Category Archives: Letters to 217

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Getting Over Yourself – Pride

I remember being in the band in high school, and though it may be hard to believe, I was undeniably A BAND NERD.  I had played trumpet for three years in high school and even sported the latest large wire rimmed glasses that sealed the deal for me.  Every year at the beginning of the year we would have chair tryouts.  I had taken great PRIDE the year before of being 1st chair.  There were solos, better parts and it was a prestigious thing in the band to be first chair.  After chair tryouts we were all gathered around the director’s office as he was posting the official results.  I looked at the wall and I – WAS – CRUSHED.  2nd chair.  I had gotten dethroned by someone who was younger than me and for the next three months I begrudgingly took my seat.  I was absolutely ticked and my EGO took a large hit.

Most of us have dealt with the most disgusting five letter word in the English language P-R-I-D-E.  But how do we get over ourselves?

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2


So what did I fail to do?  I failed to realize that the band wasn’t about me.  This should have been obvious.  A band takes, well, multiple people playing multiple instruments to create the sound of a band.  “The whole world is comprised of other people with one minor exception, that is you.”

4 Simple Ways To Get Over Yourself

1. Practice The Me Third Principle – The me third principle is rather simple, God first, others second and me third.  If you want to see an example of humility, open the door for someone, let someone go in front of you and last but not least, choose to give someone else a better seat on your next flight.  Choose the middle seat.  If I could afford it, I would buy a first class seat then randomly choose someone on the plane to upgrade.  Wouldn’t that be fun?

2. Give Generously –  It’s hard to remain prideful when you give with no strings attached.  The way to combat prideful giving is to give and ask for nothing in return.  Tell NO ONE!  Once you share it, immediately you will feel pride well up in you and you just wasted your money.  Your humility was snatched up by your evil ego.

3. Laugh At Yourself Regularly – I often become the butt of my own jokes because I know I am a goof ball who has no business doing what I am doing.  I have no business being married to my amazingly gorgeous, hot wife. I work with amazing people who for some reason choose to work for me.  (By the way, you choose your boss). And I can be the quirkiest person around.  STOP taking yourself so seriously, calm down, relax, and laugh at yourself.

4. Be Willing To Be Forgotten – This means in every instance pass along the credit.  I believe we are the sum total of what people pour into us.  Teachers, coaches, parents, brothers, classmates:  There is no way I got here alone, and you didn’t either.  I think what the world needs is more people with a sober view of themselves and their accomplishments.

One more thing, here is the warning:  Once you think you are humble, you become prideful.  Just because you do the above you won’t necessarily shake the “pride virus.”  Humility takes a life-time of depending on Jesus and self managing.

You weren’t born as Superman, so get over yourself!

Josh

Question:  What is the most difficult situation you have had to show humility in?

P.S. If you know of anyone who has a specific need from Hurricane Sandy, please contact Tim 732-306-9074.

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Life’s About People NOT Stuff

Continue to bring non-perishable foods, toiletries, blankets, and baby care items for Hurricane Sandy victims to 217church.  Sunday Services – 10 am & 11:30 am

Watching the church in action is a beautiful thing.  This past week, a team from 217church and Element church had the privilege of serving someone we didn’t even know.  A group of us took a trip to Union beach, NJ where the scene was disastrous.  The house we were gutting had been overcome by three feet of ocean water and everything on the first floor had to be thrown away.  The back yard was littered with garbage. Washers, dryers, refrigerators, furniture, insulation and countless amounts of drywall, all ended up in a pile in front of the house.  At one point I had to just stop, go outside and take a deep breath because it was too much for me to handle.  As I looked towards the ocean, I observed countless houses like this one, needing to be cleaned up.  The task seemed so overwhelming. These are real people who lost virtually everything. But this family had EACH OTHER.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ..”  Galatians 6:2

As I stood and stared at the stuff on this curb it hit me.  All this stuff at one point was new.  Brand spanking new.  The beautiful stainless steel refrigerator, the oak desk, the big screen TV.  It all at one point was brought home with pride.  It got me thinking about the process we go through in our love affair with STUFF…

5 stages of stuff

1. Ambition – It all starts here with our stuff.  Desire! We get a job, we like a girl, we give her a ring.  We have all these plans and desires and it usually involves big money and lots of stuff.  A first home, a new car and a retirement account.  These are all things we want to have and think we need. It is touted as the “American Dream” and I think one of my jobs is to pry people’s hand off of this dream and show them God’s dream.  But ambition is a powerful thing.

2. Acquisition –  You have all heard of shopper’s high.  I have had it before and you know the feeling.  When you first buy something it usually feels amazing.  I’ll never forget opening the door to our first house.  It was brand new construction, built to our specifications and it was ours.  It even had a garage, which leads to the next phase.

3.  Accumulation – I recently spent a day cleaning out my garage and found stuff I had forgotten about and stuff I don’t even remember how we obtained it.  Accumulation is a dirty word because we can look around and think that we have something.  We might even start to think we are a really big deal.  But if we don’t have Jesus we don’t have anything.  There is a false sense of security in owning a home, having power- even having a car.  As most of us experienced in the Northeast this week:  If the power goes out, our house becomes a very cold place. Empty.  On top of that, if we don’t have power, our gadgets don’t even work.  Listen, people matter more than stuff! You are taking none of it with you when you die.

4. Admiration – We look around and pat ourselves on the back and feel proud of our accomplishment.  We even admire certain people in their pursuit of accumulation.  Some of us become bitter and jealous because “all those rich people out there are greedy.” For a little while after we have accumulated much, we actually think we need more.  We want to be like them. There is a venom injected in the life of our culture that whispers, “we need more”  and most of us believe it.  This, by the way is why we don’t give more, we actually think we need more.

5. Apathy – Eventually, and this could take a lifetime, we get apathetic about our stuff.  Most of us after getting to the end of our life will not say, “I wish I would have had more stuff.”  We will most likely think, “I wish I would have given more away, and I wish I wouldn’t have worried about it so much!”  We will wish we would have spent more time with those we love.

During this time when we see so much need, let’s become apathetic NOW about our stuff.  If someone has a need, let’s not hesitate to give to help.  Let’s help people rebuild and be the hands and feet of Jesus.  Your stuff doesn’t matter and does not define you.  Let’s take care of one another.

Can’t wait to be the church this weekend!

Josh

P.S. If you know of anyone who has a specific need from Hurricane Sandy, please contact Tim 732-306-9074.

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The Church At It’s Best

This took place just two blocks from my house and as I drove by I was simply blown away.  This is the scene in many of our neighborhoods in Central New Jersey.  Power is out and people are at least rattled and scrambling a bit.  As the church, we should be asking, How can we help?  Just Do SOMETHING!  I believe the church is at its best when things are at their worst.

3 Things You Can Do NOW…

1. Go meet 10 people in your neighborhood. Your leading questions are, “Is everything okay? How are you doing?”  This leads to relationships. BOTTOM LINE: You will never have a better opportunity to meet and love people.  You don’t even have to share the Gospel, but if they need help, HELP THEM!

2. Bromley Neighborhood Clean up Day:  I just walked through Bromley, our 217church partner neighborhood. We are partnering with Hamilton Township to take responsibility for cleaning up. It has already been scheduled for this Saturday November 3rd 9am-2pm.

3. The 217rebuild initiative: We just launched this brand new arm of our church and we will use 100% of the resources given to this fund to directly help those impacted by this catastrophe with basic needs.  You can Give Here and use the drop down, “The 217rebuild Initiative“.

Let’s make the most of this opportunity and be the church at its best when things are at their worst.

Praying you are all safe!

Josh

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The Big Reveal!

This Sunday we reveal the location of our first ever additional weekend worship site of 217church.  We will soon be one church in two locations! This Sunday we will reveal the date, location and what we need to launch a new worship site.  Don’t miss THE BIG REVEAL Sunday at AMC 24 10 & 11:30 AM!

Our hand written notes to 21 1st time guests families from launch Sunday

As I walked in the theater last Sunday and felt the anticipation of one of our largest gatherings ever, I was awestruck by the energy in the room!  This was happening.  We were launching and the word MULTIPLY was on our lips.  Three years ago when we started this journey we had no idea really what was going to happen, but God is clearly moving through you. What an incredible weekend!  I feel bad if you missed as it was by far one of my favorite weekends together with our 217church family.

These facts are simply a snap shot of what is going on through you and the ministry of 217church!

Some Quick Facts From Sunday:

-2 people chose to follow Jesus for the 1st time this weekend
-21 First time guest families / (New Record)
-456 people gathered (Largest Regular Weekend Ever)
-130+ people served in some capacity and we had a full breakfast together at 9 am! (New Record)
-50+ more people joined a small group
-73 total Kids! (Largest 217kids Gathering Ever)
-100 people joined for lunch following 2nd service at the youth center

What’s Next?

The staff and leadership team is here to serve you and equip you for your ministry.  Let’s make the most of this fall season. Here is a quick run down of the schedule and what you can expect every weekend.

September 30  – We reveal the location of the next worship site for 217church
Plus:  Meet 217church 1:00 pm at youth center

October 7 – We reveal our first overseas mission partner location and officially launch 217global!
Plus: 217 Blueprint class 1:00 pm at youth center

October 14 – Baptism Weekend!  This is what it’s all about! Sign up to be baptized and e-mail Kevin here: kevin@217church.com

There is no doubt about it, God’s plan for the church is to grow in every capacity.  God has been blessing every area of 217church with growth and improved health over these past two years.  But even though we are growing, this should never stop us asking the question…What if?  Our willingness to ask this question fights off complacency and becoming comfortable.  Let’s believe God for HUGE things this season and HOLD NOTHING BACK!

 

 

 


 

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Coming Soon To Theater 14

We are ready for the September 23rd Launch!  Are you ready?  Theater 14 will be packed with people, starting with Breakfast for everyone at 9 am!  Then we will hear the vision of our church at two services (10 & 11:30am) and hear the three huge prayers for this next season. You can watch the vision video here.  Finally, at 1 PM, join us at the youth center for an open house and lunch with the church family.

The next five weeks we are going to be an absolute blast discovering how God is going to use us to impact this community!  Here are the weekend topics:

Let’s Do This!

Fall Topics:
September 16 – Serving People Joyfully
September 23 – The 217church Vision (Full Breakfast at 9 am)        
September 30 – Life Without Limits
October 7 – Understanding Your Calling
October 14 – Sharing Your Mission

How Can I Be A Part?

#1 Join A Team – What if EVERY ONE of us who called 217church our home joined a weekend team?  Our weekend teams are: media, kids, hospitality and set-up tear down.  If each of us served once a month on a weekend, how would we be different?  It all kicks off this weekend as we prepare for our Launch through understanding what it means to serve joyfully.  If the church is going to work like it was meant to, it will take EVERY ONE OF US of working together to own the vision.

  • Set Up & Tear Down Team-  Theater arrival time 7:45 AM or 12:30 PM.  This is the most “hands on” of all the teams as we put up outdoor and indoor signs, stuff bibles, set up the platform, sound equipment and create a welcoming environment.
  • Hospitality Team-  Theater arrival time 8:15 AM.  These are the people that create a welcoming environment.  From helping people find a parking spot to greeting and assisting to make sure people are seated comfortably, our hospitality team smiles and welcomes people to the family.  They are the front door to the church!
  • 217kids & Tots Team – Theater arrival time 8:15 AM. We don’t do childcare!  We set the stage for children to feel accepted, loved and have fun while they learn about Jesus and His love for them.  These co-workers are driving character anchors deep in the hearts of our children.
  • Worship & Media Team – Theater arrival time 7:45 AM.  This is the team that facilitates the service.  From serving on the worship team to running a camera, sound boards, and setting up lights, this team makes the service happen!  We just launched a new high quality video/audio available on our web and podcast because of the selfless serving of the media team

#2  Join A Small Group –  A small group is a group of 5-15 people who gather in homes to accomplish the vision of the church, which is to help people meet and follow Jesus.  Our groups have 5 essential purposes.  We call it SLICE: Serve, Learn, Invite, Care, Eat!  If you want to really be a part of what God is doing, you have to be a part of what we call “Gospel Centered Community”.

Are you in?  E-mail kelly@217church.com

#3  Invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers via facebook.  I know you have friends and facebook is a way to invite some people along.  Use this link and then invite people: http://www.facebook.com/events/137937979682167/.

 

Hold On Tight!  This is going to be a fun ride!

 

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Get Some MOMENTUM This Fall

I just dropped Titus off for his first day of fourth grade.  No crying this time but what a fun moment.  Compared to his first day of kindergarten, he was more confident, made his lunch and set out his clothes the night before and woke up plenty early enough to enjoy a leisurely breakfast.  Titus was ready for the MOMENTUM of 4th grade.  Calm and cool he strolled up to the school as scores of other parents hugged and kissed their children, some looked panicked.  I asked, “Do you want me to get out of the car?”  he said, “nah, I’m good” I slapped him a high five and told him to give it 100% today and go for it!  In order for him to get the maximum results out of 4th grade he is going to have to HOLD NOTHING BACK!   

Titus, Confident & Ready for 4th Grade
“And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.”   Acts 9:31

If we expect God to multiply the impact of our church, we need to hold nothing back and be BOLD in two key areas: our invitations and our investments! Here are 5 easy ways you can help the 217church family get MOMENTUM for the fall launch September 23!

INVITE

#5  Take a 217church yard sign this weekend and plant it in your yard for the next three weeks.  It can be a great conversation starter with your neighbors and you can invite them.  Most people come to 217church because you invite them!

#4  Invite friends, neighbors, co-workers via facebook.  I know you have friends and facebook is a way to invite some people along.  Use this link and then invite people: http://www.facebook.com/events/137937979682167/.

#3 Take the Momentum ticket invites we place in your bible every week and personally invite people.  I carry a few in my bag all the time.  The tickets have the meeting place, the time, and the topic by date.  We are constantly trying to put tools in your hand that make it easier for you to invite people to our weekend gathering.  By the way, if you invite someone to church on Sunday, sit with them and then share a meal after the service.

Our graphic design team created this for you!

INVEST

#2 Get in a small group and get committed.  It’s all about the relationships and if you want to grow spiritually you have to submit to others.  What does a group do?  The S.L.I.C.E. model is really easy to explain.  We serve, learn, invite, care and eat together!  Kelly can help you find a group by e-mailing kelly@217church.com.

#1  Plan to Serve on a team September 23rd and beyond!  We want 100+ people to serve on our launch Sunday! Be there by 7:45 and come and witness the church building relationships as we prepare to worship together. We need all hands on deck in the following four areas:

  • Set Up & Tear Down Team-  Theater arrival time 7:45 AM or 12:30 PM.  This is the most “hands on” of all the teams as we put up outdoor and indoor signs, stuff bibles, set up the platform, sound equipment and create a welcoming environment.
  • Hospitality Team-  Theater arrival time 8:15 AM.  These are the people that create a welcoming environment.  From helping people find a parking spot to greeting and assisting to make sure people are seated comfortably, our hospitality team smiles and welcomes people to the family.  They are the front door to the church!
  • 217kids & Tots Team – Theater arrival time 8:15 AM. We don’t do childcare!  We set the stage for children to feel accepted, loved and have fun while they learn about Jesus and His love for them.  These co-workers are driving character anchors deep in the hearts of our children.
  • Worship & Media Team – Theater arrival time 7:45 AM.  This is the team that facilitates the service.  From serving on the worship team to running a camera, sound boards, and setting up lights, this team makes the service happen!  We just launched a new high quality video/audio available on our web and podcast because of the selfless serving of the media team.

After we complete the set up September 23rd, at 9 am we will enjoy a full breakfast together and celebrate another milestone in the life of our church.  Our vision Sunday is going to rock your socks with THREE HUGE PRAYERS we are asking God to answer.  The more people who jump on board, the more MOMENTUM we will have!

This Sunday, September 9th is the building of the MOMENTUM as we have a “Restore Service” with communion, prayer and healing as we pray for people boldly together!  The only way to fully explain a restore service is to experience it together.

Hold Nothing Back Church!

 

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Making This New Season Count

I don’t know what drives you, but I am often driven by fresh starts and new seasons.  I remember my first day of middle school like it was yesterday.  Mr. Ayers was my homeroom teacher and it was a whole new adventure for me.  I loved having my own schedule, bag, books and a tremendous rush of independence as I walked throughout the halls of my middle school.  It was a whole new world of possibilities, uncertainty and a lot of excitement and fear.

A new season means steps of faith
“Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you”  Joshua 1:3
    When God calls you to do something BIG he promises to walk with you.

    This new season in my life is going to be incredible.  There has been a sense of anticipation flowing through me these past weeks.  I recently engaged a new coach, have been reading through the book of Joshua in the bible, and am in a time of fasting and praying learning to hear God’s voice with clarity.  If there is one thing I DO NOT want to do, it is lead myself, my family or our church family down the wrong path.  The vision is set, the last details are being worked through and the expectancy for this next season is OFF THE CHARTS!   Our 217church fall launch is September 23rd and we are ready to MAKE THIS SEASON COUNT.  But what about you?  Are you ready to make the fall count?  Here are four keys to making this new season count:

  • Get Clarity About Your Vision – One of the things that is helping me the most in planning for the fall and beyond is looking for themes of what God is saying to me.  God is speaking to me personally is through two little words: Quality Time.  My vision through this season is to engage fully investing quality time through everything I do.  Every morning I wake up, look at my schedule and choose to engage at a high level with each person, relationship and task. I want to make every day count.

Question:  Do you have a portable, memorable and motivational vision for this season of your life?

  • Gather Your Resources – SO now that you have a vision, do you have everything you need?  Namely, an execution plan, the right people and the discipline to make it happen?  Maybe your resource is support from a key influencer, a budget in place or a study tool you know you need.  Essentially, what is the plan for your daily and weekly rhythm?  You will need encouragement, accountability and some reflection times along the way to ensure you are making the season count.

Question:  Is there a tool you can identify you need that you don’t have yet?

  • Guard Against Burnout – This is perhaps my biggest failure over the years.  My problem is I think I can accomplish more than I actually can in a given season.  If you run at too many priorities you are sure to fry yourself and sabotage what could have been an incredibly productive season! The key to productivity and progress is knowing when enough is enough.  This is a daily and weekly practice. Make it count, know your limits.

Question:  Will you practice a weekly sabbath and have planned time off for this next season?

  • Go All In – It is time!  Feeling overwhelmed?  Never have there been a time and season like this one.  You are here, ready, prepared determined and no matter how you got here, no one can be you in this season!  You have incredible gifts, abilities and perspective that God has given uniquely to you and it’s time for you to go ALL IN!  You can’t hesitate and there is no time for second guessing.  Your family needs you, your friends need you and you need Jesus to walk through this season with you.  Are you really all in for the next season?  Or are you going through the motions faking it?

Question:  Is there anything preventing you from going ALL IN through this next season?

When God spoke to Joshua as he assumed leadership of His people, He gave him a promise that was bold and incredible:  “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you.”  WOW!  Meditate on that for a while…

What if God did that for you?

What if God did that for your family?

What if God did that for our church? 

September 23rd launches our Fall Season at 217church and we intend to Make it Count!  You can let us know you are coming on the 23rd by clicking here and signing up on Facebook.  It will be an empowering season of activating our faith and celebrating the vision we are embarking on together.

See you at the theater!

Fall Topics:
September 23 – The 217church Vision
September 30 – Life Without Limits
October 7 – Understanding Your Calling
October 14 – Sharing Your Mission


 

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Finish Strong

Running is a hobby of mine that has grown on me since I ran track and cross country in high school and every race is an experiment.  I still love the sound of the starting gun and the anticipation of lining up before a race, but one thing has changed for me: I run more against myself than I do against other people.  One of the ways to achieve “PR’s” (Personal Records) is to finish strong.  This simply means run your fastest miles towards the end of the race.  This is a difficult art to master.

Ashton Eaton crushes the world record in the decathlon at the U.S. Olympic Trials
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith.”  2 Timothy 4:7

    Finishing well in life is not about how fast you start but how intentionally you finish.

    Some of my favorite people are senior adults!  Part of the joy of being a pastor in a multi-generational church is that we have the privilege of honoring senior adults among us.  217church is not just a church full of young people; but also those who have been around the block a couple times and are finishing strong.  Why? Let’s break it down with seven keys to finishing strong.

  • Intentionality – Discipline is the one thing that intentional people have.  They are looking for certain outcomes and have the fortitude to order their schedule to invest in high impact activities.  They don’t “retire”, but view their advanced years as the most productive and meaningful years lived.
  • Perspective – Finishing strong means you know that it isn’t about you.  Whatever your passion and purpose, it’s ultimately about passing your skills, ideas and wisdom on to the next generation.  If what you discovered dies with you, what’s the point?
  • Experience – Not just experience but evaluated experience.  Get as much experience you can in what you want to excel in.  Finishing strong means you learn not only from your own mistakes but from the mistakes of others.  This is an art that if you master can serve you well.
  • Focus – By the time you are in your sixties and seventies, you not only know what you are good at and not good at, but you no longer desire to be all things to all people.  You also know what is important, not important and have the FOCUS not to simply talk about it, but to do it!  One of my character mentors, who is eighty-five years old, arises at 4:30 am every morning and prays for 2 hours.  HE PRAYS FOR ME EVERY DAY.  As I am writing this, he is just finishing up his prayer time.  He gets it. He defines finishing strong!
  • Family – NOT hobbies, yes I said family!  Hobbies and pleasure are not bad, but they become subversive when they inhibit relationships. People who finish strong will do anything and stop at nothing to propogate a healthy generational legacy.  I recently heard of grandparents that moved far away from their grandchildren to live the good life in Florida because they “deserve it.”  Now they see their grand kids once a year.  They chose pleasure over purpose.  I hope you enjoy your golf outings, your grandchildren will miss you.
  • Clarity – The older I get the more I find I am telling it like it is. (that’s scary)  I think almost everyone has witnessed grandma or grandpa sharing truth at the Thanksgiving table and cutting right to the point.  In essence, finishing strong means you can’t worry what other people might think or say about you.  Be clear about what you are about.
  • Character – It is not about the outward appearance, but what happens when no one is looking.  Those who finish strong don’t have a public performance mentality; they are performing for an audience of one.
    I am learning more to have long term perspective and I am looking forward to aging with intense focus!

    What about you? What would you add to this list?  LET’S FINISH STRONG!

     

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What’s Next?

Anticipation is a fun thing and can also be scary.  It keeps me on my toes asking the question, what’s next?  It is a dangerous question to ask because it makes me question the status quo and gets me out of my comfort zone.  I am always looking forward to what God would do in my own own heart, in my family and in our church and as we go in to the fall I want us to get this next step right.  For this reason I am going on a FAST and I would love for you to join me.  Fasting is when we deprive ourselves of something meaningful, habitual and even necessary for life to hear the voice of God.

 

“As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days,
and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”  Nehemiah 1:4

 

How should we fast together?

  • A Time for Seeking the Face of God – I want nothing more than to be in step with what God wants for us together.  I feel like the season we are in is one of preparation for what God is about to do and this fasting is a time for Jesus to speak to us.  On September 23 we will be breaking our fast and launching into Acts 9, our Momentum series, and announcing the biggest faith step we have ever taken.  I feel like we need a safe passage through this next season of our church. Ezra 8:21 Read what Ezra did…
  • A Time for Covenant Together – I want this fast to be something meaningful to you.  I am going to be fasting meat much like Daniel did in Daniel 1.  This isn’t a time for legalism but of realizing God’s great love for us and our dependance on him.  When Jesus was fasting he said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4.   This is our opportunity to reinforce our love for  HIS church and HIS plan with HIS good direction intended.
  •  A Time for Studying – That doesn’t sound very sexy does it?  Studying?  What?  Yes.  I would invite you with me to study through the book of Joshua.  I finally decided to do this fast when I read Joshua 1:3, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.”  I wouldn’t have gotten to that nugget if I wouldn’t have read the word that day!  What if that verse was our reality?  I will be reading one chapter a day and posting some of my thoughts here on my blog.  (Tomorrow I will post my thoughts on Joshua 1)

This is a really big deal for us together.  This will define the future direction of the church!  I want nothing more than to be in step with the Holy Spirit and his heart for this community. I love you guys and can’t wait to watch it unfold.

What’s Next?  I can’t be 100% sure but I am clear that the Holy Spirit will guide us.

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I Love My Co-Workers

The other day, I woke up to this reality: I spend more time with the people I work with at 217church than most any other people in my life.  The people I work with mean so much to me personally.  Why would I not “like” these people?  Why would I not intentionally build relationships and try to love them as best I can?  Relationships are difficult but here is what you need to know about the 217church team: They are an amazing group of people and I love working alongside them to accomplish ministry. They do their work with passion for the Lord to build up the body of Christ.  As the point leader my responsibility is to love, take care of and lead them to the best of my ability.

Our 217church team is awesome!
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”  Colossians 3:23

 

Here are some lessons we are learning together:

  • Nobody “Works” for Me – Each of us work for God and we are accountable to each other.  It doesn’t matter what task we are doing, we are to do it with zeal, passion, excellence and a heart of service.  Everyone is under authority and we do our work for the Lord. THERE ARE NO UNIMPORTANT TASKS!   No matter if you are preaching the sermon or updating the web site, everything is to be done with all our heart, effort and a good attitude.  Work ethic will find you out in the end.  Care more about what Jesus thinks about your quality of work than anyone else.
  • It Takes a Team – Everything we do, no matter how small the task, needs to be accomplished in teams.  This means that we don’t do things alone and it also has huge implications for the church as a whole.  We aren’t measured by how good we do, but how well the people we train do.  We are seeking to intentionally apprentice people to help them find their ideal ministry.  Take someone with you!
  • Got a Problem? Go to the Source – Let’s face it, conflict happens. But when it does happen, how do we handle it?  Do we talk about the person we have an issue with or do we talk to the person we are in conflict with?  I have zero tolerance for gossip as this can be the biggest team destroyer of all.  Keep short accounts, extend grace, don’t be defensive and seek to understand.  ABOVE ALL…HONESTY MATTERS!  There is nothing more disgusting than a dishonest expression of forgiveness, hiding, or blaming.
  • Teamwork Creates Humility – If “we” did it together then no one person can take credit for it. It is a great feeling every time WE complete a weekend service to look around as a church and see how God used 40+ people to serve the church.  It creates togetherness and increases our focus that we NEED each other.

So what about you?  How are you doing at work? Do you love the people you work with and do your work as unto the Lord?  No one said it would be easy, but you may be the only Jesus your co-workers see.  We are working hard to embody unity and love as a staff and we can’t wait to watch you to serve this weekend!

Never underestimate the power of a unified team, no matter what their age or experience!