Will they kick me out if I wear my ear rings?

There is one guy at work... we will call him Bill for now... that it seems like every time I talk to him he ask me if I have any single friends... or if Lauren has any single friends... and no matter how many times I seem to tell him no he always asks... At least once every week or so...

you see, said guy is relatively recently divorced and he is looking for companionship... his wife took the hole in his heart that she filled and tore it apart from the inside out... granted, i've only heard one side of the story, but either way, he's hurting. He searching for SOMETHING.

Heath and I stood talking to him for a few minutes the other day, so he knows about the church. And for some WEIRD reason.. the first thing he asked me when i saw him yesterday was "How did services go?" I had no idea what he was talking about! Simply because I never expected him to actually care that I was starting a church. Bill is far from religious. He's a semi-bad biker dude. I think deep down he wants to be "badder" than he is, but in the end can't be because of his personality. (Kind of like my wanting to be a rock star!)

"How did the services go?"
"What services?"
"Don't 'what services?' me! How did it go on Sunday?"
"Oh! It went great!"

Rough idea of the conversation we had... i never expected him to ask about the church again, unless I brought it up... but no.. he brought it up... So we got to talkin... he said he wanted to come, but ended up chickening out, cause he was on his bike that weekend and decided it was too cold to come.

And then he asked it... "Will they kick me out if I wear my ear rings?"

My heart sunk. Each time I hear him ask it in my mind my heart sinks further. What has the church become? His concern is so correct it tears me to shreds. There are churches in this town that truly would kick Bill out simply because of his ear rings.

Todd Agnew... what an amazing lyricist...

"Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despised the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud"

So, I ask again, what has the church become? I hate to say it, but Todd is so close to the truth that it hurts... and yet... there is hope... a glimmer of light in the distance...

I loved being able to tell him that he had better leave them in, cause that's who he is! "Heck no! Heath has like, 6 tattoos! Why would we not let you wear ear rings?!"

Todd Agnew again...

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

Accosted= confronted... challenged...
Do we challenge that comfortable?

"Oh yeah! I took a mission trip to mexico last summer! I broke way out of my comfort zone!!"

I looked the other way as I left Walmart, because I know she always stands there with her sign... When that person yelled my name I pretended I didn't hear...
I slept just five minutes longer, instead of praying or reading my Bible for those five extra minutes...
I moved to a different row last Sunday because a first time visitor was in the seat next to where I always sit...
Sure, I love the poor... when they live a thousand miles away from where I live...
The second I saw them coming into the church I thought "Why are they here? I know what they are [fill in the blank]" an alcoholic, a drugee, recently divorced, porn addict, chain smoker, an adulterer, cheater, lier, thief....

What has the church become?


God, do greater things in OUR lives so we can do greater things in theirs!

p.s. If you have the last thought on Sunday as you see someone come into your church... feel free to send them to ours! 7th and Virginia, 10 am... We'll take 'em!!

Yes you can wear your ear rings!!!!!!!

Launching 101

What I learned from launching a church...

1. Spending 5 hrs at school and 10 hrs at church two days in a row is not the most amazing thing on a new marriage.
2. Being able to celebrate the very first service of a new church with your wife is an amazing thing!
3. Find committed musicians, so they can be there every week, not one week on, one week off.
4. I get crazy nervous, to the point I can't even talk because I feel like I am about to explode, when this happens, find a time to be alone.
5. Practice makes perfect, but nerves can take that perfection and make it look like nectefroip. It's all there, but it doesn't look anything like it should.
6. I love hearing the voices of God's people sing to him, and I can't believe God has allowed me to be a lead worshipper.
   
7. Lauren being right next to me helps calm "post-nervous feeling" nerves.
8. I want to be a rock star.
9. There is a hurting side of Joplin that no one sees. Recovering addicts... people burned by the church... ministers burned by the church... people who are shunned because they look funny... People just looking for something different. I met all of these today. My heart went out for them in a way I never knew before.
10. Life-on-life with people is an amazing thing. I love hearing people stories about how they are "looking for the right church." And I love it even more when after the service they have found it.
11. There are numerous churches in Joplin that don't ask a visitors name. We were the first church to ask Teneza's. She's been church searching since moving here in June. We were the first to ask her name........!!!!!!!!!!!
12. Aaron Payne and Joanna Gardner (soon to be Payne) are awesome.
13. Even though ^they^ hound me about doing things I know I shouldn't, but still do.
14. Full time ministry is the life for me.

I'm sure there is so much more that I have learned, these are just the things that have gone through my mind since this morning. There is so much more to digest though!!

All in all... an amazing day! Music went pretty well... 80ish in the main room + 31 kids + kids workers = 125. First Sunday... Brand stinkin new church and we are already averaging what just about every church I have attended over the last 5 years is averaging. Granted one Sunday isn't an "average" but with all the people that said they'd be back.... plus the people they are going to drag with them next Sunday, i'd say we are looking pretty good!

Number one lesson--- God is freaking amazing for doing everything he does as only he can. Thank you, Father! Continue to work in and through me to reach the hurting in Joplin!
Number two lesson--- Lauren is freaking amazing for allowing me to be 100% focused on just about everything except her these last 3-4 days. Thank you, Princess! I will love you forever!

Greater things have begun...

Lights... Sound... ACTION!

So, this coming Sunday is our BIG launch!! 30,000 postcards have been mailed out... Heath (lead pastor) said he's been getting calls about being coming to the service on Sunday!! I can't believe that we are finally here!! Wed night and Thursday all day we are going to be getting all the lights and sound stuff plugged in... it'll probably be..... scratch that... it will be the most amazing sound system i've ever plugged into... and the most amazing lighting system I've ever played under!! (exception is possibly OCC Chapel, but this stuff even rivals theirs!!) I'm REALLY looking forward to being up there all day the next two days!! I just love putting my time in at the church!! I always have, since I was in high school even... I loved getting to run lights, powerpoint, and sometimes some sound in the youth group @ First Baptist, BA... and I loved doing the same at Riverveiw... There's just something about the church atmosphere that I love!! Any who... I'm gonna go check on laundry before I have to go to home depot work... blah... I can't wait till I'm full time!!

Pray for us!! Sunday @ 10:30!!

Greater Things!!

Greater Things--- just as a reminder

So, Sunday... we actually dropped by a few, but it's ok... it's not all about the numbers... no big... it was still a very good service! Had one weird happening... but i don't want to bore you with that... We started getting all of our tech stuff in a few weeks ago... welllllll most of it has now arrived!! We have subs set up... a couple of speakers... the projector is ready to go so that will be in use this Sunday!! We don't have a soundboard yet... but that will come!! Super exciting part is that by a week from Thursday we will be completely set up and ready to rock!! It's going to be AMAZING!! I'm so stoked!!

As I sat in chapel today I was thinking about how I was going to head up to the church after my last class... I just started getting so excited!! I love being there... I love working at the church... even if I am having a frustrating time because I can't figure out why a program that has worked for me a million times in the past is not working for me now! But, I'm ok with that! I just love being there! I'm really looking forward to being able to go back up there and keep working!! I'm realizing more and more how deep my passion to lead worship through music (and eventually worship many other ways) truly goes... I get so excited about upcoming Sundays... they are nothing special... it's just the excitement of being able to aid others in singing praises to our God... it's such an awesome experience... anyway...

we sang "God of This City" today in chapel... and I think it's time that I re-post the lyrics because they are so stinking good... if you have just skimmed over them in the past really read through them this time... let the words soak in... let your mind think of people you know, in YOUR city... God is the God of all cities, of all peoples....

God, may we become more passionate about seeing the lost, that you love more than we can comprehend, come to see you... BE THE GOD OF THIS CITY!!

You're the God of this city
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You Are

For there is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things are still to come
And greater things are still to be done here

You're the Lord of Creation
The Creator of all things
You're the King above all Kings
You Are

You're the strength in our weakness
You're the love to the broken
You're the joy in the sadness
You Are

Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Where glory shines from hearts alive
With praise for you and love for you
In this city

Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things are still to come
And greater things are still to be done here



GOD! WE CRY OUT FOR YOU TO BRING GREATER THINGS!!!!!!!

A Foreign Concept in a Familiar Place

Have you ever done something that should come SO natural and yet yourself and everyone around you can't seem to grasp what exactly is supposed to be going on? 

So yesterday for chapel we prayer walked the campus.  I have decided that prayer walking is something completely foreign to Americans while not on a mission trip.  I remember when I was living in Argentina and we would have groups come down from Bellevue in Memphis.  One of the first things we would do when arriving in a new town we were to minister to was prayer walk.  So this "(spiritual) exercise" was nothing new to me.  However, it seemed that once the leader dismissed us to our different stations around campush, each time in between was a catch up time... a hang out time... a "lets finish the conversation we were having before the start of chapel so rudly interrupted us." (Maybe not that extreme, but you get my point...) And it was SO frustrating... a Christian College campus- supposed to be taking these few minutes to prayer walk for our school, nation and so much more, and yet we can't wait 30 minutes to talk to our friends? I mean, come on! It's a Prayer Walk.  Emphasis on the prayer part!! 

So as we are walking between stations I am thinking about this- how it's so frustrating that people don't grasp this concept and it reminded me of a story in the bible... Found in Luke 18.... 

"The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'"

God, I thank you that I am not like these other Christians- they talk, joke, can't focus for 30 minutes- or even like this freshman.  I can pray for thirty minutes... while i'm walking! 

Ha! What a realization that was!! I spent most of the time between the first two stations thinking about how we don't really know how to prayer walk in the U.S. and how it was frustrating on a Christian campus (full of leaders) that we couldn't focus on God for 30 minutes and how I was going to vent about it on my blog... Yeah... I felt stupid, so I corrected my attitude.

Lessons learned- I still think that it's sad that a campus at a college for Christian minister's can't focus and prayer walk for 30-45 minutes.  I need to learn to focus better.

In other news---- We had 52 on Sunday morning!! That's a jump of ten!! Already! in two services!!! We have a drummer playing with us on Sunday!! That's way exciting! Annnd I'm hopefully going to meet with someone who can play bass to find out if we can get him over here!! If we can then that will be the "base band" that I wanted to launch with on October 26th! So that would be WAY sweet if it happens!! Otherwise, we will make due!! We have started getting in all of our lights and sound stuff! THAT is way exciting!! God is already moving!! It's awesome!! I cannot WAIT for this Sunday to see what He's going to do!!

So, I'm riding my bike to class today- so I need to go!! Adios!!

Greater things!