BLeach

The Benefit of Change

This week our church is in the midst of our monthly prayer and fasting focus.  I'll be praying with a group of men in our church in just a few minutes.  And tomorrow night we'll all gather for worship and prayer.  It's back to basics this week.

Week of War couldn't be at a more strategic time for us this month.  Personally, Leah and I are depending on God like never before as we wait on Him to direct us in our new church planting adventure.  As a church, we are looking to God as well for faith and direction.

One of the benefits of change is the way it pushes us to seek God.  On a practical level, we need wisdom to make the big decisions that are before us.  But more than that, change pushes us to stay connected to the Changeless One. 

Looking forward to the extra time this week to worship with our church family and seek God's face.

Transition Timeline

I've been writing this week about some shifting winds in my life as Leah and I respond to God's call to plant a new church.  You can catch up on the story here and here.

Another question related to our upcoming transition is, "when will it happen?"

Again, the short answer is a bit ambiguous.  We're not entirely sure!  I know, I'm just full of information this week:)

Our priority right now is to help lead a healthy transition for Church of the King.  COTK is the first baby God gave me (and quite a bit larger than the 7 pound baby he gave me in June)!  Leah and I want to give our best to help establish our leaders here so that our ministries continue to advance.  Over the next few weeks we will be determining together with our leaders what a healthy time-line looks like.  At this point we know for sure that we'll be leading the church through the end of the year.

Right now we are embracing the uncertainty in our lives as an opportunity to depend on God for guidance and provision. 

When we're daring enough to back our sailboats away from the dock, leave the harbor, and experience the deep seas, we feel both exhilaration and anxiety.  Anxiety, because the open waters aren't as safe as the harbor.  And exhilaration because it's in deep waters that we feel the wind in our sails and witness magnificent sunrises.

On the morning of September 16, 2001, we launched Church of the King.  That afternoon my parents gave me a gift to mark the occasion.  It was the picture at the top of this post.  It still hangs in my office today.  The title is "Risk."  And the sub-title continues to be the theme of our lives.

A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships were made for.

Sail on!

Shifting Winds

Over eight years ago, in May 2001, I graduated from Central Bible College and moved home to start a new church in Metro Detroit.  I was twenty-two, full of faith, and young enough to not know what I was getting myself into.  Six friends from school joined me, and we began laying the foundation for Church of the King.  On September 16, we launched the church just five days after Islamic extremists attacked the World Trade Center.

We started Church of the King because we felt God shifting spiritual winds in Metro Detroit.  Since then it's been our privilege to hoist our sails and experience an unforgettable adventure.

Leah and I have sensed God shifting the winds in our lives again, culminating in a burning bush experience that God gave to us a few weeks ago.  I'll share more of the story later, but here's the word God specifically spoke to us.

God controls the winds, and when the winds shift, God can do a new thing.  But you can't catch the next wind if you're not courageous enough to cut the chord.

This morning we cut the cord.  I shared our story with our church and announced that we feel God calling us to plant another church.  We're not sure where yet.  We feel a bit like Abraham in that regard.  But we've heard his voice so clearly.

On one hand, this has been the toughest decision we've made since being married.  It's difficult because of the deep love we have for our church family, Metro Detroit, and the significant relationships that we've developed here.  To think about change in the context of those relationships makes us very sad.

On the other hand, this has been the most simple decision we've made since being married.  It's clear, because of the confidence we have in what God has spoken to us.  As we've shared our story with family, mentors, and the leaders of our church, they've affirmed what we believe God is saying.  And the only intelligent option for us is to obey God.

I know this announcement raises a lot of questions, and I'll be processing many of them on this blog over the next several days.

I addressed a few of the big questions during my message this morning, as well as shared more extensively about what God has been doing in our hearts.  You can listen to the message here.

You can also read a letter that is being mailed this weekend to the Church of the King mailing list. You can read the letter here.

Shifting winds produce anxiety as well as exhilaration.  Leah and I feel both.  Most of all, we feel honored to joyfully obey the voice of our Commanding Officer.

Let the adventure continue...

Picture This

I uploaded some pictures from this year's Cruisefest Outreach to the COTK Facebook group.  Check them out!

   

Eight Years

Eight years ago today we opened the doors of Church of the King for the first time.  It was five days after my 23rd birthday.  It was also five days after extremists attacked the World Trade Center.  It was the birth of a dream that God put in my heart as a middle school teenager.

I continue to feel honored by the adventure God has called me to live.  Churches planted.  Lives changed.  It's been my joy to serve Metro Detroit alongside so many committed leaders.

Tonight we're throwing a birthday party for the church.  We've got a lot to celebrate!

Will Work for Preschool Teachers

Looks like my baby isn't the only one to be added to our church's nursery this summer.  This past Sunday we had 18 kids in the nursery!  And if you've seen the size of our nursery then you know--that's chaos:)

So we're launching a brand new preschool class to provide better ministry for each child and get the 3-4 year old's into another room. 

I love this promotional campaign that our leaders designed to recruit the new volunteers we'll need!

  

Selah

Selah is a Hebrew word that means "stop and listen."  During the month of August our church will be practicing Selah on Wednesday nights.  We're taking a break from our regular Wednesday night Life Groups, children's, and youth ministry.  My suggestion is to dedicate these evenings to life-building, relational activities.

Here are some ideas:

• Invite another your small over for a BBQ.
• Go out to dinner with a few people you'd like to get to know better.
• Gather at Starbucks with a group of 4 or 5 friends to discuss a chapter in the Bible.
• Go on a walk with some new friends from the church.
• Volunteer to serve at the Cruisefest on August 14!
• Anything else you can think of to build relationships in the church.

I'm amazed by how quickly the summer is passing us by.  Take some time to slow down, enjoy the weather and invest in people!

Big Church

Yesterday our kid's leaders led "Big Church."  We included our kids in the adult worship gathering as they simulated the experience of one of their regular services.  It was a blast!

As everyone arrived the men received a green bracelet and the women got an orange one.  I considered putting a green bracelet on Gabby but Leah wouldn't hear of it.

P82, our kid's band, led worship.  We even had some messy games that loosened the adults up a bit. 

Pastor JT did an awesome job with the teaching.  A car horn would blow periodically throughout the service, at which time everyone had to stand up and repeat the service big idea: If your load is heavy and you feel stressed, give it to Jesus and He'll give you rest.

It was a fun, energetic way to celebrate the holiday weekend as a church.  And it turned out to be a great way to emphasize the importance of children's ministry.

We don't see children's ministry as a way to baby-sit people's kids while they attend a service.  For us it's a comprehensive approach to building young disciples of Jesus.  And our leaders are doing an amazing job.  I'm so proud of you guys!

And our kids inspired me!  Let's face it.  If we're not careful, "Big Church" can become a place for "big spiritual egos" coupled with "small doses of passion."  Our kids reminded us that we're better off when we enjoy our time together as God's people, and approach him reverently without taking ourselves too seriously.

That's why every adult in "Big Church" can receive from the even BIGGER hearts of a child.

Life on Life

I spent some time this morning in orientation with our newest summer intern.  Mitch will be our 27th intern in 8 years. 

We don't host interns because of what they do for the church (although they always make a contribution).  We host them because we believe that the greatest investment of our time as leaders is personally discipling the next generation of leaders.

I'll spend hours with Mitch this summer in conversation and prayer.  He'll sit in on all of our leadership team meetings.  We'll read books together, prepare for sermons together, and watch the Red Wings together. 

Today I read through the list of young leaders who have done an internship with us.  I'm proud to see how much God has done through their lives already.  It's an honor to serve emerging leaders!

A New Season

These next few weeks will be a time of transition for our church.  This weekend we'll celebrate our last service at Southfield Lathrup High School, and May 31 will be our first gathering back in our building.

We relocated our weekend service last October in order to create some greater capacity for growth.  While God has done some great things through this step of faith, we didn't experience the financial growth we needed in order to continue meeting in the school long term.  So we're making a course adjustment.

For what it's worth, I'm really glad we took the risk.  Even though this isn't the outcome we expected, we want to be a church that is willing to step out of the boat.

On a personal note, God has been working overtime on my heart during this six month journey.  He's been emptying me of pride, teaching me to depend on Him, and building my emotional endurance.  This venture has been a great opportunity for me to grow as a leader.

It's been rewarding to see the response to so many in our church these past few weeks.  We're moving forward with hope and optimism, and actively watching for new opportunities in this new season.  I'm so glad to be a part of a church that takes the mission seriously.