Mumford & Sons & Jesus

May 17, 2012 in the gospel, theology with 0 Comments

I remember the first time I listened to Mumford & Sons’ album, Sigh No More. I sat down with some headphones and listened to the full album while reading every lyric. I loved it. It felt honest and original. Marcus Mumford sang with raw passion that moved me deeply with emotion. I couldn’t get enough.

Today, a little over a year since that first listen, I can hardly stand listening to a single song off of the album. Why, though? Is it because it somehow lost its passion and originality? Is it because I realized how emotionless it was? No. It’s because I played the album several hundred times. I got sick of hearing the same songs over and over, and eventually my enthusiasm and emotion disappeared.

For a long time, I had the same reaction to the word “gospel”. I heard the word so many times, that it had lost its meaning and I felt absolutely no emotion toward it. I couldn’t even define the word anymore. It had been overused, abused, misused, and lightly used. Maybe you’ve felt the same way. If you’re a follower of Christ, that’s definitely not a good thing. A good litmus test to determine if you really believe in something is to define it. So, try to define the gospel. Seriously, right now, try to define it.

I’ve found there are four responses to being asked to define the gospel:

1) You can’t define it.

2) You can kind of define it.

3) You can define it, but it doesn’t move you.

4) You can define it, and it has moved you…to do something.

My guess is that most people fall into the first three categories. I know I was there for most of my life. And here’s the problem with that: the meaning of the word “gospel” has never changed. It’s just that we have lost its meaning because we have assumed everyone already knows it. For instance, in the blog you are reading right now, I have only alluded to the gospel, but still haven’t stated what it means (Trust me…I’m getting to it).

In starting Grassroots, we didn’t want to assume anything. We didn’t even want to assume that we knew how to explain the gospel. So, we set out to define it from the start and keep defining it over and over again. Here’s a helpful way we’ve found to do this:

The gospel simply means “good news”. Specifically, that good news is the news about Jesus Christ. Here’s how we explain it:

God. We’re accountable to our Creator. We’re not autonomous, self-reliant, or self-governing.

Man. We turned our back on God and pursued our own pleasure, selfishness, and sin. The just punishment for this is death (Romans 6:23).

Jesus. In the greatest act of grace and kindness, God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die for us and take the punishment we deserved (mercy) in our place before he was resurrected. Through this sacrifice, we get what we don’t deserve (grace): eternal life.

Response. This gift of salvation and eternal life is a free gift to all who believe. No works, good behavior, or moral living will get us anywhere with God.

Now, that’s some good news. It’s not something that should ever be assumed, lest we lose its meaning. Unlike an overplayed album, the pure, unadulterated gospel never gets old. It should be defined and explained over and over again – to others and to ourselves. It should be preached through every story in Scripture, in every message, in new ways, in old ways, in everyday conversation. Then maybe, just maybe, it will move us…to do something.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)

Kairos

May 15, 2012 in discipleship with 0 Comments

The Kairos

Multiple words in the Greek language can translate to the English word for time. One of these words is kairos. Kairos is not the use of time that implies a sequential or chronological order. It is a moment in time, or an opportunity. A time when everything changes because you were in the right time at the right place hearing the right message with the right people. Mike Breen says:

“A kairos moment is when the eternal God breaks into your circumstances with an event that gathers some loose ends of your life and knots them together in his hands.”

Here are three key elements of kairos moments:

  • They can be positive or negative.
  • They can be identified by the impact they leave on you.
  • They provide opportunities for growth.

A Biblical Kairos

The prophet Elijah wanted to hear from God, so he went and stood on a mountain. First, there was a crazy wind so strong it broke rocks into pieces. But it was not God speaking. Then, there was an earthquake. An earthquake! Still not God. After the earthquake was a fire. No God there. And finally, there was a whisper. It was in the whisper Elijah heard God speak (read here). Many times, when God is speaking, I’m just not listening. I tend to expect God to speak in some loud, audible earthquake or fire, like I’m on some sort of spiritual high. But, I forget that God can speak in a still whisper.

Responding to a Kairos

The greatest kairos of my life was when God said, “Go to Asheville and plant a church.” It was so simple and quiet, but so very clear. It was so clear, I wondered if God had ever spoken to me before. I wasn’t in an emotional experience at the altar. I wasn’t at youth camp or revival. I was reading alone in silence. This kairos moment has impacted my life forever. However, it wasn’t enough to just have a kairos moment. I had to do something about it.

There are two questions I like to keep in mind when dealing with a kairos: 1) What is God saying? and 2) What are you going to do about it? The truth is, we can experience a kairos moment and learn nothing because we do nothing about it. We must respond. Here’s how:

What is God saying?

Observe. When God speaks, we need to need to just simply observe what He is saying. I typically do this by writing it down so I don’t forget what He said or  exactly how, when, and where He said it.

Reflect. Next, we need to reflect on our observations. Ask questions. How did I react? Why? What brought up these emotions? Is my selfish nature opposing what God is saying? If we want to be used and changed by God, we need to be honest with ourselves.

Discuss. Life wasn’t meant to be lived alone, and a kairos isn’t meant to be kept to ourselves. We have to bring others we trust into the process. If your kairos is a sin issue, it is critical to have others who can discuss and reflect with you, but not flatter you. If it’s a life-altering revelation from God, you need to have others confirm and affirm.

What are you going to do about it?

Plan. After observing the issues, reflecting on why it happened, asking ourselves why we reacted the way we did, and discussing it with someone else, we must move to a plan, asking ourselves, “What are you going to do about it?”

Account. A plan is useless unless you have someone hold you accountable for it. Mike Breen says, “We cannot skip accountability and still say we are disciples of Christ. It is that simple. Being afraid to share with someone else because you think your thoughts or feelings are too private will keep you from growing and changing.”

Act. “A plan is made and a relationship of accountability established, the natural reaction is for action to take place. Faith always comes to the surface and always produces action. It cannot be contained. Thoughts and intents that are held within and not acted upon are not faith, no matter what we like to say. (“My faith is personal” is a favorite. But that is a self-contradicting statement. Faith is always acted out, never kept bottled up within.)” (Breen).

Final Thought

If there is one thing I’m willing to fight, it’s Christian apathy. If we have been given the greatest gift in history (salvation), how can we not respond? Even if God never spoke again, the statement He made with the cross is enough. By God’s grace, He is still speaking. We just have to respond. So, what is God saying to you?

 

*Another option is to skip this blog altogether and read Building a Discipling Culture by Mike Breen from 3DM.

Following Jesus: Information, Imitation, Innovation

May 1, 2012 in discipleship with 0 Comments


American culture is very pragmatic. We want information now so we can put it into practice tomorrow. Unfortunately, most of the American church’s discipleship programs, classes, and even small groups have followed suit. Information is very important, but it is only one aspect of learning how to follow Jesus. To demonstrate, Mike Breen puts it like this:

“Would you trust a doctor to perform open heart surgery on you who has had only classroom experience and no residency? Yet that is how we have structured our discipleship processes!”

What I’ve learned is that discipleship (or learning in general) involves three different aspects: information, imitation, and innovation. As we read the gospels, we can see Jesus participating in all three of these elements with his disciples. In Matthew 5, Jesus begins to teach his disciples and expounds on the reality of discipleship (information). In the chapter preceding, Jesus asks Peter and Andrew to come follow him (imitation). For three years, they followed his every move and lived as he lived. The disciples had been learning from Jesus and imitating Him, but in John 14:12, He tells them that they will do the things he has done and will do even greater things (innovation).

One of the greatest components of my discipleship journey has been studying and knowing Scripture. Here is an example of how the Information/Imitation/Innovation process has been worked out through Scripture study in my own life:

Information
Ever since I could read, I knew the one thing I should be reading is the Bible. In Kids Church, we sang songs about reading the Bible. In youth group, we had competitions where we earned points for reading a certain amount of chapters. The problem was that I assumed I knew how to read this complex work made up of 66 mini-books, written by about 40 authors, and spanning the course of about 1500 years. I had no idea what I was doing. I understood some of the concepts and general themes, but I couldn’t explain how it all worked together.

Imitation
Through the help of multiple friends and mentors during my college years, I began to see how studying the Bible worked. There were people actually out there who could not only read and teach the Bible, but could show me how to read it for myself. I began to see how inductive Bible study worked. I began picking up commentaries that explained the context of specific books. I imitated what I saw from others who knew how to study Scripture, and in the process, I began to understand why everyone was telling me to read the Bible.

Innovation
After learning the importance of studying Scripture and imitating those who knew how to do it, I began to take on my own process for studying. Now, I have my own schedule and methods that have proven to be the most beneficial for me. I’ve also used what I’ve learned to teach and show others how to study Scripture for themselves as well.

Through this 20 year process, I’ve grown to know Christ on a much greater level. I’ve come to understand the awe of the gospel of Christ and how it is not only weaved all throughout Scripture, but how it transforms (and is still transforming) every part of my life. If I had jumped from information to innovation, I would have gotten the Bible all wrong. I am so grateful for those who stopped feeding me information and started showing me how to own this component of discipleship for myself.

*Another option is to skip this blog altogether and read Building a Discipling Culture by Mike Breen from 3DM.

5 Things I’ve Learned About Boundaries

April 24, 2012 in leadership with 2 Comments

Since moving to Asheville, I’ve had to seriously re-evaluate my priorities and even my pre-designed human limitations. Last year, I experienced a period of depression and pure exhaustion. It seemed like everything hit me at once – becoming a dad, finishing my master’s degree, leading multiple ministries, planning for our move to Asheville, while also trying to be a decent husband, Christ-follower, and human being in general. The truth is, I ended up being pretty awful at all of the above. By the end of the year, I knew things had to change.

I took the month of January completely off from anything ministry related. Sure, I had a hard time disconnecting from the vision God had given me for Grassroots, but I really tried to put it off. To me, this felt lazy. But, I followed the advice of those wiser than me and took the time off. During that time, I focused on only three things: decompression (unlearning bad habits and learning good ones), rest (enjoying life), and family (making up for time lost and learning to love them like I wanted to).

During this time of decompression, I began to realize that I had to set boundaries…mainly because I had none. I had sold my soul to productivity and lost myself, my family, and devotion to Christ in the process. So, I decided to make those three things my priorities (in opposite order) and realize I could only be effective at a few things. In other words, I set some boundaries. Over this process, I’ve learned a few things:

1. Set boundaries or someone else will set them for you. I don’t remember who said this. I heard it a while ago, and I did NOT take this advice until it was too late. Eventually my boundaries were set…by others. People need things accomplished, and they will have you accomplish them unless you say “no”. People have a gaping hole of selfish desire in their heart, and you are the one to fill it! That is, unless you say “no.” However, not everything someone asks of you is bad. Sometimes, these things are good. But allowing yourself to say “no” to good things will open up opportunity to say “yes” to GREAT things (like taking your son on a hike or seeing a romantic comedy with your wife or saving the world).

2. When you set boundaries, people will get mad. I mean really, really mad. They need you, darn it, so why aren’t you filling their needs? Because you’re too busy setting healthy boundaries to steward the relationships and resources God has given you. But, who is going to be with you on the last day of your life? Not the people getting mad at your for setting boundaries. So, set your boundaries to protect the ones that will be there.

3. Setting boundaries makes your family feel loved and appreciated. This is especially true if you’re coming out of a period of burnout, specifically for those in ministry. Here’s a reality check: your first ministry is to your family. If you can’t minister to your family, you shouldn’t be ministering to strangers. Allowing others to set boundaries for you only makes your family feel unloved, unappreciated, and just downright crappy. The phone calls during dinner, the incessant email checking at home, the “emergencies” that ministry demands…yeah, all those need to stop.

4. After a while, you’ll be able to feel again. By the end of 2011, I didn’t enjoy anything. Seriously, there was nothing I looked forward to. Everything seemed like another chore on my to-do list. This is a bad sign. The solution for me: rest. Once I was able to finally rest, I looked forward to working. I cherished time with my son and wife. I laughed and meant it. Finally feeling emotion (other than anger) was a symptom of my healing.

5. You’ll be way more effective. A mentor told me recently, “Rest for your work. Don’t work for your rest.” That resonated with me because I spent most of my adult life doing the opposite. I worked so hard to get a day off that when I finally got there, I wasn’t able to slow down. So now, I make rest a priority on my calendar and THEN I schedule work. This has helped with my clarity of calling, energy, focus, and overall joy in working. I love a good day’s work, but I equally love a good day’s rest.

In conclusion, I’m still learning this stuff. I’ve made some huge strides in this area, but I still have a long way to go. There is also one huge factor I have failed to mention that has helped me more that anything else: God’s grace. January was great, but the proceeding months brought about more challenges. After a period of fasting, prayer, and meditation on grace, I began to feel the weight and pressure of ministry be lifted from my shoulders. I can’t explain this other than God pardoning my selfishness and ill behavior and giving me what I don’t deserve: grace.

Update from Asheville: Easter Sunrise Service

April 20, 2012 in grassroots with 2 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update from Asheville. So, I guess it’s time to fill you in on the great things happening in our city. The highlight of 2012 so far was our Easter sunrise service in Pritchard Park (downtown Asheville). This was our first community event as a church. We had not intended to do any sort of public gathering until later summer, but since we were going to celebrate the resurrection of Christ anyway, we decided to invite other people to join us.

We arrived in downtown Asheville around 5:30 am to pray and set up for our gathering. It was dark, quiet, and cold; but our team of about 15-20 volunteers suffered through and made it happen. At 7:05, our first Grassroots event began. Our time together consisted of 3 songs, a brief message on hope, and an opportunity for communion and prayer. The band consisted of Jerad on vocals and guitar, Liz on vocals and guitar, Melissa on cello, and Caleb on percussion. It was a beautiful ensemble and was perfect for an early Easter morning in a park. I shared the story of Lazarus, Mary, & Martha from John 11 and related it to the hope of Christ’s resurrection through the despair of His death. The most definitive moment for me was our invitation for communion and/or prayer as the band played after my message. Many came to partake in the Lord’s Supper and I was able to pray with a couple people. It was an amazing feeling to celebrate the hope we have in Christ with many others in downtown Asheville.

In John’s Gospel, one of the first things Jesus says to his disciples after his resurrection was, “Come and eat breakfast.” We decided it would be appropriate to follow Christ’s example and share a delicious breakfast with our community. So after the last song, I invited everyone to join us for a meal provided by Tupelo Honey Cafe (one of our favorites). We were able to meet people and share a little bit about our vision for Grassroots in Asheville. In total, we had about 60-70 people show up, which included many from the homeless community.

This was a surreal experience for me. Over two years ago, as I was sitting alone in our Tallahassee apartment, God told me to plant a church in Asheville. Then, here I was, celebrating the hope of Christ with our incredible team and about 60 other people in downtown Asheville. God is too good. I want to thank everyone who has been a friend to us. Without the generosity, prayers, and general kindness of others, this would not be happening.

If you pray, please pray for Grassroots. This has not been easy, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Though battles have been fought, God has been extremely faithful (as always).

To view photos from our Easter sunrise service, click here.

Following Jesus

April 18, 2012 in discipleship with 1 Comment

I’ve believed Jesus Christ was the Son of God who paid for the sins of mankind since I was 7 years old, which means I’ve been a Christian for 20 years. Looking back on those two decades, I’ve realized I spent very little time actually following Jesus. While I revered Him as God and spent most of my days around people who had similar beliefs, I was never motivated to actually follow Him.

It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I began to realize this. My life had gradually become very church-centric. I was so involved in church that I just assumed I was actually following Jesus. But something was missing. So, I decided to go straight to the source and see for myself what following Jesus actually looked like. As I began studying the gospels, I saw that following Jesus was so much different than what I had been experiencing. And this is what I realized: To follow Jesus is to know Him. My problem was that I didn’t know Him; I only knew about Him.

Apparently, many Christians in the western world have had similar experiences and have had to figure out discipleship on their own. In his book, Building a Discipling Culture, Mike Breen puts it like this:

“We have become so acculturated in our Cartesian, Western world that we believe knowing about something and knowing something are the same thing. What we have managed to do is teach people about God. Teach them about prayer. Teach them about mission. The point isn’t that they would just know about it but to know it.

We don’t want to just know about God; we want to know God. In the same way that we don’t want to collect random facts and nuances about our spouses, we want to know them through and through…

Discipleship isn’t a random assortment of facts and propositions and behaviors, discipleship is something that is you to the core and is completely incarnated in you. If it is information, it is information that has worked its way into you and is now part of you…”

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of being a part of a discipleship network called 3DM. They are built around the idea that it’s Jesus’ job to build his church (which he promised to do), but our job is to make disciples. When we started Grassroots, we wanted to make sure the people God places in our care don’t just know about Him, but truly know Him. Discipleship should not be a compartment of our ministry, or simply a core value on a plaque somewhere. It must be at the center of every single thing we do.

In the next few weeks, I’d like to share with you some invaluable tools I’ve learned from 3DM that have completely re-shaped my view of discipleship and caused me to re-think what it really means to follow Jesus. Check back next week for Part 2 of Following Jesus.

*Another option is to skip this blog altogether and read Building a Discipling Culture by Mike Breen from 3DM. It will change your life.

20 Questions for Church Planters

March 20, 2012 in church planting, leadership with 0 Comments

I am constantly evaluating my motivations. Literally, in almost every decision I make, I am wondering, “Why am I doing this?” So, the whole planting-a-church thing is no exception. Critical self-evaluation is very important right now. I have to make sure I am doing this for the right reasons…on a continual basis. Yes, I believe God has called me in this time and in this city, but my natural ambition and selfishness can set me on a different course than where God is leading me. I’ve found 20 questions that have been very helpful in my making sure my heart is in the right place as a church planter:

1. Is my primary motivation for considering church planting a positive one (such as the glory of God and the salvation of people) and not dissatisfaction with my present situation?

2. Do I believe that church planting is the primary God-ordained strategy by which He accomplishes His will, advances His kingdom and glorifies His name?

3. Do I believe and experience the gospel as the “power of God” not only to save me from sin’s penalty but also from sin’s domineering power over my life?

4. Do I share the gospel with non-believers on a regular basis, and can I point to people who have made professions of faith and are still walking with Christ as a result of my witness?

5. Have I had enough exposure to church planting in a ministry focus group similar to what I am considering that I know what the life of a church planter is like?

6. Am I assured of God’s call on my life to church planting instead of to church pastoring?

7. Do I have the necessary training needed to do church planting effectively?

8. Can I articulate clearly what my gifts and personal characteristics are that would make me effective in church planting in the type community I’m considering?

9. Is there objective evidence that I am comfortable relating well with secular people (pa- gans) and able to accept them joyfully into my life and the community of faith?

10. Is my spouse and family willing, even enthusiastic, about our doing church planting?

11. Do I have a gospel-confidence (both lamb-like humility AND lion-like boldness) that, in light of my proven ministry experience, gifts, and skills, I will be effective in church planting?

12. Do I have the spiritual disciplines (consistent personal worship, freedom from pat- terns of besetting sin, good accountability relationships) necessary for being a spiritual leader truly above reproach?

13. Do I display self-management disciplines (getting work done on time, keeping com- mitments, consistency, honesty) that will encourage followers to trust my leadership?

14. Have I developed a relatively comprehensive vision (values, mission, philosophy of ministries, gathering strategies, etc.) of the kind of church I want to plant in my ministry focus group?

15. Am I considered a “people person”, someone who is humble, a good listener, teachable, patient, sensitive, and winsome?

16. Do people tend to sit up, listen and come back when I preach–giving evidence that my preaching and communication gifts are special strengths (above average)?

17. Do spiritually wise, influential people in my life tell me that church planting is a right fit for me?

18. Have I had a positive track record in the church ministries I have led–giving strong evidence of my ability both to lead people AND raise up leaders?

19. Do I have a sincere passion for church planting? Is church planting compatible with my personal career goals or is it seen as merely a “stepping stone” to some other ministry in the future?

20. Understanding the gifts and skills of a church planter usually include being a visionary leader, effective evangelist, and an above average Christ-centered preacher, do I have these endowments?

Questions are from Dr. J. Allen Thompson, President of the International Church Planting Center in Atlanta, and coordinator of multicultural church planting for Mission to North America for the PCA. As an executive with Worldteam, Allen helped the organization to focus on a strategy for training and deploying national workers in church planting in 14 countries. via www.acts29network.org

 

An Update from Asheville: Core Team, Assemble!

March 2, 2012 in grassroots with 0 Comments

 

Two weeks ago, the Grassroots core team began meeting on Sunday afternoons to discuss what Grassroots will become. These meetings (3 so far) consist of brainstorming, planning, learning from other churches (via video), praying, and communion. We’ve also visited quite a few churches on Sunday mornings – from traditional Baptist to a church meeting in a club. A few of us even visited a Universalist (a popular school of thought in Asheville) church on Sunday. I’ll save that experience for a different blog post. This week, we’ll start meeting twice a week – Sundays and Wednesdays.

Throughout the week, we’ve been working on getting Grassroots off the ground. For me, this includes working on our constitution, bylaws, and an updated version of our articles of incorporation. Exciting stuff! I’m also trying to learn each team member’s passions and strengths and figure out what specific roles each of them will play in Grassroots. Some of my time is also spent meeting with people, which is always a great break away from paperwork and administration. Collectively, we’ve been working on a couple different big projects, which will be exposed to the public next week. We’re crazy excited, and I can’t wait to share that excitement with everyone reading this.

Overall, this has been a thrilling ride. Instead of rambling on, I’ll leave you with this. Asheville in 38 seconds:

Church Review: Traditional Baptist vs. Contemporary

February 16, 2012 in church review with 4 Comments

 

On Sunday, the Grassroots Team started visiting churches in Asheville to learn, worship, and see what each one has to offer the city of Asheville. We’ve decided to visit two contrasting churches every Sunday for at least the next month. So, on Sunday, we visited a fairly large, traditional Baptist church on the west side of town and a “cool” contemporary church afterwards. I’d like provide a review of the two churches without giving away their identity, so here are some details on our experience:

Traditional Baptist Church / 8:30 am service

Pre-Service.We arrived at the parking lot of this large church building around 8:15 am and made our way into the foyer. Immediately, we stood out like a sore thumb…or some sort of rock band. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, though. The four or five greeters (average age: 75ish) were incredibly nice and seemed genuinely happy (and a bit surprised) to see us. Those of us with kids asked where kids church was, while the others found a seat in the sanctuary. The greeters seemed a bit clueless about kids church, but they directed us down a flight of stairs, outside, and into another building to figure it out. The kids church volunteers seemed as if they hadn’t seen a visitor in a while, or maybe just at the 8:30 service. Regardless, they were very helpful and nice. We dropped Elijah off and grabbed our pager. Yes, a pager to notify us if there were any problems with Elijah.

Service. The service started out with the 20-member choir singing a traditional hymn, while the worship director lead the congregation. There were a few announcements from the pastor, a couple more hymns, and then it was time for the sermon. The preacher looked and sounded very much like a politician; he was very well spoken and dressed to a T. The message was on the power of prayer and lasted about 35 minutes. A man then came up and talked about how we should tithe so that if we are audited in heaven, we won’t come up short. And wouldn’t you know it, they took the offering up right after. Another man made a few announcements and made a joke about how great it is to be a single man in their congregation because there are so many widowed women. He intended for us to laugh, and I sure did. The service ended as the pastor asked everyone to sign a petition at the door to help fight gay marriage.

Post-Service. As soon as I got out of my pew, a man asked, “Are you going to be joining us for Sunday School?” I haven’t been asked that question in maybe 20 years, but I politely told him we wouldn’t be staying. He said, “Uh….well, that’s too bad,” and patted me on the back. He was just as friendly as the greeters had been when we entered the building. I actually kind of wanted to stay because they were  just so gosh-darn friendly. We picked Elijah up from the nursery. All the workers seemed to be in love with him, and it seemed like they took really good care of him while we were in service. Several people made comments insisting that we come back next Sunday. We met up with the rest of the group in the parking lot and they told us how the pastor and several others were very apologetic about us having to experience the first service. The next service was apparently the “contemporary one with guitars and drums.”

Summary. I really liked these people. Maybe their hospitality and friendliness reminded me of my grandparents, but I genuinely enjoyed being around them. The disorganization at kids church was easily overlooked. I still felt like my child was being cared for and safe. The music was not up my alley, but I didn’t mind. Hearing some good theology set to music was refreshing, although, as Shaun said, it felt a bit like a sing-a-long. I felt myself dozing off a couple times during the message, but I can say it really challenged me to fast and pray. In my opinion, mission accomplished. I won’t use this blog for political commentary, but I could have definitely done without the call to action at the end. Overall, our experience was positive. The people were friendly and genuine, some good Scripture was taught, and we left challenged and encouraged. I wish they were unapologetic for the way they “do” church. For the most part, we felt right at home.

“Cool” Contemporary Church / 10:30 am service

Pre-service. We entered the enormous parking lot, and told one of the parking attendants we were a first-time guest. He immediately informed the other attendants via walkie-talkie, and told us to park in the very front row. We got Elijah out of the car and made our way toward the building. Before we could enter, we were approached by our tour guide. She showed us around the building and took us downstairs to kids church to get Elijah checked in. As Steph was filling out some information on a card, our guide asked if I’d heard of their new series. I said no, and she told me the name of it and said it was “so uplifting” (queasy feeling #1). We headed back up to the lobby. The pastors (husband and wife) were greeting people, as others were attending the coffee bar and book store. I forgot to mention – downstairs there was a cafe with a live feed of the service on a flat screen and a Starbucks coffee bar. There was also a “family room” complete with lounge furniture and a giant flat screen with a live feed. For a large church, I thought this was a good idea so parents with fussy kids could still experience the service.

Service. We made it to the auditorium just in time to catch the last 30 seconds of countdown. When countdown hit zero, the lights started flashing, the band kicked in, and the camera guys were all over the place. Sadly, the sound was terrible. I was very surprised because it seemed they placed a high priority on production value. Regardless, we were immediately in sensory overload. The three huge screens were constantly changing camera angles of the band. The auditorium seats probably around 600 people, so the band on the screen seemed a bit overkill. The band sang some songs I recognized as the guitarists rocked their little hearts out. The announcements involved some witty banter from stage and some videos. They also prayed for a group going on a mission trip. I’ll skip all the other details and jump to the message. Oh my dang. I wish I could tell you the name of the series, but that would make it easy for you to google the church. One hint: It was based on a book. The guy in front of us happened to have the book on his seat, and I saw that it had a crystal ball on it (queasy feeling #2). The message was in typical contemporary-church spirit with 5 points, and it sure was uplifting. It was so uplifting that it was completely void of anything having to do with that kind of important guy named Jesus Christ (queasy feeling #3-7). I’ll summarize the message in three points:  1) Your dream is how you define God. 2) God will help you fulfill your dream. 3) A guy in the Bible had a dream. There were times I honestly couldn’t believe what I was hearing. After the pastor ended his message, he prayed and started the, “Maybe you’re here, and you don’t know Jesus…” rant. I though to myself, “How would they know who Jesus is? You haven’t mentioned him once!” The ending prayer soon ended, and the lights and music came back on.

Post-service. Stephanie got Elijah from kids church, and I spoke to the pastors in the lobby. Don’t worry, I didn’t say anything offensive. I just told them about what we’re trying to do in Asheville and thanked them for their hospitality. I got a free Starbucks gift card for being a first-time guest. Score!

Summary. The volunteers were friendly and competent. The service was well-produced. I got some free coffee. But, none of that mattered because the gospel of Jesus Christ was not presented. The worst part is that the congregation drank it up like water. We were all saddened to see such a great opportunity to be washed down the drain. Maybe we just attended an off-week. Maybe this isn’t normal. I sure hope so.

Final Thoughts

So, where would I attend and serve if I had to make a choice? The “cool” church was absolutely out of the question. The traditional Baptist church didn’t seem to have anything for our age group to be a part of (except Sunday morning service). I finally understand why most people don’t go to church. If these were my two options, I wouldn’t go either. I think most people see right through the show. I think most people are bored by just simply attending a service once a week. I think people want to be a part of something that challenges them and gets their hands a little dirty. A part of something that preaches the truth but places an equally high priority on serving others. A part of something all about the message and love of Jesus Christ. I just pray that we can be a part of that something in Asheville.

An Update from Asheville: The Beginning

February 8, 2012 in grassroots with 0 Comments

Monday, I technically started my full-time position as Lead Pastor at Grassroots. This week doesn’t feel much different from last week, but I am waking up much earlier. The month of rest was incredible and much-needed, but I am incredibly stoked to get things rolling for this concept called Grassroots. Here are some details about what’s happening…

Steph got the job
Steph was officially offered a social work position with our county. I can’t tell you how blown away we are at God’s provision. Late last year, Stephanie and I discussed the possibility of her staying in Tallahassee for a month or so until she got a job here in Asheville. Once we deemed that idea as idiotic, we decided to trust God and move to Asheville together. We essentially had enough funds to live comfortably through January before things got tricky. Steph got the final call with the job offer on January 30.

 

Who
By God’s grace, we had an incredible team move with us to Asheville. This team would include Greg Ramer, Jerad & Lisa Collier (and Maddie), and Shaun & Liz Metzger. Our friends Robin & Kendall Knepp have lived in Asheville for several years and are excited to be a part of the Grassroots team as well. Hopefully, over the next few months, we’ll be adding more and more people to the team. The response from Ashevillians about the vision of Grassroots has been humbling. From those of traditional church backgrounds to those with no church backgrounds, we have gotten some incredible feedback.

 

What
So, what does the beginning stage of a church plant look like? How would I know? I’m only three days into this thing. But seriously, we are figuring things out as we go and trying to learn as much as we can.
I will say, though, that we have a couple of things on our hearts that will be absolutely impossible for us to accomplish on our own. We’re just trusting God is in this, or we will fall flat on our faces in the most embarrassing way.

 

When
Quite a few people have asked me when we are having our first service. We’re working on answering that question. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll solidify a timeline for Grassroots. We are starting out with missional communities (I’ll write more on those later) and will eventually work our way towards a Sunday gathering. There are so many details that have to be worked out before we can hold a “service” – funds, location, equipment, the Holy Spirit’s guidance, etc…

 

Where
Right now, we are meeting and working from wherever we can – coffee shops, pubs, restaurants, our houses…basically, anywhere there’s wi-fi and some chairs. As I type this, I’m working from my office (a corner in my garage). It’s actually been really nice working remotely. It’s easy for full-time church staffers to get caught up in the bubble of their office and become completely disconnected from the outside world. So, for right now, being a nomad is nice, I guess.

 

Why?
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” – Matthew 28:19-20

 

How?
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26

 

By grace alone. Through faith alone. In Christ alone.
Lance
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