I took a 50% pay cut this week…

This past week was one of the most heart-quickening weeks in my 18 years of ministry. It started on Monday when our Central Team at Grace Church got another discouraging financial report about November. We are in a $22K hole already this fall (our fiscal year starts in September).  What’s concerning is that historically the fall tends to be a strong financial season for us. We don’t fully understand these giving trends since other indicators are generally good – attendance is strong, we’re constantly hearing stories of life-transformation, many are experiencing forward motion in their faith, our people are active and engaged in serving the community, etc.  Certainly, there are some new realities that we can’t ignore; the economic downturn, a bit of a turnover in our membership due to some recent transitions, a very young demographic that we’re reaching. (you can read the letter we sent to our congregation here).

We needed to quickly create some margin in our budget so that ministry can continue as planned.  We believe strongly that God has called us to do the things that are in our budget this year. We also can’t keep going further and further in the hole and considering using our line of credit to fund ministries or salaries until things turn around. I was not ready to move toward ministry reductions (we would have to eliminate an entire department) or staff layoffs (I believe we have the right people on the team).  And truthfully the ultimate answer isn’t cutting staff or ministries – it’s moving the people of our church toward generosity in their giving. But how does one do that? Our leaders decided to lead the way. 


In order to spark a movement of generosity at Grace, Kim and I talked and prayed and decided to reduce my salary by 50% during the next three months. I also proposed this to our Central team and our staff...  voluntary salary reductions. I was overwhelmed by the response. On average our staff is taking a 20% pay reduction over the next 3 months until we right the ship and figure out what’s going on.  I was moved to tears so many times last week as I got reports of what staff members were doing. In addition, our elders started sending emails – some of them are committing to increase their giving up to 50% and  100% during this time.   It’s as close to Acts 2 as I have felt in a long time. All of the leaders at Grace, including Kim and I, are going to feel this deeply.  Everyone made a sacrificial decision that will lead to a different kind of Christmas this year.


But among all the other options, here’s why we chose to take the approach we did. 

1. Church leaders must lead by example. As church leaders, we can scold our churches into generosity, we can preach them into generosity, or we can lead them into generosity through our example. This decision by the leaders at Grace was a clear demonstration to our church that we believe in our mission to the core. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.  Our leaders stepped up to the plate this week and said to our church, ‘follow us as we follow Christ.’ 
2. The church must solve problems in community.  The impact of this past week on our staff is immeasurable. The most frequent response I got from staff members was “thank you.”  What a strange response from people who just had their salaries reduced for three months! Why would they be thankful?  I suppose everyone was aware that we could have simply started laying people off, but instead we chose to address the problem together – all hands in (We may eventually still need to consider layoffs, but at least we gave it our best shot first).  As we walked through this hands-in-the-middle moment together, our staff is as close as we’ve ever been to one another. There are stories of staff and their spouses sharing deep and intimate moments together as they considered what they would sacrifice for the cause.  We are better for having turned to community first and tried to solve this problem together. It reminds me of Acts 4:32 - All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
3. Church leaders must embrace opportunities to sacrifice for the sake of the gospel. Jesus has always called his followers to sacrifice.  He said in Luke 9:23, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  Sacrifice means giving to the Lord whatever He requires: our time, our earthly possessions, our energies to further His work. Christians have always been tried and tested to see if they will put the things of God first in their lives. And I’m convinced that we are most like Jesus when we choose sacrificial generosity. This week the leaders at Grace Church were put to this test, and they stood up. 

I pray that many more in our congregation will also stand up – and learn the beauty of sacrificial generosity.

Day 4 - Q&A with the Haitian People

Today was my last full day in Haiti. There are many mixed emotions.

Yesterday we spoke to our second English class made up of adult Haitians who are mostly professionals or students. They are highly motivated to learn English.  When enrollment opens up, people line up around the block to sign up like they're trying to get tickets to a rock concert. Dan and I got to share our stories and talk about our families and our occupations to two different classes this week.  I got some interesting questions about being a pastor:

Favorite questions I got from the ESL Classes

1. What do you think of our country? (this was asked in both classes)
2. What time do your church services start?  How long do they last? (they laughed hard when I told them how 'late' we start at 9:15 and how 'short' our services are 1 hr. 15 mins. Some churches here have services at 6 AM and they last many hours.)
3. What are the differences between your church and the church in Haiti?
4. How do you handle 'rival' churches and 'rival' religions?
5. What was your best and worst moment in ministry?
6. What size is your church?
7. How do people watch your sermons on video - how do you record it? Can I watch your sermons on the internet?
8. What do you think are the signs that Jesus is coming back soon?
9. How many Haitian members are in your church? (I was asked this in both sessions)
10. Does racism still exist in America?

More detailed info about my day

I got to talk to Kim and the Kids last night and so it made me miss them all the more.  On the other hand – this country does something to you.  The people are profoundly beautiful.  It has been a joy to encourage many of the believers here. To remind them that there is hope, that God is not distant but close by.  And to be reminded of these things by them. My heart has been encouraged and my faith has been strengthened.

Day 4 was a good day. We trekked half way up the mountain to what the Americans call the ‘Prayer Tree’ – the Haitians call it the ‘Fasting Tree.’ There is a local prayer meeting that happens at the tree every Thursday beginning at 6 AM and lasting until mid afternoon.  It was started over 20 years ago by two sisters who continue to lead it faithfully. Hundreds of people come and go throughout the day to pray for their needs and to pray for Haiti. There is a small sound system that is used for the leaders to guide people in and out of times of corporate prayer, singing, and private prayer. The tree is a mango tree with an exposed root system that makes for plenty of seating.  Fortunately I had Wadner there to interpret all of the prayer instructions that were coming over the microphone.

We were there during a time when people were encouraged to bring their requests to God.  There were prayers for those who needed healing, those whose family members were sick or dying, those who were hungry, prayers were offered specifically for those who couldn’t sleep at night, throughout this time people were consistently encouraged to wave both hands toward heaven.  Then there was a season of celebration and praise. Passionate singing, dancing, hand waving, greeting one another, swaying – all prayers were being offered at the same time so a low rumble of exultant voices was being raised to heaven.  It was absolutely beautiful.  Our praying is weak in America.

Then I was asked to come forward to pray into the microphone for Haiti.  I was honored.  Wadner came with me to interpret – during the introduction it was noted that I’m the Pastor of the church who sent Bud and Jane and Miss Kate to Haiti – there were oohs and aahs from the gathering because our missionaries are so loved and respected throughout this whole region. I prayed for the redemption of Haiti – that the Holy Spirit would claim this nation for his name and his renown – I prayed that the enemy would be held at bay in Haiti and that God would continue to raise up leaders who would bring renewal and revival to this land.  I couldn’t match their intensity, but I’m confident that God also heard my prayer... even though I’m sure my faith is small compared to these great souls.

We spent some time before lunch making the rounds with some of the missionaries to try to capture some of their day to day activity on video camera.  When they come back to Erie to report what’s going on – they sometimes bring pictures or videos but never seem to have pictures or videos of themselves in action (for obvious reasons)! So we wanted to capture some of that.

While we were out at one of the schools – we got word that the child my family sponsors (and his mother and Pastor) had arrived to meet me.  We were 45 minutes away because this meeting wasn’t supposed to happen until the afternoon (time is a bit fluid here).  So we hurried back while they waited and I got to meet Sander. It wasn’t exactly a Hallmark moment – but still deeply rewarding to meet him. We had a major language barrier so we couldn’t really communicate, he was very shy and not sure what to think about this whole thing, but I found out that he likes soccer and math and is doing very well in school. He and his mother also had met Jesus through the program that he was in.  I gave him a kids Bible in Creole – and some gifts that I had brought from the states.  My kids had made some pictures and there was a picture of our family.  He and his mom were both very appreciative.

We then met for about 3 hours with Pastors Miguelson and James to discuss the church to church partnership some more. It was greatly encouraging – I heard some things that I was waiting to hear.  They weren’t afraid to tell us that some of our ideas were not good ideas. They said that they would not hesitate to back out of the partnership if it was not serving their goals or our goals. They, like us, are interested in an equal mutually beneficial relationship that will expand God’s Kingdom. We nailed down some specific next steps and timelines. We walked through a SWOT analysis with them which helped to give us a good understanding of where they are at as a church and we both agreed to move forward with the partnership pending some conversations with both of our leadership teams (elders, ministry leaders, etc.)

We then shared a Q&A time with our second adult English class which was taught by Kate (questions included above). At dinner time we went out with 3 Haitian young men for a night on the town. It was a great time.  We went to a local restaurant for dinner - drove by a stadium with a huge local soccer match going on - saw a revival at a downtown church and got to witness first-hand how Cap-Haitien comes alive at night.  More than that we had an absolute blast with Miguelson, James, and Wadner (ti Lo-Lo)!  We laughed hard and long and continued to establish what I believe will be a deep and lasting bond. The guys shared some good-bye speeches with us that were very touching and gave insight into their hearts. These are godly young men who are going to be instrumental in bringing the light of Christ to Haiti. 

I look forward to the future together.  Tomorrow - we travel home...

Day 3 - Modern Day Heroes

I woke up to roosters crowing this morning and knew that a good day was ahead!

Over these past couple of days something has happened again and again that has simply blown me away.  Everywhere I go people know of Grace church and the people of Grace.  When they hear I'm the pastor there - stories come pouring out of this person or that person who has impacted their lives from Grace.  I am swelling with a godly pride about the over 100 people from Grace who have visited this island over the past 10 years. Obviously these accolades have nothing to do with me but everything to do with the faithful people of Grace who have made the decision to invest in others. I'll give you a few examples.

1. Kate - a longtime member of Grace -retired teacher - in her 70's.  She has been in haiti for 9 years with no intentions of leaving anytime soon.  She has brought the gift of education to hundreds (maybe thousands) of people. She's like a folk hero everywhere I go. And Erica is Kate's friend and counterpart at the school.  She's not from Grace originally but we tease her that she has been 'grafted in.' We support her work here!

2. Bud and Jane - Jane has given the gift of schools, and organization, and child sponsorships.  Bud fixes everything in his sight.  If you work with your hands and like to get greasy and never imagined yourself as a missionary - trust me there is a place for you... don't shut God down because of dreaming too small.

3.  Don and Debbie - they have brought the gift of love and a variety of kinds of support and care for the people of Haiti and our missionaries. Everytime their name comes up it is with deep honor and respect.

4. Meg - the mention of those 3 letters M-E-G - brought cheers at the clinic here - her legacy of praying personally for each patient and the deep personal interest she took in every life - even when things were busy - lives on as legend.

5. Pam - again at the clinic Pam's name is honored because of her diligent work and fundraising and coordination in getting an X-Ray machine here and working.

6. Pastor Mike - he has spearheaded many of our teams and efforts here and he is deeply loved. His intentional prayers and many acts of love for the people of this country are held in high esteem.  I visited your special prayer circle today, Mike.

I could go on and on and on, but just wanted to say thank you to the modern heroes who have encouraged and inspired so many people and who have made a lasting mark on this island. Thank you for extending Grace's reach to the ends of the earth and for representing The Church and Jesus the head of The Church so faithfully.

This was the main thing I wanted to say- but if you'd care to read some more details about my day today - feel free to continue.  I just understand that my reflections are wordy and most people who read blogs have short attention spans!  Check back tomorrow for some reflections about our last day here.

_______________________________


Day 3 - Fresh bananas for breakfast was a great treat (there are banana fields right next to where we are staying) - they have so much flavor when they are fresh.

We then waited for a vehicle for transport to the seminary.  I was scheduled to speak at their chapel service this morning at 10 AM. Several cars were out of commission today with Bud scrambling around from vehicle to vehicle trying to get them running. We finally got a ride with another missionary couple (Bud and Cindy) who were also traveling to the seminary for their Creole classes.  With diesel fuel nearly $7.00 per gallon - they carpool as much as possible.

Our trip there (my longest van trip since being in Haiti) included views of the usual street vendors, lottery booths, and peopel milling about - but because the trip was longer we also got to see some rice fields, and pasture land, and the mountainous scenery is still breathtaking.  If you didn't know differently, you'd think you were in Hawaii. We came across the location of a leading witch doctor - his house was marked with many high-flying flags to let the waiting world know he was there. Also the roads are filled with so many potholes that even the shortest trip involves jarring jolts that leave you wondering if you've dislocated something.

The seminary is beautiful. It contains the fingerprints of many people from Grace who have worked there over the years.  It is a state of the art facility, with a beautiful modern kitchen, multiple buildings with classrooms, offices, dormitories, etc. We arrived 2 minutes before chapel was scheduled to start, but we were the first ones there.  I was relieved since I was the guest speaker!  Pretty soon some 60 well-dressed seminarians began filing in - a variety of 1st through 4th year students. The next generation of pastors and ministry leaders... the hope of Haiti.

The worship was powerful and passionate - I didn't understand a single word but understood the Spirit in the room in the most familiar of languages.  I shared from 1 Timothy 4:12 - and the importance of setting an example for the believers with their lives - of being men worthy of following and imitating.  I encouraged them that if Jesus could change the world through 12 faithful men, that he can certainly change Haiti with 60!  Dan and I spent some great time with Matt Ayers - the Director of the Seminary and I was blown away by his love for the scriptures and passion to teach theology.  We got to sit in on one of his classes - a Q&A study session for an upcoming test on Romans 1-4.  Just to give you a glimpse of the level of engagement and learning - here were my two favorite questions: 1) which is justification more dependent upon; grace, or faith, or both?  and 2) What is the connection (if any) between God's creation ex nihilo and the virgin birth? 

We then ate a great Haitian lunch of corn gritz and pureed black bean sauce. I'm a picky eater, but once I got over my texture-phobia the food was delicious. We had some more discussion with Matt about the seminary facility's potential role in our church-to-church partnership since they have turned out many of the pastors in the region and have a heart for ongoing training and development.  There is much potential here to be explored.

We came back to our headquarters and as Dan and I were discussing more detail about the church-to-church partnership, in walked Pastor Migueloson.  We had an hour-long improptu conversation that was very instrumental.  At every turn I am convinced of the strong fit between our churches.

We visited Dr. Rodney, the doctor at the clinic, who just returned from a hospital stay of his own after nearly dying. He was literally nursed back to life by one of the visiting Doctors with OMS.  It was an honor to pray for him. God will heal him soon.

We then went to the Wednesday bible study for the missionaries at Kate's house, and it was a sweet time of deep study of the scriptures (Matt Ayers led us through John 7) and a time of worship and sharing prayer requests.  I wrote down every request and plan to share some with you (without personal details).  I think it will be a great teaching tool to compare and contrast with our context the kinds of things that people who are on the front lines of ministry are praying about.

We had a great dinner tonight and on my way back to the house we're staying I received word that a young Haitian man was waiting to speak with me.  He is a young man who is engaged to a young woman who is a friend of mine and member of Grace. He was nervous to say the least - we had a wonderful conversation and made plans for dinner together tomorrow night.  He'll be taking Dan and I out on the town for an evening in Cap-Haitien.  I can't wait.

We talked for hours with Bud and Jane tonight, and I'm finally getting around to putting together some of my thoughts. Oh and I got to talk to Kim and all three of my kids tonight on the phone.  I miss them terribly so it was a great encouragement to hear their voices.

Please pray for tomorrow.  I'll be visiting the Prayer Tree in the early morning (a sacred spot where Christians come to pray every Thursday for their nation), we'll be meeting again with Pastor Miguelson and Pastor James to continue to frame out next steps for our partnership, and then in the afternoon I'll be meeting the family of the child that my family sponsors through Starfish Kids.

I have very mixed emotions.  Tomorrow is our last day here. We leave Haiti early Friday morning.  Dan and I covet your prayers.

Day 2 - Issues/Opportunities- the Haitian church

It is difficult not to fall head over heels in love with this place and these people.

This computer/internet connection is not allowing me to post pictures or videos here. I really wish I could so you could see for yourself.  All in good time.

Today was day 2.
Breakfast at 7:00 this morning – I tasted the freshest pineapple I’ve ever had. It was like candy. Then I had the privilege of meeting Ti Louie (small Louie) and touring the radio station that he runs. There are over 150,000 portable radios in distribution in Haiti that carry this one station that brings the gospel, and training, and worship music, all across this fine Island. It’s a brilliant ministry. I had the honor to share some thoughts at their staff morning Bible study and prayer meeting. There is discouragement among their ranks. Equipment is breaking, funds are short, and many are nervous about their jobs. I spoke to them from Romans 8:18-25 about ‘hope.’ In its biblical form it is far more than just wishful thinking and crossing our fingers, hope is deeply rooted in the identity of God. The foundation of hope is the promise of God to be with us. I pray that God used it to bring encouragement and,… well… hope.

We then got to tour the school where several of our missionaries teach – it is an English speaking school so it was fun to be able to communicate with the Haitian children who were fairly fluent in English. During their lunch break, I got to play soccer with the kids and kick the ball really high in the air to their oohs and aahs (I’m not a very skilled soccer player – so kicking it as hard and as high as I could was the only thing I could think of that might impress them ) They also loved looking at pictures of my kids on my Iphone. The girls thought Ayden was adorable and the boys wanted to play Angry Birds.

We then visited the clinic that we’re associated with. Last year Grace and Hamot Hospital teamed up to ship a used X-Ray machine for use in this clinic. Last month we were able to send a technician down who was finally able to get the machine properly working. It was awesome to see it in action and to see the joy on the faces of the workers who are finally able to diagnose internal injuries when before it was a bit of a guessing game.

I took a long walk for some prayer and reflection and was able to jot down some thoughts that I’ll share another time. Dan and I also got to talk a lot more about some ideas that have been brewing in regards to the church-to-church partnership. We will be meeting with the Pastors again at lunch time on Thursday to discuss next steps. Please keep us in your prayers.

I then visited an adult English class that one of our missionaries, Kate, teaches. It was an advanced class for college students and professionals. I introduced myself and had a chance to field questions. There was a lively discussion about a number of church-related questions. It gave me a chance to share and it gave them a chance to practice their English – so it was a win-win.

Finally we were honored to be guests in Kate’s home for dinner. We dined with Kate, Erica, Bud and Jane (missionaries from Grace and supported by Grace). I was amazed by their accounts of God at work in this country, I clumsily tried to encourage them and let them know how valuable their work is. I learned a lot about Haitian culture from them that will affect how we approach the partnership. It was a great day. I’m getting some thoughts together for tomorrow as I’ll be preaching at the chapel service in the morning to 55 seminarians. I’m less intimidated since I preached today using an interpreter. It’s not as bad as I had anticipated.

Yesterday I promised to post a few of the issues that our potential partner church believed were the leading issues in their church and community. So here they are:


Leading issues/opportunities of the Eglise Evangelique Baptiste Sion:
1. Training – they are longing for training of all kinds – ongoing ministry training for the people in their congregation (leadership, worship, children, youth, couples, finances, etc) as well as basic life training of all varieties.

2. Education – They provide a Christian school at their church, but it hasn’t had great traction because people have their children working instead of going to school.

3. They believe they have a resource in the women of their church who have time and skills to start small businesses. Generally in Haiti women don’t work but Miguelson and James believe they can break new ground in this area because some of their women are willing and able to try new things. They have toyed with a very basic micro-finance model within their church (the pastor gives a woman a goat – and she sells products related to the goat – and when the goat has babies she gifts the baby goats to some other women in the church.) This concept obviously needs to be developed.

4. Once per month meal ministry. They had been in a habit of celebrating a meal together as a church one Sunday per month. The pastors were buying the food for everyone. For most it was their only meal on Sunday. They did it in conjunction with communion and it resembles the early church practice of the celebration meal. They have run out of funds to continue this ministry. We are hoping to help them figure this one out since food is such a basic need in their community.

I just wanted to give you some brief insight into some of the issues that we’re exploring and lean on your prayer support.

Day 1 - First Impressions of Haiti

 We arrived in Haiti at 9:00 this morning. It was a great trip –everything was smooth. Dan is fantastic to travel with. We woke up at 3:30 AM to catch our flight – so right now at 10:00 PM I’m a little tired! But I wanted to capture some thoughts. We drove around right away to check out some new schools that had just been built in some of the remote regions around Cap-Haitien.

We then met with Pastor Migueloson (38 years old) and Pastor James (32 years old) to discuss a potential partnership. Our advance teams did a great job in selecting these Pastors and this church, The Eglise Evangelique Baptiste Sion. Their hearts were so aligned with our hearts it nearly brought tears. We talked for about 2 hours about our respective churches and our dreams for the future. It was interesting that they have been framing their vision thoughts around the year 2016 which I also recently did at Grace. We then went and visited their church. It is a second story open-air facility with basically one room and a small office. They have about 100 people worshiping with them. Their dream is to have 2000 in the next 5 years. I love big dreams! But they’re not just empty dreams, they have plans and strategies to accompany them. I’ll try to post tomorrow about what they perceive their biggest community needs and challenges are. Very fascinating. Even though there are dramatic cultural differences between our churches - many of the challenges and issues are exactly the same.  Our conversation flowed easily and passionately!

Then we walked the neighborhood with them. If there had been any hesitation about the partnership before that – it would have completely evaporated as I watched how people responded to them in the streets. They were the heroes of their community. It was a really beautiful scene. We got to enter several homes and pray with some of the members of their church – several who were sick or dying. One particular woman stood out. She was a former prostitute who recently found Christ at their church. She has been healed and restored from her former life- she is the woman Jesus would have hung out with.  When we started praying for her, she immediately fell to her knees and then her face on the ground in honor and humility before God. Jesus is alive and well in Haiti.

Some initial observations:
1. It is incredibly hot here. Even though it was only around 90 degrees today – the humidity was stifling.  And it's buggy - there are bugs almost covering my laptop screen as I'm typing right now and I'm in a full sweat just sitting here typing!


2. The constant poverty is overwhelming. I know this is cliché but it’s something you can’t understand until you see it. It’s not just the level of poverty but the constancy of it. I have read that Haiti is a “4th World” country because the poverty is so pervasive that they will never be able to get themselves out of it on their own. It was shocking to fly in on the island and overlook breathtaking mountains and beaches that looked like they should be covered with multi-million dollar condominiums and resorts with nothing but poverty as far as the eye could see.


3. The people are beautiful. They are well-dressed, hard working, quick to smile and even quicker to extend a hand or a hug in greeting. As we walked the streets, it could have been very awkward and gawky and instead it was very natural because of peoples' friendliness and acceptance. Even though Americans are rarely allowed in the homes of Haitian people because they are proud and don’t want their poverty ‘on display’ – we were welcome because we were guests of their pastors. Deeply honored. 


4. There is spiritual oppression here that’s unexplainable other than appealing to the existence and activity of God and Satan. We heard story after story of the spiritual activity in this area. It’s real.


5. These missionaries are modern-day heroes. The people who have given the rest of their lives to this island have blown me away. I want to have their love and devotion to the Savior when I grow up.


Please pray for me tomorrow as I’m speaking at the Radio Station. I'll be speaking from Romans 8:18-25 on 4 Habits of People with Hope.  I’ll also be visiting the school where our missionaries Kate and Erica teach. Looking forward to a great day.

Some goals for my Haiti trip this week

Tomorrow morning at 4:30 AM - Dan Palmer and I will arrive at the Ft Lauderdale aiport to prepare for departure on a small charter plan into Cap-Haitien, Haiti. It is a city of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti. Grace church has been involved with this city for the last 10 years sending over 100 short-term missionaries and also sending several full-time missionaries who still reside there.  We will be visiting Haiti this week with some very specific objectives.

1. Interview Pastor Miguelson and Pastor James and allow them to interview us in order to explore a church to church partnership with their church in Cap-Haitien. They pastor a church that is respected in the region and has influence on many other churches and pastors.  We would love to pool influence, resources, and expertise in order to continue to  bring the gospel to Haiti. 


2. If it appears to be a good fit for partnership, our next step will be to explore exactly what that partnership would look like and how it would impact the lives of individuals in each of our congregations.  This can't just be a leadership partnership, but one that is felt and experienced deep into the seats in our churches.  If it doesn't seem like a good fit - we will begin to investigate other partnership options.

3. Encourage the missionaries. There are full time missionaries from Grace Church stationed there including Bud and Jane Dennington and Kate Zlotnicki. We also have a relationship with many of the missionaries stationed on the OMS compound as well as the Ayers who serve as leaders of the local seminary.  I'll be sharing with the seminary students as well as on the local radio station. We hope to be an encouragement to the local missionaries who have given their lives to serve in a very difficult situation.

I'm also planning to visit the child that my family sponsors here through Starfish Kids. It's going to be a blast to meet him and his family in person.  My kids have drawn pictures and sent along gifts for he and his brothers and sisters. I can't wait.

A Poem for Dads

I wrote this poem when Caleb was a toddler... he's 13 now.  Fatherhood certainly changes as kids grow up.  Whatever stage your kids are at; dads don't forget the amazing responsibility you have to instill the higher callings of faith, and character, and humility in your children. This little poem takes me back to when he was wobbling around many years ago.  Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there.  May God be with you as you lead your children.

A Dad on One Knee

a dad on one knee, eye to eye with his little one

speaking, deeply, without forming a single word

a dad on one knee, casting off cares of his grown-up life

prestige, deadlines, trumped by grass-stained dress pants

a dad on one knee, creating otherwise impossible chances for

hugs, high-fives, and larger-than-life wrestling matches

a dad on one knee, descending from his usual lofty place

tickling, smiling, learning from this new-found perspective

a dad on one knee, giving pointers to the next football star

teaching, coaching, secretly rooting for much more than skill

a dad on one knee, beside the bed during scary nights

comforting, softly, slaying the terrifying shadow monsters

a dad on one knee, clumsily humming bedtime songs

singing, holding, praying that time will take the long way

a dad on one knee, nervous about the outcome of his best attempt

waiting , watching, heartstrings stretched to their limits

a dad on one knee, emulating his Redeemer gone before

humbly, sacrificing, knowing this posture has eternal consequence

a dad on one knee, eye to eye with his little one

speaking, deeply, without uttering a single word

Are people glad to see you coming?

I heard a quote recently that said, "would you rather lighten up a room when you enter it or when you leave it?" If you are a leader, and you are leading in a God-ordained way, then most often, those you lead will be glad to see you coming around the corner.  This applies to your workplace, to your neighborhood, to your family, to your team, etc. Three things should happen in those that you lead when you walk into the room...

1. They will be refreshed and ready to grow when you are around. They will not dread your presence. 
2. They will look forward to seeing you. You will add energy to their day and not drain energy from it.
3. They will be filled with hope and not despair. They know that even when it is dark in their world you’ll come looking for them.

For those who are not leading teams of people, try applying these 3 criteria to your kids or your spouse... how are you doing?

Combating Workaholism

We went to Arizona for vacation this spring.  It was my first 2 week vacation in many years.  The vacation allowed me to reflect and re-prioritize. Workaholism is something that I've struggled with throughout my career (although I feel like I've made some good strides since the old youth ministry days). There is a great article at Relevant Magazine that has a list of 10 ways to break through workaholism.  You can read the whole article here.  I've grabbed 3 of their suggestions to highlight here - the content from the article is in italics.

1. Observe the Sabbath

Because of my job, Sunday isn't a good Sabbath day for me.  But Friday is the day that I try to reserve for Sabbath.  I don't think the main point is the exact day, but that one day out of seven be set aside for rest and reflection.  I've tried to be much more intentional about how I spend my Sabbath day in recent months. 

After God had spent six days creating the earth, He rested on the seventh day and sanctified it. In Exodus 20: 8:10, we’re instructed: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work”. This isn’t just a suggestion—Sabbath observance is the fourth of the Ten Commandments. Going to church and then coming home to plug in your laptop so you can work the rest of the day just won’t cut it. If you know there’s a big meeting or a final coming up at the start of the week, push yourself hard on the previous Thursday and Friday. Bottom line: If a day of rest is good enough for God, it’s good enough for you, too.  

2. Unplug From Technology

I chose not to take my laptop on our vacation.  This was a good decision. It allowed me opportunity to slow everything down by removing the constant flow of information.

Dr. Bryan Robinson, author of Chained to the Desk, calls technology “the opium of our generation,” and few of us can claim we’ve never felt something of a rush when using a tech toy. But just because you’ve got a new, flashy cell phone, Blackberry or iPhone doesn’t mean you have to answer it, even if your company’s paying for it. Weekends and evenings are what the “ringer off” setting is designed for, so use it. You won’t be able to check work email if you don’t plug in your laptop, and let’s be honest: What could have happened at your job that’s so urgent it needs your immediate attention at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night?

3. Stop Procrastinating

This is one that I need to continue to get better at.  It is the #1 contributor to my workaholism.  When I'm staying ahead on projects and deadlines my workflow is much more manageable.  I've been a life-long procrastinator -and just this year I've started to leverage my calendar and pre-planning to try to combat this.  I'm forcing myself into a schedule that keeps the procrastination to a minimum and helps me to work ahead.

Responding immediately to friends' and colleagues’ voice mails, IMs, Facebook posts, and emails adds up, eventually creating a mountain between you and what you need to get done before the end of the day. Leaving projects until the last minute can be even worse, as it creates unnecessary pressure and can leave you unprepared for that important presentation to your boss. If you plan ahead, particularly for big projects, and block off time daily during which phone, IM and email are off limits, you’ll have no problem getting tasks finished.

What are some tips that you have found helpful in combating workaholism?

We skipped church and did this instead...

Last month our family traveled to Arizona for vacation.  We had never been out west so we took the opportunity to spend most of our time in Sedona with a day trip to the Grand Canyon and sandwiched by a couple of days in Phoenix.  We spent most of our time hiking and climbing which was really fun.  There are some great hiking trails in Sedona that are well marked and have varying degrees of length and difficulty.  Our trip was Tuesday to Tuesday which meant we were in Sedona over a Sunday, and normally we would visit another church when we're out of town.  However, this time we decided to do family church in our room.  Kim quipped that it was one of the advantages of traveling with a Pastor!  Anyway there were three parts to our little liturgy and it was really cool.


1. Discussion of the Bible - We read some scriptures and had a little discussion about how life is like a 'path.'  There is a concentration of scriptures about 'paths' in Psalm 119 and because we had just been hiking so much these were very relevant.  We talked about some of the critical components that made our hikes successful.  Some of the stuff the kids came up with were things like; we had a map, we had a plan, there were some markers along the path, it was light out, we had each other and could talk about which way to go when we got off the path, we had taken the proper supplies with us, etc. We tied these things back into how to be successful as we walk the path of life.  The importance of the Word of God as our map and lamp, the Holy Spirit as our guide, the importance of Christian community to help provide accountability and direction when we lose our way, etc. It was really cool. You should read Psalm 119 sometime and check out how much great advice there is about walking the path of life. 


2. Prayer - I asked Kim to pray as we wrapped up and she offered an amazing prayer that summarized some of the things we had just talked about from the Scriptures. She also prayed individually over each of our kids and over me about specific things that we were each facing. There is something very powerful about a mother's prayer for her family.  It brought me to tears. 


3. Worship - We decided that during the 25 minute drive to the restaurant for breakfast that we would pass the ipod around the car and let each person choose a worship song during the drive. So we blasted With Everything and Your Name and Our God and sang at the top of our lungs driving with the windows down, a warm breeze blowing through the car, with beautiful red mountains on every side and blue skies overhead.  It was a profound time of worship for all of us.   


It was a very special and memorable time for our family. One that we won't soon forget. It also led me to a renewed commitment to having regular family devotional times together.  All our kids are at ages where they can fully participate in an intelligent conversation about spiritual topics. I would never recommend missing church on a regular basis, but on occasion something like this can be really powerful for your family.  


Have you ever had a memorable 'family church' experience?

Where does anger come from?

Christian counselors claim that some 50% of the people who they counsel are dealing with issues related to anger. Anger can shatter communication, tear apart relationships, it can ruin our health.  Some people have left a wake of wounded people in their past because of their anger.  And for some – they’re not the angry outburst type – but they have held on to anger for many years and it’s like a cancer that kills their ability to love people and worship God and it’s rotting away any opportunity that they have at healthy relationships moving forward.  


However, anger is not just damaging, it can also be good; even godly. In fact, Ephesians 4:26 - BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN.  The bible acknowledges that we will be angry and there are things that should fuel a righteous anger in us (when we see cases of injustice for example).  

As best as I can tell there are three major originators of anger (this is not scientific but simply from my experience). 

1. Unmet needs (usually unspoken) – this is prevalent especially in marriages

2.  Feelings of violation/ injustice/ humiliation

3.  Lack of control/ Fear

What are some other causes of anger?  What did I miss?

Some biblical principles about money

Money is a huge issue on the news, in our country, in churches, and in families. Just a big issue. It plays a negative role in greed and pride and comparisons and power and self-worth and well... you get the picture.  It can also have a huge positive impact as it is shared and used for good. The Bible has a ton to say about money and our use of it. There's a cool post over at the Stirred Up Leadership Blog about some principles of the wise and biblical use of money.  I picked my three favorites and you can read the other 7 over there if you'd like. 

1. The ultimate goal of frugality is generosity. It’s wise to save and we’re called to live a lifestyle of moderation and contentment. But it’s not just so we can amass more money. It’s not just to accumulate and consume, accumulate and consume.  It’s so we have more to give to those in need and to give to causes that advance the work of God in the world.
2. Our culture lies – very persuasively! The big 3 lies are: 1) Things bring happiness, 2) debt is expected and unavoidable, and 3) a little more money will solve all my problems. We shouldn’t be surprised by the lies and temptations – they are part of the epic struggle between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world. Be conscious of the need to refute them – the means to do it is all around us if we look for it.
3. We really are not owners of anything, just caretakers… and all we have is a gift from God. In earthly terms, yes, we own things. We have deeds and titles. But in eternal terms the earth and the fullness thereof belong to the Lord. And the means by which we acquire possessions (our minds, healthy bodies, talents) have come from God. Further, one way or another, we will lose all those earthly treasures, either while we’re here or when we die. 

Things you should never reveal on Facebook

Yes... Facebook is huge.  Most of you are reading this right now because you followed a link from Facebook.  I have found it to be an unbelievable way to connect with people and a great tool for ministry purposes.  I ran across an article by Kathy Kristof over at CBS's Moneywatch that includes some no-no's when it comes to posting things on Facebook.  I picked what I found to be the most interesting 3 things to never reveal: 

1. Vacation plans. There may be no better way to say “Rob me, please” than posting where you're headed and how long you'll be gone. Post the photos when you return. 
2. Confessionals. You may hate your job; lie on your taxes; or be a recreational user of illicit drugs, but this is no place to confess. Employers are now frequently checking social networking sites to determine who to hire — and, sometimes, who to fire. 
3. Risky behaviors. You take your classic Camaro out for street racing, soar above the hills in a hang glider, or smoke like a chimney? Insurers are increasingly turning to the web to figure out whether their applicants and customers are putting their lives or property at risk, according to Insure.com.

There are some other obvious one's in the article.  But what are some of the more dangerous revelations that you've seen on Facebook?

Stages of following Jesus

Pastor Al's sermon yesterday reminded me of this truth.  In his ministry on earth Jesus called his disciples to three successive stages of followership.  The stages increased in intensity the more time they spent with him. I think the stages are still relevant today...

1. Come and see ... who I am.
2. Come and abide ... with me.
3. Come and die ... to yourself. 

Churches need to understand that there are people in their church at all these different stages and create opportunities for people at each stage. 

Which looks goofiest?

1. 

2.

3.

Please vote 1, 2, or 3... I have a feeling it's going to be a landslide.

Before MLK got to the "I have a dream" part...

I love words. And I love it when people use them with skill and passion. Martin Luther King Junior was a genius when it came to the words that he used to convince a nation that the time had come to change our perspective on the issue of segregation in this country. If you haven't read the speech in a while, I would encourage you to take a few moments and read the full text of his "I have a dream" speech here or you can watch the full 17 minute video here. The last half of the speech contains the most famous content.  But the beginning is equally as brilliant.  I've included below a few of my favorite sections from the lesser-known first half of the speech.

• We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us, upon demand, the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
• Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
• In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

I pray that we will continue to make progress in the areas of justice and racial reconciliation in America. I'm so grateful for the work of Dr. Martin Luther King and the change that his words and his example enacted. 

Game Day Thoughts

Sunday is Game Day.  Not because of the NFL or NBA or any other sports. But as a Pastor, it's the day the church convenes for worship.  It's the day our staff plans for all week.  It's the day our teams at Grace are on high alert and in full-service mode.  It's game day. Here are a few of my highlights from today:

1. One of those "God is at work" moments - It doesn't happen all the time.  In fact I would say there have only been about a dozen moments in the last 15 years of my ministry like today. About 1/2 way through the sermon at 11:00 I just had the sense that God was at work in the room. Eyes and hearts were locked in and there was a sense that people were doing business with God and He was pressing them forward. It's very humbling to be in that moment. People responded with abandon at the end of the service. I could sense that people were ready to go earlier in the service when Brian and his team led us through The Stand.  It continued on through to the end. 
2. Membership - it's always awesome to receive new folks into membership.  We have a powerhouse group coming in this time.  I'm always on the edge of my seat to see how God will use the new folks that join our church.  God is an expert at making churches and He knows just who we need right now. Congrats to those of you who joined our community today!
3. Offering moment by Danielle - This probably seems like a weird one - but one of my close friends and colleagues, Danielle, hosted our service today.  She did an amazing job introducing the offering time. She explained how the offering isn't like membership dues, and it's not a tax, and it's not an insurance policy to get something that we want from God.  We don't give so that we can receive - but we give because we have already received. Danielle accepted Jesus when she was a high school student in my youth group. I have had a front row seat to watch her grow and thrive over the years.  Now she is on staff at Grace and it was so cool to watch her challenge and teach the church today during that time. Loved it!

I will post a recap of the sermon and some other stuff later this week.  If you were at Grace this weekend - what were some of your highlights?

Dangerous questions I asked my kids last week

• Did you kiss a girl this week?
• What do I do as a dad that you can't stand?
• What do you think mommy and I are thinking when we look at each other?

What are some questions that you ask your kids to help you stay engaged in their lives and/or to keep you growing and improving as a parent?

Game Day Thoughts

Sunday is Game Day.  Not because of the NFL or NBA or any other sports. But as a Pastor, it's the day the church convenes for worship.  It's the day our staff plans for all week.  It's the day our teams at Grace are on high alert and in full-service mode.  It's game day. Here are a few of my highlights from today:

1. Open Sourced Service - we let the cat out of the bag about our open sourced service on January 30. I'm really excited - I'm not aware of another church like ours trying it. In recent months, I've been really convicted about the need for the people of Grace to participate more in our corporate worship experience and to take 1 Cor. 14:26 seriously. So we're going to try it! If there is a passage of scripture that has been meaningful to you that you'd like to share, maybe a story of something that God has been up to in your life, even an encouragement for the church before the offering time we'd love to hear it.  You also have the chance to give some feedback for my sermon and to help select the songs we do that day.  Check it out.
2. Pre-Marriage Class -I love each time we launch a new pre-marriage class. Nearly a dozen couples coming together for an 8 week experience of learning and growing together in preparation for a life of marriage.  It's always so awkward the first week - it's funny.  Soon they will be talking and laughing and learning together with Scott and Miriam at the helm. I heard the other classes launched well this morning too.  It's not too late to get in on one of them that's of interest...
3. Second date - I'm so proud of this team that helps people connect at Grace each month - I peeked in on them after 11:00 and it is such a blast to see vibrant and meaningful conversations going on in an effort to help newer people to find their way into the community at Grace.  The Second Date team is only about a year old and has launched this brand new ministry.  They have successfully made changes and adjustments as needed to make Second Date a very meaningful experience for people. 

I love my church!  Week 2 of this series on Relational Healing was very cool as we explored Anger and Forgiveness.  I'll post sometime this week on a little sermon recap and some additional material that I didn't have time for today.  

If you attended church this weekend (even if you weren't at Grace) What was a highlight for you?