests on Resurrection weekend:

• DO expect new guests...and the implications of that expectation. 
  • Have you prepped your teams to create premium space for guest parking? 
  • Have you scheduled teams to accomodate the increased traffic?
  • Have you scheduled enough greeters to accomodate new guests who will need assistance with their children, getting around your building and basically being acknowledged?
  • Be prepared to give up your seat.
• DON'T treat people like "twice-a-yearers."
  • Don't assume your Easter guests won't be back 'til Christmas. 
  • Don't assume they're from out of town and only attending because they came with family.
  • Don't label them. 
• DO respect people.
  • Engage them. 
  • Be personable. 
  • Introduce yourself when you have opportunity. 
  • Offer assistance.
• DON'T invite just anyone to serve your guests.
  • While you'll need additional people to serve everyone, warm and willing bodies aren't enough.
  • Only enlist the help of qualified, people-loving, hospitality-gifted peeps.
• DO pray.
  • Create time to stop. Pray. Focus. 
  • Ask God to create holy moments of engagement. Ask him to keep your eyes, ears and heart open to people. 
  • Pray constantly (silently) for people as you engage them throughout the weekend.
• DON'T go on auto pilot. 
  • It's easy to do. Show up. Greet guests. Go home.
  • Be fully present from moment to moment.
  • Treat people as individuals who matter to God. Every person. 
• DO thank your guests.
  • Keep it simple. Wish them "Happy Easter." Acknowledge Jesus' resurrection with fellow believers.
  • And thank your guests for joining you for service. They had options. They chose to be in service at your church building. Thank them.
• DON'T be too friendly.
  • Yes, you can overdo it. 
  • You don't need 20 people at the front door. 
  • Not everyone needs a personal escort. 
  • Not everyone wants the spotlight and the lapel rose (remember those?).
  • Remember, that "holy kiss" thing is cultural. Pay attention to yours.

For more guest services best practices check out this easy-to-read, easy-to-apply book: How to Wow Your Church Guests -- 101 Ways to Make a Meaningful First Impression.

Want personal training for your staff and volunteers? Leave me a comment below so we can begin an email/phone conversation. Let's work together to raise the bar on your serve to the people God is entrusting to your church's care.

Intangible Kingdom: Confession of a Pastor, Part 5

Today concludes this five-part personal confession. I'd rather not put this out there. I'd rather have a different story of the tangible Kingdom of God in my life. But, everyone has an "x" that marks where we are. Here I am. If you're just tuning in or need a refresher, jump down and read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4, then continue reading...

• I’m the “because people matter” guy who risked redefining personal worth.

I’ve waved the flag high: people matter to God. It’s not even mine. I first heard it from champions like Mark Beeson and Bill Hybels. But I believe it too. At least I mostly have.

I’ve consulted, trained and led teams and churches to improve their guest services approach so as people experience our church services, they’ll understand just how much they matter to God… and therefore, to us. I’ve watched our teams and many churches ramp up practical ways to demonstrate value and care to new guests. I’ve taught: People have intrinsic value; treat them that way.

However, convicted of my own miss, I’ve been challenging my conference and workshop audiences lately with this question: do people somehow gain more value as a person when they walk through the doors of our local church? For instance, that neighbor who’s barking dog wakes you on Saturday morning – does he gain more value as a person created by God because he walks into our church on Sunday morning? Or does he carry that same intrinsic value without ever attending our church? Does the server who created a customer service fiasco for me on Friday evening at a local restaurant suddenly mean more to Jesus and me because she shows up for a service at our church? Or does she have the same worth on Friday as she does on Sunday?

I must embrace the AND. I must live as an active disciple of Jesus and follow him where he is and do what he is doing. I must live incarnationally and missionally with all the game-changing intentionality it requires – because people matter. Or they don’t.

So, I’m confessing. And I’m still processing.

• What does life look like for a husband devoted to his wife and committed to his daughter who is also a pastor empowering his people and a neighbor living in community and an introverted citizen becoming a friend to people wherever he goes?

• How do I schedule my week?

• How do I avoid making following Jesus a task list?

• What does it mean to live in the tension of the AND?

I still have a lot of processing to do.

But, the past few days I've needed to help my daughter’s boyfriend get his driver’s license. Right now I'm going to walk across the street and find out how my neighbor's cancer treatment is going. After that, it’s time to pick up the phone and reconnect with some old friends who’ve shown little interest and no commitment to attend my church but who still matter to God… and to me.

I’m still processing. But I’m taking action. Today I’m following Jesus.

Intangible Kingdom: Confession of a Pastor, Part 4

Three days ago I began a multi-day confession. How does one confess for days? Keep reading. The point isn't that I'm confessing; the point is God's Kingdom is tangible. I've missed it. Again, the bottom-line is that I've been convicted over the past several weeks as I've journeyed with a thousand other Granger Community peeps about God's Kingdom and my own life. If you're just tuning in or need a refresher, jump down and read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 in this brief series, then continue reading...

• I nearly missed the AND.

I’ve been an integral part of planning our AND Conferences the past couple years. I’ve led others through the process of developing our 2016Vision, focused on being a church of AND. Attractional and missional. Presenting a compelling, Jesus-focused, felt needs message of hope in a building in a weekend service AND training our people to BE the Church where they are – every day, outside the four walls of the church. I believed in what we were doing. What we were leading. Apparently. Mostly.

I remember debates with our senior team where I tenaciously insisted that our people would begin to think that what they were doing on volunteer teams within the organized ministries of the church was somehow less important than ministry lived out in the community. I wanted the AND but was afraid we’d miss the AND if we devalued the significance of greeting, serving kids or operating a camera.

I nearly missed that being a church of AND was more than the corporate local church embracing the AND. Embracing the AND is something every individual must do. I’m still not sure that every Christ-follower will serve as a greeter or children’s worker at Granger, but I do believe they’ll pray for, support and give to the AND. 

I'll make the final post in this series tomorrow: 

• I’m the “because people matter” guy who risked redefining personal worth.

Intangible Kingdom: Confession of a Pastor, Part 3

Two days ago I began a multi-day confession. Multi-day simply because five pages is intolerable for any blog post. Bottom-line, I've been convicted over the past several weeks as I've journeyed with a thousand other Granger Community peeps about how I've not made the Kingdom of God so tangible in my own personal life. If you're just tuning in or need a refresher, jump down and read Part 1 then Part 2 in this brief series, then continue reading...

• I’m a recovering Pharisee.

I’ve known that I’ve been a recovering Pharisee for several years now. Most of my adult life, I wasn’t recovering, I was just a Pharisee. Recovering means I’ve become aware of my propensity to manage my image, win the approval of people and make my life more about religion and compliance than Jesus and obedience. Yeah, there’s a difference.

For a Pharisee, following Jesus is about keeping rules. Getting it right. Proving worthiness and “spirituality.” Winning the favor and approval of people and mistaking it as serving them.

For a recovering Pharisee following Jesus is about messiness. It’s awareness that a bunch of my motivation can quickly be off-track while actually growing in Jesus so followership is actually about him, not me. Even as I’m writing out this confession, I’m wondering what people will think of me. And what they’ll think of me for admitting that last sentence.

I’m recovering. Still.

News flash: I can’t follow Jesus without going where he went and doing what he did. I can’t be part of the Body of Jesus without being where he is and doing what he’s doing. Pharisees work really hard to live passively as disciples. Disciples actively follow. It’s no less hard, but the work is done in community and through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Yes, I'm still processing. There's more to confess. Tomorrow:

•  I nearly missed the AND.

Intangible Kingdom: Confession of a Pastor, Part 2

Yesterday I began a multi-day confession. Multi-day simply because five pages is intolerable for any blog post. Bottom-line, I've been convicted over the past several weeks as I've journeyed with a thousand other Granger Community peeps about how I've not made the Kingdom of God so tangible in my own personal life. If you're just tuning in or need a refresher, jump down and read Part 1 in this brief series, then continue reading...

• I’ve had no time to live more missionally than I’ve lived.

I’ve not merely been content to contain my influence inside church world; my charge of responsibility doesn’t allow me the luxury of time to engage people outside my church. It simply hasn’t fit my schedule.

Who has enough time? That question has been revealing. It’s been the number one deterrent to living life missionally and incarnationally for a bunch of folks I’m journeying with at Granger Community. Staffers and non-staffers. The intentionality required to be with people who don’t know how much they matter to God is a game changer. Change priority of time and schedule and it changes everything. And because it’s such a game changer, it’s a seemingly impossible thing to do.

But this is my confession, not anyone else’s. Time. Living out tangible kingdom requires time. Most weeks I’ve scheduled my ministry and family time beyond the seven days allotted me. There’s been little margin to be relationally invested in people outside church world.

• I’ve discovered that I’ve hidden behind my introversion.

For years I thought I was an extrovert. After all, every role I’ve ever had has been about leadership and people. Must be an extrovert. No so much. Ultimately, I discovered the truth about my personality: I’m an introvert. Then, it took me years to figure out what that meant. I need time away from people to refuel, to fill up and be ready to reengage. I love people. In measured segments of time.

Yes, my introversion has become an excuse for not living more missionally. I’ve watched my wife, Laura, engage people and celebrated her exuberant extroversion. I’ve watched our senior pastor, Mark Beeson, and marveled at his ability to live the same larger than life persona off-stage as on stage. That is – what you see is who he is. He loves people. My wife loves people. I love people, but that’s just not me.

I’m an introvert. No one can expect me to push past my God-designed wiring to engage more people when I should be “introverting.” No one but God.

Like time, owning my introversion means restructuring and recalibrating my schedule, priorities, recharge time, family time and “ministry” time to live so the kingdom is tangible in my life. 

I'm still processing. More tomorrow. Specifically: 

• I’m a recovering Pharisee. 

Intangible Kingdom: Confession of a Pastor, Part 1

I stared at a blank screen for several minutes before typing that title. Then I stared some more. The problem with a confession is that I’m a processor. Mostly a quiet processor with a few bursts of nonstop verbal processing, but a processor. Pray for my wife and close friends. Confessing here – maybe anywhere – is risky because I’m still processing. Writing this is a form of processing. Once it’s out there, I’ll process some more and may change my mind about the wisdom of confessing it at all. Like I said, pray for my wife and close friends.

Here’s the confession I spent an opening paragraph trying not to confess. I’m a pastor and I’m just awakening from a life lived mostly inside the four walls of the “church” to a life outside the brick and mortar where the rest of the world lives. Let me explain. Or attempt to. I’m still processing.

I’ve recently engaged an 8-week journey with nearly 1,000 of our people known as Granger Community Church. We’re six weeks into Hugh Halter and Matt Smay’s primer, The Tangible Kingdom. They deserve the book promo, but this isn’t an endorsement. It’s a confession.

I’d previewed the primer along with the other members of our senior management team to determine if this was the next all-church discipleship focus for our people. We agreed it was. I knew from my preview that this was not merely a new twist on evangelism. I accepted that this was about discipleship. We’d been clear in our new 2016Vision: discipleship is to reproduce. That’s because mature life reproduces. Period. This was the logical, and we accepted, the Spirit-led step for our people.

I agreed to work ahead and write discussion questions as well as prepare outlines for weekly mini-teach blocks designed to help every participant engage conversation about their journey the previous week as well as provide a roadmap for the week before them. So, I read the original book, The Tangible Kingdom. It was convicting. Practical. Personal.

Each week, I've not only prepared the outline for other teachers, but I've also been teaching simultaneously at our multisite location. Every week I laid out the message. Every week I led a roomful of people to discuss their previous week’s experiences. And every week I confessed at my table of a few peeps: this is a challenging process for me.

So challenging, I sat down and wrote this five-page confession. That's too long for any blog post. So, a section at a time over the next several days, here’s what I’ve been processing.

• I’ve been content to consider my calling and charge to pastor to be almost completely contained within the four walls of church world.

It’s my charge as a pastor to equip others for the work of the ministry. We teach it all the time. We’ve embraced the biblical teaching that the role of leadership and pastors is to oversee, equip, empower and release people to be the church.

At the same time I “know” that teaching is one thing. Learning happens as people watch. More is caught than taught. I’ve been ashamed at what people aren’t catching from my life. What I say isn’t enough. What I teach is shallow if I’m not practicing what I teach. 

Tomorrow... more confession: 

• I’ve had no time to live more missionally than I’ve lived.

Bump Your Guest Serve. March 9.

Maybe you really have been brainstorming about how to improve your ministry - specifically in the area of Guest Services, or First Impressions. Perhaps you've listed some of the following on your brainstorm list:

• Hire additional staff. Then you looked at your budget. Strike.
• Take the next year to read everything you can on the topic. Good idea. You should. But you need to bump things now.
• Fire, er release, everyone on your current team and start over. Tempting perhaps for you, but not practical.
• Just keep doing what you've been doing. It's what you know, but... you want different results, not more of the same. 

Or get you and your team to Granger Community on March 9 for fresh ideas, expanded vision and practical next steps. Steps you can take as soon as you get back home. Steps that will bump your ministry starting now. 

The concepts and ideas we'll talk about come from the hundreds of volunteers at Granger and teams from across the country who've brainstormed and implemented best practices that meet people where they are with the love of Jesus in our local churches. Together, with dozens of different churches, we'll brainstorm, network and help each other leave with tangible, practical and specific steps.

• If you're just beginning a guest services ministry, get to Granger. Network with others who are just a step or two beyond where you are. 
• If you're developing culture, establishing values and best practices, get to Granger. Change your setting; see what new picture emerges. 
• If you're still inviting volunteers, training them, and building teams, get to Granger. Consider it a train the trainer day.
• If you're brainstorming. Anything related to Guest Services. Anything. At all. Get to Granger. Expand your brainstorming beyond your own list or team. 

People matter to God. It's what the whole day will be about. Hope you'll join me!

Come alone. Bring your team. Bring the whole team. There's still time. Here's how. 

If you're bringing the team, there's something for your communications and worship peeps too. Read the whole page on the link above. 

Discovering GCC with Mark Beeson

 

I first sat in this class with Mark Beeson 14 years ago, as an attender of Granger Community Church. I was not part of his staff team. I was new to the church with my wife, Laura and our daughter, Olivia, who was only 4 years old at the time. We knew this was "our church" early on, but this class sealed some things for us.

I remember that first class. Mark Beeson was, as you might expect, disarming and engaging. I laughed out loud more than once. More than twice. Mark was highly entertaining.

I took in the class again today with 50 other folks at our Elkhart campus. Mark was no less engaging today. I laughed out loud again and again. I was caught up in his story-telling. But what captured me was not only how Mark presented, it was what he presented. His message was, again today, captivating. 

I enjoyed the opportunity again today to...

• celebrate the miracle of God making a way through Jesus for me to engage the Creator I was made to follow and reflect.
• marvel at the hundreds, even thousands, of men and women and students who have gone public with their trust in Jesus.
• laugh at myself and the crazy, ridiculous notions about God and church that I clung to for too long.
• feel my heartbeat race with the vision and mission of a church committed to be the Body of Christ in the world
• affirm why we do what we do the way we do it as a church.

I needed today. This class helps me lead better. Helps me celebrate every person who steps up to - not merely attend - but to participate, to own the mission and vision, to be the Body of Christ with this local movement. 

Yes, I've been on staff now for over a dozen years. And this is still my church.  My family and I are in. We're in, so we can go out. We're called to follow Jesus, which means we "go." Church isn't a safe harbor we live in; it's a group of people committed to leaving safe to live out a dangerous message of Jesus' love.

If you've not participated in Discovering GCC, there's still one more opportunity to do so.

Saturday, March 10, 8:30am at our Granger Campus

Clear your calendar. Invite a friend (even if you've attended before... someone needs your invitation to participate). Register here. 

By the way - Mark's voice was strong. Four hours of teaching. All morning. He didn't miss a beat. Thanks for praying for him.

Mark's Ready. Are You?

 

 

As you may know, our Founding Pastor, Mark Beeson underwent a little vocal cord procedure last week to rectify a Clint Eastwood speaking syndrome that had gone on for over a couple months. Following the surgery Mark was under a strict directive from his surgeon to not say a word for the remainder of the week. Tough for most anyone. Tougher for Mark. As he put it, he didn't know up to that point what it was like to not talk. 

Word is, he spoke his first word a couple days ago. He's back. A little more rest, some voice therapy and he'll be good as new. 

Which means, he'll be set to lead Discovering GCC at our Elkhart campus this coming Saturday at 8:30am. 

I've sat through this class with Mark many times. It never grows old. Mark's sweeping, engaging story of the Bible, his hilarious stories that punctuate why we do what the way we do it and his clear communication of vision remind me why I'm on the team with Mark at Granger Community. 

This class is for you if...

• you're new to GCC - either campus. Come learn what would take you weeks to figure out - catch it all in one morning. Understand the whys and the whats. Learn how you can be part of what's happening in Elkhart, South Bend, Granger, India and many places in between.
• you're serving on a team at GCC. Maybe you just stepped up through our Volunteer Expo or you've been serving for months or even years... but you've never attended this session. Now's the time.
• you've been around GCC for a long time. Soaking. Spectating. Even healing. Get to this session. 
• you're curious at all about what it means to belong, to be a member of GCC.

A mere $10 covers your materials and snacks for the morning. We start at 8:30am and you'll be on your way by lunchtime. There are two opportunities. The first one is just days away, so hop to it!

• This Saturday, February 11, 8:30am-12:30pm at our Elkhart Campus.
• Next month, Saturday, March 10, 8:30am-12:30pm at our Granger Campus. 

Don't put it off. Mark's ready. I'll be there. Register here - now.

It Starts. Tonight. Tangible. Kingdom.

It starts tonight. Not "The" tangible Kingdom - it's always been. But The Tangible Kingdom journey for the people who are Granger Community Church - that begins tonight. 

It's been called a study, a group gathering, an experience - but it's more than any of those.

• It is a study. We'll work through The Tangible Kingdom Primer by Hugh Halter & Matt Smay. We'll dig into the Scriptures to understand the King of this kingdom better than we do now. Peter tells encourages us to "grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ."
• It is a group gathering. Many of us will gather at our Granger and Elkhart campuses on Monday nights, dozens of women will gather on Tuesday mornings and a bunch of men will gather in groups on Wednesday mornings. Many more will meet in homes - as friends and family - in "groups" to study and engage, yes, an experience.
• It is an experience. We're expecting God to not only reveal truth to us, but to change us by it. We're expecting to experience the kingdom of God in our lives.

But it's more than that. It's a journey.

• It's a fresh discovery of who we're created to be - together. 
• How we're made to live. What it is to be called... and sent. 
• What it is - not to merely be an "evangelist," but an apprentice of Jesus. 

It's not for the faint of heart, but it will be fun. It'll be challenging, but refreshing. It'll be transforming. 

Join the journey. 8 weeks. Grab a friend or make a new one. Register here. 

Supply Drop 2012...Because People Matter

 

 

A year ago we committed to an audacious five-year vision. That vision is challenging our perceptions and practical expectations of what church can and should be.

• As the church we gather on the weekends, but the buildings we gather in are just that - buildings. 
• As the church we're called to grow up in Christ, to mature as disciples, but the sign of a disciple is reproduction. 
• As the church we support and care for each other, but it's not all about us - our care has the power to transform our community through the love of Jesus.

Simple statements. Stretching realities. 

In light of our vision, we spent the past year surveying our community. We identified pockets of forgotten people that receive little to no help from others. So, while we continue each month to serve up thousands of food boxes through our community center in downtown South Bend, we're all coming together this Saturday to pack and deliver essential care totes for two groups of people in Michiana.

• Nursing home residents: We'll deliver care packages filled with wish-list items for 2,000 Medicare/Medicaid nursing home residents.
• Title 1 school teachers: We'll deliver care packages filled with wish-list items for 2,000 school teachers in under-resourced schools.

Note: this serve has nothing to do with our unique, individual S.H.A.P.E. (Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experiences). Our SHAPE helps us identify those serving areas where our unique wiring best fits. We serve there with expertise and passion. The rest of the Body of Christ, the church, as well as our community needs us to serve that way. 

However, sometimes there are tasks, needs, callings that rally the entire church - regardless of our SHAPE. Such is the case with Supply Drop 2012. It's an all-skate. All hands on deck. All in.

Are you in? We'll start with coffee and a light breakfast snack at 9am. Come early and get a head start on the caffeine if you want. That's what I'll be doing. We'll spread out in teams all over our building (at both Granger and Elkhart), pack hundreds and hundreds of totes, then go in teams to area schools and nursing homes to deliver the love of Jesus. His love will be packaged as totes, carried by the Church.

Together, one life at a time, one gesture at a time, we'll see our communities transformed for God's glory. 

You in?

See you Saturday.

New Service, New Times at GCC-Elkhart

Last week I sent the following to our team leaders who shared it with their teams at GCC-Elkhart. This past weekend we announced this exciting change. Thought I'd pass it on so everyone can celebrate and be well informed. Enjoy!

The excitement about what God is doing at GCC-Elkhart is palpable! Our growth is more than obvious; each week we’re meeting new friends from our neighborhood and the surrounding area. We’ve waited past the holidays to confirm our need to add service times to accommodate our reach into the community. It’s been confirmed: we’re out of space on Sunday mornings. It’s time to add another service.

Our lead team at Elkhart has considered many possibilities. We’ve joked about a Sunday, 7:30am service, but of course, we need to offer service times when people will actually attend and invite their friends to join them (I know seven of you would show up at 6:30am, but we'd like you to bring your friends with you.). Although we’ve talked about Saturday evening services, the funding required for equipment to stream the message live from Granger’s campus is currently prohibitive. Initially, Saturday evening services would require the investment to properly light our parking and sidewalk areas. We believe adding a service on Sunday morning is our best option.

We can offer three service times on Sunday mornings without additional funding at this point. We believe this is not only good stewardship, but will offer a variety of service times that will reach a diverse audience from early to late morning. Beginning Feb 5 our GCC-Elkhart service schedule will be:

• 7:45am Volunteer Huddle
• 8:30am  1st Service
• 10:15am 2nd Service
• 12:00pm 3rd Service

I know you get this, but a quick reminder: While we will remain sensitive to the pace at which we make significant changes, I trust that you understand and accept this core attribute in our GCC DNA: we will do whatever it takes to reach people with the love of Christ. Change is often inconvenient. New people require us to change. I suppose we could conclude: new people create inconvenience. Every week we get to choose to make it about other people. I believe that is still your heart. 

I wanted you to know this news first, before announcing it this coming Sunday. After Sunday’s announcement, please help us tweet, Facebook and verbally communicate this schedule change with enthusiasm.  This is great news! This additional service will enable us to invite our friends and make space for people we’ve not even met yet. Space for them to experience how much they matter to God and take their next step toward him. 

I’m so grateful for this phenomenal team of growing and developing volunteers at GCC-Elkhart.

Mark your calendar. Invite a friend. Our new series, Keeping Score launches with 3 services in Elkhart: Sundays, 8:30am, 10:15am and 12pm and 4 services at our Granger campus: Saturdays, 5pm and 7pm and Sundays, 9:30am and 11:30am. 

Belonging to Something Bigger than Me

I'm cracking open this blog scene again. It's been awhile. 45 days awhile. But who's counting? This past month plus has been a season of inexplicable joy coupled with crippling pain. Numbing loss and refreshing memories. Much needed rest and nights that were way too short. 

And in it all, God has been faithful. Amazingly faithful.

I've been inspired working alongside the people of GCC-Elkhart. They tirelessly invested time, energy, sweat and tears the past several months to prepare our new ministry outpost, which opened just before Christmas. 

Since then we've seen our weekend attendance nearly double! A month ago we moved from the Hall of Fame to our new home - an amazing gift from St. John's United Church of Christ - at 2701 E. Bristol Street. Already we're out of space on the weekends. We're offering two service times, 9:30 and 11:30am - and we're packed. We've spent the past several weeks exploring approaches to adding a new service time (more on that in the next post).

But, adding services is only the first of many steps to address the need people have to feel connected, to express significance, to participate in something bigger than they are. It's not just true of our people in Elkhart, it's true at our Granger campus as well.

Our founding pastor, Mark Beeson, dropped by GCC-Elkhart this past Sunday to celebrate the growth we're experiencing in Elkhart. No one infuses confidence and empowers people better than Mark. He observed this innate desire we have to find and express identity with a smaller, tighter-knit group of people. We need team. We want to belong to a family. All of us.

In his blog post late Sunday, Mark asked: How do we "employ" people? Not paid staff. Not new "hires." But how do we help people engage in the movement? He notes:

...too often it's not easy for people to be productively employed in the work of God's Kingdom, and that's not because "folks aren't willing." Many times, it's because they're not adequately informed, trained and equipped. Some times, it's because they're not well-connected. The question becomes, "Since people want to be trained so they can be better employed in God's work (thereby more qualified to add value and make a difference), and many now feel un-connected and under-employed, what are we going to do?"

We're fixing the problem. Here's a sampling of how:

•  
  1. Easy on-ramps. We're providing convenient and clear steps toward friendship, service and spiritual growth. Easy to navigate web-based assistance makes navigating the easy on-ramps fun.
  2. Discovering GCC, which is our new version of the old Core Class 101. I'm teaching it on two Saturday mornings.: once at our Bristol Street campus on February 11th and once at our Granger campus on March 10th. (You can register here)
  3. Our Volunteer EXPO is matching relational ministry "employment" opportunities to your talents, hopes and dreams. 
  4. The Supply Drop, giving thousands of us one great day to help our struggling neighbors all across Michiana. It's this year's version of last year's Food Drop.
  5. The Commons, which we're building without adding debt so it's easier for connections to happen and friendships to develop.
  6. Weekends, which we're spooling up for new levels of focus and growth.
  7. The Tangible Kingdom Training, GCC's discipleship plan this semester, will enrich your life, connect you to God's Plan and prepare you for your best Easter yet:
  •  
    • Adults on Mondays @ 6:30 PM - both campuses
    • Women on Tuesdays @ 9:00 AM - both campuses
    • Men on Wednesdays @ 6:00 AM - Elkhart campus
    • Men on Wednesdays @ 6:30 AM - Granger campus
    • Online at your convenience
  • God is at work. You can adjust your life to join HIM and I hope you will.

How's that for good news?

John 13:16-17  -  A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn't give orders to the employer. If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.

(Read Mark's entire post here.)

I'm honored to serve on the team with Mark Beeson and the staff he's assembled.. It's a tremendous privilege to partner with the faithful people at GCC-Elkhart and the hundreds of volunteers who are Granger Community Church at our Granger campus. Our best days are ahead. In the words of John (above): act like it. Let's live the blessed life!