Innovative Church Conference- Granger, Indiana

Well, I did promise you a report on the "Innovative Church Conference"in Granger, Indiana- in summary, it was GREAT! Not only was it excellent in its presentation and content, but David and I found that we were ministered to by the conference! It was a place of healing and strengthening and vision for us. I think that the one thing about the Granger Church that David and I were most impressed with was the ATMOSPHERE at the church. Everyone you met- from the parking attendant to the usher to the welcome attendant to the one who served you coffee in their "Starbucks" style coffee shop- seemed to be someone who genuinely cared.

The primary principle of evangelism that they used was STORY- that is, that there are three stories- MY story, YOUR story, and GOD'S story- and, the place where they intersect is a very powerful place! It is obvious that they trained these people in how to talk with new people, and how to "engage" them in telling their story- just by asking simple questions (where are you from, what do you do, who is in your family, etc.), and allowing them to go as far or as deep as they wanted to go. You could literally enter into conversation with many different people in many different settings, and find yourself "intersecting" with these 3 stories in multiple settings with anyone there!

The other thing that was so refreshing and "ministering" to us was the openness and vulnerability of the leaders of the conference. I must admit that I went to the conference feeling somewhat inadequate, losing confidence, even questioning certain tenets of my faith at times. I just listened for a while- but, before I knew it, I felt I could just "be myself", and be open with others about these things because it was NOT ABOUT ME- it is about GOD in me! Other leaders felt these things- they were all "in process", and "on a journey"- and, maybe they had gone to places similar to where I was headed, and they could pull up alongside of me and help me to make the NEXT STEP that I needed to make to follow the Lord's leading. But, it was not about a prescribed plan, or a 10 step process to become successful in ministry. It was about REAL people, with REAL problems (as well as gifts), serving a REAL God!

A third thing that we got out of the conference was EXCELLENCE and CREATIVITY in the use of the arts to communicate the message of Christ! The productions, the dramas, the videos, the music was of professional quality. The transitions between the message and the use of various art forms was seamless. It was not "gimmicky"- believe me! It was EXCELLENT in its use of pictures and music to enhance the presentation of the message, not distract from it. I found that these things brought out memories and emotions that truly engaged me with the theme of the message, and caused me to connect in very real ways not just with the speaker, but with the Holy Spirit. They did not compromise the message, or even compromise the presentation of the message, but rather they "leveraged" the culture to truly engage people with the message.

The fourth thing that I got out of this event was time to get to know David Griffith. Spending 3 days together, having hours of discussion together, riding in the car together through traffic jams and commuter delays, getting stuck in the airport together for 5 hours, processing this conference together helped us to hear each other's hearts, and I can truly say that we are of one heart and mind in reaching people in our area for Christ! This man is the real deal (Dave, if you are reading this, tell your wife I said you are the real deal...), and I believe that the Lord put us together for a purpose- both at the right time, both going through similar experiences, both with the same passion for reaching "postmoderns" with the gospel. Quite frankly, we needed each other, just to affirm that we are not crazy! Outside of the box, maybe- off the charts, maybe...but, both of us feel that God is doing something new and different- and we are also "In Process" to discern what that is, and then to have the courage to DO IT!

So, once again, we thank God for you, and for those of you who gave so that we could attend, and for those of you who prayed that God would speak to us through this conference.

Fasting and Praying on Wednesdays

Sue and I want to thank God for some of our "Prayer Partners" who have dedicated every Wednesday as a day of fasting to joining with us in focusing our prayers on our future plans regarding church planting. If you would like to join us in this effort, we will fast from breakfast Wednesday to breakfast Thursday (24 hours) and use the extra time that we would have spent eating lunch and dinner on Wednesday for prayer!

Movie- "The End of the Spear"

Sue and I watched an incredible movie Sunday evening, after the bible study and prayer meeting- "The End of the Spear". It was about Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and 3 other missionaries who went to the Wadani Indians in Ecuador, a violent tribe defined by revenge killing. These 5 men were killed by them in their first face to face encounter. But, some of the men in the tribe were touched by the Holy Spirit and converted. And, the wives and children of the missionaries who were killed went to the Wadani, and won them for Christ- and, many in that tribe are believers today and their entire way of life has been completely transformed. When I see a movie like this, and I see the price paid for by others to win people to Christ, I recognize that the price we sometimes pay to present the gospel is but a feather compared to the sacrifice made by these incredible men and women. Trust me- RENT OR BUY THIS MOVIE, AND WATCH IT AS SOON AS YOU GET A CHANCE. It will move you to tears, and change your perspective on "paying the price" to get the message of Christ to lost people!

Our Dream of A CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS

Ephesians 2:14- “For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall…”

We dream of a “Church Without Walls”-

- a church based on influencing people for Christ by going to people where they are, and drawing them into a relationship with Christ through service, involvement and relationships with other believers

-a church where the “dividing wall” that separates God and man will be broken down, and people experience the fullness of freedom and the abundant life that Christ intended them to have.

-a church where the “dividing wall” between believers and unbelievers will be broken down, and people will experience a sense of belonging in an atmosphere of total acceptance, love and support.

-a church where the “dividing wall” that separates members of families from one another will be broken down by forgiveness, faith and “the blessing”.

-a church where the “dividing wall” that separates people of different races will be broken down by forgiveness, reconciliation and acceptance.

-a church where the “dividing wall” of denominationalism will be broken down by mutual prayer, cooperation and support with people of other Christian faiths.

-a church where the “dividing wall” that separates people from fulfilling their dreams will be broken down by faith, and by the discovery and use of their spiritual gifts.

-a church where the “dividing wall” that keeps broken and hurting people from experiencing the fullness of life that God intended for them will be broken down as they find a home among people who welcome them with open arms.

Bible Study-Master Plan of Evangelism

As we enter the next phase of our exploration for a possible church plant in the Morristown area, Sue and I will begin a weekly Bible study and Prayer Meeting (for the next 10-12 weeks), Sunday evenings (7:00-9:00PM) Beginning September 10th at our home (for the first month) on the book, "Master Plan of Evangelism" by Robert Coleman. This book would be a blueprint for any church plant, based on the principle of the Discipleship model that Jesus used (as presented in the gospels). If you are interested in this study, please write back and let me know so I can make sure that we have enough books ordered.

Also, David Griffith and I will be going to "Innovative Church Conference" at the "Granger Church" in Granger, Ind. (Notre Dame country) September 21-22! We want to thank the Lord for those who generously donated enough so that we could go. The conference offers seminars such as "First Impressions: creating 'Wow' Experiences in Your Church", "Who are You Talking to: Selecting Your Target Audience", "Purpose Driven Church Basic", "Creative Teaching" and "Multi-site/Theater Church Ministry". Some great topics, and a great conference. David went last year and loved it. Thank the Lord for this opportunity! We'll have a lot to report in a future Blog.