Warning: Everyone's sense of humor is unique--and there's a great chance that you are more warped than you think you are...so don't take any of this too seriously--seriously!
Kurt Mellish is Atlanta's "most accurate and dependable meteorologist." True statement! You can plan you day and week by the renown "Mellish Meter" which rates the weather on a scale of 1-10. He and his team are usually spot on! But in the small town where I live I have discovered a meter system of my own: B.O.G. and S.O.G. I have a hunch that if I can learn to read the signs correctly they may be more accurate than the Farmer's Almanac or Kurt Mellish. B.O.G. and S.O.G. live on the same road I do but I have not yet met either man. I do not know their actual names, but these acronyms are our designated names for them. B.O.G.: Big Old Guy S.O.G.: Shirtless Old Guy When the weather begins to warm up in the late spring, the B.O.G. begins to roll in. Every night when the weather is right, B.O.G. can be seen leaning on the trash can behind his house. He's like a judge behind his table holding court with his neighbor, using his beverage as his gavel. The weight of his office is heavy and it has clearly taken a toll on his body. But who am I to judge? In the summer, he is there every night B.O.G. leans but S.O.G. sits. In the early spring S.O.G. sits on his porch with a half-unbuttoned shirt watching the traffic flow. As the days get warmer S.O.G. sits shirtless. He doesn't as much hold court as he reigns as the patriarch of his small neighborhood of houses. His porch, his court, is more like an after-dinner gathering where the guys go to relax, unsnap their britches and rub their stomachs as a symbol of great satisfaction. In the summer, he is there every night. As the leaves disappear in the late fall so do B.O.G. and S.O.G. As I drive by in the winter I can't help but habitually look for both men but neither are there-ever! Will they show up again? Did they move? I hope not! Then, predictably, as the temperatures rise into the upper 60's and then 70's and 80's, as the flowers bloom and the leaves unfurl to reveal their glory, so too, do B.O.G. and S.O.G. They peek their heads out of their homes. At first you see them only one or two times a week and soon every day. Their shirts unbutton lower and lower to gradually reveal their full glory! Summer is here!
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Calling is one of those mysterious things that God does and he rarely does it the same way twice. I was called to salvation mostly out of fear. I was called into ministry more as a process of finding my identity in Christ through discipleship and then using my spiritual gifts in ministry. Our call to replant The Stone Church was also a process and what began as an idea was affirmed through series of conversations with trusted friends, advisors, counselors and the miraculous intersecting of our lives with the story of Abraham and Sarah beginning in Genesis 12.
In the days of assessment, coaching and evaluation that led us to become official church planters with the North American Mission Board we were given these words of wisdom on several occasions: "Be sure you're called! If you aren't certain of your call you will not succeed." It is one of those questions that I'm glad Tracie and I were willing to honestly evaluate. If we hadn't been confident that God's hand had led us to this place at this time we would have said, "Let's buy a deserted island and move away!" I mean, I did dress up like Gilligan one Halloween when I was in college. Let's be honest--a lot of people attempt to do noble things for the wrong reason, right? I've talked to guys who have said, "I'm planting a church no matter what!" They wisely go through an assessment process designed to reveal areas of weakness and determine if their call is sure, but when the results come back negative they go rogue! They loudly and defensively proclaim: "No one can tell me I can't do this! God called me." And perhaps He did, but I know this: You'd better be sure! Are you attempting to do something out of anger, resentment or bitterness? Is your call a veiled attempt to receive recognition, appreciation or honor? Or, is your call certain? My gut tells me that if you can't tell the story of your call with passion, conviction, and clarity then you may be deceiving yourself but eventually it will find you out. If there is one thing that we knew about beginning this faith adventure or replanting a church it was this: We could not do this alone!
"I thought this was a series of blogs on what you've learned in the first two years not what you already knew", you are saying to yourself. And I'd say, "You're right!" So, here is what we've learned. Even when there are moments that we may have thought we were alone, we were/are never alone. I've lost count of how many times people who agreed to take one of our baseball card-styled Prayer Partner cards have seen us and said, "Hey, we still have your card on our refrigerator and pray for you often." Or we get a text that says, "The Lord put you on my heart today and I just wanted you to know that I am praying for you." If you've made a trip up or down I-75 to serve The Stone Church by secretly serving in the Stone Quarry, your presence reminds us that we are never alone. If you are a small group from Crossroads Church, Newnan you can still participate and sign up here. If you've painted a wall, cut a board, stained a porch, dropped a tree, prepared a treat, delivered gifts door-to-door, shared your testimony, or written an unexpected check, you have reminded us that we are not alone. What a privilege to have such strong friendships that are not confined by geography or mission field. Thank you for your partnership in prayer and service. (If you'd still like one of the baseball card Prayer Cards I can drop you one in the mail--or better yet come and see us and I'll give you one in person!) A good strategic plan must be executable and flexible.
As I've told and re-told the story of our adventure I've often commented: "If prior to June 2013 you had asked me my plans for the first two years of re-planting this church I could have listed dozen items, explained it all in a spreadsheet and in a Keynote Presentation. But not one of those lists or documents would have included: Project Manager of Construction. But, that has often had to be the priority of the week. Don't get me wrong--I absolutely love the fact that we have a facility and have therefore avoided the dreaded rite of passage of most church planters, the set up and break down each week. Sure, those weeks can be great team building and vision casting times but they can also become the untamed beast that won't go away. For the record, I did pay my dues in the early days of Crossroads Church and helped out on those teams most every week--maybe God let me off for good behavior. But the facility that we occupy has been in some disrepair and has required somewhat of an Extreme Makeover. That has given us ample opportunity for team building and vision casting without the drudgery of set up and take down so I'll take it! One morning I was up at the church building in the process of sanding the floors. Jono Ramey and I had spent the day before putting the first coat of stain on the freshly sanded floor and I returned the next day to lightly hand sand the floor before we added the next coat. I was on my hands and knees in the back corner and I thought: "What in the world am I doing? I'm the pastor not a construction guy!" And the Lord spoke softly and firmly in my ear: "John, I'm giving you the chance to pray over every inch of this floor three times today." We have a plan and we are working the plan, but time and time again the Lord puts opportunities and relationships in our path that are clearly from him. I am learning to be flexible enough to respond to those leadings. It is a lot more fun and much more effective than my plans. If you'd like to view a video that Jono Ramey produced that shows you what we've been doing, you can view it here: "A Look Back" I once heard that "your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life." That is true when your six, sixteen, sixty and every year in between. Moving from a church where we had developed a strong network of friends and ministry to a new area where we knew...let me count...ZERO people was/is one of the most challenging aspects of the call.
Sure, I could preach that God called Abram in Genesis 12 to leave everything behind, including his family and relationships and that that is what we were in some respect being led to do, but to live that out is a challenge--and we only moved 56 miles north. And, technology does make it easier to close the geographic gap but nothing can replace the day-to-day, face-to-face, seemingly insignificant conversations and run-intos of living in community with those you love. In the midst of the loss of closeness, we have been overwhelmed by the consistent support of our Crossroads Newnan friends and family. So many of you have taken a day to serve The Stone Church by serving in the Stone Quarry (Kid's Ministry) or taken the weekend and helped out with an outreach or a work day. Dozens and dozens of you have made the drive to worship with us on a Sunday morning, bringing energy, life and love to us from the south side. You have given thousands of dollars to help sustain the ministry, and words cannot even begin to capture our gratitude. Your text messages, social media posts, and notes of encouragement do just that, they encourage us. Do you know what I've come to know more deeply to be true? Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life. And because of you, my family's life continues to point in a God-honoring direction and despite the "losses" we are richly blessed and lavishly loved. Don't forget us because we will never forget you! Sawyer, our nearly three year old enjoys watching ants and poking their castles. When he first discovered these little creatures from hell (that's why they are called fire ants by the way) I would alertly try and stop him from messing with them. I knew what he didn't yet know--fire ants hurt like, well, fire! But I eventually grew weary of trying to prevent him from experiencing the pain and since he was so determined to take the writer of Proverbs words of wisdom to heart: "Go to the ant you...", I decided that it was probably best that he learn the lesson first hand.
No matter how many seminars you attend, books you read, or counselors you seek there are some things you cannot learn any other way except by experience. Before Tracie and I set out on this adventure to replant a church two years ago in June 2013 we had nearly 18 years of ministry experience. I have attended numerous seminars and listened to countless sermons and messages. I got an M.Div from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and have completed a good portion of my Doctor of Ministry from Denver Seminary. I've read lots of books and written dozens and dozens of papers. But there are some things you can know but not know. To truly know things have to be lived. Over the next several posts I will be sharing some of the things that I've learned over the last two years--the first two years of replanting a church. Perhaps some things will make you laugh and hopefully something will encourage you. But even if none of that happens, it is good for me to process these last 730 or so days. I'll tell you now that they have been some of the most faith building days ever--even if we've been stung by a few fire ants along the way. |
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