MM: Mack Multiplying

This past week I have been gone for most of the week at a campus director's conference. It was a great time of connecting with some friends, dreaming, praying and hearing about multiple movements. Speaking of multiple movements; the food wasn't that great.

On Thursday I was back in town and had a great chance to meet with Mack Brown again, the freshman redshirt QB at CU. My prayer all week had been that Mack would be experiencing God and sensing God's call for him to reach others. I headed back to Dal Ward athletic center for lunch with Mack. We jumped in line and I was introduced to Devon, a fellow redshirt freshman Tight End. We asked Devon to join us for lunch at our table.

Mack and my plan was to eat lunch and talk about what we learned in the One year bible. God had other plans. We started talking to Devon about spirituality and a relationship with God. During the conversation I would ask Mack what he thought, his experiences with knowing God. You got to know that Mack has only been a Christian for 8 days at this point. But why not start teaching him what it really means to be a Christian; we talk to others about Christ.

Mack was definitely used by God. He shared what it really meant to know God, what God valued in coming to salvation and what he thought before coming to know God. Devon was searching. Devon expressed a desire to know God through Christ. Mack and I left him a Gospel track to read and I told him to talk to Mack about this stuff; for Mack is an expert on knowing God at this point. Devon left and thanked us and told us he wanted to talk again.

Mack and I then turned to the one year bible reading. He told me he started in January therefore he read Gen 12:1-4 or so. We turned there and read it again and I asked him what God promised to Abram and commanded him to do. I asked Mack why God would bless Abram or us. Mack responded, "to bless others." We talked about the story line of the Bible, how Gen. 12 is the starting point of God drawing mankind all back to himself, our role in being God's witness to bless others. I tried to paint a picture that Mack too could be a spiritual father, like Abram, to all the other athletes. He was getting multiplication and the Great Commission and he has only been a Christian for 8 days. Very cool.

I asked him about his roommate Paul, another redshirt freshman. "Is he spiritually interested?" Mack wasn't sure so I proposed that we pray for him for 7 days; that God will draw Paul to a relationship with Himself. Mack responded, "I'll talk to him too."

The Spirit is alive. God is already moving in Mack. He is already sensing a vision and call in his life to be a blessing to others. I really do believe that God is doing something special here. I believe and trust God that many, not just a few, but many players will come to know Jesus. It starts with a not-yet-Christian coming to know God and the spirit taking off to impact others.

Continued.......

St. Malos

I'm up in St. Malos retreat center outside of Estes Park, CO for the CCC Great Plains Int'l region's director's conference. More than any new knowledge learned is the great camaraderie of leaders and followers of Christ that are brought together. It's the late night discussions about the power of God in our lives, arguing and dreaming about what is church and what is effective ministry and just having fun. Yesterday we golfed in Estes Park. It was awesome, yes in late October it was sunny and beautiful. On the course we were blessed to see over 300 elk roaming around the course. It was good for my soul to herd elk with our golf cart. It felt like a modern version of City Slickers. I also have to confess I hit an elk with a golf ball, going about 100 miles/hour about 75 yards out right on the neck. No, I don't have a freezer full of elk meat because she just looked at me and went back to eating grass. Hmm.

Today we had Jaeson Ma (Campus Church Networks) stir our hearts and minds about the work of Christ around the world as he and others see Church Planting Movements transform lives and cities. I have been reading about Jaeson's ministry and am excited he will be basing his work and ministry out of Long Beach, CA, home of our new Long Beach summer project next summer. His passion to see God move like we have seen in Acts in contagious. I too want to believe that God can and will move supernaturally, exponentially, wildly in our country, on our campuses and in our lives. I'm super excited to be partnering with him and Brad Fieldhouse next summer in planting new church/communities of faith in Long Beach. I have to believe there are 1,000's of not-yet-Christians who are waiting to meet the person of Jesus and see that take over their lives, relationships, families and neighborhoods. I believe this can and will happen in Long Beach, in my own neighborhood in Superior, CO and on our campus (CU Boulder.)

Today was a reminder to me of the power of the movement of God through His Spirit, His desire to transform hearts and minds through Jesus Christ and the spontaneous expansion of the Church. I'm ready to see something new. I'm ready to lead my staff and students to experience something we have never experienced before in our lifetime or on our campus. I'm ready to see God really touch and transform lives, quickly, powerfully, and deeply.

A great new resource

I came across Steve Addison's blog. Excellent thoughts on movements and church planting.

You've got to check it out:
http://www.steveaddison.net/

Going to Long Beach

You guessed it and as you expected, if you prayed, God is bringing us to Long Beach, CA next summer. This past week the director of the Beach Plaza Hotel (corner of Ocean Ave and Cherry) called and agreed to a great price for us staying at his hotel next summer. So, yes, the Long Beach Campus Crusade Project is official. We are so excited for all that God has done to orchestrate the events and vision to this point. We are excited for what God will do in the lives of the staff and students we are taking there but even more excited for the work that will happen in trusting God to plant organic spiritual movements all over Long Beach. Continue to pray that God will go before us, show us where and who we should spend our time with and that we will listen.

The amazing thing about talking with the director, Woody, is that I asked him if our price included taxes and he said no. I mentioned I will have to raise some additional finances to make the budget happen and immediately he cut us a $1,000 discount off his already low price. His next question was if our students had already found jobs for the summer. I told him we didn't even have student applied yet. He asked "when they do, could they work for some of our companies in Long Beach?" Isn't that amazing. The two things I have been trusting God for (housing and jobs) are being taken care of immediately.

I look forward to the relationship that will be built with woody, his staff and I pray that we will be a blessing to their hotel. Thanks for your prayers. If you live in CA, we look forward to hanging with you and building God's kingdom in your backyard.

Mack Brown at CU

Mack Brown. Now if you're a football fan and follow college sports you'll know that name as the head coach of University of Texas, Austin. Yes, sadly, Mack Brown led his longhorns to victory over the CU Buffaloes this past week. That's okay because we have a Mack Brown as well at CU. Mack Brown is a redshirt freshman QB at CU.

I have been praying and asking God to raise up a spiritual movement within the athletic department for sometime and I give some resources, encouragement and coaching to the athletic bible study run by one of the coaches, Greg. But I also wanted to see God move in the hearts and minds of those who are not-yet-Christians.

So what I have been doing is just showing up at their dining hall to eat once or twice a week and see what God has in store. To be honest it is better food than the other dining halls on campus.

Three weeks ago I prayed God would give me someone to talk to, meet and encourage. I went into the hall with no plan except to see God move. I was eating my fajita tortilla wrap, very yummy, and munching on my fries all while sitting next to a quiet guy. I prayed silently and struck up a conversation with Mack, yes Mack Brown is his name. We talked about being a frosh, being a redshirt, being away from home and then eventually we started talking spirituality and Jesus. He was lonely, looking for relationships and really looking for the Lord. I shared about how he could know God through Jesus and he expressed an interest to doing that.

Then the cook, Marvin a strong Christian, and his aide, Kyle, came up and starting talking. It was sort of an interruption but I wanted to take things in stride and that God has orchestrated that. But in the midst of that Mack had to go to class. I gave him my number and something to read. He left. It was God's way of saying, "Steve this isn't about you. This is about me drawing Mack to myself." I told some other Christian players and coaches to talk to him and see if he wanted to talk more about God. I emailed Mack but got no response the following week.

So I continued on my plan of eating alone in the dining hall. This past week I walked in and out walked Mack. He apologized for not calling back but then expressed he wanted to talk more. We scheduled a lunch for the following day, this past Wednesday. I showed up early, talked to a few Christian players and coaches and ask them to pray for Mack who I was to be meeting in a few minutes. The lunch and hour spent with Mack this past Wednesday was all about God orchestrating the events and conversation. We spent our time talking about Jesus, God, salvation all in the midst of another player, Jason, a linebacker who is a Christian. Jason shared his testimony and perspective of walking with Jesus. Right there Mack prayed to ask Jesus into his heart, forgive his sins and begin a relationship with God.

Within 15 minutes following his becoming a Christian God brought in other Christian players and coaches into Mack's life to encourage and give high fives. He expressed in faith in Christ and now was known to be a Christian to his peers and coaches. One other player, a receiver Dusty, even expressed a desire to meet with Mack and me to read the bible and talk about it weekly. Mack wants to be part of that.

What are we going to do from here? We're going to trust that Mack gets Jesus, shares Christ with others and grows in his new found relationship with God. Why should we expect anything else than immediate life change and impact on his sphere of relationships? God supernaturally did all he could to draw Mack to himself why wouldn't he supernaturally use Mack now to impact others?

It's real life change. It's real miracles. It's because God is real!

Get a Free Ipod. it really works

It took some convincing but when the free ipod showed up in one of my staff's, Amy, hands I was convinced. If you follow this link: Free ipod, join one of the cheesy offers (then cancel if it is not needed), refer 5 friends (not a lot). Then it took about a 1 week after that and she had a new nano.

Let me know if you're interested.

I think I feel this revolution

The past couple of years working with students and leading a Christian ministry I have felt some of what is expressed in this take about George Barna's book Revolution. Shane Deike shares this excellent article on the state of the Church in Revolution: George Barna

Categories: Books

Learning to Wait

It has been 4 days since I left Calif to start the Long Beach Summer Project. I left an offer to the owners of a perfect place for housing. I have heard rumors from the hotel manager that the price is too low but I am still waiting on the Lord to bless this hotel location for our project. I want to jump in, wheel and deal, force the issue through. But at the same time I want to see God work and bring glory to His name.

So what in the world do I have planned to make this location work? I want to talk to the owners personally and see what it will take financially and relationally to get a contract for the hotel. I'm praying each day, as many of you are as well, that God will find us a price that will work.

All in all waiting is no fun, but I want this to be about God leading, not me.

Thinking about NCAA movements

I have been reading Neil Cole's book: Organic Church recently and he writes about the key elements of every group that multiplies is the DNA of a group. I have been thinking, how can we take some of this teaching and put it into a language of our college/university language. After tweaking some letters and thinking I am using NCAA. The following was posted on our ministry blog fuelmovements:

NCAA (college) Multiple Movements

I want to challenge this week as you think of your groups/ministry/movement (whatever you call it) to think/evaluate in these terms.

NCAA
N: Nurturing Relationships
C: Christ Centered
A: Authority based on God’s Truth
A: Apostolic Mission
(Adapted and tweaked from Neil Cole’s DNA in Organic Church: Growing faith where life happens)

I believe that in order for our groups to multiply, reach the campus, grow students to a deeper level with God we must aim to have these four elements as part of our group dynamics. If you miss one, focus on 3, don’t like one, then you will be a group that becomes self focused, fellowship orientated, disgruntled, lacking focus, and purpose.

• Nurturing Relationships: Does your group value growth, authenticity, accountability, love and service to those in your group and to those outside? Is true discipleship (not counseling) happening within group members?
• Christ Centered: This is the core of why we exist as groups. It needs to be about Christ, His message of redemption, and us becoming like Him. All elements need to be about the presence of Jesus in our lives and in our group. Are we being Christ to the community around us?
• Authority based on God’s truth: What is God’s truth? Truth comes from God’s word, the Spirit’s direction and leading. All we do and say is based on what God has to say, not our preferences, desires, or traditions. Who is the authority in your group?
• Apostolic Mission: Why do we exist? Are we a fellowship group gathering Christians for growth and security? Are we living, existing, growing to reach the lost and not yet Christians around us? We live to seek and to save the lost. It is about God’s Kingdom work. Are we going outside of our group to show the love, care and service of Christ?
  

We’ll be talking (this article comes from a letter I send to our student leaders each week) more about these four areas in the year to come. In the mean time talk to Jesus about them, spend some time with your co-leaders and with your disciples. Make changes, pray for a heart that seeks what God has in store for us, and ask the Spirit to give us power to be what He wants us to be. You will be the best people to lead us in the charge to be the NCAA (college) multiple movements that will reach every student in every nook and cranny on campus and around the world.

Drop me your thoughts and ideas about the four areas. I love hearing from you and hearing what God has placed on your heart.

Categories: Books

Days and Nights in California

Monday I arrived in So. Cal. With the goal of securing housing and jobs for a new summer project. Unlike me I really didn't have a plan other than pray, wait on the Lord, and go looking. It was a great start to a long day. I headed down to Long Beach, (Belmont Shores) where my sister lives. I stopped by her place to pick up the phat map book, Thomas Guide, a need and Bible like guide for those that navigate the urban jungle of So. Cal.

A few months ago a friend told me about Long Beach's urban redevelopment. So I headed down to the Pike Area (shops and entertainment by the Queen Mary: www.shopthepike.com). I was blown away with the development, fun shops and beautiful scenery. I flipped a U turn and headed down south the coast to Seal Beach and Sunset beach with the hopes and dreams of finding a cool motel/hotel that will fit our needs for a summer project. Right after my U turn I pulled into the aqua blue motel: Beach Plaza Hotel. I met Enrique, the manager, and he took me around to the cool units with kitchens, surrounding a puddle sized pool, along the bluffs and the coast. This was perfect. I tried not to show my hand I was dealt and I told him I would stop by again if it worked out.

I was so thankful for the way the day started. I had hope that something like this could be found in the beach area. I then spent the next 3-4 hours walking into hotel/motels along the beach to find all they had was a bed and a sink. Nothing was fitting what we needed. I ended my day with a drive back up to Long Beach to see what the night/street atmosphere had in store around the Beach Plaza Hotel. People strolling, walking dogs, holding hands, cafes and safety. Could this be the place.

Tues morning I headed back to the Hotel to spend some time building a relationship with Enrique. If this works out, he would be the guy we work with and interact about housing. I got to know him, his life, spiritual interest and we talked about financial numbers. I took him to lunch and we punched out some numbers that would work for us and him. The next hurdle to leap over was having him sell this to the owners. Immediately after our lunch he met with Woody, the owners rep. That's where we stand now. Waiting, praying, trusting God that this will be the place to start our project.

It has been great to see God orchestrate this relationship, hotel, and vision for reaching Long Beach. Later Tues afternoon I spent some time with Brad Fieldhouse, "simple/organic church" planter in Long Beach. It is ironic and cool that Brad and I went to High School together. We talked and prayed about what God is doing in the city and how we can help him and his Crossroads (his simple church network in LB) groups reach new areas, plant churches and build the Kingdom in LB. I am super encouraged by the work God is doing in So. Cal. and I pray that we'll be able to jump into what He is already doing.

Waiting, trusting, responding. That's what I'm up to today. We'll stop by again to see if the Beach Plaza Hotel will have us. I'm also scouring the streets, plazas and malls of LB for job possibilities for our students. All in all the faith adventure of being here, trying new things, and believing in God for results has been refreshing. This is where I want to be daily; risk, going, trusting, waiting and listening.