Tag: People

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Velocity 2010 – Pete Wilson

petewilson-buttonVelocity 2010 Church Planter’s Conference

Breakout #2 Speaker: Pete Wilson (Twitter)

“Everyone’s Welcome, Nobody’s Perfect, Anything is Possible”

Churches Desiring Transformational Community –

Studies Show:

  • One thing that separates happy people from unhappy people is the simple idea of being connected in community.
  • The level of satisfaction in churches is determined by the level of community experienced.

Someone said…”I’ve never known anyone who has failed to love & succeeded at life.”

Genesis 2:18 “It is not good for man to be alone.”

You were created with the capacity for deep relationships

Develop a Philosophy of community before you develop a Strategy of community.
(What is the Heart behind the strategy?)

*Your Church MUST understand that Everybody is Welcome.

Luke 15:2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Romans 13:8

* Has your church created environments where people can belong before they believe?

Some Church Models = Believe, Belong, Behave

Church Models adapting to Current Culture = Behave, Belong, Believe
(It may be that people enter your church by participating in a church service event for the community rather  than through the Sunday morning Worship Service)

Your Church Must Accept that Nobody is Perfect.

Matthew 7:1

Luke 18:10-12

The sins you find the most appalling to God are the ones you don’t struggle with.

Your Church Must Believe Anything is Possible.

It’s the church’s job to create environments where we help people discover their new name.

Secular businesses & organizations understand that “Everyone is Welcome” and that “Nobody is Perfect” – There is nothing overtly “Christian” about that. The church has to believe in addition that “Anything is Possible!”

If our churches are a true “Just As I Am Churches” – We would not be able to put out enough chairs for the people who would come and we could not plant enough churches.

Velocity Conference: Main Session 1 Highlights – – Main Session 2 Highlights – – Main Session 3 Highlights – – Main Session 4 Highlights – – Breakout Session 3 with Tony Morgan Highlights – – Main Session 6 Highlights

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52 Days

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On Sunday we kicked off our 52 Day Campaign believing that we serve the same God that empowered Nehemiah and his workers to completely rebuild the wall around Jericho in 52 days. As a community of faith, we are learning that Jesus has called us out to be on mission to change the world. I believe if we are going to move with God, we must be willing to take Risks, Sacrifice personally, and Mobilize people to take this journey with us.

Our goal is to see a 52% increase in our overall attendance at church by Easter Sunday. You may ask, “Why are you worried about increasing attendance?” Well, I am happy to answer. By increasing our attendance by 52% that gives us concrete evidence that we are fulfilling one of our goals as a church, to reach people. That’s 52% more people that we have the opportunity of leading to a passionate relationship with Jesus, its 52% more people to partner with us in this movement of God to see the hungry fed, the needy clothed, and the brokenhearted loved. It’s 52% more people who can discover the passions God has placed in their heart in order to serve mankind, locally and globally. 52% may very well be a challenge to us, but it is mere simplicity to God. In New Passion’s first 5 months we’ve seen God grow our community by 100% – I’m trusting Him for an additional 52% by Easter.

Hey New Passion! Are you with me? In the next 52 days, let’s find ways that we can Risk, Sacrifice, and Mobilize in order to fulfill the mission Christ has called us on. Join the Social Media revolution! Grab the main picture (right click & “save picture as”) and place it on your blog or facebook photo albums, or grab the photo below (right click & “save picture as”) and replace your Twitter, Facebook, or Myspace avatar with it. If you are on Twitter, tweet how God is using you to Risk, Sacrifice, and Mobilize and tag it with #52Days, so we can all check out what God is doing in your life!  What can you do to live out Jesus’ mission this week?

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I Consider Love as Wealth

close-earsI met today with George Robertson, the pastor of First Pres, where I work my day job. I asked him if he came across anything of value for a new, young pastor in his reading to feel free to recommend it to me.

He immediately grabbed something from his desk and said he did have something. He told me it dealt with handling criticism, which he was sure I had not heard any, but told me I could make a copy. I read it as soon as I got back to the office and thought I would post it hear on my blog for you all to read.

Now, I will be the first to  admit. Okay, maybe my wife would be the first to admit about me and then I would be the second, that I am no stranger to being a critic. I feel I have made great improvements in keeping my mouth shut and my heart right towards people, but there are times I allow myself to be critical of people; so I am a work in progress and I know first hand that this practice is much easier said than done. I thought this would be healthy for anyone, check it out:

Handling the Criticism of Others That You Hear

Charles Simeon, Anglican Minister of the Holy Trinity Church in Cambridge, England from 1782 to 1836, speaks to the issue of protecting another’s reputation by the things we say and the things we believe. He wrote in July of 1817, “The longer I live, the more I feel the importance of adhering to the rules which I have laid down for myself in relation to such matters. First, to hear as little as possible what is to the prejudice of others. Second, to believe nothing of the kind until I am absolutely forced to it. Third, never to drink into the spirit of one who circulates an ill report. Fourth, always to moderate, as far as I can, the unkindness which is expressed towards others. Fifth, always to believe, that if the other side were heard, a very different account would be given of the matter. I consider love as wealth; and as I would resist a man who would come to rob my house, so would I a man who would weaken my regard for any human being.”

A huge task, but one I want to Conquer.

Join the Conversation…What’s your Thoughts?

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Love is Tough

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I read the Bible and it makes love sound so easy. “Love God,” Love your Neighbor,” “Love One Another.” After all, love is a good thing, its one of those words that when you hear it, you think happy thoughts, right?

I think love is tough. Probably the toughest things to do. Its natural to be self absorbed but unnatural to be selfless. I don’t think you can have love without becoming selfless first. At New Passion Church we are emphasizing to our team that a part of our HEART is to have Authentic Community through Genuine Relationships. Its one of those spiffy sayings that can easily be said but overlooked. I know there have been many times that my intentions have been to love someone, but when it becomes difficult my natural tendency is to take the easy way out, give lip service but refuse to face or go through the difficulty to truly love an individual or a group of people.

I think God would agree with me that love is tough. I wonder if He ever had a conversation with himself about sending Jesus to die on the cross for people like us? I believe Jesus would agree that love is tough. Look at all He endured, yet on the cross made a plea for his father to forgive those who were murdering him. I think love is so tough and having authentic relationships is so difficult that God knew he had to keep it in front of us. “Live in Harmony with one another,” “Don’t let their be divisions in the body,” “Love your enemies.” Etc… Over and over again, we are being reminded to love each other. Why would we need reminding if it was such an easy task.

All of these things are easy, until you are faced with them & the difficulties & struggles that come along with them. However, I do not believe that you can truly have authenticity until you are willing to not only face those tough situations, their difficulties & their struggles, but to overcome them. We can emphasize our desire to have an authentic community all that we want, but it will never happen if we as individuals are not willing to actually love. Its not just a word…its a very difficult action. We cannot take the easy road of avoiding the struggles and difficulties in relationships, we have to choose to engage them head on.

I believe love is tough…what do you believe?

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Octo-Mom versus Grandma: Who’s Right?

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Here is a portion of the video where Octo-mom, Nadya Suleman, gets into a heated argument with her mom, Angela from an interview on Radaronline.com (Click to View Video).

This is post is not an issues or argument about abortion or the killing and preservation of the embryos from Nadya. I want to focus on the attitude of both ladies.

I am shocked and amazed at Nadya’s attitude and tone towards her mom. For those who do not know all of the story, Nadya, and her previous 6 children were already living with Grandma Angela, and now Nadya has added 8 additional children (octuplets). I agree with Nadya that once she had the embryos implanted, it was too late, they were fertilized and were lives living within her, however, I don’t believe she was right by having the procedure done in the first place. She has no job, she has no home, she has no husband, and she has a ton of debt that she is now, basically asking for a bailout on. The procedure for the delivery of the 8 children cost tax payers well over $1 Million Dollars. Personally, I believe she has brought 8 children into a situation that is unhealthy, to provide a temporary fix for her control issues, and she has altered the lives of many others in between, including that of her mother, Grandma Angela.

With every interview, if it is edited, we only hear what we are given, so it is hard to understand the issue in context, however, I am amazed at Nadya’s attitude towards her mom, who provides for her and her now 14 children without any financial assistance from her daughter on behalf of her children. I do not hear an ounce of thankfulness from the part of Nadya. It really is a big mess. Once again, without getting into the issues of Abortion and preserving the Embryos (because that is not the isse) Join the Conversation and tell us who should be more upset and considered “justified” in their frustrations. Octo-mom, Nadya or Grandma Angela?