San Diego

This week is going to be very exciting. On Wednesday Corie and I head out to San Diego for a Conference on Church Planting. The speakers are inspirational stories from around the nation. One of them is Mark Batterson. He is a pastor in D.C. and author of the book "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day". He sent me a free copy of the book because I am a church planter. He has some great experiences that I look forward to hearing from him. There are other speakers there as well. I believe that it will be a place for God to speak to Corie and me, and give me directions about the future steps for SRC. Pray for me as I go.

If you've been to San Diego, let me know what you think we should do while we're there. We only have a day to do stuff while we're out there so here are my plans so far. Morning--San Diego Zoo, Lunch--In and Out Burger, Afternoon-- Coronado island, Evening dinner out with my wife.

How does that sound? Do you have better suggestions?

BIG NEWS

Yesterday at SRC we had our first person accept Christ as their leader and forgiver. We're so excited. Last night Corie asked me to retell the story.

Jenna has been attending SRC for a couple months. She raised her hand at my invitation after the message, then came to the "I raised my Hand" table after service and prayed with me to ask Christ into her life. She made a public confession to someone before she left and we gathered everyone together while we packed up. We took a moment to remember that the reason we're doing this new church is for stories like Jenna's. People who don't know Christ are in such need of Him. We're supposed to be making disciples, baptising them, and teaching them to obey God's word.

I pray that she is the first of many who find the life worth living.

--Ben

1000th hit

Today, "Rainey on the River" reached over 1000 hits in just over 5 weeks. That's a great motivation for me. I thank you for being part of this. So for the rest of the Thanksgiving week, let me throw open a question and please feel free to add your comment...

If you could have anyone to your home for Thanksgiving, who would you invite?

Make sure you count your blessings. And fill my comment box like a stuffed turkey.

--Ben

Happy Thanksgiving. I really enjoy this community.

Thanksgiving Week

I know that you are getting ready for your holidays, so no more boring reflection papers/book reviews. No, I've got to get you people wound up into a frenzy because it's time to shop, shop, shop. I know you've been ogling the wide screen plasmas, drooling upon diamonds, wishing on the latest and greatest technology. Well this Friday you'll be able to find the deals. I know of two shoppers who will not stand in your way. Corie and I will be trying to use the shopping to our advantage by staying on the superslab. Making our way back from NJ.
Let Thanksgiving week begin!

Book Review: Dissident Discipleship by: David Augsburger

Dissident Discipleship

The thesis of Dissident Discipleship is to move its reader to a pursuit of tripolar spirituality, which is love of God, love of neighbor and sacrifice of self. This book is admittedly influenced by an Anabaptist theology and was challenging to me on a number of issues. The first was a dismantling of constantinianism, the idea of power having no place in true Christian Spirituality. I am no pacifist, but should I be? The role of Christ likeness is one of peacemaking. I further understood the effects of the Roman power structure on the church because of this book. Prior to Constantine’s conversion the church flourished in a politically powerless state, and simultaneously with superior spiritual power. When Constantine declared Christianity the state religion of Rome it applied a Roman power structure to the church. It setup a political power system from Priest to Pope. It neutered the spiritual potency of the church, and the church compensated through political power strategies. I needed to work through these feelings as an American “evangelical”. Should the church be seeking political power? No, not if it is Christ-like. Christ is not seeking a Christian nation, but wants to redeem a nation to be Christ-followers. This transition is not easy based on the way I was raised. I was always taught that America was a Christian nation, and that was where we should be today. The truth is that in the case of effective discipleship I am glad that America is not a Christian nation.

On page 71 Augsburger advocates for allowing dissent among the group. In essence humility that regards the validity of differing opinions. There is a side of me that argues with this idea. I never want to be so proud as to think I have got it all figured out, and yet there has to be direction in group life (i.e. the church). Dissent can really hinder that. What about group identity and mission? It seems in Christ’s leadership that His group was identified with Him and given specific mission. These areas were non-negotiable. No dissent was permitted by Jesus. When he was leading them to Jerusalem for His death Peter tried to dissent and was called “Satan” for it. I believe that honoring Christ involves unique identity and common mission as churches. While humility welcomes and includes dissent; spiritual leadership does not bend identity and/or mission.

The third area that I want to reflect on is the role of humor in humility. I think that humor is essential in managing ourselves in our pursuit of tripolar Spirituality. I realize more and more the role of humor between God and man. As a father of an eighteen month old, I see my daughter do humorous things. In particular she is learning to speak; she is starting with animal sounds, but when asked what a kitty-cat says she verbalizes some thing that sounds like, “OwwwM”. The M sound is on the wrong end. I think that God, as our father, is humored by us, and I think we should see humor in ourselves. I appreciated the paraphrase of Elton Trueblood on page 112, “We cannot know with certainty how much humor there is in Christ’s teaching, but we can be sure that there is far more than is normally recognized.”

These areas of reflection were all good for me, and continue to challenge the way I think. More importantly I want them to shape me more into Christ’s image. I value the perspective of someone who sees Christianity a little different than I do. It helps me to evaluate my own perspectives and change, where I can, to a better life of obedience. I have completely read this book in its entirety.

Off-Roads Disciplines by: Earl Creps

Off-Road Disciplines

Off-Roads Disciplines (O-R D) is an exploration of variegated disciplines both personal and organizational leading to unity of discipleship among the church and a culture with differing philosophical worldviews.

Earl Creps is a researcher of postmodern thought and practice with specific emphasis on the role that it will play in the mission of the church. He offers O-R D as a guide to new spiritual disciplines to be implemented in order to fulfill the mission of the church in a postmodern culture.

The first reflection point I want to discuss is the area of measurement. Dr. Creps discussed the very modern approach of measurement, counting chits to see if we are achieving success. The challenge came in determined the why of our measurement. As a church planter I am seeking to establish an assimilation process. This reading challenged me to think about the way we measure assimilation. Discipleship is based on the mission that Jesus gave the disciples in Matthew 28. The mission is making disciples. Measurement can distort the mission if it measures how many people are sitting in the Sunday morning service or Sunday school class. These measurements are not same as measuring whether or not we are measuring the growth as a result of mission. Without questioning why the numbers are what they are, we can not really measure our success in accomplishing the mission.

The second area of reflection is found in the quote, “Grace is free, mission is not.” There is a cost involved in living the mission. The example of Paul and Timothy comes to mind as an example given in the book. Timothy went to great lengths to become relevant to the world around him in order to accomplish the mission of Christ. Enduring circumcision as a grown man was no enjoyable circumstance, and yet he endured it so that he could openly minister to both Jews and gentiles. We are responsible to engage our context to openly accomplish the mission. I was challenged as to what it was costing me to accomplish the mission. Are there things in my life that automatically separate me from the mission? Could some of them be religious traditions that are not necessarily biblical Christianity? What are we willing to pay in order to accomplish the mission? Some would say that we should beware of compromising our principles and beliefs. I am not contending a compromised Christianity, but rather questioning whether there are “principles” and “beliefs” that are not biblical to begin with. Is it possible that we have gotten so used to doing Christianity in a way that separates us from truly doing what God has called us to do. For instance, I moved two years ago and at the time of my move I could not tell you my neighbor’s names. I was ashamed of that and determined to view the move as a missional experience to make Disciples of Christ. I got to know them quickly and established good relationships with them. One of them noted fairly early on that he wondered where I was all the time, because I was never home. “Never home” was viewed by him as not with my family, not enjoying life. Where was I? I was at church, doing church stuff. I was leading a drama team, going to board meetings, and participating in “Family night” (that really only separated the family into subgroups, and did not do ministry to families). I was spending just about every evening with church people, and had no interaction with anyone who had not yet become a follower of Christ. Are the things listed above bad things? No, that is not the point. The point is that doing good things was keeping me away from really accomplishing the mission among those who needed the church to be in their neighborhood; leading me to the conclusion that the church is better at being the church when we are not at church.

Finally, the issue discussed on page 171-172 of the book made the whole read worthwhile to me. Many younger ministers who desire to be missional and not interested in the traditional are contemplating their future with the A/G. I recently had a conversation with a guy who resigned himself to stay with the A/G but only in a loose affiliation, because he felt that any tight alliance would hinder him and me from remaining missional. I think the way that Dr. Creps addresses these issues is vital for our fellowship to come to grips with. I think that we have a stronger chance of being missional if we will unite and move together toward mission. That will require some changes in the current leadership structure and style among our pastors, but ultimately has a greater result than dissolution.

I loved this book. It was a great and challenging read. I have recommended it several times, because I believe that it provides a map of sorts through territory that many pastors I know are not really ready to walk through. If we are going to make disciples in the future, we need to be ready to go new places to do it. I have completely read this book in its entirety.

Book Reveiw: The Connecting Church By: Randy Frazee

The Connecting Church

Randy Frazee wrote The Connecting Church to explain Pantego Bible Church’s (PBC) search for authentic community which has driven the local church to align its discipleship teaching and living practices into a model for other churches in America. This book provides anecdotal narration to practical application of each step of their model.

Reading this book reminded me of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The overall model can be overlaid on several points including “Quadrant Two” living and Interdependence. With a Christian worldview these points have set up the definition of discipleship for PBC. In addition, they have quantified the approach to discipleship through the Christian Life Profile. This profile was developed to organize and report spiritual maturity expressed in ten core beliefs, ten Christian practices, and ten Christian virtues. Everyone at PBC is annually self-assessed in order to focus on one to three areas of growth.

The book begins with a description of Individualism, Isolationism, and Consumerism as the societal bane of authentic community. Harkening back to days prior to the 1950’s, Frazee seems to compare our time with the other. I am not sure that the former communal aspects were as clean and superior as he seems to make them out to be, but I do not feel they negate the argument of the situation we find ourselves in. I pastor in a context that does face these problems. Marylanders in the Baltimore area spend the second longest amount of commute time in the nation. They have sprawled to just about every area including out of state where workers purchase large, isolated homes in West Virginia and ride the train for an hour each way to work in Washington, D.C. The alternative is to live in a county like mine and fight traffic. Developers are building as fast as they can, stacking large homes on top of each other, but each cleanly separated with privacy fences and decks on the back to the house with no porch on the front. The fast-paced lifestyle of the Northeast further complicates social interaction while also feeding affluence which fools us into thinking we can replace the rewards of community with the bigger, better, and higher tech stuff. We left the Joneses behind a long time ago, and now are trying to keep up with ourselves. In this context I minister to many desperate people who do not know what they are desperate for, and I was the same way until I started a small group in my home that opened a door for genuine community. It ruined my life by the old standards and now has given me a better life.

My experience still has not gone to the extent Frazee is an exponent of. My group meets weekly, but only interacts lightly through the week. His groups do so in a much greater way. Sharing common meals, regularly in and out of each others houses is a much more localized approach than our small groups. There is always a process I go through when I read books like this: I read it, embrace it, and then try to contextualize it. It just seems impossible. I am not saying it is, but from where we are it is more of an ideal than something to fully implement right away. In the book, the members of PBC sell their homes to move into mutual neighborhoods. I don’t see that happening for a while at Severn River Church. I do think the depth of community can grow, and should grow in that direction of commitment based on greater interaction with one another.

I love the model. One thing stands out to me, the decentralization of ministry. I love that the Home groups are responsible for outreach, foreign missions, and compassion ministries. The development that goes on at this level is fantastic for meaningful life change. I believe that spiritual maturity is not about what we know as much as what we do. This model puts doing right at the practical level of the Home groups of people.

I have questions about this model. Do the same 30 principles get old? I can see the effectiveness over 3 years, but what about over 30 years? Does this process limit overall Bible interaction and knowledge? Does this matrix limit presuppositions to be read into the biblical text? I have submitted these questions through e-mail for their response. It would take time to really know the answers. They are in the best position to know.

This was a rewarding read. I was challenged and encouraged on our means of discipleship because of it. I look forward to exploring the model through implementation of parts of it at SRC. I have completely read this book in its entirety.

Book Review: The Great Omission by: Dallas Willard

The Great Omission

This book is a compilation of articles and lectures by Dallas Willard and as such provides many narrower views on a much broader thesis. The Great Omission is a call to discipleship in deeper ways through spiritual disciplines, expressed in a church which actually does what Jesus tells us to do.

Disciples that are undisciplined repeatedly come up as a major theme in this book. Willard contends that the problems of the church are a result of voluntary followership of Christ, and that many people in church have never actually decided to follow Jesus. Have we made discipleship voluntary? As I reflect on this I am more and more convinced that we have. I say that for practical reasons. If Jesus is who we follow, then should not we do what he said? Yet I find that most believers could not write a concise list of the instructions that Christ gave us, let alone live them. Jesus said that the commandments could be summed up in loving God and loving neighbors, but there are many other instructions that He gave that receive little of our attention. I wonder more and more about spiritual maturity that is not measured by what you know but by what you do. This seems to be the point that Dallas Willard is getting at.

Another point of interest to me from the book was a portion on Bible memorization. Willard said that if there was one discipline that he felt he must have it would be this one, even over prayer and bible reading. It came up multiple times in the book; in fact he referenced it in different ways. He said at one point that he would not want to be part of a church that did not have a plan for memorization, and elsewhere that people who said they could not memorize needed to spend time in fasting, solitude and silence to help them memorize. I really identified with this point. We have a congregational memory verse that is provided with the sermon each week. We ask people to memorize it and repeat it with their small group during the week. It is so valuable in spiritual growth and really transformational when you see believers using the scriptures they have learned in the discussions of Christ living at small group. If it helps them there I believe it is exponentially of greater value in their lives at work, home, etc.

The final area of reflection for me was from this quote from page 62, “The true saint burns grace like a 747 burns fuel on takeoff.” This is a provocative statement. I posted it on my blog to see what if any response would come. Someone responded that since grace was sufficient when things go wrong this could be dangerous for Christians. However, I think that Grace is not just about things going wrong. Grace is about things going right. Our status quo is to sin, but with Grace we can overcome sin. It takes more grace to help us live rightly, than to forgive us when we have sinned. This is a radical departure from the teaching I have generally encountered. In light of discipleship, this idea has challenged me to what we are teaching as discipleship. Are we helping people to grow in the Grace of Christ and in which way? I think that an important aspect of discipleship is to evaluate our beliefs in light of biblical theology, and not just a result of that which was passed on to us as a matter of tradition flavored by previous interpretations.

This was a refreshing book for me. There were many things that I took away personally more so than just how I could apply it to the church. I will refer to this book again in the future in order to continue my own growth, and to help the growth of others. I have completely read this book in its entirety.

From one SRC to another

Hey,
I'm back to school this week. I'll be posting throughout the week.

Please pray for my family. Early this morning our cars were broken into. Thankfully, there wasn't anything to be stolen. But please pray for my families peace of mind.

Thanks,
Ben

Church in the News (Sabbath writings postponed till next week.)

Woman Fatally Bitten by Snake in Church
Nov 08 12:54 AM US/Eastern AP News

A woman who was bitten by a snake at a church [I hate when that happens, it can really ruin a Sunday.] that neighbors say practices serpent handling [ Wouldn’t have been nicer if they said, “That church feeds the hungry, cares for the widows and orphans, or really love each other.” Considering these are things Jesus said we should be known for.] died of her wounds hours later [Though I joke throughout this story, I am sincerely sorry for her death], a newspaper reported.

Linda Long, 48, was bitten Sunday at East London Holiness Church, where neighbors said [It does raise the question why aren’t their any references to what the church people said about this. It only seems to be neighbors commenting.] the reptiles are handled as part of religious services, The Lexington Herald-Leader reported Tuesday.

Long died at University of Kentucky Medical Center about four hours after being bitten, authorities told the newspaper.

"She said she was bitten by a snake at her church," said Lt. Ed Sizemore of the Laurel County Sheriff's Office.

Handling reptiles as part of religious services is illegal [Fight the power] in Kentucky. Snake handling is a misdemeanor and punishable by a $50 to $100 fine [Beware Steve Irwin types].

Police said they had not received any reports of snake handling at the church.

Snake handling is based on a passage in the Bible that says a sign of a true believer is the power to "take up serpents" without being harmed. [Though it’s not a litmus test, nor a command that we’re supposed to. Instead it’s a promise of the power of Christ with us. It happened to Paul, and is possible to anyone who is doing the work of Christ’s mission. But I think there is something to be said for not tempting God…or at least Jesus thought so.]

Church officials could not be reached for comment.

Cool Article

The following article is an interesting study regarding "Speaking in Tongues".

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/07/health/07brain.html?ei=5070&en=6bfeff0bb4cd6909&ex=1163566800&adxnnl=1&emc=eta1&adxnnlx=1162922603-vHv6tlYa2VIMJQv0K4LEpg

A Haggard expression

Well, no comments on Haggard's statement, and I can say as I blame you. This journey has been an interesting one for me, and as I've discussed it with others it probably has a greater effect on me than others.

My experience has shown me that there are people in churches who are not paying attention to the Evangelical Movement in America, they are not paying much attention to the Religious Right and Moral Majority, and most have no idea who Ted Haggard is. The news, which didn't get as much play as I thought it would've, didn't seem to make it on the radar of many people. The two groups most affected seem to be the Opponents and the Pastors. The Opponents, obviously those who are promoting the Homosexual Agenda jumped on the opportunity to use this moral failing as a means to political gain. But I would say there's a large portion of the gay community who probably didn't know who Ted Haggard is and only chuckled at the irony.

The other affected party was the Pastors. I'm not sure why, but my own experience was very deep. I had a psychological experience unlike any that I have ever experienced. I was absorbed by this story. As mentioned in a former post, I considered him a mentor. Someone who had shaped my view of ministry (and I still am thankful for it, it was a very positive thing). I guess it was because it was a fellow tradesman. I would guess that CEOs all over America experienced something similar when Enron and WorldCom were exposed. Or maybe I know how the Baltimore Orioles felt when Raphael Palmeiro was exposed for steriods. It's a feeling of shock (Why?), betrayal (He cheated and embarrassed us), and depression (I'm no less susceptible to sin than he is). It played out in my emotions (I felt I was on the verge of tears for most of the weekend), my appetite (Not such a bad thing in my case), and other ways.

I talked to other pastors who seemed to have a very similar set of symptoms, and to a lot of people who didn't care. I asked my wife why we had not learned our lesson from Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker, and heard from an elder Christian that it would likely happen another couple times in my lifetime. And I faced the fact that it could be me and that was probably the most scary part of this journey.

And I walked around my block yesterday, and I prayed in a type of groan that wasn't audible but echoed through my soul.

--Ben

Statement from Ted Haggard

November 5, 2006

My Dear New Life Church Family,

I am so sorry. I am sorry for the disappointment, the betrayal, and the hurt. I am sorry for
the horrible example I have set for you.

I have an overwhelming, all-consuming sadness in my heart for the pain that you and I
and my family have experienced over the past few days. I am so sorry for the
circumstances that have caused shame and embarrassment to all of you.

I asked that this note be read to you this morning so I could clarify my heart's condition
to you. The last four days have been so difficult for me, my family and all of you, and I
have further confused the situation with some of the things I've said during interviews
with reporters who would catch me coming or going from my home. But I alone am
responsible for the confusion caused by my inconsistent statements. The fact is, I am
guilty of sexual immorality, and I take responsibility for the entire problem.

I am a deceiver and a liar. There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I’ve
been warring against it all of my adult life. For extended periods of time, I would enjoy
victory and rejoice in freedom. Then, from time to time, the dirt that I thought was gone
would resurface, and I would find myself thinking thoughts and experiencing desires that
were contrary to everything I believe and teach.

Through the years, I’ve sought assistance in a variety of ways, with none of them proving
to be effective in me. Then, because of pride, I began deceiving those I love the most
because I didn’t want to hurt or disappoint them.

The public person I was wasn’t a lie; it was just incomplete. When I stopped
communicating about my problems, the darkness increased and finally dominated me. As
a result, I did things that were contrary to everything I believe.

The accusations that have been leveled against me are not all true, but enough of them are
true that I have been appropriately and lovingly removed from ministry. Our church's
overseers have required me to submit to the oversight of Dr. James Dobson, Pastor Jack
Hayford, and Pastor Tommy Barnett. Those men will perform a thorough analysis of my
mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical life. They will guide me through a program
with the goal of healing and restoration for my life, my marriage, and my family.

I created this entire situation. The things that I did opened the door for additional
allegations. But I am responsible; I alone need to be disciplined and corrected. An
example must be set.

It is important that you know how much I love and appreciate my wife, Gayle. What I did
should never reflect in a negative way on her relationship with me. She has been and
continues to be incredible. The problem was not with her, my children, or any of you. It
was created 100% by me.

I have been permanently removed from the office of Senior Pastor of New Life Church.
Until a new senior pastor is chosen, our Associate Senior Pastor, Ross Parsley, will
assume all of the responsibilities of the office. On the day he accepted this new role, he
and his wife, Aimee, had a new baby boy. A new life in the midst of this circumstance—I
consider that confluence of events to be prophetic. Please commit to join with Pastor
Ross and the others in church leadership to make their service to you easy and without
burden. They are fine leaders. You are blessed.

I appreciate your loving and forgiving nature, and I humbly ask you to do a few things:
1. Please stay faithful to God through service and giving.

2. Please forgive me. I am so embarrassed and ashamed. I caused this and I have no
excuse. I am a sinner. I have fallen. I desperately need to be forgiven and healed.

3. Please forgive my accuser. He is revealing the deception and sensuality that was
in my life. Those sins, and others, need to be dealt with harshly. So, forgive him
and, actually, thank God for him. I am trusting that his actions will make me, my
wife and family, and ultimately all of you, stronger. He didn’t violate you; I did.

4. Please stay faithful to each other. Perform your functions well. Encourage each
other and rejoice in God’s faithfulness. Our church body is a beautiful body, and
like every family, our strength is tested and proven in the midst of adversity.
Because of the negative publicity I’ve created with my foolishness, we can now
demonstrate to the world how our sick and wounded can be healed, and how even
disappointed and betrayed church bodies can prosper and rejoice.

Gayle and I need to be gone for a while. We will never return to a leadership role at
New Life Church. In our hearts, we will always be members of this body. We love
you as our family. I know this situation will put you to the test. I’m sorry I’ve created
the test, but please rise to this challenge and demonstrate the incredible grace that is
available to all of us.

Ted Haggard

Letter from Gayle Haggard, wife of Ted Haggard

November 5, 2006

Dear Women of New Life Church,

I am so sorry for the circumstances that have led me to write this letter to you today. I
know your hearts are broken; mine is as well. Yet my hope rests steadfastly in the Lord
who is forever faithful.

What I want you to know is that I love my husband, Ted Haggard, with all my heart. I am
committed to him until death “do us part.” We started this journey together and with the
grace of God, we will finish together.

If I were standing before you today, I would not change one iota of what I have been
teaching the women of our church. For those of you who have been concerned that my
marriage was so perfect I could not possibly relate to the women who are facing great
difficulties, know that this will never again be the case. My test has begun; watch me. I
will try to prove myself faithful.

I love you all so much, especially you young women—you were my delight.
To all the church family of new Life Church—Ted and I are so proud of you. You are all
we hoped you would be. In our minds, there is no greater church.

As you try to make sense of these past few days, know that Ted believes with all his heart
and soul everything he has ever taught you, those things you are putting into practice. He
is now the visible and public evidence that every man (woman and child) needs a Savior.

We are grateful for your prayers for our family.

I hold you forever in my heart,
Gayle Haggard

Asking for prayer for a mentor

I don't claim to know Pastor Ted Haggard, but he has been a mentor of mine. I read his book Primary Purpose, and it has influenced the way I pastor and the vision for the mission that I have.

Allegations have come out against him regarding sexual sin and drugs. I would ask you to pray for him and his family. I'm sure that New Life church is also in need of prayer.

Facts will come out about the case I have no doubt, as will a bunch of opinion. I don't envy the road he's walking today, but know that as his brother I need to help bear the burden with him.

Thanks,
--Ben

"The true saint burns grace like a 747 burns fuel on takeoff." -- Dallas Willard

Breakfast with the MAN!

Today I had breakfast with a good friend of mine. Phil has been on a sabbatical month and has just returned. It was nice to hear from him about his trip and rest. I've been challenged lately with the idea of Sabbath. It is a biblical command and spiritual discipline. The order is "Work six, rest one." The discipline is this... Do you believe that if you give God one day, he'll divinely help you accomplish what you need in the other 6? I heard someone this week say that just needed one more day a week, and I've said the same thing. I wonder if that's because of my lack of sabbath? I think that next week I'll spend some time writing about what Sabbath is all about biblically and I'd like to take it to levels I seldom hear it go.

Thanks for checking in.

--Ben

What is the book of Acts all about?

This week we begin a series call HEROES. You probably already know that by now, the real story is what the series is built on. We're going to be looking at the book of Acts. It is the fifth book in the NT and I want to invite you to start reading it.
Yesterday in a small group I was talking with someone about our approach, and I'm learning that there are things we do consitantly that we may have never named as such. I thought I'd mention one today. Many churches take the "Shot gun" approach to life change. They tell you to work on one thing in Sunday school, then something else in Sunday morning service. Less frequently then they hold a Sunday evening service to tell you something different to work on, and then hold a midweek service which ussually hits something else. I find that to be too many things to work on to really have any success.
We take more of a Laser approach. We want to focus on one thing, and then bring it up again and again during the week to keep our focus on it. For instance, We'll preach a message on a passage of Acts this weekend (Acts 1) then we'll give you a memory verse (Acts 1:8 you can get a head start). You'll review that memory verse throughout the week, then repeat it at small group. At small group you'll discuss relevant application from the sermon from Sunday and have the chance to put it into action. Ultimately you'll get the chance to partner with someone in prayer and pray that memory verse into their life, and in turn have that verse prayed over your life.
I'm not saying it's perfect, just that's the way it is. I'm interested in life change, I guess more specifically, "Making Disciples".
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By the way, to my dial-up internet users. I'm not trying to alienate you with the videos. Sarah learned that if she started loading the video by pressing play and then walked away and did some house work, that when she came back it would play all the way through. You may want to try that, or feel free to ignore them if it's easier. I'll continue to post through print as well.

--Ben