So I'm going on week number two of bed rest due to mono. It's been no fun. It's also why I haven't blogged much recently. But that being said, I am beginning to feel better. And over this past week I have been completely blown away at the love and support of my church family. People from The Way have been just amazing offering childcare, food, and help with yard work while I've been laid up. I'll be back on my feet soon, but in the meantime God has shown me just how awesome our new church really is. Our declaration talks about being a church without walls and a practice of worship seven days a week...it's been a real joy to be the one on the receiving end of that. Thank you to all who have shown me the best of Christ's love while I've been so sick.
Sunday number eight is coming in just a few short days. It's gonna be a great one. There are some phenomenal God stories to tell through some things that have happened on The Common and away from our Sunday Gatherings. One of our own will be quest speaking this weekend sharing his story of how Jesus has changed his life. I hope to see you there as we together celebrate what God is doing in us and through us.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Those magic moments
As both a musician and preacher, I've experienced those moments when everything just goes wrong on stage...there's nothing more difficult than to be the one on stage when the magic is gone. But then again I've experienced those moments in which everything went right...and...there's no better feeling than being on stage when those magic moments come.
Speaking of a magic moment, I found this on YouTube today, and all I can say is wow.
Enjoy...
Grace and Peace be with you.
Speaking of a magic moment, I found this on YouTube today, and all I can say is wow.
Enjoy...
Grace and Peace be with you.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
My favorite questions
Over the past few months of starting a new church, I've received many questions. Some of them were humorous, and others of them were more theologically inquisitive. All of them were sincere and thought provoking. After praying about it, I've felt the Lord leading me to share some of those questions and responses as it may help you to better understand who The Way is as a church of Jesus Christ.
Q) The Way is kind of a dumb name for a church. Why call it The Way?
A) Our greatest goal as a body of believers is to move beyond a philosophy of religion which simply encourages you to attend church services. We, instead, put more emphasis on actually living our lives in the way that Jesus lived His life on Earth. We understand that this focus on living the way that Jesus lived is something that will always be our first priority. With that in mind, it seemed only fitting that we consider a name like The Way, as it not only represents our most primary core value, but it also speaks to the truth that we as a group of Christians believe that the way of Jesus is the best way to live.
Q) The advertising for The Way seems to repetitively communicate verses that describe the churches that are cited in the book of Acts. Why is that?
A) We feel that those churches being mentioned in Acts chapters 2 and 4 represent a high standard of unconditional love, selfless giving, authentic worship, and great commitment to the teachings of Scripture. In light of that, we can think of no better description of what values the church of Jesus Christ should have. Therefore, we make it our practice to remind ourselves regularly of what a church that gave birth to a global movement of faith looks like...devoting ourselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer...to the sharing of goods, giving to anyone as he has need, etc. (Acts 2:42-45). In so doing we believe that God will add to our number daily the number of souls being saved (Acts 2:47).
Q) Are you Catholic or Protestant?
The Way strives to live into a faith practice which precedes both Catholicism and protestantism. Doing our best to model ourselves after the Church of Jesus Christ which was founded in the first century, we simply answer that question by stating that we consider ourselves to be in every way a part of The Bride of Christ, standing shoulder to shoulder with every person and organization who calls out for salvation in Jesus' name. In as much as the honor of being part of The Bride of Christ allows us to serve our Lord beside both Catholics and Protestants of all denominations, we are delighted to grow and serve with all believers. Yet we choose to not define ourselves in such terms. We are simply a church who strives in all things to live the way of Jesus.
Q) On your website it is stated, "The Way will live on a shoe-string budget so that the needy of our community won't have to." What's that about?
A) It is our understanding that followers of Jesus Christ have a responsibility to care for people who have needs. Throughout Scripture the practices of God's people are stated to include things like caring for widows and orphans, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting those who are in prison. The Way has an unwavering commitment to regularly doing these things. What's more, we are so committed to doing these things as often and as much as possible that we have made financial policies within our faith community to better position ourselves to steward the money that God brings to us in a manner which best empowers us to assist those who have needs. In short, fifty cents of every dollar that The Way receives in tithes and offerings goes directly to people who have need. Living on just 50 cents of every dollar that The Way receives has dramatic impact on the church's budget. But our church family feels that living on more than half of our tithes and offerings robs the needy families of our community of what God may want to do in their lives through our church. Therefore, we have decided to live on a shoe-string budget so that more needy families in our community don't have to.
More to come next time...
Grace and Peace be with you.
Q) The Way is kind of a dumb name for a church. Why call it The Way?
A) Our greatest goal as a body of believers is to move beyond a philosophy of religion which simply encourages you to attend church services. We, instead, put more emphasis on actually living our lives in the way that Jesus lived His life on Earth. We understand that this focus on living the way that Jesus lived is something that will always be our first priority. With that in mind, it seemed only fitting that we consider a name like The Way, as it not only represents our most primary core value, but it also speaks to the truth that we as a group of Christians believe that the way of Jesus is the best way to live.
Q) The advertising for The Way seems to repetitively communicate verses that describe the churches that are cited in the book of Acts. Why is that?
A) We feel that those churches being mentioned in Acts chapters 2 and 4 represent a high standard of unconditional love, selfless giving, authentic worship, and great commitment to the teachings of Scripture. In light of that, we can think of no better description of what values the church of Jesus Christ should have. Therefore, we make it our practice to remind ourselves regularly of what a church that gave birth to a global movement of faith looks like...devoting ourselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer...to the sharing of goods, giving to anyone as he has need, etc. (Acts 2:42-45). In so doing we believe that God will add to our number daily the number of souls being saved (Acts 2:47).
Q) Are you Catholic or Protestant?
The Way strives to live into a faith practice which precedes both Catholicism and protestantism. Doing our best to model ourselves after the Church of Jesus Christ which was founded in the first century, we simply answer that question by stating that we consider ourselves to be in every way a part of The Bride of Christ, standing shoulder to shoulder with every person and organization who calls out for salvation in Jesus' name. In as much as the honor of being part of The Bride of Christ allows us to serve our Lord beside both Catholics and Protestants of all denominations, we are delighted to grow and serve with all believers. Yet we choose to not define ourselves in such terms. We are simply a church who strives in all things to live the way of Jesus.
Q) On your website it is stated, "The Way will live on a shoe-string budget so that the needy of our community won't have to." What's that about?
A) It is our understanding that followers of Jesus Christ have a responsibility to care for people who have needs. Throughout Scripture the practices of God's people are stated to include things like caring for widows and orphans, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting those who are in prison. The Way has an unwavering commitment to regularly doing these things. What's more, we are so committed to doing these things as often and as much as possible that we have made financial policies within our faith community to better position ourselves to steward the money that God brings to us in a manner which best empowers us to assist those who have needs. In short, fifty cents of every dollar that The Way receives in tithes and offerings goes directly to people who have need. Living on just 50 cents of every dollar that The Way receives has dramatic impact on the church's budget. But our church family feels that living on more than half of our tithes and offerings robs the needy families of our community of what God may want to do in their lives through our church. Therefore, we have decided to live on a shoe-string budget so that more needy families in our community don't have to.
More to come next time...
Grace and Peace be with you.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Week six preparations
It feels almost weird to say it, but Sunday number six is just days away. What a great ride this has been...What an awesome new church family to get to know and do life with...
This coming Sunday is a fun one as we will be hanging out after our worship gathering for lunch held in my garage (now affectionately known as "The Stuffice"). If you are planning on attending the worship gathering, please plan also for lunch. Jean has been making chili all day today. And if the way that my house smells is any indication, it is going to be goooood! Some have asked what, if anything, they can bring to help out with lunch. If it is that you'd like to contribute, then you should bring a drink item. Also, it would help to bring a folding chair if you have any.
In other news, small group ministry is currently a topic of discussion behind the scenes. Just as the Acts church made it a point to gather regularly in one another's homes, we at The Way want to do the same. As for what will happen at these small group meetings, it will vary some. It could be that dinner and laughter may be the only thing on the agenda
for some, and there could be Bible study and prayer at others. The agenda of the activities is really meant to rest in the hands of those people in the particular groups. After all, our main goal here is to build community with one another and with God; to live the way of Jesus. I feel like allowing the creativity of figuring out what exactly goes on in each small group to rest in the hands of the groups as they get established may better accomplish that task than if I were to dictate what should and shouldn't be done. So, at this time, I'm merely asking you to pray about it. Could you host a group in your home one night a week? Or could you join a small group that you would open your home to on a monthly basis? There really is no better way to get to know the people with whom you worship than to meet with them regularly in this setting.
In addition to that, we have been hard at work behind the scenes working on some promotional materials for The Way. A sneak peek at one of those items can be seen by clicking on this link:
Video #1
and another:
Video #2
If you have friends in you email contacts that are local and without a church home, then send them an email invitation including the link to one or both of these videos. Who knows, it may be all they need to come check us out. Will you do it? Imagine how many people we could reach if we all committed to doing it to all of our email contacts...Think about it. Pray about it. Give it a shot. I'm praying for you. I'm praying for our church. I ask you to continue praying for The Way, as well. Great things are happening, and greater things are yet to come. Grace and Peace be with you.
This coming Sunday is a fun one as we will be hanging out after our worship gathering for lunch held in my garage (now affectionately known as "The Stuffice"). If you are planning on attending the worship gathering, please plan also for lunch. Jean has been making chili all day today. And if the way that my house smells is any indication, it is going to be goooood! Some have asked what, if anything, they can bring to help out with lunch. If it is that you'd like to contribute, then you should bring a drink item. Also, it would help to bring a folding chair if you have any.
In other news, small group ministry is currently a topic of discussion behind the scenes. Just as the Acts church made it a point to gather regularly in one another's homes, we at The Way want to do the same. As for what will happen at these small group meetings, it will vary some. It could be that dinner and laughter may be the only thing on the agenda
for some, and there could be Bible study and prayer at others. The agenda of the activities is really meant to rest in the hands of those people in the particular groups. After all, our main goal here is to build community with one another and with God; to live the way of Jesus. I feel like allowing the creativity of figuring out what exactly goes on in each small group to rest in the hands of the groups as they get established may better accomplish that task than if I were to dictate what should and shouldn't be done. So, at this time, I'm merely asking you to pray about it. Could you host a group in your home one night a week? Or could you join a small group that you would open your home to on a monthly basis? There really is no better way to get to know the people with whom you worship than to meet with them regularly in this setting.
In addition to that, we have been hard at work behind the scenes working on some promotional materials for The Way. A sneak peek at one of those items can be seen by clicking on this link:
Video #1
and another:
Video #2
If you have friends in you email contacts that are local and without a church home, then send them an email invitation including the link to one or both of these videos. Who knows, it may be all they need to come check us out. Will you do it? Imagine how many people we could reach if we all committed to doing it to all of our email contacts...Think about it. Pray about it. Give it a shot. I'm praying for you. I'm praying for our church. I ask you to continue praying for The Way, as well. Great things are happening, and greater things are yet to come. Grace and Peace be with you.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Some of the goings on
Friends of The Way,
I just wanted to drop you a line and bring you up to speed on a few things regarding The Way. Since they're not necessarily related to one another, I'll bullet point them for clarity.
*I have a new email address. Add this address pm@thewayministries.info to your contacts. This is the email that I will be using going forward.
*The Way is planning on having lunch together immediately following our worship gathering on October 18th. Jean will be making Chili. And, trust me, you don't want to miss her chili...it's AMAZING! Please mark your calendar, and plan on staying for lunch.
*We have 4 weeks in the books at this point. And I can't communicate enough just how excited and pleased I am with all that has happened. We've worked hard at building some community and developing a comfortable environment at our gatherings. Sunday mornings at The Way are a consistent image of comfort, joy, fellowship, and unity. We continue seeing new faces every week, and we've even been successful in helping some needy folks in what is such a humble time for us financially. This is such a blessing. We've started a church from scratch with literally nothing more than a willingness to be boldly obedient unto the call to do so. And after 4 weeks of having our doors "open", I can honestly say that we are doing well! Please join me in praising God for this! We are doing our best to be faithful to Him, and He is CERTAINLY being faithful to us.
*We're still seeing new registrations on The Common every week. If you haven't joined our community on The Common, it's not too late. Sign up when you get a chance. It is an AWESOME resource that helps us focus on keeping the needs of our community in front of us.
*A professional quality P.A. system has been made available to The Way free of charge. This is a great addition to our worship gatherings and a true answer to prayer. As I metioned at our gathering last Sunday, the books on church planting in many cases tell you not to start your chuch until many items (such as a P.A. system) have first been acquired. I've always felt led of God that if we would simply walk in the manner that God has called us to walk then He would provide everything that we need. And He has...and He has even provided it to The Way free of charge. Can anyone say AMEN!?!
*Over the next month The Way will be focusing on the development of small groups across our community. There will be much more shared about this on Sunday mornings. But to put it in brief, just as the first century church kept to the practice of gathering in one another's homes, breaking bread, and praying together, we at The Way will be doing the same. Would you be in prayer about opening up your home on a somewhat regular basis to some friends from The Way for some food, laughter, and prayer? More to come on this...
*There is much to do at The Way. In fact, our "to-do" list is quite lengthy behind the scenes. To address that, I am putting together a small group of leaders to meet with me once a week to help me accomplish the tasks at hand. I'm calling it a "dream team" because it will be with this small group of people that I will work on realizing some of the dreams that God has given me for this church. I'm heavily in prayer for this team. This is crucial to our development going forward.
*And finally I ask that you continue being in prayer for The Way and that you continue inviting your friends to come and worship with us. This past month of worship together has been such a sweet and God-centered time. I've found such joy in getting to know the people of The Way, and I've been truly blessed by all that God is doing in our midst. I am convinced that God has big plans for us, and we have a phenomenal future ahead of us. Hopefully, I'll see you Sunday! Until then...
Grace and Peace be with you.
www.thewayministries.info
I just wanted to drop you a line and bring you up to speed on a few things regarding The Way. Since they're not necessarily related to one another, I'll bullet point them for clarity.
*I have a new email address. Add this address pm@thewayministries.info to your contacts. This is the email that I will be using going forward.
*The Way is planning on having lunch together immediately following our worship gathering on October 18th. Jean will be making Chili. And, trust me, you don't want to miss her chili...it's AMAZING! Please mark your calendar, and plan on staying for lunch.
*We have 4 weeks in the books at this point. And I can't communicate enough just how excited and pleased I am with all that has happened. We've worked hard at building some community and developing a comfortable environment at our gatherings. Sunday mornings at The Way are a consistent image of comfort, joy, fellowship, and unity. We continue seeing new faces every week, and we've even been successful in helping some needy folks in what is such a humble time for us financially. This is such a blessing. We've started a church from scratch with literally nothing more than a willingness to be boldly obedient unto the call to do so. And after 4 weeks of having our doors "open", I can honestly say that we are doing well! Please join me in praising God for this! We are doing our best to be faithful to Him, and He is CERTAINLY being faithful to us.
*We're still seeing new registrations on The Common every week. If you haven't joined our community on The Common, it's not too late. Sign up when you get a chance. It is an AWESOME resource that helps us focus on keeping the needs of our community in front of us.
*A professional quality P.A. system has been made available to The Way free of charge. This is a great addition to our worship gatherings and a true answer to prayer. As I metioned at our gathering last Sunday, the books on church planting in many cases tell you not to start your chuch until many items (such as a P.A. system) have first been acquired. I've always felt led of God that if we would simply walk in the manner that God has called us to walk then He would provide everything that we need. And He has...and He has even provided it to The Way free of charge. Can anyone say AMEN!?!
*Over the next month The Way will be focusing on the development of small groups across our community. There will be much more shared about this on Sunday mornings. But to put it in brief, just as the first century church kept to the practice of gathering in one another's homes, breaking bread, and praying together, we at The Way will be doing the same. Would you be in prayer about opening up your home on a somewhat regular basis to some friends from The Way for some food, laughter, and prayer? More to come on this...
*There is much to do at The Way. In fact, our "to-do" list is quite lengthy behind the scenes. To address that, I am putting together a small group of leaders to meet with me once a week to help me accomplish the tasks at hand. I'm calling it a "dream team" because it will be with this small group of people that I will work on realizing some of the dreams that God has given me for this church. I'm heavily in prayer for this team. This is crucial to our development going forward.
*And finally I ask that you continue being in prayer for The Way and that you continue inviting your friends to come and worship with us. This past month of worship together has been such a sweet and God-centered time. I've found such joy in getting to know the people of The Way, and I've been truly blessed by all that God is doing in our midst. I am convinced that God has big plans for us, and we have a phenomenal future ahead of us. Hopefully, I'll see you Sunday! Until then...
Grace and Peace be with you.
www.thewayministries.info
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Maybe this is why the Bible calls God's Word a sword
I wish we were all so bold in our faith.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Week number 4 is coming
Friends,
What a wonderful time these first three weeks at The Way have been...
In recent months I've found that planting a church is everything that people say it is; exhilarating, terrifying, hard work, pure joy. And doing it with you at The Way has made it all the more wonderful. I love the fact that there is already a strong sense of family and community at The Way. I love the fact that we laugh more than anything. I love that we share our lives with one another during our prayer times. I love the fact that we let our actions speak for themselves when it comes to caring for one another and seeing that needs get met. I love the fact that we don't take ourselves too seriously, and I love the fact that we meet in the most humble and simple way and find a marvelous and powerful God. This is truly the church that I've longed for my entire life.
How's it going for you so far? What's your feedback? As your pastor, I want to hear from you about these things. Feel free to drop me a line and share your thoughts with me. I have a new email address. Please make note of it in your "contacts". It is:
pm@thewayministries.info
I hope to see you this Sunday morning. In addition to our usual practice of community and learning to live the way of Jesus, some important announcements are coming regarding the formation of small groups at The Way. It's going to be another great weekend. Be sure to come, and bring a few friends with you. And one final thing, keep an eye out at my blog page and The Way's website for a promotional video that Chelsea Medic is putting together for us. I've seen one of the final edits...it's perfect!!!
Grace and Peace be with you.
What a wonderful time these first three weeks at The Way have been...
In recent months I've found that planting a church is everything that people say it is; exhilarating, terrifying, hard work, pure joy. And doing it with you at The Way has made it all the more wonderful. I love the fact that there is already a strong sense of family and community at The Way. I love the fact that we laugh more than anything. I love that we share our lives with one another during our prayer times. I love the fact that we let our actions speak for themselves when it comes to caring for one another and seeing that needs get met. I love the fact that we don't take ourselves too seriously, and I love the fact that we meet in the most humble and simple way and find a marvelous and powerful God. This is truly the church that I've longed for my entire life.
How's it going for you so far? What's your feedback? As your pastor, I want to hear from you about these things. Feel free to drop me a line and share your thoughts with me. I have a new email address. Please make note of it in your "contacts". It is:
pm@thewayministries.info
I hope to see you this Sunday morning. In addition to our usual practice of community and learning to live the way of Jesus, some important announcements are coming regarding the formation of small groups at The Way. It's going to be another great weekend. Be sure to come, and bring a few friends with you. And one final thing, keep an eye out at my blog page and The Way's website for a promotional video that Chelsea Medic is putting together for us. I've seen one of the final edits...it's perfect!!!
Grace and Peace be with you.
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