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.