Running Down A Dream

GRACE IN MOTION

A battle rages on.  It’s around the corner, in the future, and in our hearts.  Life presents many unavoidable obstacles that we simply cannot plan for.  But I am finding one of my greatest challenges to be in my heart.  Because God is committed to revealing His glory through us, He continues to cut off the junk in our hearts that hinders His light from shining.  And because God is merciful, He tends to only cut off one nasty branch at a time.  Pursuing my dreams has revealed a nasty tendency in my heart. 

It is a great and necessary risk to pursue your dreams.  At least for a Christian.  Jesus consistently challenged His followers to this.  He told us to carry our cross, die to ourselves, and proclaim the gospel to the end of the earth.  None of this can happen apart from people taking significant risks.  Following Jesus does not match our cultural ideals of safety and comfort.  It means living a life of faith.  And living by life faith requires taking risks. 

Part of the risk will be circumstantial. We are leaving what has become our home to plant a church in Milwaukee.  Planting a church in an urban center presents both my wife and me an opportunity to pursue our dreams.  Our hearts long to invest our lives in way that will leave a legacy for the glory God.  We long to see the gospel proclaimed to 1,000’s, to shape the next generation, to influence the culture, and to feed and clothe the hungry and homeless.  So we are leaving much comfort, security, and the church family that we love to pursue our dreams, and hopefully much more.      

This has revealed an intense struggle inside of my heart - my pride.  When I dream about what God might do through us in Milwaukee, my heart can swing between two ends of a pendulum.  On the one hand, I dream about what I would define as success.  In these dreams, I would lead a church that grows uncontrollably, plants churches like crazy, and has a significant, positive influence on the culture in Milwaukee and even the Midwest.  In these dreams, I become a hero. 

But if I wait a few minutes, my dreams will turn into nightmares.  My heart can just as easily overflow with fear and anxiety, worrying about failing completely.  What if I work tirelessly for years without seeing fruit?  What if believers won’t get on board with the vision God has given me?  What if I simply can’t execute that vision?  What if no one comes to Christ?  In these nightmares, I become a failure. 

The common factor in each of these scenarios is pride.  The difference is whether my pride manifests itself as dreams of success (arrogance) or nightmares of failure (insecurity).  Both are equal but opposite versions of pride that have been pushed to the surface of my heart by taking the risk of pursuing my dreams.  So what’s the solution?  How can anyone overcome this mess?  At the possibility of oversimplifying a complex problem, I believe that God provides two primary ways out.    

First, instead of pursuing a dream, we need to pursue Jesus.  We must strive to follow whatever path is causes us to experience the most of God’s heart and His grace.  Life is not about experiencing avoiding failure or experiencing success; it’s about experiencing the presence and power of God.  Which brings me to our second way out. 

We should not define success or failure by Western metrics. Our ultimate success is secured for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Could any of us possibly be included in any greater success?  Through Christ we have been given victory over sin and death.  Because of His death in our place on the cross, God looks on us and says – loved!  Approved!  Accepted!  Forever!  Is there anything that any of us could ever accomplish that could ever rival Jesus’ success? 

When I pursue Jesus instead of a dream and define success in terms of grace instead of performance, then I am free to work.  From this perspective I can strive with all of the strength that God provides because my desire is to glorify His name and not mine.  So striving in grace is what I shall do! 

It’s been several months since I’ve updated this blog.  Now that God is providing a support base of prayer and finances for our church plant, I intend on updating this blog on a monthly basis.  My hope is to point people to Jesus by providing transparent updates in regards to our progress as well as my experience in it.  I will write three sections: Grace in Motion, Planter’s Progress, and Next Steps.    

I just concluded the “Grace in Motion.”  In that section I want to encourage you toward God’s heart by letting you know what He’s doing in mine.  In the “Planter’s Progress” section I will make people aware of the steps that have been taken since the last blog and how God has continued to show Himself faithful.  In the “Next Steps” section I will let people know…well…what our next steps are. 

PLANTER’S PROGRESS

At this point in the planting process our primary concern is raising support.  We need to raise support in three ways: prayer, people, and finances.  We have been carried by the prayers of faithful people.  And we have been encouraged and humbled by the generosity of faithful people.  To date, God has stirred in the hearts of people to provide 16% of the support that we need!  We praise God and thank His people for their extravagant and sacrificial provision.  When we reach 40% of our support I will be able to officially invite people from our current area to consider moving with us to Milwaukee.  Please pray that God would bring us to that milestone quickly and increase a love for Him in the hearts of His people through their support! 

NEXT STEPS

On December 28^th Kristy and I have our church planter assessment with Acts 29.  This is a critical step in the affiliation process with that church planting network. 

Toward the end of January or beginning of February we will be part of a “Vision Night” for our church family.  During the event we will tell the story of how God has led us to plant a new church and cast the vision for what we are believing Him for in the days to come.  The Vision Night will be the way that we are able to open the door for people from our church family to consider partnering with us. 

Finally, we will continue to raise support.  During the next phase of building partnerships I will be returning to the place where I was given my first exposure to life in the church; Spring Valley Wisconsin. 

Thanks for your prayers and support!  May the God of all grace supply your every need and surpass your every dream!     

Resolution

The last step in our process of determining if God is calling us to plant a church is complete.  On Tuesday, Kristy and I were assessed by five pastors, including two from our church network and three from our denomination’s network in Milwaukee. 

We were asked to describe each other with five adjectives, share how God initially got a hold of our hearts, and take a timed Bible knowledge test.  In addition, I preached a sermon, presented my philosophy of ministry (church planting strategy) and went through a role playing exercise where I asked a major donor to partner with us financially. 

We received feedback with each component of the assessment.  The assessors freely asked us many questions.  Nothing was off limits.  They asked us questions about our finances, strategies, and more.  These men did a great job of caring for us by asking hard questions and giving us honest feedback.  I’m grateful for our experience! 

After we had presented everything we were asked to, the assessors spent a good amount of time in discussion as to my fit as a lead church planter.  Our denomination has an incredibly healthy process for giving recommendations to church planters.  There are basically four outcomes a potential planter can receive from this assessment. 

One is “not recommended.”  This is the result people receive when they are either not gifted as a lead planter or in a position in life where, for a variety of different reasons, they simply aren’t equipped to be a lead planter.   With this, the light is red. 

The second is a “recommendation with strong conditions.”  In this outcome, a potential planter receives a “yellow light.”  A lot can be unearthed during the assessment process.  For people who receive this outcome, they are approved to plant, but there are some things they need to work through before getting started. 

The third outcome is a “recommendation with minor conditions.”  This means that the light is yellow, but it’s leaning toward being green.  People who receive this outcome are approved to plant but have some things that they need to work through as they engage in the initial stages of planting. 

The fourth outcome is a “recommendation without conditions.”  This is a green light to plant.  While no person is perfect or complete, these people are determined to have the necessary skill set, experience level, and general health to be the leader of a church plant. 

By God’s grace, we received a “recommendation without conditions.”  The assessors gave us some suggestions; including a book to read and people to talk to.  But in the end, the assessors confirmed what our elders had sensed – God is calling us to plant a new church in the city of Milwaukee!  The church network in Milwaukee has been very encouraging and has openly and consistently expressed their excitement for us to join them in advancing the Kingdom in “The Good Land.” 

So, what happens from here?  We are not leaving tomorrow, thank God!  There is a lot to do!  I will do everything I can to finish well here at Faith Community Church.  I also need to wrap up my degree through the Antioch school.  Further, I’ll need to raise a salary as well as the operational expenses for the church.  And we still have a house to sell. 

We don’t know exactly how the process of relocating is going to go. It is my prayer that we will be in Milwaukee in the fall of 2013.  During my first six—eight months on site I will network, serve the city, and train the team that God provides. I will work tirelessly to develop the necessary infrastructure and biblical leadership systems to care for the church and the city.  If God wills, we will launch publically on March 30^th, 2014.  This will allow us time to test our leaders and systems before the Midwest goes on “summer vacation.”  During the summer we will make the necessary adjustments in order to be fully operational by the grand opening on September 14th, 2014.        

 

Thank you for your prayer and support.  It is with great excitement and deep pain that I write this.  In so many ways, we have grown up at this great church.  There is nothing in us that wants to leave this place.  But we are very excited to go.  We do not know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future!  It is with confidence in His promise that we move forward in Faith! 

And the verdict is?

Last night we engaged in the most significant step in seeking God’s call on our lives to leave the home we love to start a new church in a new city far away from our home and family.  Together with the elders we processed how God was leading us and Faith Community Church and came to a conclusion.  More on that in a second.  I certainly don’t mean to minimize any of the steps that have been taken or the final step in the process.  What has happened so far has been challenging, meaningful, and encouraging.

In the late summer/early fall of last year, I began to sense God calling me to plant a church in an urban center.  It is challenging to discern if God is calling you to take a step like that.  Martin Lloyd Jones said that “a man should only enter the Christian ministry if he cannot stay out of it.”  While this isn’t the only indication in the discernment process, it is a key one.  And for me, for the past year, I have had a hard time envisioning myself doing anything else other than planting a church in an urban center. 

The next step I took was researching cities with a population of more than 500,000 people.  My main criterion for evaluation was to see which cities had the least number of gospel-centered churches per capita.  That led me to take a closer look at San Diego, Portland, Phoenix, and Milwaukee.  We also gave some consideration to a few cities overseas, but decided that wouldn’t be a wise move given our current family situation, i.e. three intense little Polish kids!   

In the end, it seems as though Milwaukee has as much need, if not more, for a movement of gospel-centered churches that are for the city as anywhere else in the country.  Further, Milwaukee seems to be the most natural fit.  If we moved to any of the other cities, I will have a steep cultural learning curve.  But if we move to Milwaukee, it will take no work for me to cheer for the Brewers and enjoy Miller High Life! 

With my research pointing us in the direction of Milwaukee, the elders then directed us to take a sabbatical in Milwaukee to see first-hand if we’re cut out for urban ministry in general and Milwaukee specifically.  If you want to see how the sabbatical went, just keep scrolling downJ  After the sabbatical I submitted a report to the elders detailing our experience. 

As you might imagine, over the course of the past year, we took many more steps.  We’ve read several books, attended a seminar, watched other seminars online, have had many conversations, and spent much time in prayer.  All of this as well as other details I’m sure I’m forgetting brings us to our conversation last night with the elders. 

Having already read our reports, they were well prepared to dive more deeply into specific issues.  They asked what our draw was to the city, rightly expressed concern about my about my inability to slow down, and most importantly, asked if we are sensing God’s call to plant a church in Milwaukee specifically.  To this, we both answered yes. 

The elders then, each in turn, expressed their sense as to what God is doing with us in this situation.  They unanimously affirmed what we believe, that God is sending us to plant a gospel-centered church in Milwaukee. 

In painful but joyful unity with the leaders of our church, we are now going to take the last step in the process.  On Tuesday, September 11^th, Kristy and I will go through the church planter assessment procedure required by our denomination.  The elders have determined that if the assessors give us a green light, then on September 12^th, we will begin the process of preparing to leave the town and church family that we love, to plant a new church in a city that we are falling in love with. 

Thank you for supporting us in this process.  Your words and actions of encouragement have carried us.  Your prayers have protected and directed us.  Your love has inspired us.  Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

   

On the road again

Baker’s Square.  East Side.  Tuesday, 11:30 AM.  “Milwaukee is a microcosm of the issues faced in America.”  Political polarization, pockets of extreme poverty contrasted with pockets of extreme wealth, unemployment, and more.  Demographically, Milwaukee is one of the most diverse cities in the nation.  Check out these stats from city data.    

Black alone - 233,325 (39.2%)

White alone - 220,219 (37.0%)

Hispanic - 103,007 (17.3%)

Asian alone - 20,553 (3.5%)

Two or more races - 13,307 (2.2%)

American Indian alone - 3,408 (0.6%)

Other race alone - 819 (0.1%)

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone - 195 (0.03%)

2011 marked the first time in US history that minority births outnumbered white births.  America is growing increasingly diverse, which is a great thing for the gospel, and Milwaukee is already incredibly diverse.  It seems to me that Milwaukee may be one of the cities in America that God could use to chart the course for the church in America in the next generation.  The challenges of polarization and the opportunities of diversity position churches in Milwaukee to have a significant impact on the church in this generation and beyond.  Pray for the churches that are here and the ones that are yet to come! 

So where did I get this little tid-bit of information?  From one of my friends from high school.  We have had a great week in a number of different ways.  I have been able to reconnect with some old friends that I haven’t talked with in forever.  I was able to have lunch with one and help another move into a new apartment.  It’s encouraging to see familiar faces! 

This past Sunday I was able to participate in two of the four worship services that epikos engages in.  It felt pretty good to play a role in leading God’s people to worship Him.  It was also very helpful to remember what the “pre-speaking” jitters feel like!  I’m going to be preaching at Woodridge Community Church this next Sunday.  My experience at epikos helped me remember that I need to be very mindful to not bulldoze the congregation!  (Anyone remember my sermons from before 08? :-)

Other than that, I’ve been keeping on pace with meeting with people like crazy to continue to get a feel for this city.  Kristy has had a good week too.  She was able to connect with a few different pastors’ wives.  Being relationally wired, it was refreshing for her to engage in a few heart to heart conversations.  Beyond that, Kristy was able to get herself on the roster to help out at an inner-city outreach this Saturday.  She’s been itching to jump into serving out here and we’re grateful that she is going to have an opportunity soon. 

From here, we begin the bittersweet process of saying goodbye to new friends and packing up the house and van so that we can say hello to some old friends.  This is probably going to be the last blog I write for a while as we are headed home next Friday!  I’m not sure where I’m going to take this blog from here.  Far more people have been tracking with “on the move” than I was anticipating so I’m not sure whether or not I will continue to blog in the future.  If God does call us to plant, though, then I’ll be sure to keep everyone posted on how that progresses through this blog.  If anyone was wondering where we are at in the discernment process, please check out last week’s post, “decisions, decisions.”   Since this will be my last post for at least a few weeks, I thought I should close the loop on the story that has probably gotten the most attention: The Neighbors Upstairs. 

It hasn’t necessarily become more comfortable sharing this duplex.  After our neighbors texted the landlord requesting that we don’t send any more cookies or notes, they emailed her saying that text was just a joke.  Odd, right?  I don’t know if that was actually the case as their body language has continued to silently scream “stay away!”  So that’s what we’ve done.  They have indirectly made it clear that they don’t really want to have a relationship with us, so we’ve respected that.  If God would open a door in the next 8 days, we’ll be sure to walk through it. 

Thanks for tracking with us, praying for us, and supporting us.  I hope that these weekly posts have encouraged you and revealed more of God’s glory!  It’s all for Him!    

 

Decisions, decisions

Part of me wishes we had a miserable summer.  I wish we would have found that urban living just isn’t for us.  I wish we would have been unable to connect with people.  I wish that pastors and ministry leaders would have given us a cold shoulder.  I wish that this city was so saturated with gospel-centered churches that there was no need for more.  If that was our experience, then making a decision would be a lot easier.  But that hasn’t been the case. 

We have had our challenges, to be sure, but overall this has been an encouraging summer.  We’ve been received with open arms by churches and ministry leaders.  Conversations at parks have come easily.  Multiple people have said they want us to keep them posted on how God leads us because they would have interest in joining us.  I’ve been able to reconnect with a friend from high school that I haven’t talked with in at least five years and he shares some of the same dreams I do.  And while there are some 2,500 churches in this city, there are only a handful of gospel-centered churches.  And many of the churches in America are somewhere between decline and crisis.  Despite the challenges that we’ve faced, it seems as though God could use us in this city. 

On the other side of the equation, part of me wishes that we had a miserable church back home.  I wish that we were unloved and unfruitful.  I wish that we had a dysfunctional leadership team and a toxic work environment.  If that was our experience, then leaving home to plant in Milwaukee would be an easy decision.  But that’s not the case. 

We are a part of a wonderful church family that we love.  We have an incredibly healthy leadership team, an efficient and empowering ministry strategy, an established leadership development system, and most importantly, we know we are loved and we love our church family deeply. 

So where do we go from here?  We are in the great but unfortunate position of needing to choose between two seemingly good options.  We have no reason to leave, but we do have reason to go. 

It’s important to recognize that this decision will affect far more people than just our family, our church family, or the Milwaukee area.  However God would lead, the decisions we make will have ramifications that will spread throughout and beyond our denomination and across generations.  What would New Richmond Wisconsin look like had Mike Evans never left the Chicago area to plant Faith Community Church?  What would Hudson Wisconsin look like had Larry Szyman or Tim Porter left to plant a new church in a new community?  What might Prescott Wisconsin look like now that Israel Haas has begun planting TORRENT?  What might New Richmond look like with me?  Without me?  How about Milwaukee?  The decisions that we make affect far more people than just the ones directly involved.  This is why we do not and will not make decisions in isolation. 

When making decisions, the safest place to be is under the care and protection that God has established - the elders of the local church.  God has entrusted the ultimate care of his church, the followers of Christ, to the oversight of called and qualified men in a local church (Acts 20:28, Hebrews 13:17).  This is where we start.  The elders of Faith Community sent us here for the summer.  I will provide them a detailed report including a number of indicators as to our potential fit, a response from pastors and leaders in Milwaukee to my ministry strategy, and Kristy’s vantage point on our experience and plans.  At the same time I will be in conversation with the elders of Woodridge Community Church.  It’s my conviction that if at all possible, an elder council locally needs to oversee a new church plant.  In our situation, that means that we will submit ourselves to the oversight of Faith Community Church and a local church in the Milwaukee area. 

After the elders review my reports and continue to converse and pray with us, if the lights are green, then Kristy and I will go through a church planter’s assessment.  The assessment is intended to determine if a potential planter has the skill set and stability to lead a church plant.  If we get to that point and the assessment confirms what we have perceived, then we would begin taking the formal steps to plant a church.  Most likely, this wouldn’t happen until mid-September.   

If at any point in this process we would determine that God is leading us to remain in New Richmond and contribute to the work He has begun there, then that’s what we will gratefully and joyfully do.  We have not made any firm decisions.  We are very much in the middle of the discernment process.  So please pray for us.  We still have two weeks left here.  During this time I will have the privilege of sharing some of our story with Epikos Church and preaching at Woodridge Community Church.  These will be key steps in building relationships as well as giving churches exposure to me so they can have more information to be praying on as they contribute to discerning God’s call on our lives.  Beyond this, Kristy is going to connect with different organizations in the city to gain firsthand experience investing in the kinds of initiatives that we would intend to if God leads us here. 

I do not know what the future holds, but I do know this.  Regardless of where we go or what we do we will experience failure and fruit because we are being carried by a faithful God.  And because God is faithful to His Word we can have full confidence that He will continue to transform our hearts to look more and more like His – for our good and His glory!

From the other side

Note: The following was written by the most beautiful woman in the world, my lovely bride!

Last week Elijah was in the middle of a feisty stretch. After the third day of pouting, spontaneous and irrational melt downs, and consistent huffing and puffing, I sat down with him on the side of the playground, and wearily asked, “Elijah, what is wrong? Why are you so mad?” He responded, equally weary, “I just miss my friends, not new friends, my old friends, that I know!” I could see the longing in his little face, for the people he knows, for the people that know him, and have loved him so well, for the only home and community he has ever known.

Looking into his sad blue eyes, I saw something familiar. My own longing, my own heartache.  In theory, heading off into an urban adventure seems ideal. You have the luxury of only considering the benefits of it all. Being here this summer has been wonderful in so many ways, but as reality settles in and month two continues, in Elijah’s words, “I just want my friends!”

Rewind with me for a moment…When our twin daughters were born, we were so desperate for help, we were plunged into community more deeply than ever before. It felt at times that our doors were revolving. Our home was so filled with love and care, prayer, encouragement, and support so consistently, from so many people.  In the midst of greatly needing our church family, God gave me a deeper understanding of how imperative it is that we live in this life together. We need each other and when we try to live separate from one another, not allowing our needs to be seen, or taking an interest in others, we cannot function as we were created to. Having been thrust fully into the arms of our church, and now being away, it feels as if my heart is not quite intact.

So what is the answer? Never leave New Richmond? Leave, but stop feeling? As I have been praying and processing through this, I can’t help but consider the many times that the writers of the New Testament books of the bible expressed the deep pain of separation, as they moved from place to place, leaving  the sweet community they had built to go share the good news of Jesus.  So what is the purpose of community? To settle into a safe, encouraging, comfortable corner of the world? Or is it for something bigger than our comfort?  When Ephesians 3:17-19 talks about being “rooted and established in love, together with all the saints,” a significant implication of this is that we would know this love in such a consuming way, that it would pour out onto others. That we would expand our circles of influence so that increasingly the world would know that God is good, that he actively loves us, and is engaged in the smallest and biggest details of our lives, that he is our Savior, our hope and the very reason that we live. 

Though I often long for home, I am so grateful for the opportunity this summer, to experience and learn about this beautiful city, to together with my amazing husband, seek out what God might be calling our family to. God has shown us incredible grace in our time here. Multiple pastors, leaders and individuals in this area have sacrificed their time, energy and resources to generously and genuinely invest in our family, helping us to determine what God might have for us here. This has truly been a gift and an encouragement. Wherever God has us, whatever he calls us to do, he is worthy and he is enough.

Dearly loved friends, we thank you for your love, prayer, encouragement and support whether at home or away. We pray, that together, we would all know more and more how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. That we would know his great love for us so well that we would trust him and surrender every area of our lives, joyfully, freely running whole-heartedly, after him.  Our creator, our savior, our redeemer, our sustainer, our perfect, ever- present love! 

This can't be good

At midnight my wife’s phone lights up from what would appear to be an urgent text.  Typically, when people text or call at that hour of the night, the news isn’t good.  And this wasn’t good news.  About a week before “the text of midnight” we had new neighbors move in upstairs.  They pulled into the driveway and started unloading their car while we were eating dinner, so I went outside to introduce myself and offer to help.  They had just flown in from Indonesia and seemed pretty tired, declining my offer to help.  We had some food left over after dinner so Kristy went upstairs and offered them what we had left.  They declined that offer as well.  As a few days went on we started to get the impression that they didn’t really want to have anything to do with us.  So Kristy made some cookies for them and wrote a note apologizing for our noisy family and offering to help them in any way we could.  No response was given.  A few more days passed and Kristy was baking again.  As is her custom, she packaged up a few cookies for our neighbors and left them on their mailbox.  It was the midnight following that delivery of cookies that Kristy’s phone lit up with a text from our landlord that read, “I’m really sorry to have to relay this message but your neighbors asked that you stop sending them cookies and notes.”  I have a feeling that the next few weeks are going to be kind of awkward in our little duplex. 

If only this was the only negative experience we had this past week.  On Sunday we needed to leave a church service early.  So I went to the Sunday school area to pick up Elijah.  When I got there, the teacher didn’t know where he was.  She checked in a couple different rooms and then found him.  When she did, he came running out to me with his head down and his arms up.  I immediately knew that something was wrong.  I asked Elijah what happened and he told me that a boy pushed him into the wall in the bathroom, grabbed him by the shirt and wouldn’t let him go.  Now, this isn't a criticism of the church or ministry, in fact, I think it's evidence that they are doing a good job.  Because when churches are reaching people and allowing them to be real, there are going to be real issues.  But for me, to hear Elijah struggle to get these words out and feeling the fear in his little body as I held him just made my heart break.  It kills me to think of what was going through my little man’s heart as he felt completely alone, vulnerable, and physically hurt.  He hasn’t experienced anything like this before. 

We understand this is just a part of raising little kids.  I sincerely hope that our experience will be able to benefit us and others in the future.   But it is so hard to watch our kids go through hard things even for the good of other people.  Me?  Sure.  I’ll go through something hard or painful to help someone else.  But offer my kids?  Not a chance.  And then it hit me like a flood. 

“How deep the Father's love for us,

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the chosen One,

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that left Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom.”

This week has been challenging but good.  I’m grateful that God has allowed us to experience what we have.  The reality is that in church planting, we will experience far more people who ask us not send them any more cookies than people who offer us their numbers so that we can keep in touch.  And the greater reality is that God loves us so deeply that He would willingly put His Son in harm’s way, leaving Him alone, vulnerable, physically and spiritually broken so that we would never have to be alone and through His brokenness are made whole.  What a great privilege we have to point people to this God who grants us eternal freedom at the cost of His Son.  

Insignificant in light of the infinite

It was a beautiful, clear day.  The waves of Lake Michigan crashed against the pier as the vibrant blue water stretched out until it kissed the sky.  Families stopped to feed the ducks while fishermen cast their lines into the water.  It was the kind of scene that seemed to be cut straight out of a movie.  

As we walked down the pier extending into the lake, Kristy was overwhelmed by the beauty of God.  I know that she was because she crouched down and pointed out into the water and explained to Elijah that God is the One who is so creative and beautiful that He not only created this amazing, gigantic body of water, but also the very day that we were enjoying was created by God for us to glorify Him by exploring His creation. 

When Kristy was explaining to Elijah how beautiful and creative God is, I was taken back some because I was staring out at this massive body of water lost in wonder about how big and powerful and good God is.  There’s just something about being confronted with the majesty of one of the Great Lakes that has a way of putting me in my place; that is: understanding that I am very, very small in light of who God is.  And in Milwaukee when you walk out on a pier into Lake Michigan, in front of you is this gigantic lake, and when you turn around, you see this majestic skyline.  It’s just one of those experiences that captivates your attention by seeing the glory of God. 

While this scene played out before my eyes, in the back of my mind I had another reason to feel small.  As we enjoyed a leisurely stroll on a sunny afternoon as a family, my church family back home was engaging in some serious service to our community through faithworks.  I don’t know how many people participated, but from what I read, over 100 work projects were completed, some 200,000 meals packed for starving kids, and 40 people baptized.  How incredible?!! 

Why would this make me feel small?  Because it all happened without me!  Faithworks happened without me, Faith Community Church is still going gang-busters without me, and the churches that I am connecting with down here are doing some great things without me! 

Living in this tension of recognizing that I am indispensable – and yet infinitely valuable because of what Christ has done for me – is living in freedom.  Jesus promised that He would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it.  Jesus is building His church.  Jesus is holding the universe together.  God is reconciling a lost and broken humanity to himself through Christ.  It is His work for His glory.  And because He is good, He lets us in. 

The Kingdom doesn’t hinge on me.  The world will not tilt off its axis because I’m not plugged in.  This is such good news to all who desire to invest their lives in things that will matter, and matter forever.  If we understand this truth right, it won’t lull us into complacency, it will thrust is into faith-filled service.  If you love God, if your heart has been gripped by the greatness of God and your ultimate desire is to be close to Him and see Him move, then you are going to want to join in His work.  When God changes our hearts through the gospel, it changes everything. 

I’m grateful that those waves are going to keep crashing in Milwaukee and the hammers are going to keep swinging in New Richmond and that through each, the name of Jesus is going to be exalted for our good and His glory.  And I am overwhelmed that God invites a small, small person like me in!     

Do we really need more?

After a meeting at a coffee shop cancelled, I tried to make the best use of my time by sitting down for a conversation with the manager.  Managers of locally owned shops like that tend to have a pretty good handle on the heartbeat of a neighborhood.  I learned a lot from this manager, but her response to one of my questions I found particularly interesting. 

I asked her if she thought that the city could use more churches.  She thought for a while and then said, “no, I don’t think so.”  She proceeded to list off a number of churches in that neighborhood citing their existence as evidence that the city in general and that neighborhood in particular had plenty of churches.  Her perception as to the number of churches in Milwaukee is accurate.  In a meeting that I had with the president and the CEO of BASICS I was informed that in the city of Milwaukee there are 1,200 churches and in the suburbs there are 1,300.  That’s a lot of churches.    But is it enough? 

Even at that rate alone, with a population of over 1,750,000 for the greater Milwaukee area, that would mean that there is only one church for every 700 people.  Beyond that, Thomas Rainer’s research indicates that only 6% of churches in America are actually growing.  94% of churches in America are either plateaued or declining.  Applying that to Milwaukee, that indicates that there are only 150 churches in Milwaukee that are growing and 2350 that are declining. 

And this is just numbers.  How many churches exist but have lost sight of their mission?  How many people who are far from God would read these stats and cheer because they only see churches as judgmental and archaic drains on society?  How many people have no basis to agree with me that the church is the hope of the world?  In fact, I've asked this same question to a number of young African American men I've met and they've given me a similar response.  They say there are plenty of churches, churches on every corner.  When I've asked if there are any good ones, they've said "no, churches just want your money."   

Too many churches see themselves in competition with each other and have not understood what their role ought to be in an America that is now post-Christian.  You don’t have to go much further than The Huffington Post to see that many churches and pastors have adopted a form of Christianity that has been sucked into a vortex of political polarization, moralism, and prosperity (among other things).  These stand in stark contrast to the church that Jesus gave up His life to create. 

If we’re honest, we will have to admit that we are broken people living in the middle of a broken world.  I believe that all of the issues that we see in our own lives and in our world stem from one core issue: a broken relationship with God.  From wars and famines to lying and hording, all of these are symptoms of the one core issue that has plagued human history.  We are broken people with a broken relationship with God who is the source of life.  Therefore, when we choose anything other than God, we choose death, and the evidence is all around us and even inside of us. 

This is why Jesus left the perfection of the glory of heaven, to come into this sin infested planet, to give up His life in our place that He could restore our relationship with God, repair our broken hearts, and set us in right relationship with this broken world, that is, to continue His work of serving broken people that all may know that God loves them enough to die for them!  This is the mission of the church. 

It is my hope that God would raise up a multitude of new churches in the city of Milwaukee and beyond who are more concerned about serving than surviving.  Jesus gave up His life that we might live.  And He has told us that the only way we can truly live is by dying to ourselves, by laying down our lives for the good of people who don’t deserve it – just like Jesus did for me who doesn’t deserve His grace.  Milwaukee may not need more “churches,” but it certainly needs the Church to be the Church for the glory of God and the good of all people.  

You too, huh?

"Why don't I give you my number so that we can keep in touch?"  "Hey, take down my email so you can keep me up to speed on whats happening with you guys!"  Kristy and I have been having some of the craziest experiences out here.  At least four different moms have volunteered to give Kristy their cell numbers so that they could connect while we're here and maybe beyond.  

One of the things that I love about my wife is to see God's heart for people shine through her.  She is gifted in mercy and hospitality.  I've known this for years, but because of our parallel schedules its been years since I've seen her pour out these gifts in person.  When Kristy strikes up a conversation with other moms at a park, you can just see how their guards drop as they realize that she is taking a genuine interest in them - because God cares about them.  It's hard to say whether or not God is giving us favor with people, but I can't recall ever seeing this many people say that want to stay in touch with us AFTER they learn that we are investigating the possibility of planting a church!

We've been very fortunate to meet a lot of people.  We've met two different families with twins (I'm telling ya, it's an exclusive club!), a public school teacher, members of an urban ecology group, and others.  For me, I've been able to connect with a number of different pastors in town, get a few meetings set up for next week, got a tattoo, and attend two different church services.  One of those services was the grand opening of a satellite campus for Epikos church.  That was really cool!

We've also been able to continue to explore the city and see the sights.  I was able to take my family to their first Brewers game, we've checked out the Lake Front, and tomorrow...(drum roll please!)...we get to go to Polish Fest!    

I am grateful for the place that God has brought us to.  Last week I wrote that we have learned to apply the gospel to our frailty.  This week it seems like God is causing us to rely on Him because of our being finite.  We simply do not know where we are being called to, but we do know that God is with us and will be with us.  And this, not because we are so great or because He needs us, but because He is so great that He invites us to participate in His work of restoring this broken world for His glory and our good!

No sweat!

One stressed out father, one overwhelmed mother, and three unsettled kids.  Transitioning a family with three kids three and under  isn't as easy as it sounds.  Our entire family is used to having a nice back yard with a tree fort, a basement with a playroom, and a park around the corner.  This is not our reality for our summer in the city.    Now, don't get me wrong, we do have a really nice set up in a nice neighborhood.  It just doesn't provide the space for activity that we are accustomed to.

So far we have had a nice mix of getting settled in and having fun.  We figured out the important stuff, like where the nearest gas station, grocery store, and Target are.  We've also been able to go to the Zoo, walk around down town, and check out the art museum.  (First Thursday of the month it's free!)

Having only been here for five days, it's too early to tell what God may have for us here, but it is certainly not too early for us to realize that we are desperate for Him.  Often, we recognize that we need God due to our failures.  Right now, we see our need for God because of our frailty.

When Elijah (our oldest) was a baby, I used to sing to him Isaiah 40:28 - 31.  "Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth...He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might, he increases strength."  This is what we need now, as always.  I am grateful for the seasons where by God's grace He gently reminds us that we do not have the capacity to carry ourselves, but that He can carry us through anything that He leads us through.

Being on the front end of this, it's to be expected that our kids would be unsettled and that it would be stressful to figure out how to get around.  It's also to be expected that we will need God's grace to carry us through.  And it's to be absolutely counted on that God will be faithful to His Word!  We wait with eager expectation for God to settle the hearts of our children and to open our eyes to what He is doing in this city!

Some ask why

"Why?" "Have you ever been there?"  "The state has regulations because of what happens in Milwaukee!"  Those have been the kind of responses I have gotten from people when I've told them that we are praying about planting a church in Brew City.  (The comment about regulations came from a social worker and a teacher).  So, why Milwaukee?  


Besides the obvious, that is, proximity to the Brewers, Badgers and Packers, two main criteria stood out to us.  First, Milwaukee is an urban center of more than 500,000.  (More on that later this summer).  Second, Milwaukee is in need of a church planting movement but does have a number of churches that can make that happen.    


There are a number of great, gospel centered churches in Milwaukee and they've been a huge support to us in this process.  But even still there is a significant need for a gospel witness in that city.  By my research, Milwaukee has around four churches affiliated with Converge World Wide, two others with the Gospel Coalition (FCC's affiliations) and one more with Acts 29 (the other organization that I would intend to partner with).  That's good, but it's not enough.  


Milwaukee is also filled with opportunity. The Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is located just west of the city.  The Milwaukee metro area is home to nearly 30 college campuses with over 185,000 students.  (Thanks for the stats cru!) The combination of post-secondary education and career opportunities makes Milwaukee a prime location for people who are looking to make a difference with their lives.       


But Milwaukee isn't just filled with opportunities, it's also filled with pain.  I believe that God wants to use His church to bring peace and healing to this broken world.  And Milwaukee is a broken city.  


Here's a snap-shot of the pain of Milwaukee.  (Hat tip to City on a Hill for these stats)  

• Milwaukee is the 4th poorest city in the United States
• 41% of the children in Milwaukee are living in poverty
• 42% of people that are homeless are families with children
• 2 out of 3 babies are born to single mothers
• More babies die in Milwaukee than in any other city in the nation. 
• 54% of families earn less than $15,000 a year
• Milwaukee has one of the highest black male jobless rate in the USA 
• More extreme-poverty neighborhoods than LA, NYC, Detroit, or Washington DC.
• Milwaukee is one of the top 5 drug infested cities in America

When I look at these numbers, I can almost hear the heart of God break.  And that moves me.  I don't know what God's intentions are for us, but I firmly believe that God is moving His Church to BE the church wherever they are.  Jesus offered proof that He was God by saying that at His hand "the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them".  Jesus served AND preached the gospel.  He makes disciples who plant the church.  I believe that God is moving His church to follow His example.  No one church can serve this city with the fullness that the gospel offers.  But as more like-minded churches partner together to serve, more  people will see that God is on the move and that He is FOR them.

Our hope is that through our experience this summer we will be able to see these stats in person, and through that, gain the faith necessary to trust God as He shows us our next step.  So why Milwaukee?  Well, some ask "why," I ask, "why not?!"           

So it begins

Howdy all!  With everything going on in our lives and in our church I thought it would be encouraging and helpful to those who are interested to stay up to date on what God is doing in and through us and Faith Community Church.

For over a year now I have been wrestling with and investigating a potential call from God to plant a church.  God started to stir up this desire in my heart as I studied the book of Acts through Antioch School's Acts course.  After spending four months digging into that book within community, it became clear to me that Jesus has determined to set up His church as the center of His activity to heal a broken world and glorify His Name.  The question for me became: would God call me to plant "through" FCC or "from" FCC?  

This past fall I worked through a personal development plan, examining my gifts as well as what circumstances motivate me.  Giving this serious thought made it clear to me that I at least needed pursue the possibility of starting a new church in an urban center.

The first person I told about this stirring was my bride.  And with a house full of crying kids, she just looked at me and said, "we obviously aren't planting a church.  Would you stop talking and hold a baby?"  But God began to change her heart and that set in motion a process of seeking counsel from many people, especially the elders of FCC.  With their blessing and affirmation, we have now developed a formal process to test this potential call.

The first step in this process brings me to this day, May 24th, 2012.  Today marks my last full "work day" for the next two months.  My family and I will be on sabbatical in Milwaukee this summer to actively test this call.  We will be leaving New Richmond on Sunday, June 3rd and plan to return on Friday, August 3rd.  In between here and there, my intention is to keep folks informed as to what God is revealing to us.  My hope is that through this blog readers will see God more clearly and love Him more fully as He shows us more ways that He is on the move!