« August 2009 | Main | October 2009 »
A friend recently shared this quote from a book and there is no way that I could come close to doing it justice without just posting it. It is a bit long but worth every minute you will spend reading it.
"Our weaknesses and fears, much more than our achievements and successes, drive us inward and put us in touch with what is deepest, softest and most worthwhile within the heart. In that part of the heart we discover who we really are and there we understand that we are not what we achieve, but what is given to us.
Outside that, when we posture strength and lie and pretend, we learn falsely that life is not a gift to be shared, but a possession to be defended. The road to love and intimacy lies in a compassion born out of the perception of shared struggle and shared fear. When we genuinely see another's wound and struggle, then that other enters a deeper, more real, part of us.
But it is precisely here that the problem lies. More than anything else, we struggle not to reveal our pain and fears to others, for we have been falsely taught that community and love are grounded upon something else, namely upon impressing each other. Perhaps the greatest obstacle to intimacy and community is that propensity to believe that others will love us only when we are impressive or strong.
Because of this, we go through life trying to impress others into liking us. Rather than sharing ourselves as we really are--vulnerable, tender, struggling, full of fear--we try to be so sensational that there can be no possible reason not to love us.
For the complete article, click here.
What would happen if every church that was planted in the last 20 years gathered together to seek God for a new multiplication dream? It could be explosive!
We are issuing a call to each of the 500 churches that was planted in the last 20 years to gather in Phoenix, AZ, March 24-26 for the IGNITE 2010 National Church Planting Conference.
Mark your calendars NOW and prepare your hearts to be inspire by some of the best multiplication leaders in Converge Worldwide.
More Details Coming Soon!
Mark Your Calendars!
Tuesday, September 29 at 4pm Eastern/1pm Pacific
(changed from Monday, September 28)
Join Gary Rohrmayer as he presents part 1 of the First Steps webinar series focused on helping church planters avoid the critical mistakes that have historically derailed many church plants.
This free one-hour webinar will provide an overview of the 10 stages of missional church planting
By Steve Mizel, pastor of The Journey Metro East in Edwardsville, IL.
I was leafing through one of my old notebooks today (one of the tedious benefits of unpacking after a move - I have had to look at everything I haven't thrown away and evaluate it again before stuffing it in a box or on a shelf where it won't be looked again for the next five years). This notebook was a loose, unintentional chronicle of my early days with the Journey. (Not the point of this post - but what a great ride the last three years have been. I have been destroyed and rebuilt by the gospel in ways I could never have imagined four years ago - Thank you Father God!)
Now the point of this post: I took notes from my first Leadership Summit in 2006. I had not read Courageous Leadership and was still pridefully disdainful of all things "seeker friendly" and "Willow." I have since repented.
I take notes in a strange way, I suppose - I doodle more than manuscript. And I found in my notes a picture of a bucket with a crack with a simple phrase: Vision Leaks.
I had never thought about the need to cast and continually and creatively recast vision - because people simply do not stay envisioned. In my Christian education leadership days, I would grow frustrated - especially with those were supposed to be leading me - that they seemed to lose sight and enthusiasm. Those who worked around me daily were continually having their buckets refilled because I was continually pouring vision out. It wasn't really intentional - I was just drunk with it. I was genuinely excited about what God was doing and what he would do... but the board and the church would become detached from the daily struggles and successes - and of the steady progress toward our preferred future - and I often failed to do much more than simply castigate them for being short sighted.
I realize now that their struggles were the result of my lack of leading up (another term I have learned that has proven tremendously helpful).
Another thing hits me about this - my vision leaks too. I get tired. I become mechanical. I become lazy, misguided, distracted, and selfish.
As a result I can see a clear need to continually have my own bucket refilled too. I have started identifying people who can serve this purpose in my life - dudes who call out of me my best and challenge me to step up my game.
So, just some random thoughts...how are you doing with keeping people's buckets continually refilled? How are you doing it so it stays fresh, authentic, and inspiring? How are you doing with refilling your own bucket?
Are you considering planting or launching a new church? The FirstSteps Seminar is an indispensable training event for being equipped and equipping others. Twelve hours of interactive training that is incredibly help in understanding a multitude of issues that all new church planters face. FirstSteps offers the nuts and bolts of church planting in an interactive and inspiring atmosphere. A valuable tool for anyone serious about planting strong, mission driven churches.
NEW - FirstSteps Coaching Track Offered. We are now offering a NEW tra ck at our FirstSteps for Planting a Missional Church seminars! It is an additional Coaching track for those actively involved in coaching or supervising church planters. It involves five hours of additional coaching training built around the FirstSteps training specifically designed for those who coach church planters at NO additional cost! Yes, at NO ADDITIONAL COST. Just sign up for the FirstSteps Seminar and mention your interest in the coaching track.
Seattle, WA - September 24-25 Sign Up Here - Hosted by Converge Northwest (Free Coaches Clinic September 23) Pittsburg, PA - October 6-7 Sign Up Here - Hosted by Converge Mid-Atlantic (Free Coaches Clinic October 5) San Jose, CA - October 13-14 Sign Up Here - Hosted by Converge PacWest & Sunergeo (Free Coaches Clinic October 12)
Schedule:
