34459 Day 151

ctk-dorchester

the last two days have been dedicated to current events, now back to my real life.  
i had the chance to meet with dan, the lead pastor of ctk-dorchester.  

yes, that is correct, there is a church plant in dorchester called Christ the King.  happens to be presbyterian and planted from a church in cambridge which was planted from tim keller's church in new york.

they are here for good reasons and are clearly doing good things in the neighborhood.  they also have a few members who live on our block which is kind of fun.

the best part of the conversation was when i had a chance to talk about i/we do with sojourn and i was able to draw out our "missional map".  he was really impressed with it and said: "i've seen a lot of people get really excited about campus ministry and they always have some new idea, but it is either not that new or not that interesting...this, though, is really interesting to me."  awesome!

32859 Day 136

deliberate_simplicity

had some down time around the offices this afternoon during the sojourn board meeting and i discovered this:

apparently, the reunion staff is reading through it, which is very cool. it's awesome to see something i was apart of pre-boston having an influence on life in boston and not just because it was my personal experience (if that makes any sense).

for those of you who don't know/can't remember i was a part of a ctk plant here =)

and if anyone questions my street cred then check this out: i have a copy of the book from when it looked like this...

29259 Day 100

community_group

for the past year and a half amy and i have had the opportunity and privilege to lead a reunion community group in our neighborhood. i kind of proudly enjoy the fact that people were excited about this group starting but not sure how it would fly. not only did we survive but this group has thrived...from the point of being the odd man out (when we started they had to create a new area on the map =), to now being an extremely viable group. pretty cool. on top of that, this group allowed me to make a very smooth transition from ctk-durango to boston. just a bunch of notorious sinners trying to participate in God's resurrection in our neighborhood in Boston.

thanks for being a great group to lead, for being wonderful friends, and we look forward to a lot of great times to come!

12059

close...

...that's how i feel about so many things...getting closer to the wedding date...closer to locking down a place to live and a job in boston...closer to leaving durango and CTK...closer, closer, almost, almost...

...it's been a weird tension for a while, but is becoming more tangible and palpable all the time.

pray for sanity and the clarification of some of these "almosts"...especially the job and the house!

thanks

11659

- i feel really blessed and encouraged after a great easter yesterday. our easter service was a lot of fun, with a great turnout of people, a full band (or close to it!)...and, this is difficult to describe, but a feeling of "rightness" about our new place and time. i don't know if that is the correct word, but it just feels natural and good when we are together on sunday mornings at matt's house.

- after our celebration, i went over to dave and cathy johnson's and got to eat a delicious easter meal with the johnson family, which is always a joy and priviledge. while hanging with them i got the distinct impression for the second week in a row that chip and jenn and family are in a good place and in good hands here in durango. while i was never going to be able to "take care of them," it does encourage me, as i leave, to see that they are well cared for in ministry and family life. very cool!!

- then, i spent the rest of the afternoon with some of the young couples in our church. we ate (i ate well yesterday!), played music together, and had some great times. there were a couple of moments where i imagined that this community will still be together, eating and playing music, months from now, when i am long gone, and that also was an encouragement to me. real community has been formed here. also very cool!!

- these are things that make me very happy.

pictures:

11559

- it's been a busy few days...here's a run down of recent events:

- spent a great week with amy...we got our invitations done and bought wedding bands...very cool!

- we had our first sunday morning service...it felt very natural and normal.

- we met with Patrick Crossing people to discuss some more future possibilities and partnerships.

- i drafted my fantasy baseball team (the centerpiece of which is Matt Holliday)...hopefully this will be another winner.

- now, it's back to the grind! 

- here are some pictures

 

the new place:

- Hanging out and Invitations:

11159

wrapping up a big weekend...

1) we called last sunday (2/17) vision cast 2008...we said we wanted to continue practicing the habits of worship, community, and service, maximizing what we do through authenticity (in the spirit of love, acceptance, and forgiveness) and accessibility (by widening the metaphorical side and front doors of our church). this week we talked about what that looks like: namely, open small groups that are actively praying for the people about to come, and moving our weekend service to Sunday mornings. Sunday mornings accomplishes two things for us: a) it seems a better time for the people we are attracting, and b) it allows us to further partner and cooperate with matthew's house and patrick's crossing...an opportunity we are very, very excited about.

2) along those lines, the church co-op idea is gaining some steam...last night, in partnership with PC, we were able to screen the film Lord, Save Us From Your Followers. the response to the film was very positive overall (a few people walked out and the crowd was definitely made up of church people...not a bad audience for the film, actually), and i think the big take away was that there are some churches in this town who are in to cooperating and sharing resources, as opposed to competing against each other. pretty cool!

3) my thoughts on the film: quality production...i would have focused on some issues less and others more, but still a great effort. some people who did a great job (i.e. they were thoughtful, dignified, and passionate in a positive way): tony campolo, john perkins, bono, rick warren, and al franken. others did not come off so good...no need to name names. if you have the opportunity to see it this summer, i would strongly suggest it...you will cringe, feel embarrassed and angry, but also moved and inspired.

4) here's an interesting article, especially after watching this movie: evangelicals

5) new podcast page! we're trying to get the last two weeks on there as soon as possible.

peace

11059

- ctk-durango and patrick's crossing have the priviledge of hosting a screening of this film on monday at the abbey theatre. check out the trailer...

- we hope this will provide a unique opportunity to dialogue with some folks who are suspicious of organized religion...

10959

i couldn't be more encouraged with church right now:

- i am very excited with our direction

- i feel like i have a grip on what i need to "do" for the next three months (yes, my last sunday is exactly three months away...crazy)

- i love the group of leaders who are stepping up or taking on bigger roles

- i wish i could share more details, but those will have to wait until next week

other thoughts...

- i couldn't resist...i signed up for Yahoo! Winner's League 20045...bring it on suckers!

- i love driving with chip to farmington...great conversations

- it's finally warming up and i love watching the snow melt away =)

- i'm so pleased that anna got to meet nina...finally

- do the giants really think bengie molina is a clean up hitter?  there has to be someone else!

- it was good to see ryder at church tonight

- i'm feeling deep gratitude for the generosity of the waley's

- 45 or so beers to go (you know what i'm talking about!)

peace...

10659 snow_day part II

- this weekend i was in seattle/mount vernon, washington, for the CTK Arrows Out Conference. we (chip, dave, steve) had a great time, were energized by some great conversations, and made some big decisions regarding the future of our church...our reward: an even worse storm than last weekend has descended on durango...

...and so we are stuck in denver.

- the good news is we got to see the super bowl (great game, by the way). we also aren't missing too much because everything has shut down in durango (tomorrow will be another snow day for the school district...the second time in a week, after eleven years with no snow days!! that should tell you how bad this storm is!)

- the bad news is we just want to go home! please pray we can make it tomorrow...



ps. we made it back!!! thank you Jesus.

- here are a few pictures from the conference:

- waiting at the airport (notice the weather update!)

- in front of my apartment (a lot of snow, but not nearly as impressive as in chip's neighborhood)

10559 snow_day

picture time!

- it's been snowing a ton!  today they shut the schools down (snow day!), which almost never happens (no snow days last winter, for example).  here are some photos from around my apartment complex (hardly the heaviest hit area)

outside my front door:  

my car:

the mailboxes:

- also, last night we had a little party for joe...a send off if you will...since this is one of the last times the three of us will be at church together we took some pictures...very nice!

serious men of the word

not as serious!

10459

weekend thoughts...

- pacific pride: the tigers (5-1 conference, 14-5 overall) are back in the mid-major top 25!
(they are #22)

- getting excited for the CTK Arrows Out Conference next weekend.

- i enjoyed the anna v. john paul debate on the last post (see the comments on 10359 if you missed it)

- i recieved my first Durango jury duty summons (i call tomorrow to see if i was selected for monday)

- finally, and most importantly, if you read this before 6 pm (MST) on Sunday (1-27) please pray for me! i'm teaching on john 4. thanks...

10259

- thanks to those who left comments/emailed in response to 10159. i appreciate the bio suggestions and husband advice. now, my apologies for a longer post...

...most of the readers of this blog are aware of this, but for clarity's sake, i'll reiterate this fact: i am getting married in june and then moving to boston, which means that my CTK time is coming to an end. a frequent topic of conversation with amy has to do with me leaving CTK and going to another church (in fact this was a big part of our conversation last night). as i mentioned in the last post, a major thought swirling about in my head right now concerns how to leave durango well. that sounds like a really nice thing to say, but much harder to know what exactly that looks like.

some classic advice on the subject goes along these lines: "you want to leave_____better than when you got there." well, that's not too hard (or too helpful) as there was nothing here before and now there is something. other classic advice has to do with maintaining relationships and not burning bridges...this is really important (as i've learned before), and i will try with all my heart to do this well.

further complicating the issue is that this is an interesting time for CTK-Durango, as we are experiencing our first season of big change, especially in the original core of people who moved here to start this campus. it is a little scary, but also exciting to watch as new leaders emerge (or as people just take on more responsibility). it is hard to be part of the reason that this transition has to happen, but i want to try to be helpful in this moment as much as possible.

so while there are definite areas where i can be helpful, the trickier issue for me as i leave, i htink, is going to be my attitude towards the new church community i join. i am really excited about amy's church, reunion. they are a church plant and they have the same 3 core values that CTK holds. i've met some of the staff and they seem like really cool people. i think what they are doing is great and i resonate with a lot of their philosophies and their approach to minsitry.

but i still sense a bitterness and frustration creeping into my soul. will i be able to just "go" to church? will i be able to submit to leaders i don't know as well as i know here? will i be able to be a part of a church that i am not actively shaping/leading? i struggle with these questions right now.

i know that i don't want to be that guy that sits in the back with his arms crossed thinking "i used to do this," or "i could do this better." i don't want to be the "crabby-ex-church-planter" guy contsantly quoting the churchy books i've and criticizing everything i see. dear Lord, i don't want to be that guy. but i know that it can be so easy for me to be that guy.

a couple of weeks ago, in farmington, we were studying Luke 14:25-27, about the cost of following Jesus. again and again, Jesus points out that we cannot follow him on our own terms doing what we feel is comfortable. it will not be comfortable for me to go to another church at first, but i am trusting that at some point (hopefully sooner than later, especially for Amy's sake) i will be able to do this.

i know that church leadership is always going to be part of my life and i believe it is also part of my future. on wednesday night, on the way to farmington, chip spoke some amazing words of affirmation into my life about this very thing. last night, when i was going off about not wanting to be "crabby-ex-chuch-planter" guy, amy said, very profoundly, something to the extent of "you might be crabby but i think adding the 'ex' part is wrong." i needed to hear that.

well, that's my life right now...apologies again for the length. so, new comment thread: advice (please) on how to leave a place well, and how not to be a crabby member of reunion.

09659

- Check out our new office! we've moved down the street (from 11th and main to 8th and main)...and in doing so have we have become office neighbors with two ministries allies, Patrick's Crossing and Matthew's House...i think this will be a strategic and healthy move for us: we have more space, less rent, and cool people to talk to and walk through the ups and downs of ministry with...here are a few pictures!

09459

- to everyone who has offered their congratulations over the last week: a big thank you!!!

- we're starting an advent series this week...going liturgical for a few weeks...already it's begun to affect my thinking.  a couple of early thoughts: a lot of Christmas is built around familiar and long standing traditions (many of which are great) but the original Christmas is about God doing something new.  

a question i've been wrestling with is: what is something new God is calling me to do this Christmas season?  

which leads me into the next thought...approaching Christmas as a season and not an event or a day.  it seems so much of my own thinking centers around this big event or day that i feel stressed out about or rushed (with traveling, shopping, etc) by the time i actually get to it.  i feel this season that i might actually be "ready" in the sense of anticipating what God might do.

-the podcast is back for those of you listen to it.  the link is to the right.  

peace! 

09259

Food Night is Awesome!





































- Book Recommendation: i recently finished an excellent book, The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality by Ronald Rolheiser. he's a catholic priest, so about 2 percent of the theology is a little wierd, but that's good for us too! thought provoking, deep, challenging, and affirming, i think he has a lot to say in the conversation about christian spirituality.

- Music Review: i love the new angels and airwaves album, "I-Empire". what little music snob is still left in me says i should hate this music (the sound is huge and relatively one-dimensional, the lyrics are overwhelmingly positive, and the melodies are relentlessly catchy), but i can't help it...i love everything about it.

that's it for now...peace!

08859

- i have had an interesting journey this last week...the theme sems to be opportunities...here’s a snapshot...

...monday through thursday was spent, in part, preparing for and helping to pull off the annual fall fundraiser for the manna house. i’ve had the opportunity to serve on the board for six months now and i’ve struggled with my participation there for the following reasons:

a) i’m two decades younger than anyone else on the board
b) i have had a short term of service
c) i’ve never served on a board before and i’ve struggled with board “culture”
d) serving on the board seems to be a distraction from what is really important to me, namely building relationships with the clients

...but on thursday we raised over $9,000 and put on a great event...i got to show my promo video and meet a lot of the volunteers that make manna happen. new ideas are starting to surface...in a forrest gump moment i became the chairman of the planning committee and i’m starting to see how that influence can be leveraged. a month ago i saw little purpose for board membership but now i’m seeing how hanging in there with this opportunity could lead to some really cool things...

...friday i found out that a seemingly promising job opportunity fell through. by my count, this is the third serious job opportunity that hasn’t worked out here in durango. each opportunity would have altered (i.e. diminished) my role with the church. on friday and saturday i was pretty bummed, wondering why this opportunity had even come up and if i’d ever “get my chance.”

...back to thursday: chip and i met to do our yearly ctk staff evaluations...i’ve always struggled with feeling underutilized in my various ministry opportunities, but i left that meeting realizing that i’ve grossly underestimated my role in what is happening with our church community.

...sunday: rick snodgrass (head of ctk-usa) was in town last night to hang out with us and strengthen our connection with “headquarters.” rick is a super-encouraging man with an amazing story of his own. it was awesome to hear about how the ctk story continues to unfold in colorado (new mexico!), washington, and around the world. rick continually used the word “movement” to describe the ctk story.

...the thought i’m left with after all of this is that it is a privilege to play a role in this story...to be, in some small way, a part of a movement...and that this is my opportunity and i couldn’t be any more grateful for it.

08559

- we've been doing this thing at church once a month that we've creatively titled "food night." that's pretty much what it's all about...a night of food...people sitting at tables, eating great food, talking, hanging out, getting to know each other better. even in a small church these moments are so important even if there isn't a secific "program" going on...just people getting to know each other a little better and enjoying excellent food.

- post-season baseball thoughts...i know if my hope for a rockies/red sox takes place you are going to hear a lot of stuff like this: "red sox huge payroll pays off," "red-hot rockies roll into the world series." (in fact, i should send those headlines into si.com). but while many may write off their successes as payroll driven (sox) or lucky/hot streak (rocks), and while there are a million factors that make a good team (pitching, especially starting pitching cannot be understimated), the ability of both of their lineups to make pitchers work is the element that stands out to me. if anyone does watch these teams play you will see a ton of patient at-bats, lots of full counts, lots of good pitches spoiled by foul balls, and lots of walks. from top to bottom both line-ups are relentless in their patient approach...something i hope the giants take into consideration this offseason.

- new jimmy eat world on tuesday...the good music keeps rolling out this year!

07559

- last night we were not able to have our normal sunday evening worship "in" the rec center due to their week of maintenance (when the whole facility shuts down)...we were under the impression it would be open by sunday, but we were wrong! in a bit of improv we moved over to the amphitheater and set up there. during our worship run-through the sun beat down on us and the sweat poured from our bodies. at about 5:30 a mighty gust of wind came up, blowin ominous looking clouds onto the horizon. chip and i put our heads together and in a moment of panic decided to cancel the whole thing. music was getting blown silverton, dust was flying all around, a downpour seemed imminent.

then 6 rolled around and we conceded to do the music. and then the winds died and the rain held off and the weather was near perfect for the next hour and fifteen minutes. i feel like there are a lot of conclusions to draw from this moment (for example: hold loosly to your own plans and ideas of what is good and makes "church" happen)...but mostly i walked away from last night loving, once again, our people and how no one complained ever about what was going on (except for me) and how down and flexible they are for whatever gets thrown our way. they are amazing.



























- also...this is really great:

07459

- yesterday was the second annual (it's kind of cool to have a second annual something) CTK Durango Boat Day! we all went up to Lake Vallecito and played in the water and feasted on great food and had a wonderful time together.



































- other news and notes: the premier league started it's new season this weekend...arsenal got off to a good start with a 2-1 victory...lot's of good music coming out this week: new dave and tim, new caedmon's call with derek webb...crowder coming soon...

...but more importantly: i get to see amy in 3 days!