From the Front Lines

One Pastor’s Reflection

On the Re-Launch Journey

Where are we?

Where are we going?

How are we going to get there?

Isaiah 43: 15-19 (ESV)

“I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.” Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters,

17 who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:

18 “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

• Does it hurt bad enough?

• Desperation is often a crucial part of faith

Crisis

• Are you called to do this?

Call

Genesis 31:3 (NASB) Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

Genesis 31:13 (NASB) 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”

• Are you called to do this?

• “Now is the time and you are the one.”

• “You are running from, not being called to.”

Call

• Courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to move forward in the face of fear.

Courage

“You are not just asking people to follow you where they’ve never been. You are asking them to follow you where you’ve never been.” ~Andy Stanley Next Generational Leader

Courage

Aragorn’s Speech

Isaiah 43:16-17 (ESV)Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, 17 who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:

• Courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to move forward in the face of fear.

• Remember for Courage

Courage

Hannah’s Prayer  “John 12:23-28 What is it in my life that must die? What must be sacrificed to produce new life in others? Lord, please show me.

I do not want to love my life here so much that I miss out on the wonderful things You have placed in ‘my box’.

I want to follow You, Christ! I also want to lead others to follow You! May the prayer of my heart be -as Christ prayed- ‘Bring glory to Your name’. Thank you for the glory already given, and for the continuing work You want to do IN and THROUGH me!

• “If you don’t believe you are dying, you will not have the necessary internal capital to pay the price of a transplant.”

Courage

Time+ Authentic Transparency+ Patient Suffering+ Integrity . Credibility

Credibility

• Credibility means you will stay the course – i.e. you will stay past the transition to ensure stability, security.

• “3-5 years before changes take root.” ~Tom Cheyney

Credibility

• Ministry Leadership Council (MLC)

• With 15 people, representative cross section of the church

• Invited member participation

Core

• These will be the ones who will carry you in the darkest days.

Core

• Two important things to consider

They must feel the weight They must have/maintain unity• Read Simple Church

(Rainer)

Core

• People need as much clarity as you can honestly give them

Clarity/ Communication

Isaiah 43: 18-19 (ESV) 18 “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

• People need as much clarity as you can honestly give them

• Forget for clarity

Clarity/ Communication

“If we are going to go anywhere, we’re going to have to risk venturing into the unknown. Life is about adventure, not maintenance.”

~ John Maxwell

Clarity/ Communication

This change is not a quick fix, but an ongoing process

- a journey.

The path before us is not a nice

The path before us is not a nice, neat, clearly marked path that leads to a nice, neat final destination

The path before us is not a nice

Rather it is an invitation from God to follow His leading into what now looks like a fog, therefore trust and courage are critical.

Mistakes will be made. We will experience

failure along the way.

The fear of failure is one of

the greatest obstacles to individual and church growth.

Removing this one obstacle

- the refusal to be held captive to supposed failure -

will do more than just about anything to help

us on our journey.

“One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”

~ Andre Gide

Clarity/ Communication

New Wine

New Vision

Proverbs 29:18 (NASB)

Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained,But happy is he who keeps the law.

New VisionProverbs 29:18 (MSG)

If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what He reveals, they are most blessed.

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Why of Our ChurchWe exist to make disciples of

Jesus (little

Christs) “the Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose. It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose.” C.S.Lewis, Mere Christianity

people of

LOVE

people of

HOPEpeople of

FAITH

The What of Our Church Disciples in our church are becoming

People in our churchare becoming mature disciples

The How of Our Church

FAITH

LOVEHOPE

FAITHLookingUpward

Experiencing the Faithis participating in God’s eternal story

through the Word and personal expression

WORSHIP

smallgroup

Looking Inward

Enjoying the Hopeis growing confidence in the

unseen reality that is ours in Christ

Hope

Hope

Hope

Hopesmallgroup

smallgroup

smallgroup

smallgroup

Looking Inward

Looking Inward

Hope

Looking Inward

Looking Inward

LOVE

Expressing the Loveis emulating God’s selfless nature as

we relate with our church, community, and world.

Looking Outward ministry

New Wineskin

• New governance• New Constitution & By-

Laws• New name

*Vision is boss *Our vision is not

to make little Baptists, but make little Christs

New Wineskin

• Grace is at the core of who we are, why we are and what we celebrate.

• This is a journey, not a destination.• We travel together in community.• The grace journey together is called the church.

Grace Journey Community Church

New Name

• 2012 Preached entire year for preparation

• Shut down all ministries• Said good-bye to what

was• Closed the “old” church

for one week (Sunday of Prayer)

• Re-opened the next Sunday

New Wineskins

• Loss• Scary for people-loss of

control• Sad for people-loss of

something precious• People will be angry• People will grieve

Cost

• You will personally experience loss at many levels

Cost

• This is when your call will be paramount

• This is where your courage will be tested

• This is when your core group will be important

Cost

The call of God

He is not finished

Celebrate

The journey

You will encounter God You will be changed

Celebrate

The pleasure of God

Celebrate

The pain of loss

You are invited into the privilege of suffering for Christ’s sake.

Celebrate

What God has in store

Celebrate

A new vision

A new life

A new hope

Celebrate

Lives that will be touched and changed

Celebrate