The Writing Room

Someday I'd like to have a writing room. A place to do nothing but think and write. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a writer. I expect like anything else I do I'll simply be a mechanic, but I enjoy writing. I would like to get better, and really learn to share what's on my mind so that an audience may be stirred to their own thoughts.

For now I write in a basement. With cinder block walls that are rough and white. I hear the drip of the sump pit, and take respite from my writings to look up and see our ironing board. I can almost make out my reflection in the stainless steel iron. My chair is nice, but when I sit too long it reminds me. My desk, a trusty old table salvaged from a church from yesteryear. It no longer has the band that wrapped its particle board top so my shirt rubs against its rough sides. This is my environment from which to write. It will have to do for now.

--Ben

Problems

Are you still having problems with this site? Several people have told me they were having problems. It seems to have started around the time I posted the wish list for Teen Challenge. I have removed that post, and wondered if it helped. Please let me know.

--Ben

Simplicity

Been thinking about an illustration of simplicity that I didn't use on Sunday, but I think is a very practical reminder of how we could enjoy a life of simplicity.

When I was in college a professor taught me about the spiritual disciplines. When talking about simplicity he shared how he and his wife practiced this discipline. They sat down and discussed the maximum amount of money they needed to live on. Yes, the maximum amount. Most people evaluate the minimum they need to live on. But in the discipline of simplicity they sought the maximum. They agreed that $80,000 was all they needed as a household income to pay their bills and provide for their family. Therefore in the discipline of simplicity they gave away everything over that amount to churches, ministries, and charities.

Remember, simplicity recognizes that we could have more, but we choose to do without so that we may grow closer to God.

--Ben

Brand Spankin' New

This weekend for Thanksgiving we headed north to the Doylestown, PA area and visited with my Aunt and Uncle who live there. Our family tradition at Thanksgiving is to alternate years in visiting between my parent's house and my Aunt and Uncle's house. It has been a tradition I have enjoyed for years.

Now we find ourselves in a little different situation. As the family ages, it grows and now the family of five that used to come up from Maryland has grown to a family of eleven, and their side has grown too. So we stayed at a Holiday Inn Express that opened only a month ago. In fact, a little less than a month. It was so new that I believe no one had ever used our room before. It still smelled new, plumbing flux came out of the fixtures, and there were still pencil marks on the tiles. It was kinda nice not having to wonder what germs people may have left. Instead we left the germs for a generation. :-)

They had an indoor pool which the girls loved. The temperature of the water was probably about 90 degrees; a little warm. I had to stand up in the shallow end just to cool off my body because it was so hot. When we took the kiddies out we noticed their little bodies were reddish. So when we checked out I recommended that they lower the temperature just a bit.

It was a great trip, whirlwind, but great.

--Ben

Closing In

I'm closing in on the deadline for my last post-session work. This degree has been hanging over me for years now. I'm looking forward to being finished. After this class I have six credits worth of projects and writing, but no more classes. Recently I've noticed how much time these classes take. I don't know if I'm becoming a more conscientious student, or if I'm just realizing that I better learn all I can. Whatever the matter, I'll still be glad when it is over.

--Ben

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I'm headed north to PA to visit family. I'm very excited about a couple things:

1. We're staying at a hotel with an indoor pool. It is one of those simple pleasures in life seeing how my family plays in indoor pools. The girls love it. (Especially Sydney)
2. On Friday I'm heading out with my Dad and Brother-in-law to a Cabela's sporting goods store where we'll get to do something that I haven't done in years; look at guns. When I was a teenager I was very into firearms and marksmanship. It has been years since I've handled a weapon, but I'm looking forward to this trip. It's a manly trip. (insert grunt).

So whatever your plans are, I hope you enjoy them.

--Ben

The Hassle

Today I got a call that someone was coming to look at our house. It is such a hassle to get everything ready, and then leave. Especially when you have plans to take care of at your house. All so that someone can come look at your house for about ten minutes. Very frustrating.

--Ben

Today

Today I've got a marathon lined up. I'm speaking to three possibly four pastors at other churches conducting interviews about the transformation that has happened. These are churches that were far from achieving their potential that were turned around and have become life-giving churches in their community. Should be fun, but probably tiring too.

--Ben

Learning How Long The Weekend Was

When the alarm went off this morning I realized just how long the weekend was. Speaking 6 times in one weekend takes a little bit out of you. I think next time, I'll either do less speaking at the retreat or invite a guest speaker for Sunday.

The retreat went well. It was a first attempt, and I learned some things to improve the next one. So thankful for the group we took. There were some folks on the trip that hadn't really gotten to know each other before and this gave them a good opportunity.

Glad to see what God is doing among our people.

--Ben

Get Over It, and Get To It.

I want to tell you that sometimes there are calm moments in church planting. But they are not often. More often you are like an egg being whisked in a bowl. The world spins around and around, and when it settles (often around holidays) you poke your head out and try to see where you are. Occasionally, you realize that you have forgotten fundamental things. You know the things that are most basic, and you forget or get distracted and you look back and for two years you've been leading a church without doing those simple basic things.

Then you feel the embarrassment. You feel stupid for having overlooked something so pedestrian. I mean, after all, you are a professional aren't you. You're the one who has been through over 200 credited hours of training to do this job. You see your mistake, and what do you do?

Get over it, and get to it.

That's what tomorrow's small group retreat is about. It is about an investment in the people of the church to train them in how to minister to others. To show them what the body of Christ is supposed to function like. It is written in our founding documents that training small group leaders would be a priority for us, and now two years later we're finally doing it.

In preparation for the retreat I remembered that I had already written the training three years ago. I knew it was a basic move on the front side, but here we are just getting to it.

Get over it, and get to it.

We'll never be the same again as a church after this weekend, because I'm getting over it, and I'm getting to it.

--Ben

Not much time to think let alone write

Earlier this week I received an email from someone who asked how I was really doing. She said that she checked in on the blog, but just wanted to hear the behind the scenes stuff as well. The fact is that I'm good, just extremely busy with school work this week. I told her that I try to be as transparent as possible on this site, without whining. But I guess at school time all my posts sound a little whiny. Sorry about that.

--Ben

Late Nights, Early Mornings

I've been working on my master's degree for 5 years now. I'm nearing the completion, and I'm finishing up my last class. Of course, this requires dedicated school hours, and I ussually do that during the evening. It results in late nights.

But nowadays I notice the difference between now and when I started much more. Namely, I didn't have children when I started so late nights could be followed with later than normal mornings; not anymore.

Now I stay up late working, and am awakened at 6:45 by little monkeys that climb all over me and ask to watch cartoons.

Story of my life right now...late nights and early mornings.

--Ben

Who Stole My Church?

Just finished a fantastic book called, Who Stole My Church. It is a post-session requirement for a class that I'm working on, but what a great book. It deals with changes in church.

A couple years ago I pulled up to a traffic signal to make a right turn. For years I had made this turn, and it struck me how much longer I was having to wait at the red light because the traffic was constantly heavier on the highway. I reflected on how our community was changing, and it struck me. Change is a constant in every area of our lives. I think church is a place that people take refuge from change. Because it is ancient in history, and founded on historical teachings it becomes a sanctuary from the change we face everywhere else in life. Our jobs may make us learn new computer programs, but I'll know the songs we sing on Sunday. I may not know what the stock market will do, but we know the pastor will preach a sermon with three points and teach us some new tidbit about the God; the same way he always has.

The problem with this is that the mission of the Church calls us to change constantly to reach the culture. The most troubling thing is that the Church is ussually more interested in staying the same that by the time we try to engage culture we're a few steps behind.

Change in the church is never easy, but always neccessary. Unfortunately, the change agents (typically pastors) don't lead people through it very well. This book offers a pattern that I admire in helping everyone recognize their place in God's church.

--Ben

Calling All Turkeys

Teen Challenge is moving into Baltimore city. They are interested in doing a meet and greet event for their local community (two blocks around their property). It is the first time that they'll be introducing themselves to their neighbors. They want to make a good impression and offer a gift of goodwill to everyone that comes over so they'll be giving away turkeys. I think we should help donate some of the turkeys. They are expecting about 200 neighbors, but if we could donate even 10 I think that would help out their cause. What do you think?

They have invited us to bring a group to help out with the meet and greet event on December 7th at 3:00 p.m. It will give us a chance to see the facility, meet the directors, and really see up close where our money is being invested.

In the past we have taken the holidays to give money and gifts to needy families for Christmas. I'd like to hear from SRCers if they would be in favor of adopting the Teen Challenge of Baltimore as our Christmas Charity this year.

--Ben

Too Many Plates

I'm really looking forward to this week, but there are so many plates spinning in the air. I admitted to the church a couple weeks ago that it is really getting to be too much for me, and I have been so thankful for how some have responded. I feel like leaders are starting to emerge and really take ownership of the ministry at SRC. It will take some time, but I'll be handing off plates to others. So thankful.

One of the hand-overs is happening this weekend. I'm so excited to get away with our Growth Group leaders and spend time training them how to lead Growth Groups. I was encouraged this morning in my quiet time as I read from 2 Timothy 2:2, "The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." It is an essential function of church leaders that we be passing on to others what we've learned. So thankful for God raising up reliable men and women at SRC.

--Ben

Heard Some Buzz

I heard some buzz today over the message by Mike Tyler. If you want to check it out you can hear it at www.severnriverchurch.com.

I was very glad to have Mike share today, and I believe that he's going to be a great addition to the church planting team in Europe.

--Ben

20,000 Hits

Today I turned my 20,000th hit on this site. Thanks to everyone that has checked-in.

It might be interesting to note that we have (for as long as we've tracked) been read in 10 countries and in 49 states. So if anyone goes to North Dakota be sure to check in at BenjaminRainey.com

--Ben

Teen Challenge

Last night I enjoyed an evening out at a fund-raising dinner for Teen Challenge. They are starting a new center in Baltimore. The director, Bill Parks, was interested in starting a center 30 years ago, but it wasn't until this year that the Center is becoming a reality and Bill has been asked to lead it.

He shared openly about his own troubled youth, and also shared stories by former addicts named Jacquie and a Joel (Joel was the keynote speaker for the evening).

Teen Challenge is a non-profit, faith based, residential rehabilitation program for men with life controlling problems such as drug and alcohol addiction. There is no doubt that Balitmore needs successful rehabilitation. The National Institute of Drug Abuse estimates the economic impact of drugs and alcohol abuse in Baltimore exceeds $2.5 billion a year.

The DEA has stated Baltimore is "the most heroin-plauged area in the nation and faces one of the most severe crack problems as well."

What is more astounding than the outright need of Baltimore is the profound effectiveness of the program. 86% of Teen Challenge graduates remain drug and crime free compared to a 6-7% success rate for secular substance-abuse rehabilitation programs.

The stories of addicts who have found Christ and been delivered from their addiction are amazing. It offers real hope to the hopeless. That is why SRC is partnering with this group to help them accomplish bringing freedom to those that are enslaved to addiction.

In a few months we'll be having Bill come and share about the center, and there are opportunities coming now for our involvement that I hope you'll join in with.

An invitation to my readers. I know there are readers from all over the US that check into this blog regularly for whatever reason (likely not the brilliant writing). If you would like to be part of helping to launch this ministry in Baltimore you can send funds to SRC, and we will forward the gift in its entirety to Teen Challenge. Send checks payable to Severn River Church, marked Teen Challenge to:

Severn River Church
814 Barbara Ct.
Glen Burnie, MD 21060


--Ben

Figured It Out

There are things that some people are naturally gifted at that the rest of us struggle with. Organization is a weakness for me. I have always filed things with an alphabetical order, because I thought that's the way it is supposed to be done. Over the last month I've made major steps of change and understanding in the area of organization so that now my files (data and hardcopy) are arranged in a more sensible order. Every thing goes into one of four macro files, and if it doesn't fit into those it goes into the circular file (trash).

I know that many people have no problem with this sort of thing, but when it all clicked the other day I was so excited. I felt like I really took a major step forward. Thought I'd share the excitement.

--Ben
BTW, there was no class in all my schooling on how to organize an office.

Tonight

Tonight I'm headed to a dinner for a new Teen Challenge center opening in Baltimore in 2009. There is no doubt that Baltimore needs a drug treatment center founded on life change that can only come through faith. The dinner is a fund-raising event, and I'm looking forward to it because we are partnering with them to help get this thing off the ground.

--Ben

Comment: More Members

My only real fear is that we won't grow in members.

I think the root of this fear is really the question, "how does a church grow?" I think that's a great question to wrestle with, because God has such a big plan for our church that can't be fulfilled by the congregation that we are now. But several things come to mind that I want to share:

1. Paul gives us a great model of church growth in 1 Corinthians 3,, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered, but God made it grow.." I think that we need to focus on what we do, and depend on God to do what HE do. Phrased another way, we work like it all depends on us, and pray like it all depends on Him. Planting is all about preparation of the soil and dropping seeds. In the last six months we taken big steps of sowing seeds (i.e. CONTACT, Door Hangers, Mailers, Friend Days). Watering is about nurture. We nurture people in Large Groups, Small Groups, and Prayer Group. Now we have taken steps, but we are a long way from being an aligned church all participating in those things together. I believe that if we could all get together doing what we do then He'll do what HE do.
2. Because God's plan is bigger than us, we are assured that He already has resources available to us to accomplish it. Here's a thought, "God already has the people in our community that He needs to build His church." We've just got to go find them. We need to help people find their way into God's plan to use them at SRC.
3. Yesterday I bumped into a scripture again that has been working on me like sandpaper on soap, 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline." I include this thought because your comment referenced fear. Someone once said that FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. We can look at what we've seen God do at SRC and we can start believing that the evidence is not going in the right direction. We wouldn't be the first. I've read the stories of people who followed God, and even enjoyed His presence, that periodically looked at their journey and wished they could go back to Egypt. But we learn from those stories that Faith is about following and even falling but we move forward not back. What has stricken me most from this verse is that it has nothing to do with a generic fear, nor should it's application be made to specific fears. It is specifically related to leadership of the Church. As a church I think we need to have more confident conversations to lead people toward God's plan.
   

Anyway, those my thoughts. Since the member's meeting three people have talked about becoming members because they believe in what we're doing as a church and want to be part of it.

--Ben

Comment: Membership Accountability

Is there going to be any accountability for people once they become members?

This is an issue that we've talk about since starting the church. If we are going to be a church focused on mission then our membership should be part of that. Currently we list expectations between what we expect of members and what they should expect from us. I am in favor of setting up an annual membership review. Since our vision is developing followers of Jesus through Large Group, Small Group, and Prayer Group. I think it would be appropriate to hold people to account for whether they're part of our vision path. If they're not, then how can they really make informed decisions on the future of the church? It is not unprecedented. Some of the most successful churches in America do this.

Another option is a tiered system where we have members and partners. In such case we can hold different levels of accountability and responsibility. I have never been interested in having membership to exclude people from a sense of belonging in the ministry of SRC. But I do believe that having a mutual commitment is of great benefit.

To put it in perspective, there are times I'm tempted to preach a sermon called, "Stop Dating The Church."

As we lay out the matters of our governance structure, we need to look at this issue as well. What are your thoughts?

--Ben

Later Today

This morning I'm heading to a meeting for a combined Thanksgiving service. But when I return I'll be updating my thoughts on the next comment from our member's meeting:

Is there going to be any accountability for people once they become members?

--Ben

An Absurd Invitation

I've been parked in the Pastoral epistles (1&2 Timothy and Titus) for a couple weeks. They are books of the Bible that were written to leaders of churches that Paul was mentoring. Just taking my time meditating.

Today I was struck by a passage in 2 Timothy 1. Paul asked Timothy, "Join my in suffering for the gospel." Is this an absurd invitation?

We are pleasure seeking creatures. We prefer feeling good to feeling bad. In fact some people attempt to derive pleasure from pain. But the suffering that Paul endured and called his protege to endure wasn't a masochistic exercise, it was an entrustment. Paul said later in the chapter that he had chosen the path of suffering for the gospel because he was persuaded that God was trustworthy with all that he had entrusted to Him. For the sake of God's plan Paul was willing to entrust his entire life to God. Paul headed to Rome, where he wrote this letter, knowing that he would die for the cause of Christ. He admits to being abandoned by everyone, alone awaiting death. And he writes to Timothy, "Join me in suffering for the gospel."

This is why faith is so important. The power that comes from believing apart from knowing is one of the most amazing forces in the universe. Without it the idea of joining in the suffering for the gospel is nothing but an absurd invitation.

--Ben

Interesting Article

From the brain of Benjamin Rainey...

I subscribe to quite a few periodicals. One of my favorites is FORTUNE magazine. I find their analysis on Business, Finance, and Society very stimulating. Recently I read an article that I thought was really interesting. It is called The Player by Richard Siklos. It is about NBC's new hire Ben Silverman. Two comments stood out that I've been thinking about:

1. "This is how business gets done in the 21st century. Human relationships and digital communication." --Ben Silverman
2. "I'd rather be a more profitable No. 2 or 3 than a less profitable No. 1." -- Jeff Zucker

What do I think about these comments? Not sure. I think the first one is interesting because I think that he's right. And the better I get at both, the better I'll be in my job.

The second one is really interesting because the strategy NBC has taken this season is to have shows that are not very good. But raise more money because of product placement. It seems like all their shows are supported by some product (Heroes: Nissan, Worst Enemy: Chevy, Knight Rider: Ford). I'm not sure this is a long term solution for their problem.

One final word on this. I think that NBC and Fox were brilliant in their partnership with HULU.com where episodes are available.

--Ben

Comment: Governance

How do you see the governance being filled?

Governance is a really complicated thing in relation to the church. The world's perspective of governance is command and control. Governance from the world's perspective is about power. In the Church however governance is about leadership and servanthood. Where the world views the measure of success as how many people they control and how much money they can get, the Church measures success by how many people we can serve and how much money we can give away. In this way the idea of governance in the church needs to be looked at with the careful eye on the scriptures to see how Christ intended His Church to be led.

At the same time we find ourselves in a country with laws, and our laws require that a non-profit organization like ours have a structure to insure the fiduciary responsibility that accompanies the trust that people place in us when they give. So we are obligated to do our best to contextualize the teachings of scripture into the laws that we submit to.

Here are 4 keys to my idea of our governance structure:

1. Select leaders that are living it. We don't need to put people in leadership that don't have a commitment to Christ. That commitment should be lived out in the area of community and cause. They should be living a life that is exemplary for how someone who is following Jesus lives. Not perfection but examples.
   
2. Select leaders that are leading. Churches often make mistakes by having a structure that puts people in leadership who are not really leaders. As followers of Jesus our leadership is always servant-leadership. If people are not serving already, they probably have little to offer no matter how successful they appear of how much clout they carry. If they're not willing to serve they're not going to lead either. They may have strong and loud opinions, but we don't need opinions we need leaders.
   
3. Select leaders that are listening. None of us has got it all figured out. Good leaders know this and compensate by listening to others. They get coaches and practice transparency so that through listening they can grow. Leaders listen to leadership, they listen to their followers, and most importantly they listen to God. A person that doesn't listen is not a leader we want.
   
4. Select leaders that are learning. Leaders are learners there is just no getting around it. We need leaders that will devote a part of thier life to learning the ways of leadership. Leadership is a spiritual gift that Romans 12 tells us is used to minister in the church. When a person is placed in an area of leadership the gift of leadership is available to them through the Spirit of God. But like any gift we can learn how to use it to the best degree possible. The leaders that we'll want governing the church will be people who are learners.

Who are the people that are Living, Leading, Listening and Learning in our church? Well, I think that there is a clearinghouse for these types of leaders, and the governance that I propose will be based on selecting leaders from this area. Our Growth Group leaders are people who should be demonstrating all of these characteristics. And Christians that are growing in their faith and leadership will be emerging as Growth Group leaders. So we will have a pool of leadership to draw from.

We are making a commitment to train our Growth Group leaders, and equip them to lead a grou of ten. Out of that group will emerge leaders who can lead fifties, hundreds and perhaps thousands (Exodus 18). Therefore I'd like to see our structure have a board of leaders comprised of all Growth Group leaders, and a board of Elders that are selected by the board of leaders, and ratified by the membership at large, to work with the pastoral staff to give direction to the church, care for the financial obligations of the church and focus on the vision of the church. I believe this structure offers two great strengths:

1. Communication. Because every leader on our boards goes to small groups and talks each week it keeps people informed. It also gives people a contact to communicate with the leaders questions or concerns they might have.
2. High Value Selection. Church politics is not about popularity. It is about discerning that God is at work in people who are at work in the church, and simply puts them in the place of leadership.
   

Ok, this has gotten really long now, and is still not a fully crystallized plan, but it's a start. Other issues are qualifications of Growth Group leaders, limits on the number of years an elder can serve, and a host of other ones, but for now I'm just trying to get the conversation started.

--Ben

Upgrade

Over the last few weeks I've had problems pop up all over my computer, dating back to a download of Microsoft's Service Pack 3. Today I am in the process of fixing those problems while juggling a number of other tasks. As I watch the progress bars tick slowly from left to right, I make phone calls, jot notes, and try to redeem as much time as possible. The good news is that programs are starting to work again. It is just a hassle to upgrade the upgrade.

--Ben

This Week On BenjaminRainey.com

This week I'm going to continue working through the thoughts and comments from last week's Member's Meeting. I've enjoyed sorting through them, and seeing the diversity that a plurality of perspectives raise. You can help the conversation by leaving comments, and please feel free to protect your anonymity by posting anonymously. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

This week's topics include:

How do you see the Governance being filled?
Is there going to be any accountability for what we expect from members?
I'm fearful that we won't grow our membership.

So I hope you'll check-in to see where the discussion goes.

--Ben

Writing Later

Hey everyone,

Today I'm at the Pastor's Growth Group. I'm sitting with 15 pastors being taught about how to better to lead the church. Just one of the disciplines I'm pursuing to reach the goals we're setting as a church.

I'll be writing about the next comment from the members meeting later this afternoon.

--Ben

Comment: Altar?

Do we need an altar?

The question is a lot deeper than you might imagine at first glance. But if we were to see this as simply a logistical question like where we place other furniture we don't understand it.

Altars are places that sacrifices are offered to God. In the Old Testament we find people atoning (settling the debt) for their sin. Animal sacrifices were the norm in the Jewish rituals prior to the exile of God's people into slavery. In fact, this is why Jesus was described metaphorically like a lamb led to slaughter. He became the sacrifice once and for all for man's sin. He reconciled the debt that we owed. In the New Testament the altar is referred to far less. In fact the majority of NT references is in the Revelation as a place of worship in God's presence.

Churches in our stream of Christianity are accustomed to having a place specifically in response to the message to have a place to pray. To come and do what Romans 12 says, "to offer our bodies as living sacrifices." I feel it would be a benefit to have an altar. I think that people are pressed to make decisions over whether they'll really apply the message, and it gives them a place to meet with God because without His help they really can't. I don't think it is sacramental. I don't think it is necessarily holy, but I think it's a great way to help people take a time out with God.

I guess the place I really see a need show up currently at SRC is after the Communion. People receive it and then they kind of find a place to stand to have a sacred moment with God. I'd love to see a sacred place in our secular space. But this brings us to perhaps our greatest challenge in this issue. Where would we put it? What would it look like? I'm all ears because I'd love to have it.

--Ben

Comment 2: CONTACT

What are the results of the CONTACT surveys, what is the purpose of the surveys?

CONTACT is an effort of pre-evangelism. It is reconnaissance and information gathering. The reason that we have been pursuing these surveys is that we want to make the best connection between what God created our church to be, and the needs in the community we are really built to meet. Rather than doing ministry by braille or just doing stuff, we want to do outreach on purpose.

In Luke 10 Jesus sends out 72 to do outreach. His pattern is this: 1. Go get to know the people till they invite you to eat. 2. Show them the undeniable power of God by healing, 3. Help them to faith by explaining the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Many times the church today does it the exact opposite. CONTACT is about doing these priorities in order. We are researching and getting to know our people. CONTACT is valuable not just because of the surveys, but because of the conversations that we're able to have with people. I have learned as much or more from listening to people we talk to at the CONTACT table than the surveys, but the surveys are the vehicle for those conversations to start.

So far we have fallen way below our goal. We wanted to collect 1500 surveys by October, and instead we collected 200. We didn't anticipate how closed local businesses would be to allowing us to set up a table, but I believe we should continue on. Our current sampling is not enough to have a firm view on the community, but it is a start, and I think we should keep building on it.

Let me give you an example from the current results, and that may lend clarity to the overall purpose:

Currently the survey shows that the greatest area of need among our respondents is Cost Of Living (COL). So far more people have agreed on this as a problem in the community than any other single issue. The top three responses in fact all deal with financial issues. What that tells us is that people need resources on managing finances. That is something we can offer. If we were to do a ministry to the lonely, it would not resonate in our community because loneliness is not recognized as a need in our community. In a recent assessment of our church finances the management of finances was listed as one of our greatest strengths. We look at that and say let's couple our strength with the needs of the community. We believe that will bring us to the table with them. Then we're able to show them the undeniable power of God, for instance what happens when you follow godly principles of finances, and bring them into the Kingdom of God.

I hope that puts it in perspective and clears it up, if not feel free to comment below, you can leave anonymous comments.

One more note on CONTACT. I recently was asked about CONTACT, specifically in relation to doorhangers. CONTACT was originally about surveys, but my coach required us to start doorhangers at the same time, so I ordered 1500 which is the amount that the company sells them, and people seemed to connect the two. We (the operations team and I) made the decision to connect both initiatives under the same name. We're thankful to have handed out over 3000 doorhangers so far this year, and our efforts with that continue.

On deck for tomorrow -- Do we need an altar?

--Ben

A New President

I'm thankful that the election is over. One of my greatest concerns was that it would be too close to call. I'm thankful that Barack Obama won in a decisive victory. I hope that now our country can find rest from all the campaigning and get to work fixing the problems that face us.

--Ben

Nightmare

Some have asked if everything is alright after my dream, so I'll fill you in. (Because when I dream there are often similarities, and Corie finds it funny.)

I'm fine. I'll start there. But here is how the dream went...

I walked into my old office, and noticed a small/circular mirror on top of a filing cabinet. Next to that were two books, hardbound and stacked on top of each other. I noticed them out of place right away, and looked cautiously at them. I noticed a Paper clip bent and stuck between the pages of the books which I immediately recognized as a trigger for a bomb detonator. (My website has just been flagged by the NSA)

I left immediately and cautiously, and moved through the building evacuating others in harms way. (This happens almost always in my dreams. I am the hero. This is what Corie laughs at me for. Of course I'm the hero, why wouldn't I be in my own dream?) The bomb was disarmed, and no damage was done to the church.

But in my dream I remembered the last time that someone had try to snuff out my life. (It seems weird to have a memory in a dream, but that's what it was.) In the previous attempt the bomb had detonated, but I had been miraculously spared. And that is pretty much the dream.

Why was it a nightmare? In the dream and when I awoke my mind was racing about who would try to blow me up? Who would hate me that much? I didn't know in the dream, and I didn't know laying there awake. If they would come after me, and had failed twice now, would they come after my family next?

You can imagine how fear can grip a persons mind when these are the images they've just experienced in the course of vivid dreaming.

So, I got up out of bed, and sat in my living room. I read a news site, remembered that there had been no first attempt, and certainly no second attempt. Settled down, hoped no one would ever hurt my family, prayed and told God he could have my life and the lives of my family if it furthered his plan, and went back to sleep.

The end.

--Ben

Comment 1: Leadership?

I'm not sure what it would look like for people to take a greater leadership role in the church (perhaps that's the vision).

I think we need to know what ways in particular we can help to grow the church membership.

Dear SRCer,

Thanks for your comments. I'd like to respond to them, but my hope is that it will give us something to think about until the we meet again in January. These questions will be at the heart of where we're moving.

In terms of what it would look like for you to have a greater leadership role think about the following:

• Ownership. We are working on building a broader ownership base in the church. Not just looking at SRC as a place to come and see the ministry of the church, rather seeing it as your place to offer the ministry of the church to those that are coming behind you on the journey of Christian spirituality.
• Responsibility. We become people that understand that we have a part to play. We are people that exercise the leadership gifts that God gives his church. (Recommended reading Ephesians 4)
• Accountability. We share the common vision of what God has designed our church to do. We make commitments to that and then hold the church and each other accountable as to whether we're making progress.

One more thought on leadership. I have learned in these two years that our church seems to be primarily attractive to younger people. In working with people my age and younger I have come to realize that we have not been given leadership anywhere else in the world. Our jobs are typically as technicians not managers. Most of us don't have any experience in leading anyone or any organization. I think the church can really become a leading edge of training in the leadership examples of Christ. I'm not surprised that we would wonder how it will look, we've probably never done it.

As far as helping to grow the church membership? Remember that the church is people, and people come to church based on information and invitation. Some people will come simply by being informed (think doorhangers, mailers, etc.). We had a guest just a couple weeks ago who said that he had decided to look for a church, he got a doorhanger, and he came to SRC. Others need only invitation. You have a relationship with a person who will come to church simply because they know you and you invited them (think Friend Day). The direction I'd like to see this go is that we are a church that regularly informs and invites, and I'd like to see that coupled with community-need oriented outreaches (think SRC 5k on the B&A Trail, and seminars on managing home finances). These types of outreaches give us a place to connect with community members and then inform and invite.

This kind of leads us to our next comment that I'll respond to tomorrow related to CONTACT.

--Ben

SRC Members Meeting (Nov. 2)

We had a great meeting last night with the members of SRC. It was really a first meeting of meetings to come. In preparation for the meeting I realized that it is a lacking part of what we've been trying to do as a church. So much stuff kept coming to mind clouding my original intent for the meeting and I believe that's because we haven't met in so long. Stuff was flooding my mind. So I had to really dial it down and stick to what the meeting was about, knowing that we'll have future meetings to discuss other things.

I was so proud of the heart that I saw in the people. I believe that we have a team developing that really wants to go to the next level as a church. Now preparations begin. I'm calling our church to two initiatives in preparation for our January meeting:

1. Prayer -- We are in an essentially spiritual business. If we think that we can get to a desired vision as a church without the supernatural work and favor of God, we are mistaken. I'm calling our church to pray for God to reveal his plan for our church.
2. Bible Reading -- I'm calling our church to read the book of Acts over the next two months. I want us to specifically look for the priniciples of what the thriving new church did to expand the church. What were their habits. What did they learn. What did they become. Please take notes along with your reading. It will be a matter of discussion in January.

This week I'll be responding to thoughts that people handed in last night at the meeting. Everyone was given an index card on which to write comments or questions that they would not have voiced publicly. They will no doubt be revisited in future discussions, but I wanted to go ahead and give you my perspective on them. I hope you'll come back to keep up on the discussion.

--Ben

The Morning After

Last night was a kid's delight. Halloween night our kiddies dressed up, and headed around the neighborhood. They got a lot of loot, and we headed back home.

One thing I love about the event is the family togetherness. We go out as families (my sister and brother-in-law went with). Then we got back to the house where my parents were, and spent some time with the kids running around and the adults enjoying being together.

There is a lot of controversy over the whole deal in the faith community, I get that. But a couple years ago I had a really dramatic change of view. Halloween fell on a Sunday night. And I was in church praying for God to reach the lost. Meanwhile, the lost were coming to my door, only I wasn't home to meet them.

I use Halloween to build relational connections with my neighbors. They actually welcome me to come over and talk, because it's Halloween. I'm not going to turn that down. If a conversation last night can lead to a conversion tomorrow.

And you get Candy!!!

--Ben