Mosaic Versailles

This Blog will self-destruct in five, four, three....

2008-04-14T12:40:00.001-07:00

Watched "Mission Impossible 3" over the weekend. Good action movie. Phillip Seymour Hoffman(the bad guy) is one of the truly great actors of this generation. Anyways, that explains the title of the post.

I'll get to that part in a minute. Otherwise, an update:

-We are officially partnered with Victory Baptist Church of Lexington, KY. On May 4th, we will have a ceremonial covenant signing during both of Victory's morning services. We could not be more excited about this partnership in ministry.
-We launch our public worship gatherings weekly beginning September 21st. There will be "preview services" before then, but those dates are not set in stone.
-We are close to securing a location for our services. This is a huge step. Major props to KS and AD(moreso KS than AD) for their work in that area.
-We are in the process of securing a worship leader, sound equipment, and nursery equipment.
-We are having visitors! And more people asking about the church(and when services will start).
-We have planned some events for later in the summer that will spread the word about our church to the community.

Lots of exciting things going on. And every day that passes marks another day that makes us more of a "legitimate" church. Not that we haven't been already, but it's clear that we are gaining momentum. We've gone from a calling and a vision to a church with people, a name, a site(soon), worship services, ministry partners, visitors, childcare, the whole nine yards.

So that's why this blog is about to go dark. Because God has started a church. So there's really no reason to maintain two blogs about the church(www.mosaicversailles.blogspot.com being the other). So all the "Mosaic news"-type stuff will just go there, and the three of you who actually read this stuff can just follow our progress there.

In the meantime, we're in the process of developing a REAL Mosaic website. One that isn't a blog, but a pure website with church info on it. And....I've created a personal blog that is just a side venture of mine.

www.minmithjesus.blogspot.com.

Go check that out, the first post explains everything.

Thanks to all of you who did take time to read this, who have been praying for us, and who felt like you have been part of this ride. You still are. It's just that this road is now closed. The other road is just beginning.

Grace and peace.

The Big Mo

2008-01-25T23:22:00.000-08:00

Momentum is a funny thing.

Take Kentucky basketball, for instance. I am 99 percent positive that hiring Billy Gillispie was a great move, and that he will win at least one national championship at Kentucky. That said, I, along with the rest of the state, suffered through two and a half months of pretty uninspiring basketball, complete with shocking losses, rumors of player disenchantment, and an overall dark cloud over the program.

Then, two weeks ago, a win over previously undefeated Vanderbilt. Next, a close loss on the road to a good Mississippi State team. Then, another close road loss to a good Florida team. And finally, a big win at home over third-ranked Tennessee. It has only taken two weeks and four games(two of which were losses) to get everyone on a positive vibe about Kentucky basketball again. There is definite momentum.

Andy Stanley has said that when a church/organization/product/company has momentum, it's for one(or more) of three reasons:

1. It's new
2. It's improved
3. It's improving

Mosaic Versailles is finding itself on a wave of momentum right now. Even though this momentum can't be seen tangibly(in other words, there aren't more people on Wednesday nights than there were, say, a month ago), there is definite movement...

-A large number of conversations about Christ...God...life...church, and Mosaic...with co-workers and friends.
-Many of those people expressing interest in the church, either to attend now or to wait until worship gatherings get underway.
-A possible partnership in ministry with two churches who have church planting in their bloodstream
-A possible partnership in ministry with the KBC
-Numerous ministry opportunities in the community that are already underway or are being discussed.

These have all really come to the forefront in the past month or so. And the combination of them has created a pretty palpable sense of momentum. Mosaic is new...it's fresh...it's designed to connect with people in a very relevant way. And God is starting to give us opportunities to connect with people, which is what we've prayed for all along.

So what keeps the momentum going? Just my two cents...
-A continued alertness to where God is at work around us, and a willingness to have conversations with people that point them to Christ and, to a lesser degree, Mosaic.
-Looking ahead to numerous ministry possibilities(partnership with HES, community events, etc.)
-Committed prayer about "big decisions" in Mosaic's future...worship gatherings, meeting space, partnerships, etc.
-Just a daily commitment to love God and love people.

To keep momentum alive, we're going to have to step out in faith on a few things. But God has given us a very unique opportunity at this point in history. We must be faithful to love Him, love others, and connect with people. If we commit to doing those things, we can be assured that momentum will stay with us.

Not baby steps...

2008-01-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

It was a simple step, actually...a fairly insignificant occasion. But last week, our daughter(Eva Kate) moved from the two-year-old class at Hope Community Church(the church we attend for Sunday worship gatherings) to the three-year-old class. Different area of the church, different teacher, different structure, different everything.

As I watched her and Kelly register for her new class, and watched her look around at her new surroundings, I got a strange feeling. I imagine it's the precursor to the feeling I'll get when I take her for her first day of Kindergarten. I didn't get emotional last week, but something inside me said that life was moving fast, and that before I can blink, she'll be a five-year-old shopping for a backpack, pencils, and rulers.

Mosaic is taking similar steps...steps that might seem fairly insignificant to a casual observer, but steps that are, in reality, major occurences in the life of our young church. We've made contact with the SBC and KBC, both of whom want to talk to us about our young church. We're looking towards a public "launch" in 2008. On Tuesday night, I had a very encouraging conversation with a team from Victory Baptist Church in Lexington about Mosaic and a possible partnership in ministry.

And just tonight, we were invited to a special service at Victory, where they celebrated the culmination of their sponsorship of Masters Church, a plant in Lexington, and the possibility of both churches sponsoring our church in Versailles. At the end of the service, we were called upon the stage, where we were prayed over by people from Victory, Masters, as well as Dr. Mackey and Larry Baker from the KBC, and Don Reed from Elkhorn Association.

And there it struck me...people BELIEVE in us. I always knew that God believed in us(hence the calling), and I knew that those involved in Mosaic believed in Mosaic, but now, people are starting to sense that God really has called us to something fresh in our community, to connect with people in a new and relevant way, to see all people come to Christ. And they not only believe in us, they want to bless us and minister to us and WITH us, and cheer us on.

How exciting it is to see established churches that "get it". Victory and Masters are just two in a wave of existing churches that see the big picture, have Kingdom mindsets, and want to invest in communities to see people won for Christ. It's exciting to consider the possibility of having them support us in ministry. Tonight was a huge boost for me, a really timely reminder of our mission and calling, and, I believe, a strong word from God that it's time to stretch ourselves to crack our community and start loving people and connecting with them.

These aren't baby steps for Mosaic. They may look that way from a distance, but up close, God is starting to connect the dots in a very real way. May we step back and see where the picture is headed, and be encouraged and empowered to continue praying for and loving Versailles, desiring to see all of Woodford County connected to Christ.

The Sin of Competition

2007-12-22T22:45:00.001-08:00

When the blogging urge strikes...

I've been asked, more than a couple of times, what the hardest part of starting a church has been, to this point. It's a two-fold answer, but it's an easy answer.

Hard Part Number One...

1. Making connections with the unchurched. This has been much, MUCH harder than I ever anticipated. For 12 years, in youth ministry, I lived and moved and breathed primarily in the church context. I knew non-Christians, but they were teenagers who would come TO ME by way of their friends/families. My ministry was primarily challenging teenagers to minister to their unchurched friends. I spent more time doing that than I did actually out, building relationships with unchurched teens, trying to connect with them.

In a way, I was doing the right thing. Kids influence kids...so having our teenagers be the primary point of contact/influence was the way to go. But in a way, I was delegating the very thing I was telling our kids TO do. I was telling them that they needed to get out there and reach their unchurched/lost friends, while I was content to simply plan and structure a ministry that would target those friends once they arrived at the church.

So I dealt with 99 percent church people for those 12 years. And knowing ONLY people from that church, when Kelly and I left to start Mosaic, we had no clue where to begin meeting people and building relationships with them. We had always had the church structure to create those opportunities for us, and without that, we were(and still are) a bit lost. And we realized that most(all?) of our friends were church people.

With that in mind, we've tried to take a few steps to get out into the community and just meet people. It's a long and arduous process, but it's starting to work, and I'm excited about us(and the rest of Mosaic) discovering ways to really connect with people who aren't part of a church family. The more we make a point to do that, the more we'll see that God can do with those relationships.

2. This is where I'm probably a bit too honest. I think the other "hardest part" of church planting for this past year has been the negativity that we and others have faced from Christian brothers and sisters with whom we used to worship. *NOTE*...this isn't a lot of people, in fact it's not very many...but the amount of it, and the uneasiness that surrounds it, is enough to make you stop and take notice.

For Kelly and I, it really hasn't been that noticeable. Any negativity that we've face came initially, and it wasn't so much negativity as it was questioning. Some of it was good, honest questioning("Why not do it this way?"..."Why do it here?"). There is nothing wrong with that at all. But some of it, to be honest, was startlingly negative. People tried to talk us out of it, tried to paint it as a negative process, ignored us, stopped speaking to us altogether.

I was prepared for some of that. I guess you're never fully prepared for it, because it still stings. But it happens. When you make difficult decisions, and when your vision doesn't align with that of others, there will always be some confusion, anxiety, frustration, etc. So it goes with the territory.

What has bothered me MUCH more than that, however, is the response that the rest of Mosaic has received from many with whom they used to worship. My heart stings every time I hear of an awkward conversation at the grocery, or a snide remark, or a pitiful pleading for them to "come back", as if they've run off and lost their minds and joined a cult.

*It's important....VERY important...at this point to state that every single person who is part of Mosaic initiated their interest in Mosaic. When Kelly and I left the former church to pursue this calling, we intended to go it alone. Others have stepped alongside us in ministry without ever being asked or invited by us. Every single other person initiated contact and expressed interest. There has never been one instance, nor will there EVER BE an instance, of Mosaic initiating and invitation to someone who is actively engaged and involved in a church family.*

But it has happened. Almost weekly, we hear an example of someone getting cornered somewhere and being interrogated about Mosaic, and being hounded about "coming back". Obviously, in many of the cases, the "interrogators" are well-meaning people who are genuinely excited about Mosaic, and simply want to know how the church is coming along. Kelly and I run into people like this all the time. There are a lot of people out there, in our own community, who are absolutely rooting for us. Thank God for Christians who don't have a scorecard, and realize that we're all on the same team.

However, sometimes, it's ill-advised, awkward, poorly-executed, and done for no other reason than to guilt or shame someone back "into the fold". Again, it's not many people doing this...but it has happened. And I think I know why it's happening. Two reasons...

1. People don't like me, and the fact that I left a great ministry position to pursue my true calling.
2. They have a scorecard.

The "scorecard", as we learned from Reggie McNeal, is one of those things which has, for decades, prevented the church from being all that God has ever called it to be. And it's very, very simple:

Who has more?

Which church has more...
-Space?
-People?
-Youth?
-Cash?
-Influence?
-Programs?

That's it, that's the scorecard. And in the interest of full disclosure, let me say that up until I left to plant a church, I, for 12 straight years, kept score as much as, if not more than, anyone. I was completely guilty of it, especially in youth ministry. In fact, youth ministry is probably the worst. Everywhere I went, as a youth minister, I'd be asked, "How many kids do you have in your ministry?"

Rarely was I asked, "What is God doing in your youth ministry?".

But the scorecard is/was always there. And it always weighed on me. "Church X is getting kids left and right. What can we do to get more kids?"...."Some of our kids are going to Church X, what can we do to keep them here?"...."Maybe we ought to do this, Church X does it".

In my first six months of youth ministry at my last church, I heard about Church X almost as much as I did about our own church. And that's not an exaggeration. At times I wondered if I was working for both places. And the funny thing is, most of the kids weren't the ones keeping score. It was parents and other adults. Not most or many, but some. And the only kids who were keeping score were the kids of THOSE parents. A cycle of competition, a cycle of keeping score...

So we jump to present day, where people who have followed God's calling to Mosaic get put into awkward positions by others who seem offended at the notion that God sometimes calls people to FOLLOW HIM. People seem to forget that for thousands of years, God has called people to LEAVE their surroundings and PURSUE Him....even when it has meant uprooting and leaving behind everything that is comfortable and safe.

And yet, these people think something is wrong. How DARE someone actually follow God's leading, even if it means leaving family behind, leaving friends behind, leaving a church behind? How DARE someone actually do what they feel God is calling them to do, regardless of what others might think, instead of playing it safe and sticking it out in a place they're familiar with, even when everything inside them screams that it's not where God has called them to be?

It's all about the scorecard. Actually, though, it's not. Much of it is about the scorecard, but much of it is the fact that we hate to lose, even when we're not "losing" at all. It's the Sin of Competition, the sense that we need to keep everyone reined in, and keep adding people, so that we can claim to have X-number of people, and so that we can avoid embarrassment of having to admit that someone left our place to go somewhere else, where God actually WANTS them to be.

It's the Sin of Competition. Frankly, it's a sin I've had to repent of(and will undoubtedly struggle with again at some point). But make no bones about it, it's a sin. It's a sin, the Scorecard is a sin, the whole shebang is a sin. It's never been categorized that way(instead, we just chalk it up to human nature, which is naturally, um, sinful, in case you forgot). But it's a sin. Trying to pull people away from God's calling for them is a sin. Guilting and shaming anyone away from where God wants them to be is a sin. Casting negativity on a sister church, because you don't agree with how it does things, or you don't like the fact that people have left your place to go there, is a sin. For years we haven't called sin...sin. So here we go: sin sin sin sinny sin sin.

It's an ugly word, but it's also an ugly sight...Christians treating fellow Christians with contempt or shame because they happened to follow God's calling. That's sin.

So here are my suggestions...

1. If you're one of those people who have fallen victim to the Sin of Competition, and you're guilty of shaming anyone who has stepped out in faith to pursue God's calling, then stop it. Get over yourselves. There is an entire community out there waiting to be reached and connected to Christ. They need our undivided attention. You are using a scorecard that is wrong, irrelevant, and sinful. *Again, I've done this before too...I'm not without fault in this area*. But quit worrying about Christians pursuing their calling, and by all means, quit treating them like second-class Christians, or poor, lost sheep who have somehow wandered off the trail and have ended up in the wrong pen. Don't guilt them, shame them, or corner them with snide remarks and pitiful attempts to "woo them back". Drop the scorecard and repent of the Sin of Competition that leads you to believe that "losing" these people is a loss at all. It's never a loss when people follow God's leading. Never.

And remember, we love you in Christ. But just stop it.

2. If you're one of the faithful people of Mosaic, THANK YOU for being faithful to your calling. Kelly and I thank God for your willingness to leave familiarity(and family) to pursue God's calling for you. We have had an unbelievable year(see the entry below) and we look forward to what 2008 brings. You have made great sacrifices to be part of what God is doing, and God will honor that obedience. When you do feel slighted for being part of Mosaic, consider it a confirmation that you are following Christ, and not a scorecard. Thank you.

3. If you're a faithful follower of Christ who supports and prays for Mosaic, THANK YOU for being a fan of what God is doing. We feel the strength of your prayers, and we covet them as we move to the next level of ministry. Continue to pray for us as we reach Versailles and Woodford County with the love and message of Christ.

May we ALL make our pursuit of God's calling for us(and our churches) our highest priority.

A Look Back, A Look Ahead...

2007-12-22T22:31:00.000-08:00

Blogging just gets away from me sometimes...

As 2007 comes to a screeching halt, and we roll over into 2008, I thought it would be appropriate(and timely) to take a look back at this past year at Mosaic, and take a glimpse ahead.

A year ago, Mosaic was nothing more than a calling, a vision, a dream. A year later...

-We have a weekly Bible Study and core group
-We have a name
-We have CHECKS
-We have contributed to, and will thus be recognized by, the Southern Baptist Convention and Kentucky Baptist Convention
-We are LEGAL
-We have partnered with a local elementary school in ministry
-We have helped sponsor one local event, and participated in another
-We have a Children's Minister, who is doing a great job of ministering to our children(sorry for the redundancy)
-We have completed Basic Training for Church Planters
-We have entered into discussions with potential partnering churches
-We have a blog and a website
-We have business cards and a logo

That's quite a year. I'm not sure any of us could have expected that all of this would have happened in 2007, but God has moved us along at His pace, and (thankfully) prevented us from either moving TOO fast or stalling in hesitancy.

That said, I believe 100 percent that 2008 will bring:
-A second Connection group that meets weekly in the city
-Development of "affinity ministries" based on the passions/connections of Mosaic people
-A weekly worship gathering, prayerfully starting in the Fall, after two "preview" worship gatherings
-A publicity campaign to celebrate and announce our public "launch"
-A partnership(or multiple partnerships) with churches who believe in us and share our vision of ministry
-More involved ministry with Huntertown Elementary School, as well as a more intentional prayer ministry for those involved in mission around the world and at home
-A new website(with our own domain name)
-More ministry opportunities here in Versailles, and more opportunities to make connections with our friends/neighbors.

Obviously, the things listed above depend on God's guidance. He may still have us in a "season of preparation" for those big steps, OR He may have those things AND MORE in mind! We just need to prayerfully stay in step with Him, and constantly be looking for that "next obedient step". If that happens, 2008 will be a HUGE year in the life of our church.

Over the past week to 10 days, God has been laying some very specific dreams on my heart for the upcoming year. They're pretty much detailed in the list above. I feel a renewed sense of vision, passion, and excitement about our direction for 2008. May God give all of us a spirit of mission, unity, and boldness as we share His love with those around us in the coming year.

Back to blogging

2007-10-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

It's my favorite time of year, for a couple of reasons...

1. The weather is PERFECT. Sunny and 65, I'd take that all year long.
2. Sports
3. Leaves changing colors.
4. Sports

These are exciting times for me. And they're exciting times for our new church as well. I realize that I have not blogged consistently for nearly 7 weeks now, but it is definitely time for some updates for those of you who have followed this journey.

-Kelly had a very productive meeting with Ray Van Camp on Friday, and learned about some potentially exciting partnership possibilities that may come to fruition very soon. Ray was also very helpful in detailing the "legal" process for us in becoming a REAL CHURCH! We're now set to move along that process, having had our questions answered. Pray that we can now move along this process confidently and enthusiastically.
-We found a children's minister! Her name is Meghan and we are SO thankful for her. She's a freshman at Georgetown College, and seems to have such a sweet spirit and love for children. She also has some really good ideas about teaching the Bible to our kids on Wednesday nights. Pray that she is patient with our kids as they get used to a new face on Wednesday nights and a different "structure".
-We have a great opportunity to be involved in the community on the 21st of October. We'll be participating in the Canine Olympics, where we'll have a booth with information about the church, passing out doggie bandanas, and I'll be doing a prayer for the animals. It not only sounds like a lot of fun, it also sounds like a great way to meet people and "get out there" as a church. Pray for good weather and a lot of opportunities to meet people.
-We are having a prayer/communion gathering Wednesday night. Great idea, Carrie! I'm excited about spending time in deep prayer, individually and corporately, and sharing our first communion as a church. It will be such a special time.
-We are prayerfully considering other partnerships as well with churches that share our passion and vision for ministry. Pray that God will make it clear to all parties whether a partnership will be mutually beneficial and pleasing to Him.

Lots of things happening. Please pray for us as we take some big steps soon!

In Christ, TP

Transitioning....

2007-08-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

We are transitioning from using this blog as the "go-to" for all things Mosaic, to a new blog, which is being designed for the public. The new blog site is www.mosaicversailles.blogspot.com. Eventually, we'll have an even NEWER site, which won't be a blog at all. Check out the new site for stuff you won't find on here.

In other news...
-I've been asked to serve on the Advisory Council for Huntertown Elementary School as a Community Representative. Nothing could thrill me more. Kelly and I have both been praying for God to open doors for us to meet people in the community, and this is an answer to prayer.
-We donated a TON of school supplies to HES, and they seem very, very grateful. We've also donated some clothing, which has already been put to good use.
-We lost our childcare provider, Amanda, who is off to college. We've put in a request at UK's BSU for one or two students to help out in that way on Wednesday nights.
-We were mentioned twice in the local paper for sponsoring a hole in a local charity golf event.
-We're looking for churches to partner with us in our mission. This has been a slow process, but I will be following up this week with some churches who have inquired, and will be trying to engage other churches in this possibility.

Continue to pray for us as we stay at God's pace in what He is doing in our midst. Peace.

The only thing bad about Sunday afternoon naps...

2007-08-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

...is that I can't fall asleep on Sunday nights. It's 1:11 a.m., and I'm not the least bit sleepy. Kelly usually tells me that if I lay down and close my eyes, I'll fall asleep, but it just doesn't work that way, at least not for me. I took a three-hour nap this afternoon, so it's messed me up. While I'm waiting to get groggy, I thought I'd share somethin that's been on my mind tonight for the zero people who read this.

-CONFESSION....Kelly and I watch "Big Brother". It's complete trash, disguised as a "social experiment". But we love it. It's pure group dynamics at its best...who can influence who, who can exert quiet influence, who stays loyal and who bolts, etc. For someone like myself, who has long held an interest in the subject of group dynamics, it's fascinating stuff. But who are we kidding? It's a bunch of weirdos thrown together in a house like rats in a cage.

But as we've watched this summer, and as I've watched countless other reality shows over the past few years(note: the only scripted shows I watch regularly are "24", "The Office", and "The Nine", which has been cancelled), one question that has repeatedly come into my head is this:

WHERE ARE THE NORMAL CHRISTIANS?!?!

Steve Rose, Executive Pastor of Hope Community Church in Lawrenceburg, basically asked the same on his blog, going as far as to say that he wishes he'd be on "Big Brother" just so America could see a NORMAL Christian. And he's right....whenever you see a reality show that features a Christian, it is usually a Christian that falls into one of these categories(and I'm not categorizing the Christian so much as I'm categorizing their behavior on the show)...

A)Super-sanctimonious judgmental jerk
B)Crazy off-the-trellis charismatic nutjob
C)Sweet Christian who infuses God into every single conversation, even when it's a completely unnatural segway, speaking in terms that sound ridiculous to unbelievers, and just coming across as confusing and spacey, even if their intentions are good and pure
D)Competely compromised Christian who one minute proclaims faith in Christ and speaks of being used by Him on (insert show here), but the next minute is either getting completely sloshed, cursing like Howard Stern on satellite radio, and/or practically burning any semblance of their "True Love Waits" card with whoever is breathing and nearby.

And that's what America sees. In the interest of full disclosure, there are times, many times, when I fall into the trap of the categories I just mentioned. I'm not perfect, by any means, and I shudder to think what people will see if there was a camera pointed at me 24/7.

But, I think it's safe to say that Christianity has NOT been represented well in mainstream media for the last several years. Most of that is the need/desire of TV and movies to embrace and emphasize stereotypes, so putting on a "normal" Christian is not nearly as interesting as putting on someone who will generate better soundbytes and create interest in a show.

But that makes it all the more important for Christians to counteract that type of exposure, to show the world that following Christ isn't about being judgmental, compromising, self-righteous, spaced-out, unloving, and self-seeking. We need to show that we are ordinary people who serve and worship and extraordinary God. Will that cause us to look/act/talk/think/feel different? Sure...but hopefully, in the process, people will see that difference in us and be DRAWN to Christ, instead of seeing in us the same type of caricature that they see perpetrated by Hollywood.

It's okay to be normal. God doesn't call us to be extraordinary. God calls us to Himself, and He takes it from there.

Kelly made a GREAT point during "Big Brother" tonight. If you don't watch the show(and for your sake, I hope you don't), all you need to know is that Jameka has professed to be a Christian and, by and large, has given a pretty solid representation, from what we've seen. Amber has professed to be a Christian and, by and large, has proven to be an absolute train wreck. And naturally, they've gravitated towards each other, and instead of being a godly influence on Amber, Jameka has been more and more compromising, while Amber has remained a train wreck who cries more than Richard Simmons during a testimonial on those old "Sweatin' to the Oldies" infomercials.

Then there's Dick...an aging Tommy Lee wannabe whose existence seems to revolve around rock-and-roll, alcohol, and confrontation. He has spent the entire season trying to manipulate everyone around him into his line of thinking through angry confrontations, needling comments, and basic jerkiness. Lately, he has set his sights on Jameka, tearing into her, calling Christianity a joke, and basically trying to break her down emotionally/spiritually/mentally. So far, she's done alright, though sometimes she has to retreat and pray fervently for God to give her strength and wisdom(which is what we all should do, of course).

Tonight, that changed....and during one of Dick's rampages, Jameka fought back. At first, it was her simply defending herself and her faith. But that soon regressed into her cursing Dick, calling his mother names, lambasting(love that word) him as a father, and basically trying to tear him into shreds. She completely lost control of her mouth and her attitude, and it was absolutely PAINFUL to watch. Chalk up one more member of the "Christian who shows nine million people what Christianity is NOT to look like" club. Again, in the same situation, I'd make mistakes too. But it's just hard to watch another example of a Christ-follower, who to this point I would have characterized as genuine and strong, falling into the temptation of acting just like everyone else, and making her faith look like something she can take on and off like a scarf.

Kelly's point...wouldn't it have been interesting if Jameka had used all this time, energy, and words to actually influence Dick FOR Christ instead of trying to tear him down in the name OF Christ? What if she saw that house as a mission field? What if she loved him instead of "defending herself" by ripping him?

Basically, we're all Jameka. We all claim to be Christ-followers, and when we leave the sanctuary of our own homes, we're thrown into places where Christianity is thought to be a joke, where the tomb is sealed and occupied, and where any interest in faith or spiritual matters is complicated by thoughts of TV preachers, news of dishonest Christians, and experiences with believers who treated people seemingly the opposite of how Christ would have treated them.

So, as I see it, we have three options...
1. Allow our faith to be compromised, leading to us looking/acting/thinking/talking like the rest of the world, and following Christ when it's convenient for us, and doing what we want to do the rest of the time.
2. Do absolutely nothing, keep our faith to ourselves and those we love/trust, and plug away at life, hoping that SOMEHOW, those in our circle of influence will come to know Christ and follow Him.
3. See each day as an opportunity to live on mission...to love those around us as Christ does, to invest in people and build relationships with them that lead them to the Father, to engage people for the sake of the Kingdom, and to honor Him in the process.

I hope all of us, Jameka and Amber included, choose #3. Every single day.

I've decided to pray for Jameka and Amber, that they would see the opportunities before them to present their faith in a genuine and graceful way, and that they would hold up against the temptations before them. May we all make it our mission to see the world come to know Christ.

Mosaic Update...

2007-08-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

-In the last two weeks, Mosaic has....

1. Established an unofficial partnership with Huntertown Elementary School, gathering school supplies for the Family Resource Director and becoming, we hope, a primary contact when school officials learn of a need in a Huntertown student's life, or the life of his/her family. This goes BEYOND an event...this is a ministry partnership. This is us engaging and serving the community, instead of waiting for the community to come to us.
2. Sponsored a hole at the upcoming golf scramble being held in memory of Gayle Douglas, and benefitting a scholarship fund in her name. Gayle was always a big supporter of our vision, and blessed it.....she would be a big Mosaic fan.
3. A VISITOR!!! AND HE CAME BACK!!!
4. Developed a logo. Props to Brian.
5. Continued gathering food from our Community Garden to be distributed through the local food pantry.

Isn't it exciting to be missional? To truly engage the community instead of scurrying around planning and executing the "next big church event" and HOPING that people show up and bring friends? Jesus was attractional(drew a crowd), sure, but moreso than that, he was relational(get out there among the people). Let's learn from that example.

-I'm excited about the new Shard that is coming in the next few days...it will be about Core Values...those things which will be important to us as we pursue our calling. Please be sure to offer feedback, concerns, comments, etc. on each Shard as it's mailed out to you. Be honest and open.

-Next Wednesday, we will be dealing with the issue of discipline. Not the most fun topic to discuss, but an absolutely vital one as we pursue the character of Christ. We all need discipline in different areas of our lives. I look forward to looking through the Scriptures to see how spiritual discipline can be a very freeing thing.

-Please be in prayer for me as I consider the direction of our Wednesday night bible studies after next week. I'm open to suggestions as well.

Mosaic This Week...

2007-07-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

Oops, missed a week.

-Praise be to God for His goodness in our job situations. Brian has a job that he seems to really look forward to, and I am now employed full-time, for GOOD(as long as God warrants), at Host Communications. Big answers to prayer.
-Great night tonight. I found our discussion of courage to be thought-provoking, and insightful as we look to see how we can overcome our fears to do what God has called us to do. Also touched on the issue of leadership in tough times(and the fact that courage is usually expressed ALONE). I appreciate the discussion and the openness.
-I'm really looking forward to our partnership with HES. To my knowledge, we'd be the first church in Versailles to establish such a partnership with a school. What a great ministry opportunity!
-Remember, our scorecard is different. Look for ways to influence this week, not necessarily invite(though inviting is great too!)
-Your first "shard" has been emailed. Be sure to check it out and share what you think about it.

Finally, if you're a non-Versailles resident, and you either happened upon this blog, or were invited by someone from Mosaic, introduce yourself! I know there are people out there praying for us and checking in on us, and we'd love to "meet" you and know who's out there.

Until next time...

Time to blow stuff up...

2007-07-01T21:20:00.001-07:00

The weekly Mosaic Versailles update, as I listen to cheap firecrackers being set off outside at 12:24 in the morning(more on that in a minute)...

-Had a productive luncheon with some area pastors on Thursday. They listened to my vision for Mosaic and heart for ministry, and asked questions and offered insights and suggestions as well. They will now prayerfully consider whether their church should partner with us beyond prayer. It is good to know that other churches have the same heart for ministry and outreach that we do, and would consider stepping alongside us to see this happen in Woodford County.

-Spoke on the phone with Rick Long, pastor of The Point Community Church, a new church in Frankfort. Rick caught wind of what's happening here in Versailles and wants to touch base soon. The Point has really taken off in a short time, and has built relationships with other church plants in the area, as well as Mars Hill Church in Seattle(not Rob Bell's Mars Hill church, but Mark Driscoll's Mars Hill Church). I look forward to meeting and praying with Rick sometime soon.

-This week's batch of vegetables was delivered to The Salvation Army shelter on Main Street in Lexington. Again, there is confusion as to whether our local food bank takes fresh produce. So for the second week in a row, the Probus mini-van drove up to an unsuspecting veggie recipient, like Ed McMahon delivering a Publishers Clearance House prize. Except that instead of a giant check for 10 million dollars, they get a zucchini. Which, in the short-term, might not sound as good as 10 million dollars, but at least you don't have to deal with all those leeches that would hit you up for cash if you won the jackpot. Rarely do people call their long-lost friend/relative begging for a bite of zucchini. So you avoid the long-term hassle. Anyways, we're feeding people who don't have food. So that's a valuable ministry, wherever it's taking place.

-Remember, no gathering this Wednesday night due to the holiday. Spend time with family/friends. We will resume the following Wednesday night at our Eureka campus. Be praying now for who you can invite.

-Job situations are coming into focus for those who have been anxiously waiting for them to come into focus.

-Why do people have to blow stuff up? That's the question on my mind right now, and it will be probably for the next week or so, as people set off their own fireworks leading up to the 4th, late on the night of the 4th, and then blow up the clearance-priced fireworks in the days after the 4th.

It didn't used to bother me. In fact, I remember lighting sparklers on our back porch and waving them in the air, then throwing them off the porch into the bushes when they stopped burning(take THAT, environment!). I even remember us buying "the good stuff" on our way back through Tennessee from summer vacation, and lighting fireworks in the shape of chickens and tanks in our driveway. I was a Civil War buff as a kid, and I remember us buying a Civil War-themed fireworks set one year, and lighting it in the driveway. As it sprayed sparks and flames four feet into the air, I remember thinking that this was EXACTLY what Fort Sumter must have looked like.

But now, it's an annoyance. I think this is for two primary reasons: one, I don't want them waking up my kid. Two, they're usually not very good. Even the "good stuff" from Tennessee is never as good as what you see at city-sponsored July 4th festivities, or Kings Island every single night, or every single time the Reds win a game(which is three times a month).

But every year, people buy them, and every year, they set them off. They're just a cheap replica of really good fireworks shows. It would be like me saying, "You know what? I know that the Transformers movie comes out later this week, but I think I'll instead make my own Transformers movie, using this toaster, my Playstation, and a power washer. It will be just as good, and then I can show it on the side of my house at 1:00 in the morning. The neighbors will LOVE it."

In other words, people are willing to trade the real thing(which is ALWAYS better), for a cheap imitation, which promises to look, sound, and act the same, but in the end turns out to be pretty disappointing(at least in my opinion). They do it because they want to be in control, have it done their way, on their terms.

We do the same whenever we decide that our way is better than God's way. Just like that Civil War-themed explosion of light and sound, our way makes promises that it just can't keep. So instead of waiting for God's best, and paying the price to see God's best, we jump the gun, do it ourselves, and try to maintain control. And while we might see some initial sparks, and make some loud noise, in the end...it's a rip-off.

Don't trade God's best for a cheap imitation. Even if it comes from Jellico.

A Night of Firsts...

2007-06-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

A Night of Firsts at our Redbud satellite campus this evening...

-Our first guests...
-Our first use of the Bible on a PDA
-Our first ineffective use of the Bible on a PDA
-Our first display of public nudity(thank you Will, for watering the tree in our front lawn)

Keep in mind my meeting with some pastors for lunch on Thursday. These gentlemen have expressed interest in possibly partnering with us in our mission to connect Versailles. I'm looking forward to meeting with them and seeing what possibilities lay before us.

Lots of job decisions coming up for several people.

Thanks to those of you who came to the semi-finals of the Stand-up Comedy Contest last night. The top two made it on to the Finals, and I was in the final four, but didn't advance. That's fine, since I was just doing it for fun. I appreciate those of you who came, cheered, and sat through a bunch of bad "comedy". I hope it was worth your five bucks and whatever you spent on drinks.

Remember, because of the holiday, we will not meet formally next Wednesday night. If anybody wants to hang out at the County Park's big deal, let us know, because we'll be out there. Otherwise, enjoy the time with your family and friends, and start being in prayer for who you can invite and connect with over the next two weeks!

Out.

Mosaic This Week...

2007-06-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

An update on all things Mosaic this week....

-The first batch(bushel?) of veggies from our Community Garden has been delivered. After two days of conflicting information from the local food pantry as to whether fresh veggies are accepted, we decided to honor those who serve our community and deliver the first bag to the fire department. We didn't want these veggies to go to waste while we tried to get definitive answers from people, and it's always good to show our thanks to those who put their lives on the line for us. They were very grateful and appreciative, so the first delivery was definitely a success. This also gives us time to figure out EXACTLY will accept them from now on.

-Our Director of Technical Ministries has already developed the new website. It's found at www.mosaicversailles.blogspot.com. This will serve as a good way to deliver basic information until we get our big fancy-pants website. Eventually, we'll put times/locations on there, as well as our "history", purpose, vision, etc. It's free, and also has a link to this site, which will stay in effect. Basically, this site will be for those involved in Mosaic, as well as those who are supporting us through prayer. The new site will be for those we are inviting, as well as anyone else interested in joining us.

-Kelly and I are in the middle of Basic Training, a church planting workshop in Anderson County this weekend. We are learning some valuable information and insights, and enjoying getting to know others in the same boat. This includes Larry Blackford, pastor of the other new church start in Versailles, Glory Baptist Church. Seems as if we both have the same mission, same heart for the disconnected, and are also sharing some resistance from those who can't quite get their arms around our calling. We are not alone!!!

-Tuesday is Round Two of the stand-up comedy contest at Comedy Off Broadway. For those of you who will be attending, prepare to be offended(not by me, hopefully) and underwhelmed at the talent. I appreciate you all coming, and I hope you enjoy the evening. I assume that you'll laugh at whatever I say, whether it's good, and you're laughing WITH me, or it tanks, and you're laughing AT me. Show starts at 8, it would be good to get there at 7:30.

-Wednesday, we meet at our Redbud location. Be thinking of who you can invite!

-Thursday, I have a luncheon with Ray Van Camp of Elkhorn Association, as well as four pastors who are interested in supporting our new church. Be in prayer for this meeting, and that I would pick something healthy at Applebees instead of the Club House Grill with fries.

-A couple of weeks ago, we talked about some issues that need to be addressed as we go into Phase Two of our church's life...issues like our vision, worship, structure, etc. Instead of dealing with these on Wednesday nights, I'd like to email you my thoughts on these issues, and we can discuss it in that way. This allows these issues to be clarified, while keeping Wednesday nights the way they're intended to be. So be on the lookout for one or two of these emails later this week.

Lots going on, lots to pray for. I continue to be excited at how God is moving in us AND around us!

We're off and running....

2007-06-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

Many years from now, when the history of our new church is written, we'll all be able to laugh at the fact that on Wednesday, June 20th, designated as our first "public" gathering, we actually DECREASED in attendance by two. Funny stuff...

What good discussion we had tonight. Working through tough issues, processing what Trent/Kristen said, and discussing how it affects as we go from here onward. I thought it was pretty helpful to take a step back and talk about these things.

A couple of things to keep in mind...
1. Be on the lookout for people who need to be connected. Build those relationships.
2. Pray that we would have wisdom when dealing with tough issues and new territories.
3. We will meet at our Redbud location next week, but will NOT meet the following week b/c of the holiday.
4. Be in prayer for those who have job issues.
5. Be in prayer for the meeting next week with prospective supporters.

Every week, my excitement builds about what God is doing in our midst. I hope you feel the same way.

Thoughts on Wednesday night...

2007-06-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

First of all, do you like the new title of the blog?

I would love to hear your thoughts about our "focus group" from Wednesday night, Kristen and Trent. I have thoughts of my own, but I'd love to know what you took away from their comments and suggestions. I'll wait until Monday or Tuesday to add my two cents. Use the comments section to discuss what you gained from that experience.

We are.....Mosaic

2007-06-10T21:58:00.000-07:00

We are Mosaic.

After much prayer, brainstorming, discussion, chocolate, and three rounds of voting, we realized that "Mosaic" is the name God has given to our new church.

At least, we think so.

There are still a few minor copyright issues to check on. But assuming those work out smoothly, we now have a NAME! Which means that we have something to invite people to, instead of just "the new church we're starting that meets at different houses."

Why Mosaic?

I felt there were three primary levels of meaning that make Mosaic a beautiful picture of what we are and are trying to be...

1. Each of us, as Christians, is simply a collection of broken pieces that have been put back together, through Christ, to form something beautiful and useful.
2. Our church is and will be a collection of broken pieces that have been put together, through Christ, to form something beautiful and useful.
3. The Kingdom is and will be a collection of broken pieces that have been put together, through Christ, to form something beautiful and useful.

So we're Mosaic. And our prayer is that God will begin to add broken pieces to our work in progress, to continue to mold us into something beautiful and useful.

When your "no" doesn't mean "no"

2007-06-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

After reading my previous entry, and all the things that the new church WON'T have, I feel the need to clarify a few things. Some of you are just finding out about this blog, which to this point, has been for those in the foundational group of the new church. So I need to explain myself better about a few things from the last entry.

1. When I say we won't have Vacation Bible School, I'm not saying it isn't a worthwhile ministry to children. It's obviously been successful at getting kids to hear the gospel in a concentrated atmosphere, and has led to thousands of decisions for Christ. So it obviously has merit and value.

However, we won't have VBS(as it's been done) for a couple of reasons. One, it doesn't really flow with our calling to engage the community IN the community. It's strictly a "come and see" event, rather than a "go and tell" ministry. So if we have summer ministry programs for kids, I envision them being smaller, more numerous, and happening out in the city. Second, and more practically, we wouldn't have a place to host a big VBS anyway, so we're forced to be out in the city as opposed to holed up in a building, hoping people show up.

2. When I say we won't have Sunday School, I'm not saying we won't have small group bible studies. But they won't be called "Sunday School", because that's a term that, to the people we're trying to reach, probably has a negative connotation. It definitely isn't a positive one. Plus, the long-held format of S.S., which consists of people getting together before a worship service to hear a teacher teach a lesson and engage in limited discussion, doesn't flow with our calling, which is to engage people with God, His Word, and others.

That can't happen in the traditional S.S. format...or at least not well. The people we're trying to reach will connect more readily with a more casual format...another night of the week, in someone's home(or even at a restaurant), where the leader is a teacher, but also a facilitator, helping lead the group to engage the text and each other. Having this format also allows more time for relationship-building, prayer, and ministry. While Sunday School(in its usual form) has worked for a long time for a lot of people, it is not the most efficient way to minister to these new, disconnected generations.

We will have small groups(or life groups, or cell groups, or whatever), that will focus on bible study, prayer, ministry, and fellowship(sharing our lives with one another).

3. When I say we won't have committees, I mean that-we won't have committees. I could go on forever about committees, but here is a list of why we won't have them...

-They are usually dead weight in the church leadership structure. Many of them either don't meet at all, or meet for no apparent reason.
-They usually involve the same people, just rotated around different committees like car tires.
-People usually are on committees for one of two WRONG reasons. They either love having power and influence(which is exactly the OPPOSITE of what Jesus taught...in fact, He spoke openly against those who sought that kind of influence), or they can't say no when asked to be on a committee, so they serve grudgingly.
-They usually suck a lot of time and energy from those involved.

I envision a more streamlined structure of leadership(which, to be honest, I'm still praying/studying/reading through) that involves ministry TEAMS rather than committees. I want people to serve who WANT to serve on a team that actually DOES something and has a task. When people feel a sense of purpose, they're energized to serve. Our ministry teams will have a purpose, goal, task, etc. We'll keep things simple so that people can serve where they're passionate about serving, and won't lose precious family/community time just so they can sit stone-faced during a meeting about nothing.

So there are your clarifications. Will we have children's ministry? Absolutely. Will we have bible study? Definitely. Will we have ways for people to be involved in ministry? All the time. But we will not use structures that are either relics of days gone by, or don't flow with our calling and mission. We will stay true to the calling that God has given us.

P.S....Did anyone accidentally pick up a DVD of "Pete's Dragon" on Wednesday night? The library needs it back, and I can't renew it forever.

It's not a sin to say "no"

2007-05-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

I can remember two distinct segments of my life when I said "no" on a regular basis.

1. When I was young and my parents tried to get me to eat a vegetable.
2. From December 10, 2004 onward.

"No, you can't eat that diaper, Eva Kate."
"No, we can't go to Gattitown AGAIN tonight, Eva Kate."
"No, you may not spend the night at Will's house, Eva Kate."

To be truthful, it seems like 1/2 of parenting, at this point, is simply saying "no". Of course, 99 percent of the time, we're simply looking out for our daughter's best interests. The other 1 percent occurs when we don't feel like eating a pizza buffet AGAIN.

As we celebrate the conception and birth of this new church, we need to remember that there will be(and already have been) many opportunities to say "no". One of the reasons that the institutional church has become so, well, institutional, is because of its inability to say "no" over the course of several years. It has started down the slippery slope of trying to be all things to all people and just keeping the customers busy/happy, and has ended up looking much less like a movement and more like an institution.

Why does this happen? From my vantage point, I see three primary reasons(though I'm sure there are others)...

1. The church never really clarifies its specific vision/calling from the beginning, so there's no parameters by which to measure possible ministries/programs/events. If you don't have a target, you'll hit it every single time.
2. Because of that early vagueness(not sure that's a word, actually), the church allows itself to add program after program because once you tell one person "yes", it's much harder to tell the next person "no", regardless of their idea.
3. Especially in the modern era(the one we left about, say, 10 years ago), PROGRAMS drew people and were a key component of church growth, so churches decided to try and be all things to all people, both in its programming and in its worship style. If things seemed stagnant or plateaued, most of the time, the perceived cure was to slap another program/emphasis on the calendar to fire up the troops.

So what do you end up with? Tired, passionless, consumeristic Christians who LOVE a church as long as it's doing exactly what appeals to them(or as long as the stuff in the church that they don't like doesn't interfere with their own church life), but are ready to raise a ruckus when they don't get their way. They decide to become squeaky wheels, undermine leadership, poison the unity of the church, and attempt power plays in order to get their way, all in the name of "seeing the church grow".

As it says in the Living Bible, "puh-leeze".

I learned at a church planting conference in Atlanta that I have permission to stay true to the calling that God has placed on my life. That means that I say "yes" to those things which comprise that calling, and firmly say "no" to those that don't(including people).

It's time for our church to start saying "no". That might sound harsh, but it's the only way to keep our focus where it should be...God's calling for us.

We run into people often who ask about our progress, and some even hint that they may be interested in being part of it. But then they hint at some of the things they're looking for in a church, and while my smile says "uh-huh, uh-huh, right, right...", my innards are saying "um, no." That's not a knock on them...they need to find a church where they connect with God and others, and are passionate about serving. But they won't be happy at our place...so I feel like if I start saying no, I'll just be saving them some gasoline(and with these prices, that's saying something).

So let me just say "no" to some things right away, and if you read this and are interested in joining up with us(and we'll open things up in a month or so), you can know where we stand.

"No" to:
-Choir
-Ties
-Spending money on flowers
-Committees
-Business meetings
-Hymnals(notice I didn't say "hymns")
-King James Version
-Vacation Bible School
-Any music by Carman or the Gaithers
-Pews
-Programs for the sake of having programs
-Sunday School
-Snake handling(though that one is tentative)
-Organs(the musical instrument)

If you're dead-set on any of the above, and they HAVE to be part of your church experience, then you won't like our church at all. And that's okay. There is a church out there for you. It just won't be ours.

It's time for Christians and churches to stop being scared of saying "no". By saying "no" to these things(and there are some other sacred cows that need to be made into tasty hamburgers), we're making a habit of saying "yes" to our calling, which is what it's all about anyways.

So far....

2007-05-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

At this point, halfway through our Reggie McNeal series, it might be helpful to highlight some of the main points that we've heard/discussed so far. Here are the ones that have really stood out to me, and you can add your own two cents:

1. At this point, most everyone who wants to be a churched person(based on what they perceive the church to offer) is a churched person.
2. It won't work anymore to plan a perfect service/program/ministry and expect people to just show up. And adding programs isn't the answer either.
3. We're at a point of unprecedented interest in spirituality.
4. We're at a point of unprecedented lack of interest in organized religion(again, based on people's perception of what "organized religion" stands for).
5. We need to focus on the Kingdom instead of the congregation.

Obviously, I've paraphrased, but these are the points that have stood out to me. Please add your two cents, based on Reggie's teachings or our own discussions.

Timeline for Insert Church Name Here

2007-05-11T02:44:00.000-07:00

I mentioned on Wednesday night that I had come up with a timeline for how things will(or should) shape up over the next several months. This is by no means exhaustive, so things are tentative(in church planting, EVERYTHING is tentative).

From now until mid-June(or so)...

-Send Prayer Team letters
-Send letters to possible supporting churches
-Develop PowerPoint presentation for interested churches
-Um, pick a name
-Study *legal* issues(non-profit status, tax-exempt status, etc.)
-Finish "Present Future"
-Continue "Basic Training"(this is for Kelly and I only)
-Meet with Elkhorn DOM
-Put onto paper our core values, mission statement, etc.
-Recruit survey workers for community needs survey
-Develop follow-up plan for new believers and guests
-Develop Member Training series

From Mid-June(or so) to whenever we launch....

-Meet interested support churches, establish partnerships
-Survey neighborhoods(us, plus anyone we recruit to help)
-Launch website
-Grow core group through personal invitation, multiply when necessary
-Start with *legal* issues
-Start planning public launch(worship gathering)
-Secure location for launch
-Find musicians to help with music for launch and beyond
-Continue "Basic Training"(Kelly and I)
-Plan and execute Back-to-School Ministry
-Secure sound system and seating for launch and beyond
-Publicity for launch

There's probably much more I could add, but these hit the major points. As you can see, there's a lot to do! It's an overwhelming list, but as with all God-sized tasks, we just need to stay at God's pace and pray for strength, patience, flexibility, and wisdom. If you see something on this list, or think of something not on the list, that you feel strongly about taking on, just let me know. This will definitely have to be a team effort. But I'm excited about the *team* already in place, and those who will step alongside us for the ride.

Exciting times!

This Wednesday....

2007-05-05T06:04:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday, we'll be meeting at our Redbud location. Snacks will be provided. We'll try to start the DVD no later than 6:45, so as to allow adequate discussion time afterwards.

In other news...

-Our Coordinator of Prison Ministries has also agreed to be our Coordinator of Wednesday Night Childrens Ministries. We can only pray that her two roles do not intersect at any time.

-Since I haven't learned how to link anything yet, I encourage you to check out www.larknews.com. It's a great website for Christian satire, meaning that none of the articles are true. But great for laughs.

More about Wednesday night...

2007-04-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

I promised a blog about Wednesday night's gathering, where we watched Session One of "The Present Future", led by Reggie McNeal. Though we didn't have as much time to discuss the DVD due to time constraints, I think we all felt that Reggie's analysis of the generational divides was pretty much spot-on. Though it's clear that the "dividing lines" are not exact(we all know people who may be categorized in one way, but clearly think/live another way), it was, generally speaking, pretty accurate. And I think we all could visualize people who really fit the mold of the generations that Reggie was dissecting.

Here are some general thoughts I had on the session, some new and some that we discussed on Wednesday night.

-It is clear that most of our churches, at least those of which I've been a part, are dominated in leadership by Builders/Boomers. And there has been a slow, steady transition of leadership from Builders to Boomers over the past decade or two, as a trust level has been built there. In other words, I think the Builders started to sense that Boomers weren't gonna turn everything in the church on its head, and would try to maintain what Builders had set into place, while improving on it by adding programs/elements.

The problem, in my opinion, is that now, it is becoming more and more clear that another shift in strategy/leadership has to occur, but the BB's(builders/boomers) are nowhere CLOSE to bringing X'ers on board to lead the church into the new millennium. X'ers realize that the church MUST shift in its structure, vision, and methods to reach a changing culture. But there is just not that trust level from BB's to X'ers. That's one reason that so many X'ers are seeking new ways to "be the church"....because it doesn't appear that institutional churches will be changing anytime soon.

As Reggie stated, for BB's, changing methods and structures would almost be like an admission of failure. X'ers, in general, are more comfortable with change, and will make adjustments if things aren't going well. Stubbornness is not as prevalent in newer generations. It's not failure to admit that older structures aren't efficient for reaching newer generations. In fact, it shows wisdom, and it shows that a church cares more for the unchurched than it cares for maintaining programs/structures that only cater to the flock.

Again, these are generalizations, but I think in the big picture, they prove to be true.

-Every generation has to be careful not to dismiss another. I'm an X-er, through and through, and there have been times when I've banged my head against a wall wondering why previous generations just don't "get it", or why they try to dismiss the ideas of X'ers. I realize now that it's just a major difference in worldviews. BB's can't wrap their minds around some of the new ways of thinking, just like X-ers can't always wrap their minds around older structures.

But that can lead to a dismissal of values, and that's bad, too. For example, those whose "heart worship"(as Reggie called it) is strictly contemporary stuff might not only prefer newer worship music, they may dismiss hymns altogether as having no value. But hymns have been a powerful outlet of ministry and worship for hundreds of years, and they are the "heart worship" for millions of people. Dismissing hymns as having no value would be just as wrong as dismissing contemporary music as having no value.

I think what X'ers(and milennials) are realizing is that "the church" as I've categorized it, can no longer think that it can reach everyone in its current state. Newer generations just will not invest in church that doesn't connect with them in a real way, and they're having trouble finding churches that do. Meanwhile, established churches are still trying to be all things to all people by adding programs/events/structures, not realizing(or not admitting) that newer generations actually prefer(by and large) a SIMPLER church, scaled back, stripped down, focused on "being" church and not "doing" church.

Still, my temptation is to dismiss established churches with older structures...but they obviously serve a place in the kingdom, and they're obviously reaching people, and meeting people's needs. It's just not my thing anymore. But to say that they're no longer valuable would be like saying that God can't use them anymore to reach people, and that's wrong.

So while we face resistance to what God has called us to do, even from fellow Christians, let's remember that they're coming from a completely different frame of reference. The world is changing, and we need to change along with it. Not the message, of course, but the methods and the mediums.

Enough for now. Discuss.

Apparently you don't go through Harrodsburg...

2007-04-23T05:49:00.000-07:00

...to get to Campbellsville. Last Thursday night, I was scheduled to speak to a group at Campbellsville University. I left plenty early, and even had time to stop for gas/dinner along the way in Harrodsburg.

About 90 minutes into my trip, I realized that I wasn't on the way to Campbellsville. Instead, I was on the bypass in Danville. I called to find out how to get from Danville to Campbellsville, realizing I'd made a mistake. I thought it might add 30 minutes to my trip, and I could still arrive in time to speak.

I was wrong. It would take another hour, at the the very least. I had really blown it, and I had to cancel out at the last minute. It was frustrating, but more than that, it was embarrassing. As a youth pastor, I occasionally had someone cancel out on me at the last minute, and I know how frustrating it can be. So for me to do it was pretty bad.

As I made my way back to Versailles, I tried to figure out where I made my mistake(s). There were several, actually, but the worst one was the first one. I took the wrong exit, only 10 minutes into the trip. From that point on, I had no idea that I was on a road to nowhere. I was busy alternating between listening to sports talk radio and practicing my talk for the night. But the whole time, I was going in the wrong direction, all because of the mistake I made at the very beginning.

There's a lesson to be learned from this experience for our church plant. The selfish part of me wants to get the ball REALLY rolling, open it to the public, launch sooner rather than later. I'm excited to get started and see where God takes us.

But I also know(and this has been affirmed by others) that this is a CRUCIAL time in the life of the new church. There will never be another time like this in the life of the church, where the foundation is laid and the course is set. The decisions made over the next weeks and months will determine our direction, so it is imperative that we prayerfully seek wisdom, and not move ahead of the pace God has set for us.

That's why I'm so excited about going through "The Present Future", by Reggie McNeal. It puts on paper what many of us have been feeling in our hearts and heads about the future and direction of the church, and our church in particular. I think it will be a great launching pad into the future.

Reading this book...prayerfully considering a name...deciding how/when to launch...taking care of "red tape" that every new church has to deal with...looking for ways to engage the community...all of these are important steps we'll be dealing with over the next several months. It's important to make sure that we're following God's leading and not pushing at our own pace. Because, as I learned last week, mistakes made at the beginning can set you WAY off course over the long haul.

We'll plan on reading Chapter One of the book in advance of Wednesday night, and watch the corresponding clip from the DVD.

Homework assignment

2007-04-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

Our fiesta last night was muy bueno! We added someone to our staff as PR Director and Coordinator of Prison Ministries! Her mother was very excited to hear that convicts are "cool".

Remember that we'll meet again on Wednesday the 11th at 6:30 p.m. at our North campus. Everyone can just bring a snack to share.

Passages for next time...

Acts 9:31
Acts 11:22-26
Acts 13:49-52
Acts 16:6-10
Acts 17:16-34

See you then....

"Egg"-cellent Start

2007-04-01T05:07:00.000-07:00

As Todd has mentioned, our core group had been reading through the book of Luke. Even though many of us have read Luke many times before, it seems that God has opened our eyes as though it is our first time reading the words. As we have read about Jesus' ministry, I personally have learned that Jesus desires that we, as His followers, be a people that are involved in our community. Jesus did not sit at the synagogue and operate programs to attract people to himself. Jesus went. He was out in His community. He knew people and people knew Him. He was aware of the needs of the people around Him.

I have been challenged as I read Luke that I have failed in this area for most of my life. There have been periods of time that I have been out trying to know the needs and ministering to the people around me, but those times have been concentrated efforts while on a mission trip. During my journey through Luke, I have been convicted and convinced that Jesus desires that His followers be involved in their community. He desires that I look around me, where I live, and find those to whom I can minister. But most importantly, He desires me to live life with the people around me. I have been convinced that Jesus does not want me to hold up inside of a church but to get out, live life, and have relationships with those around me.

I have said all of this to introduce you to my first efforts. Our core group decided that we wanted to get to know people around us. We hosted our first "outreach effort" in our neighborhood through an Easter Egg Hunt. We were praying for good weather so our neighbors would come out and join us, and God provided sun. We also were praying that God would bless our efforts and provide neighbors to find the eggs that we hid. He did. We had ten-fold our children's ministry of 4. That means that God answered our prayers and over 40 people were in attendance. It was so much fun. We all had the opportunity to introduce ourselves to our neighbors. We had the opportunity to live life with them by watching our kids run through the grass to find eggs. We had a chance to build relationships.

What an excellent start to trying to be more like Christ. What an excellent start to becoming more involved in our community. Now at least more people are familiar with us and we with them. If you are joining us in prayer for this effort please pray for future opportunities to interact with our community. I am excited and can't wait to see how else God will bless our efforts. May we and our baby church be pleasing to Him. And may we never just "do church" but may we always "live church".

Update for Sunday....

2007-03-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, we'll be meeting at our South Campus, and going through these passages in Acts:

1:4-8
2:40-47
4:32-35
5:12-16
6:1-7

Come prepared to discuss the implications for the church in general, as well as the new work in Versailles.

And remember, it's gonna be a Mexican fiesta...so prepare accordingly.

Welcome to those of you who have discovered this blog via the new church planting weblog "Planting With Passion" by Larry Baker of the KBC.

The books that have shaped my thinking....

2007-03-15T05:22:00.000-07:00

Over the past three or four years, several books have shaped my thinking about the church, our mission, engaging the culture, etc. These books have, in many ways, been used by God to confirm what He was already instilling in me...my passion, my burden, and my calling.

*Note*...although I'd recommend these books to anyone, that does not mean that I'm in 100 percent agreement with everything espoused in these books. In fact, some of them have made me pretty frustrated. But in each of these books, God has used something to bring me to the point where I currently stand.

-"A New Kind of Christian" by Brian McLaren. The book that started it all, in a way. Read this in the days leading up to and following the birth of our daughter. This is the book that began to confirm some of the things milling around in my head and heart.
-"Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller. The book that CONFIRMED it all. Miller nailed the thinking that I've had for a while about church, culture, and where we've lost our way. Required reading for anyone really seeking to move the church into the 21st century, in my opinion.
-"Purpose Driven Church" by Rick Warren
-"Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell
-"An Unstoppable Force" by Erwin McManus
-"Flashbang" by Mark Steele
-"Present Future" by Reggie McNeal
-"Emerging Church" and "Emerging Worship" by Dan Kimball
-"Dear Church" by Sarah Cunningham

There are probably more, but that's enough of a list for now...

Update...

2007-03-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

Just an update on what's going on....

1. A small group of us are meeting on a weekly basis for bible study(through Luke, and eventually Acts), prayer, a meal, and visioncasting for the new church. This is not really *open* to anyone yet, but once we're finished with this series, we will open it up and begin to build the core group of the new church.
2. Those in the group are prayerfully considering how we can build relationships with those in our community who are unchurched and/or disconnected.
3. Kelly and I continue to go through training provided by the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
4. We are working on a letter to be sent to potential prayer partners.
5. We will, at some point this Spring, work on a presentation to be made to possible partner churches.

We continue to get positive feedback on an almost-daily level from people who are praying for us, and people who feel God may be leading them to join us in our mission. We're really excited about what God is up to!

A church has to have tentpoles

2007-02-12T15:31:00.000-08:00

The core group of the new church has been meeting for just about a month now, and we're at 8! Of course, three of the "members" are three years old or under, but that just means that we value children's ministry.

Anyway, we have come to the point in the young church's life when it's important to clarify WHAT kind of church God is calling us to be a part of. Initially, we planned on simply studying the Scriptures, the life of Christ and of the early church, and THEN putting together some ideas about how the church would look, act, function, etc.

However, I've come to the realization that it's important to clarify some things early on in the process. This accomplishes a few things...

-It confirms the vision that God has given us for starting the new church.
-It keeps our priorities in focus.
-It creates unity of purpose in members of the core group.
-It allows us to say "no" to anything that may compromise the values and mission of the church.
-For people who are thinking of being part of the new church, it lays out our mission and values so that they can make a well-informed decision beforehand. This *hopefully* eliminates confusion, awkwardness, and tension for people who are deciding to jump on board.
-For churches who are considering partnering with us in this mission, it will allow them to make a well-informed decision as well.

There are probably more reasons than those listed, but that is enough for now.

I have come up with four "tentpoles", those pillars on which the church will be set. These are four distinctives that God has placed on my heart ever since my calling to church planting began 18 months ago. Not only are these four things important NOW, but they're long-term principles, which stay intact regardless of the context.

Here they are...

1. DOCTRINAL INTEGRITY

A church has to know what it believes. There can be some variation of opinion on "non-essentials", but when it comes to the essentials of the faith, a church must be unified in its beliefs. We will always try to adhere to God's Word as our source of authority, wisdom, and direction, seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance and following the example set by Christ.

There isn't enough room(or interest) to write a detailed outline of theology, but I do find myself most comfortable with Southern Baptist doctrine, as outlined in the "Baptist Faith and Message". In a future post, I'll talk about the SBC in more detail.

Though our methodology will(and should) change in order to reach a changing world, our reliance on God's Word and on His leading never will.

2. RELATIONSHIPS

It is my belief that ministry is most effective in the context of relationships. This new church will place a high value and priority on relationships. From our "invest and invite" outreach strategy, to our foundation of small group ministry, to relationship-based events such as retreats, the church will always emphasize the importance of us building relationships with others and with each other, always with the goal of growing in Christ.

3. CONNECTIVE WORSHIP GATHERINGS

Worship gatherings were never meant to be boring. They were never meant to involve "spectators" and "performers". And they were never meant to be so deep as to isolate seekers, or so watered-down that believers aren't challenged.

Worship should be interactive, creative, and must be led by the Spirit, not by structure. It should be challenging to the believer, yet completely accessible to the seeker. Preaching should be practical, yet grounded in God's Word. And each worship gathering should bring about a sense of expectancy and anticipation that God is about to do something great.

4. MISSIONAL FOCUS

Everything we do is to be done with our mission in mind...to draw people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. So everything the church does must be viewed through that "lens"...and if it does not flow with that mission, it won't be done.

Going hand-in-hand with that value is the belief that Christians are always "on mission", regardless of where they are or who they're with. It's one thing for a church to "support missions". It's completely different for a church to be "on mission". We always want to be on mission, both as a church and as the individuals who comprise the church.

These are the four tentpoles upon which the church is being built. When these were shared Sunday night, there was a great feeling of unity, excitement, and anticipation. It was as if the foundation for the church was being laid right in front of our eyes! Few things in my life have been more thrilling than to see what God is already doing.

Welcome...

2007-02-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

God is starting a church. In Versailles, Kentucky of all places.

The reason that's a bit strange is that of all places, Versailles, KY would probably not seem very likely to NEED a new church. After all, we are in the Bible Belt. And Versailles is a smallish town with a lot of churches....GOOD churches, ESTABLISHED churches. So one might think that Versailles needs a new church the way Gatlinburg needs a new outlet mall.

But look beneath the surface, and it's apparent that God is wanting to do something in this community. Despite its abundance of churches, Woodford County is one of the most unchurched counties in the state. Research has shown that the most effective way to reach the unchurched is to plant new churches. So the statistics prove that our community needs a new church.

However, Versailles doesn't just need a NEW church. Versailles needs a DIFFERENT church. It takes all types of churches to reach all types of people. It would make no sense to start a new church that would be just like Church A or Church B or Church C. In order to reach all of Woodford County for Christ, a new approach to church will be needed.

But there is something else going on as well. Across America and around the world, there is a movement among Christians to do church in a new way. In fact, it's more about BEING the church than DOING church. It's a desire among Christians to see the church return to its roots, followers of Christ sharing their lives with one another. It's a desire to see the church be more about people and less about programs, more about being the body of Christ and less about holding "power", more about impacting the world rather than complaining about it.

In short, it's a return to Acts 2. It's a "holy dissatisfaction" among the churched AND the de-churched, who love "the church" but don't love "church".

There's a lot more to it, of course. But for now, THAT is why God is starting a new church in Versailles, Kentucky. This blog is designed to journal the history of the new church, from the ground up, so that friends(and strangers) can stay updated on its progress and know how to pray for us as we follow God's leading in this way.

In coming days, I'll talk more about the new church. Feel free to leave any message that does not contain profanity.

P.S....My wife Kelly will also be posting on here once she learns how and gets signed up.

Mosaic Versailles

This Blog will self-destruct in five, four, three....

The Big Mo

Not baby steps...

The Sin of Competition

A Look Back, A Look Ahead...

Back to blogging

Transitioning....

The only thing bad about Sunday afternoon naps...

Mosaic Update...

Mosaic This Week...

Time to blow stuff up...

A Night of Firsts...

Mosaic This Week...

We're off and running....

Thoughts on Wednesday night...

We are.....Mosaic

When your "no" doesn't mean "no"

It's not a sin to say "no"

So far....

Timeline for *Insert Church Name Here*

This Wednesday....

More about Wednesday night...

Apparently you don't go through Harrodsburg...

Homework assignment

"Egg"-cellent Start

Update for Sunday....

The books that have shaped my thinking....

Update...

A church has to have tentpoles

Welcome...

Timeline for Insert Church Name Here