Mission Serve

This past week, I had the opportunity to serve as the speaker at Mission Serve’s Denver, CO project.  The theme of the week was Viral: the Good News of Jesus Christ can go viral when His people are the church and are making disciples.  The week consisted of the students working on various work projects from striping a parking lot and preforming general maintenance for a non-profit resource center in the area, to working on a rental house for a church plant so the space can be used for meetings, to helping Habitat For Humanity build a house, and working for a catholic school who is without a custodial staff.

Mission Serve drew groups from Colorado, California, Missouri, and Arizona.  The students worked hard to accomplish tasks that the different groups could not do on their own.  We are grateful for their energy and effort during the week.  I had the privilege to work with some amazing people this week.   I always walk away from a week like this tired physically but encouraged.  As I re-enter, real life I am reminded that I too must make disciples and I pray that God uses me to impact the lives of many in the neighborhood of Lowry and beyond.

 

If you would like to know more information about Mission Serve click here.

Freedom Fences

Earlier this week, our 7 year old daughter asked me, “Mom, why do people put dogs in fences if they really love to be free and just dig out anyway?” What great discussion followed! For years now, Eric and I have discussed authoring a book on this very topic and relating it to spiritual growth and struggles in the Christian life. You see, the simplest answer is that the fence gives the dog a boundary of protection, but within the boundary, the dog is truly free! Galatians 5:1 says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery”. Oh, if I and all of us would learn to love the boundaries/parameters God has given us and live completely freely inside them, rather than living as slaves to the law. Oh, that our parenting/discipling would reflect that! Moreso, may we stop crossing the boundary and questioning why negative consequences befall us. Christian friends, let’s live like the truly free folks we are, within our “freedom fences” and let’s praise God for true freedom today!

Urban Garden (Update)

IMG_7316A couple of months ago, we started an urban garden. I want to update you on the progress and some of the spiritual lessons I have learned in the process.  We have planted basil, cilantro, spinach, parsley, thyme, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, garlic, bell peppers, and okra (can you tell we are from the south?). Our back deck is packed and our garden has spilled out on to the front balcony and the front porch.

IMG_7315We have learned a few things in the meantime.       1) Hail, diseases and bugs are detrimental to plants.  2) Not all seeds take or survive.  3) Gardens take time, work and the right mix of sun, water and fertilizer.  As I think about these lessons, I view these things through spiritual lenses.

Here is how I see these lessons applied to my life and church planting.  1) The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy.  But so many times we forget the rest of that verse (John 10:10).  Jesus has come to give us life and life to the full.  We have an enemy but we have a Savior who is greater and gives life.  We must turn to life, not death, and be willing to live to the full of all that Jesus seeks to provide.

image2) Jesus speaks of a seed and the sower (Matthew 13:1-23).  There are four types of soil discussed in this parable and though some seed falls on every type of soil, only one produces a harvest.  We are to be spreading the seed of the gospel and allowing God to move and bring about the harvest.

3) Cultivation of relationships, gospel conversations, and making disciples take the right mix of time, prayer, communication, and God’s move in the lives of others.  We are in the midst of this working and waiting process.  The fields are being worked and we are seeking to provide all that needs to be given for growth and we know that God must bring the increase and the harvest.image_1

I pray that as our urban garden grows and produces, so will our ministry.  Pray with us to that end.

It’s time!

It’s time! Time for what, you say? Time for God to build His Kingdom here in Lowry! You may hear me squealing, no matter how far away you live! After having a mission team on the ground with us in Denver for a week, we’ve met enough folks interested in being part of Journeymen Church and gathering for Bible study and worship and service, that it is time! Praise God that very soon, we will begin hosting a weekly shared meal and Bible study, prayer and worship time in our home. We now know a few Christians in Lowry and we know God placed us all here for His glory and to help build His Kingdom! We will likely be hosting 2 different weekly gatherings with different groups, but more on that soon!
I’m studying Galatians in my quiet time and it is rich! I’m having to digest it very slowly and really pray for it to sink deep into my heart and spirit. So far, God is continually leading me into relationship with people much different than myself. He is stretching me way out of my comfort zone and my norm. He is breaking down walls and changing my perceptions to be more like His! Oh, that our family and the people of Lowry would get past the differences, look to Christ and be lovers of all people, knowing we all need grace and mercy daily! May our home and Journeymen Church reflect Christ and believe that we are all one in Christ Jesus! Pray, folks! Please pray! The attacks of the enemy are numerous as God begins to move in this neighborhood. Pray we will run with endurance and not grow weary and that the harvest will be plentiful! Get excited with us, because it is time!!

What is Missional?

Missional is one of the hottest terms in the church. And if you were to ask ten people you would get eleven or twelve definitions. So below is my attempt at explaining how we are Missional and how we intend for our church to be Missional.

Missional is not a program. Missional is a lifestyle. We will have missions as part of our church but we are to live on the mission of God daily. This mission includes loving our neighbors, serving others, and discipling our children. All of those things require daily considering others better than ourselves, laying our lives down and being a servant just like Jesus.

In our increasingly secular world we need to live more like the first century church than the nineteenth century church. The first century church lived in community with other believers, lived in the margins of society, and served God through their lives.

Missional is not something that can be learned from a weekend seminar; it is something that must be lived out and caught rather than taught. We are building the foundation for our church by practicing these same principles. We will infuse the Missional lifestyle into our Missional Communities through serving the community in a way the group is gifted and by serving other members of the group.

One of the other tenets of Missional is seeing all Christ followers as the priesthood of believers. Too many times we rely solely on the paid professional holy men to minister, serve and provide discipleship. But the Bible is clear that all believers are Saints, Ambassadors, Servants, and Disciple Makers. Part of being Missional is seeing ways we can minister to others, lead them toward Jesus and live completely for Christ.

The journey toward Missional living has consumed much of my thoughts and struggles over the last four to five years. I am excited to have an idea of how to live, love and lead. And I am excited to see how God will use this type of life to build His kingdom and His church.