Category Archives: Teamwork

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How To Build An Unbeatable Team

It’s that time of the year.  Fantasy football drafts are happening everyday!  For those of you who are into fantasy football, the anticipation of the fantasy draft is a lot of fun.  How it works is that you draft players who play for your team on game day and earn points for your team based on how they actually perform on the field.  When they succeed, YOU SUCCEED.  It is good fun but let me ask you a serious question?  If you were to draft a team to help you accomplish your dream for your life and your organization, who would you draft?  I want guys blocking for me that look like this guy…

football dude 8-19

 

“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed…”  Proverbs 15:22

Who do you need on your team in order for your dream to happen?  YOU NEED PEOPLE BETTER THAN YOU!  You need a diverse team full of people with varying skills and experiences, different ages and personalities, but regardless, you need the best!  In many ways these people will help protect you from yourself.

How To Draft an Elite Fantasy Team

#1 Know Exactly What You Need –  Part of the challenge in getting to where you want to go is knowing how to identify the needs.  You will need to shore up different weaknesses.  Knowing what you are trying to accomplish dictates the WHO!  Too many self reliant, prideful people try to accomplish a big vision on their own.  If you want to accomplish a BIG DOG dream you better have BIG DOGS on your team. I want the BEST team possible!  Who is on my team?  Below you will see 4 different goals I have and then WHO is on my fantasy team.  You will quickly see, the WHO IS CRITICAL.

  • Build a Family Together / Summer – Listen, I made a decision a long time ago that I didn’t want to do life alone.  So I found someone to love and take with me together on this ride.  She is my 1st round draft pick EVERYTIME.  I will always choose Summer and my kids over every other goal, dream and possibility.  The church can get another pastor, but I am the only one who can fulfill the role of Dad to my children.  Most important draft pick…spouse.
  • Family Health / Adoption / Bethany Christian Services – We drafted them six years ago to help us fulfill the dream of opening our home to children who need love, health and education.  They are an incredible christian organization focused on putting a dent in fatherlessness, abuse, and the underserved children in the world.  I want their whole team on my team! Sometimes it is a person you need, other times it’s a whole organization.  Now that we have three little boys from Uganda as our sons, we need counselors, teachers and doctors to help us with the unique challenges of adoption.  All are on my dream team!
  • Successfully Grow 217church to Health – Doug & The Dream Team.  Doug is the Director of Ministry of 217church.  Have a question? A problem?  He will help you through it.  I drafted him 7 years ago when we planted the church, and eventually through humility and service, he joined our dream team!  Then there are the other members of our INCREDIBLE dream team.  Jocelyn, Josh & Amanda, Roberto, Tim, Noriel, Rich, Ivannia, Steve & Debbie, our Governing board, our elders, and our small group leaders!  I love you guys. You make it happen. You need people who are running in the same direction passionate about the vision together!
  • Advise Financially and Pay Taxes / Donna – She is the best accountant/ tax professional I know.  She is honest, clear, focused, no nonsense, gold!  Paying your taxes and financial integrity are HUGE issues and you will need help to navigate this.

#2 Stop Making Excuses:   Maybe you feel like, “all the good players are gone.”  This is simply not true. One thing I like to do as a fantasy football player is to find the “diamond in the rough.”  This means finding someone no one else thought had much value and picking them in the later rounds.  Sometimes you choose someone no one else thought had value.  This will take an incredible investment of time and energy, but is worth it.  Sounds like what Jesus did for us!

#3 Cast a Compelling Vision:  If someone were to sign up to be on your team, would they be motivated by the big target on the wall?  Or would your vision be lackluster?  You know you have a God-given vision when God has to show up in order for it to happen!  If you can do it without God and faith, your vision probably won’t be compelling and people will not be inspired.

#4 Get Courage To Ask:  This is where risk comes in.  At some time I had to ask all the people above to be on my team.  For some of them it took longer than others.  Make no mistake about it, when someone comes on your team, you must be committed to serving them.  It’s not about you but the vision.  People want to be a part of something world changing and your job is to give them that opportunity.  Sure you might get rejected, but keep in mind, you don’t want people on your team that won’t be 100% committed to the vision, so let them go.

Building a team is fun, rewarding, but takes a lot of work.  Take time right now and determine what are your biggest needs.  Here are some more ideas for building a fantasy team that will serve you well:

  • Spiritual advisors
  • Confidential friends
  • Legal advisors
  • Physical trainer
  • Nutritionist
  • Health Doctor
  • Contemporaries
  • Tax professionals

 

This Sunday I would love for you to join the 217church team!   We are having a ministry fair and an excellent opportunity for you to connect to God’s dream for your life and our community.

Josh

 

This Sunday September 17 – “His Story” Series Week #1 through the Gospels (Small Groups Launch & Ministry Fair)

October 8 – New Service times  -9:30am & 11:00am

 

Josh Conn is the founding pastor of 217church, a contemporary church in Mercer County NJ.  217church meets Sundays at 10:30am at Sharon Elementary school in Robbinsville, NJ.  Visit www.217church.com for more information, or watch a weekend message here.  On Sunday September 17th 2017 we will have our Fall Launch celebration service.

 

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3 Keys to a Healthy Small Group

Guest post by 217church Staff Pastor Matt Murphy

When Jesus left earth He gave us His final commissioning as His disciples. He told us to “Go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all I have commanded.” In that commissioning He gave us a new identity. He gave us the identity as disciple makers. None of us are exempt from that. The role of disciple maker is not just reserved for paid professionals. He gave us the identity as being a disciple. If we are going to teach Christ’s commands we must know and live them out ourselves. Jesus didn’t just know, He lived. Jesus gave us the identity of the Trinity. In the trinity we are sent as witnesses by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are servants of the Son because He served us, and we are part of God’s family because He adopted us as His children. Because of Jesus we are disciples sent as a family of servant missionaries to make disciples.

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Discipleship is the point of the church. It is what the church is called to do. We do that through many different venues. One key one is the small group structure of the church. In fact, when we study the early church we see that they organized in smaller family type groups. We cannot explore what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in the context of a room full of 100s of people in an hour a week. We should be doing life with people in the context of a spiritual family. It is important that we have a small group of people that we know by name that we can do life regularly with. Do you have that in your life? Does the small group that you are in do that

If you are in a small group I want you to ask yourself the question is discipleship happening? If that is the point, is it happening? Let me be clear discipleship is not just the passing along of Christ’s teachings. Jesus proclaimed the good news with both word and deed.

 

Here are three things that every healthy disciple making small group will have.

  1. Family 

I think that this is the most important one. Jesus said, “by your love for one another they will know me.” Jesus spent a lot more time building the relationship with His disciples than actually teaching them. I could write a whole blog series on the importance of family but if you don’t like each other no one will want to come. Family knows each other deeply and how to apply the truths of Jesus to every situation.  Family spends time together outside of the meeting. In my own family I have organized family times but we also have a lot of organic times we hang out. In your small group do you spend any time together outside of your meeting just having fun and getting to know each other? A healthy family will see each other regularly and often outside of the meeting.

2. Gospel 

Does every member of your small group know the good news of Jesus? Do they know it so well that they can apply it to every area of life? Every area of scripture points to the good news of Jesus. No matter what you are studying you can point it back to Jesus and the good news. A small groups time of study should be focused on the Gospel because the Gospel is the point of scripture.

3. Neighborhood 

Does your group have a heart for a neighborhood? There is are people in your neighborhood that need your family and the good news of Jesus. It goes beyond just serving. If your small group serves, great, but are you building relationships in the midst of that? Do you know multiple names of people in a neighborhood? Do you know there stories so well that you can bring the good news of Jesus to their life? Every healthy small group has a neighborhood that their heart breaks for and orients everything that small group does.

Does your small group have these functioning in a healthy way? What area could your group use the most help? Discuss it as a group. Get coaching in the area you are weakest and make it a strength. We are human so we will never have the perfect group but by God’s Grace we can walk more in step with what it means to be a disciple maker.

Matt is the staff pastor of 217church, a multi-site, contemporary church in Mercer County NJ.  217church is a family with small groups in New Jersey and Pennsylvania that meets Sundays in the Hamilton AMC24 Theater 10:00am and Sharon Elementary school in Robbinsville, NJ at 11:00.  Our new Robbinsville/East Windsor Campus meets every Sunday.  If you are looking for a church in East Windsor NJ, Lawrenceville NJ, Ewing NJ, Robbinsville NJ, Hightstown NJ, Hamilton NJ, Mercer County, Middlesex County or Bucks County, PA, we would love to have you join us.  Don’t miss our weekend services. Visit www.217church.com for more information. or watch a weekend message here.

 

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Teamwork – Day 33 – Relaunch Journal

Teamwork – “Teamwork makes the dreamwork.”

Scripture:  Nehemiah 12:1-26

(Please note: If you are viewing video on a Mobile Device you must scroll to bottom and enable “DESKTOP MODE”)

After the first leadership vision meeting of 217church in August of 2009, progress began to happen very quickly.  We prayed, planned and personally invited people to be on the team.  We set out on a mission to be “a restored family sent on mission to make disciples.”  We realized almost instantly that everything depended on God and we needed Him to supply us with a strong team that works together.  If God is going to use us to extend this ministry farther and faster than we could ever imagine we MUST have an incredibly strong team that has character, competence and chemistry.  We must be hungry for the vision and take initiative together.  How can you use your gifts to align with the vision?

Listen to our Sunday PODCAST on the Go HERE

Watch Week 4 of Relaunch:  “Striving  For Unity” Here:

The more you love others, the more you leave your pride.  There is no place for pride when working on a high performance team.  The people are pulling together to rebuild the wall amidst the opposition, and they are learning how to be absolutely unified.  In order to strive for unity we must rely on the power of God, remain alert, and rally to the needs of others.

Our Journal Process:

  • S – Scripture – Follow Through the book of Nehemiah with our Relaunch Field Guide.  You can Download it here  Choose a specific scripture passage then write a phrase or verse that jumps out at you.    Youversion.com has incredible resources and reading plans.
  • O – Observation –  Write your thoughts.  What do you think God is saying to you in this Scripture? What do you think it means?
  • A – Application – This is where you make personalized action steps to what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now.  Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life.
  • P – Prayer – This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this Scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Who comes to mind that you need to pray for?  Remember, prayer is a two-way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say first.

For more on the Relaunch 40 Day spiritual growth emphasis:  READ THIS

To Download the Relaunch Field Guide with Journal and Small Group Curriculum:  CLICK HERE

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Do You Have The Secret Sauce?

Last summer at a BBQ event I tasted the meat and I was blown away!  I had never encountered such a perfect blend of spices and smokey flavor.  I approached the host cook and I immediately wanted to know where it came from.  The lady just looked at me and said, “If I told you what was in it I would have to kill you!”  I said, “No, really, what is in it?”  Then she began to tell me it was an old family recipe passed down for generations.  But she would – not – give – me –  the – recipe.

secret sauce 2-28-14

“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages.”  Romans 16:25

What is the Secret Sauce of Our Church?  Here, let me just share it with you…     (We are a restored family sent on mission)

#1 Spread The Vision – Restored –  If you believe in something you will spread it as much as you can.  Once the life transformation through JESUS and the Gospel happens, you will do everything possible to make sure other people know!  Give it away for free!  Don’t hold it all for yourself.  We express this idea at our church through baptism.  Once you are baptized you carry the DNA understanding as an agent of transformation.  Invite others, tell others, Encourage others, you are no longer the same you are transformed!

Action:  Get Baptized Now

#2 Share Responsibility For The Work – family – When you share the responsibility for the vision it means that you get busy boldly acting out the vision.  The Gospel is expressed best through acting and being a family.  This means work! It means you have to do something.  You commit to take care of those that are hurting and you own the problems of those around you.  You become committed to making disciples and deeply investing in others and you view everyone in your community as a family.  Families take care of one another.

Actions:  Join a ministry team, invest in a small group family

#3 Serve The Ministry – sent on mission – Many people have no problem with the first two ingredients, but this one trips them up.  Imagine if you left out one key ingredient to the secret sauce.  It wouldn’t be worth tasting would it?  Here is the best way I know to express this idea.  We have to view ourselves as servants to the world we live in.  This means we never let an opportunity to serve someone pass us by.  If people are to truly come into relationship with Jesus, we have to embody what Jesus said about “not coming to be served, but to serve and give his life.” 

Action:  Serve people in your neighborhood, workplace and circle of influence now

This Easter season is an incredible opportunity to reach out and serve your neighborhoods as a family.  We will have 10 different opportunities the week of Easter through our small group families to reach out and serve.  Take this secret sauce and go flavor the world.

Josh

 

Josh is the lead pastor of 217church, a multi-site, contemporary church in Mercer County NJ planted in 2010.  We are a part of a family of churches planted in Central New Jersey including Princeton Alliance Church in Plainsboro and Element Church in North Brunswick, NJ.  217church is a family with small groups in New Jersey and Pennsylvania that meets Sundays in the Hamilton AMC24 Theater 9:30 & 11am and Grace Rogers School in East Windsor, NJ at 10:15.  Our new East Windsor Campus now meets every Sunday.  If you are looking for a church in East Windsor NJ, Hamilton NJ, Mercer County, Middlesex County or Bucks County, PA, don’t miss our weekend services. Visit www.217church.com for more information.

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Who Is On Your Fantasy Team?

It’s that time of the year.  Fantasy football drafts are happening everyday!  For those of you who are into fantasy football, the anticipation of the fantasy draft is a lot of fun.  How it works is that you draft players who play for your team on game day and earn points for your team based on how they actually perform on the field.  When they succeed, YOU SUCCEED.  It is good fun but let me ask you a serious question?  If you were to draft a team to help you accomplish your dream for your life, who would you draft?

football dude 8-19

 

“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed…”  Proverbs 15:22

Who do you need on your team in order for your dream to happen?  YOU NEED PEOPLE BETTER THAN YOU!  You need a diverse team full of people with varying skills and experiences, different ages and personalities, but regardless, you need the best!  In many ways these people will help protect you from yourself.

How To Draft an Elite Fantasy Team

#1 Know Exactly What You Need-  Part of the challenge in getting to where you want to go is knowing how to identify the needs.  You will need to shore up different weaknesses.  Knowing what you are trying to accomplish dictates the WHO!  Too many self reliant, prideful people try to accomplish a big vision on their own.  If you want to accomplish a BIG DOG dream you better have BIG DOGS on your team. I want the BEST team possible!  Who is on my team?  Below you will see 5 different goals I have and then WHO is on my fantasy team.  You will quickly see, the WHO IS CRITICAL.

  • Build a Family Together / Summer – Listen, I made a decision a long time ago that I didn’t want to do life alone.  So I found someone to love and take with me together on this ride.  She is my 1st round draft pick EVERYTIME.  I will always choose Summer and my kids over every other goal, dream and possibility.  The church can get another pastor, but I am the only one who can fulfill the role of Dad to my children.  Most important draft pick…spouse.
  • Adopt Children / Bethany Christian Services – We drafted them two years ago to help us fulfill the dream of opening our home to orphans who need love, health and education.  They are an incredible christian organization focused on putting a dent in fatherlessness.  I want their whole team on my team! Sometimes it is a person you need, other times it’s a whole organization.
  • Coach me Personally and Professionally / Greg – I knew I needed someone from the outside to help me build a high quality plan for my life personally and professionally.  A trusted advisor who I could ask ANYTHING who would give me honest objective answers.  You don’t see what you don’t see.  Greg helps me see what I wouldn’t have otherwise.  Greg runs a coaching organization and has coached hundreds of pastors to live with conviction and intentionality.
  • Successfully Plant & Grow 217church – Dan & Bonnie & Staff.  Dan is the Executive Pastor of 217church and Bonnie, well, she is like a swiss army knife wife to Dan.  Have a question? A problem? She will help you through it.  I drafted them 4 years ago when we planted the church.  Then there is our INCREDIBLE staff team.  Kevin, Justin, Arlynet, Tim, Kelly, Sandy.  I love you guys. You make it happen.  Let me add one more name, Matt.  Matt was there from the conception and now pastors Element church.  You need people who are doing what you are doing to learn from and bounce ideas off of.
  • Advise Financially and Pay Taxes / Donna – She is the best accountant/ tax professional I know.  She is honest, clear, focused, no nonsense, gold!  Paying your taxes and financial integrity are HUGE issues and you will need help to navigate this.

#2 Stop Making Excuses:   Maybe you feel like, “all the good players are gone.”  This is simply not true. One thing I like to do as a fantasy football player is to find the “diamond in the rough.”  This means finding someone no one else thought had much value and picking them in the later rounds.  Sometimes you choose someone no one else thought had value.  This will take an incredible investment of time and energy, but is worth it.  Sounds like what Jesus did for us!

#3 Cast a Compelling Vision:  If someone were to sign up to be on your team, would they be motivated by the big target on the wall?  Or would your vision be lackluster?  You know you have a God-given vision when God has to show up in order for it to happen!  If you can do it without God and faith, your vision probably won’t be compelling and people will not be inspired.

#4 Get Courage To Ask:  This is where risk comes in.  At some time I had to ask all the people above to be on my team.  For some of them it took longer than others.  Make no mistake about it, when someone comes on your team, you must be committed to serving them.  It’s not about you but the vision.  People want to be a part of something world changing and your job is to give them that opportunity.  Sure you might get rejected, but keep in mind, you don’t want people on your team that won’t be 100% committed to the vision, so let them go.

Building a team is fun, rewarding, but takes a lot of work.  Take time right now and determine what are your biggest needs.  Here are some more ideas for building a fantasy team that will serve you well:

  • Spiritual advisors
  • Confidential friends
  • Legal advisors
  • Physical trainer
  • Nutritionist
  • Health Doctor
  • Contemporaries
  • Tax professionals

Josh

Josh is the lead Pastor @217church.  Join us this Sunday at 9:30 or 11 am at the AMC 24 Theater in Hamilton, NJ!  We are a unique contemporary church in Central Jersey dedicated to restoring lives and rebuilding and renewing the community around us.  If you live in the Mercer County, Burlington County, Middlesex County or Bucks County, PA area, learn more about 217church by clicking HERE. 

 

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3 Years of 217church – Every Story Counts

This Sunday is a HUGE day for our church.  We celebrate three years of being a church “creating environments where people can meet and follow Jesus!”  This has been our vision statement from Day 1.  Where have these three years gone?  I could tell you story after story of lives transformed because of Jesus and His tangible acts of love shown by our 217church family.  I could tell you about a single mom who was baptized at our first baptism in the Washington Crossing River and sensed new hope in Jesus.  I could tell you about a young woman who has recovered from an abusive past, discovered the grace of Jesus and is now pouring her life into young teenagers so they don’t have to endure the same struggles she endured.  I could tell you about children who have found a relationship with Jesus.  I could tell you about our Children’s and youth ministry that is ministering in places in Trenton that need to hear of Jesus.  I could tell you of business owners and entrepreneurs who are now using their influence to bring people to Jesus because of 217church.  We are a church where Every Story Counts!

“Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall.”  Nehemiah 2:17

 Here Are Some of The Ways God Has Used You

#1 141 Restored Lives – We like to say, we are the church for people who aren’t here yet.  Here is the list of 141 names of people who we have baptized into a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Starting a church is a covenant building experience.  Revealing a sign of hope and love from a savior, who never leaves and always extends the hand of grace, is what we are about.  When you read their names, it’s just print on paper, but truly they are lives and families transformed.  I can’t wait for the next 141!

Phil Robertson, Christine Johnson, Crystal Morgan, Lynda Ferguson, Laurie Robertson, Sandy Rivera, Amanda Kline, Stephen Constantinou, Andrew Constantinou, Michelle Watson, Danny Baumann, Butch Hamilton, Josh Rivas, Jill Larsen, Melissa MacCollum, Caitlin Condit, Lisa Flores, Lily Mahaney, Liza Vargas, Jamie Vargas, Arlynet Tovar, Steven Gotthelf, Kyle Graf, Diana Garcia, Sharon Geiger, Natalya Rivera, Juan Rivera IV, Howard Anderson, Brandyn Lichtenstein, Laura Shapanus, Bill Shapanus, Alyse Canciello, Monica Quiroz, Cristiana Galang, Becca Solis, Krista Galang, Andrew Albert, Joe Corso, Lilly Conn, Titus Conn, Kathryn Nieves, Mimi Kabia, Chad Nelson, Kristi Costanzo, Keith Cline, Katie Johnson, Terri Svecz, Sean Gordon, Alex Svecz, Collin Spurgin, Matt Spurgin, Lonzetta Rush, James Rush, Jason Kingsley, Gary Jakubicki, Sally Hutchings, Josh Schmalbach, Leonard Simon, Denise Stremlo, Mike Kirk, Chrisha Kirk, Mark Forman, Kevin Cordas, Shelly Cordas, Steve Cosenza, Debbie Cosenza, Dione Springer, Gabrielle Cobb, Luis Valdivieso, Toni-Ann Rotondi, Cristina Cobb-Adams, Anthony Anglin, Jason Flintosh, Nicole Jemine, Jason Parker, Gina Sparacio, Flynt Tuller, Flynt Jr. Tuller, Jill Brown, Jay Rodriguez, Pete Ruffini, Allie Guerrero, Jaime Vargas, Patti Ann Ridgway, Lauren Velarde, Corrine Hunsher, Sonny Esteron, Derek Sander, Deb Stewart, Willie Rivera, Cindy Chavez, Jhoi Ortiz, Katie Hawver, David Robertiello, Nick Labella, Lindsay Clayton, Sandra Lupo, Devon Smith, Michael Ettinger, Pollorn Sayasack, Jessica Rivas, Tiffany Rivas, Nick D’Mauro, Jeanie Leung, Cathy Szymanski, John Baldino, Racheal Jones, Eve Green, Maria Cobena, Liz Perez, Cathy Szyanski, Kathleen Contreras, Christian Servellon, Christina Baranowski, Daniela Vinci, Naylon Larane, Adrien Ong, Racquel Smith, Brittney Blackburn, Alcmenia Dunbar, Natalia Hernandez, Santina Hernandez, Corina Hernandez, Courtney Arbitell, Joclyn Hernandez, Dania Hernandez, Miriam Hernandez, Tsunami Martinez, Johanna Martinez, Kimberly Hopkins, Linda Monforte, Maria Rodriguez, Yolanda Drislane, Kristen Moore, Janet Russell, Trevor Jones, Sixto Irizarry, Shanera Hampton, Jessica Suessegger, Sherenne Simon, Alfredo Marin.  Every Story Counts!

#2 People Finding Deep Relationships – In one of our 17 small groups that meet in 11 different townships, you will find people who are serving the community.  On any given week, we have over 250 people meeting together, caring for one another deeply.  We visit each other when in the hospital, we pray for each other, study the bible together and we take care of each other.  We even have one group who paid off a person’s credit card debt to give them a fresh start financially. (Now you are saying…”I want in!”)  Every Story Counts!

#3 Over 2 Million Dollars Worth of Generosity – In these three years over Two Million dollars has been given to the vision of 217church!  Through generous hearts you have given to church planting, the next generation fund, provided for practical needs of countless people hurting in our community, provided a place for us to meet on Sundays, sent kids to camps, provided for all our equipment and empowered our pastors and staff to live and do ministry in the community.  Your generosity is proving Every Story Counts!

#4 An Incredible Youth & Children’s Ministry – Each week 140 kids and youth hear about the love of Jesus through our dynamic 217kids and 217youth ministries.  Psalm 46:13 says, “tell the next Generation this is God.” We have taken this to heart and are serious about making the next generation our #1 priority.  We now have a partnership with Urban Promise in Trenton and are working hard to bring the Gospel of Jesus to students in Trenton through after school programs.  It’s just the beginning of seeing our influence soar.  They will write the story after we are off the scene and we are empowering them NOW!  Their Story Counts!

#5 Over 430 People Every Weekend in Worship – Every week we celebrate big and our celebrations just keep getting bigger and BIGGER!  We started planning this church in a living room with 20 people and now every week over 400 gather!  We preach the word, worship passionately, pray boldly and we make it a HUGE celebration.  We make a big deal of the Gospel of Jesus and every week over 50 people serve to make these celebrations happen.  Our 217church co-worker team is nothing short of incredible!  Week in and week out for 150+ Sundays, so many have heard about Jesus and are following him because of these celebrations proving Every Story Counts!


One Final Note:

I am humbled and privileged to serve as your pastor.  I couldn’t have scripted it better.  You are what I am proud of.  You have made my life and the life of my family richer and full of meaning. We love you all!

Josh & Summer Lilly, Titus & Lydia

 

Join in The HUGE CELEBRATION This Weekend…

1) Two Huge Weekend Celebrations 9:30am & 11am at the AMC 24

2) Our 3rd anniversary party at our Youth Center at 3pm. (yes it’s 2/17 day!)

3) Finally, end the day with an evening baptism with our sister church, Element Church at Princeton Alliance Church.

This is going to be AWESOME!

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I wanted to QUIT today

There I said it, I am normal.  If you are anything like me, the feeling comes and goes periodically.  It was around mile 4 of my 10 mile run and my body just didn’t feel right.  Every step was a struggle, a labor, and my legs felt so heavy.  I was out of breath and began to ask myself, “do I really need to do this run today?” I wasn’t even half way done and my body was telling me, QUIT, GIVE UP, STOP!  I just wanted to be done with this work out.  EVERYONE has wanted to QUIT something at one time or another, and it was time to see how serious I was about training for this marathon.

Wanting to quit is normal and even healthy.

Have you wanted to quit lately?  Maybe you have wanted to quit your job, your marriage, your workout plan, your day, your week.  Wanting to quit can actually be a sign of great self-awareness and can be a powerful revelation of deep purpose and progress in your life.  It may get tougher before it gets easier, but know that perseverance is where the power is…

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”            James 1:12

How To Cope With Wanting to QUIT

1. Remember The Vision –  When I want to quit I visualize myself crossing the finish line.  I cannot tell you how many times in ministry, exercise, marriage, parenting or other big project, I have used this tactic.  The finish line is a POWERFUL motivator in my life.  It lets me know that pain is temporary, but pride is forever.  I am talking about good pride, not self-indulgent arrogant pride.  The self-satisfaction in knowing that I crossed the finish line and I did the best I could on that day propels me forward.

If you don’t have a vision, you better get one. How?

  • Evaluate – This is where you compare where you are to where you want to be.  You can’t get to where you want to go until you are honest where you are.  I read scripture to understand what God wants from me.
  • Motivate – What will propel you forward?  For me there is always scripture behind everything I do.  A HUGE motivator in my own life is 1 Timothy 4:12, “but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”  I make OTHERS a key part of my motivation.
  • Activate – You must be clear about the major action steps you need to accomplish in order to reach the vision.  A good vision should be action oriented.  By the way, if you can get there on your own, you may have what you think is a good vision, but it probably is not a GOD-VISION.

2. Retreat from Everything – When I want to quit, I get away and reevaluate.  Let’s be honest, you need a break and probably more than you know.  Many of us run a breakneck speeds and wear out ourselves and all the people around us.  It becomes even worse when we have unrealistic expectations of the people around us.  I DEMAND that my staff takes all their vacation time during the year.  If they don’t, they don’t get to wear it as a badge of honor and hard work.  I see it as a sign of life mismanagement and immaturity.  If you feel like quitting, you better take a break in a hurry.  How do you take a meaningful break?  

  • Disconnect from the technology – Laptops and phones are perhaps the biggest evil in our world.  you can now take your work home with you.  Somehow, we thought that was a good idea.  being ALWAYS ON leads to being overwhlemed.
  • Decompress emotionally –  Exercise, take a walk, watch a TV show, put your feet in the sand, do a service project but  don’t be s person who thinks you can run and run and run and never stop.  You are foolish.  The first thing that Adam in the bible experienced was God taking what is called a “Sabbath.”  Learn to sabbath well!
  • Deal with unresolved issues – What is the elephant in your life that you don’t want to deal with?  Maybe you need to see a counselor?  If you are one of those “guys” who is self-reliant and prideful, maybe it is time to man up and talk to someone about your issue.  Put it off and the price to pay goes up and you will eventually pay it.

3. Refrain From The Guilt – When I want to quit, I remember Jesus Gives 2nd Chances – and third and fourth and fifth.  We tend to beat ourselves up at the first hint of failure, which tends to come from our family of origin.  Most of us who deal with major guilt issues never had a father who believed in us, much less encouraged us to go forward.  When we give in and QUIT, we give away the victory. God is not into beating you up over guilt, he is into building you up through grace. 

4. Rely on Your Friends – When I want to quit, I think of my friends, those who have my back.  The power of others is the untapped secret of success in your life.  If you continue to try and accomplish things on your own, you will only go so far. If you will submit yourself to a team of people who encourage you and hold you accountable, you will be unstoppable!  God gives us each other for a purpose, and you can’t do it alone!  Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

After mile seven it got even harder, but my perspective had changed.  I knew there were only a few minutes left of the run.  The last two miles I was able to run faster than I have all season in training.  I completed the workout and was exhausted, but knew I was preparing for something with much more meaning, RACE DAY.

God is preparing you and testing you now for a future with more purpose and meaning than you can possibly imagine.

God NEVER gives up on us. Don’t quit!

Josh

 

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Generosity In Action

Today is a guest post by our Youth Pastor, Kevin Namur.

There is nothing like seeing the next generation in action! This past Sunday 217church spent the afternoon delivering thanksgiving baskets to families in the Bromley community, our partner neighborhood. As we went door to door delivering dinner to the families, we asked for the ages of all the children in their household in preparation for our Christmas toyland, and if we could pray with them for their greatest need. As I walked the streets with our students, I was encouraged to see how passionate they were about serving the community. Eventually we met a woman named Clairmita. She asked for prayer for healing from her chronic body pain. She invited all of us into her home and shared with us her greatest need. I watched as the students immediately joined hands with her and began to pray for healing.  It was truly beautiful to see. Not only the blessing she had experienced, but the look in the students eyes as they lit up with more energy and passion to pray for those in need. I realized more than ever, our next generation doesn’t want to be told and taught generosity, they want to experience and live it out in a tangible way. They want to see and be generosity in action.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Mark 10:45


As I walked away from Clairmita’s house with our students, I began to ask God to remind me how we all got to a place where we felt empowered enough to enter someone’s home and pray for healing for a woman we had just met. I realized that over the last 2 years together as a youth ministry, God had walked us all through a process understanding 3 of the most powerful prayers anyone could ever pray.

3 Powerful Prayers

1. God, show me what you see

I prayed this prayer 2 years ago in my living room while praying for our HS youth ministry.  The Lord showed me a generation hungry for authenticity, ownership, and the opportunity to make a difference. We made a decision last year in our High School ministry to move to a small group centric model. Students would now meet regularly in homes and we saw them begin to open up their hearts and their bibles more than ever before. We started with the idea that we were a family. We began to pray for one another on a weekly basis and created an environment where leaders poured into our students.  Our students were hungry to see what God saw in the hearts of the youth of our community.  We began inviting more friends to be a part of our family and now our groups are multiplying. All because of a simple yet powerful prayer. “God, show me what you see.”

2. Jesus, break my heart for what breaks yours

I prayed this prayer in June and He responded with this phrase, “In order to reach those that no one is reaching, you must do things that no one is doing.”  So we reached out to Urban Promise Trenton and prayed that God would create a powerful partnership between us for His glory. Urban Promise has a heart to build leadership and strong faith in Christ in the hearts of the next generation.  God responded. The students at Urban Promise have become a part of our church family and this year we’ve been caring for one another, building relationships throughout the week, and holding each other accountable more than ever. We have encountered Jesus together in a way that has made us all realize how broken His heart is to see us and others broken.

 3. Holy Spirit, give me the boldness to do your work

This is the prayer I am challenged with today. It’s the one I began to see Him answer on Sunday as I served alongside our students. We now see what God sees when we pray together and for one another. Our hearts are now breaking for those in need. Now I believe God is bringing us through a season where we are beginning to receive the boldness to do things we have never done before. We are looking forward to serving families in Trenton for our Christmas service project this year. As a ministry we are asking God to redirect us in any way He wants to ensure we continue to see what He sees, break for what He breaks for, and have the boldness to do what He calls us to do.

This should be the cry of all of our hearts as Christ followers at 217church. Especially in this season of the year where practical needs can be met so easily, I pray you would dare to adopt these 3 prayers in your daily life. Why? Because at one point the Son of God saw what His Father saw here on earth. Not only did His heart break but His body broke to save us all from sin. God the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit gave Him the boldness to endure the cross. And He rose again victorious over sin so that we could have life forever with Him. He also left us with a clear calling: To do what He did and to be to this earth what He was. HOPE. Will you walk into His calling for your life by beginning to pray these 3 prayers? “God show me what you see.  Jesus, break my heart for what breaks yours.  Holy Spirit, give me the boldness to do your work.”

Which of these prayers is the hardest for you and why?

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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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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!