Should I Start A Church?

My son Ryder putting the signs out

Church planting certainly has its ups and downs.  On one particularly down day, I seriously wanted to quit.  God encouraged me by saying, “You’re a trailblazer.”

I didn’t know anything about trailblazing except this:  a trailblazer has to go first.

When we first moved to Virginia, my kids and I were constantly overwhelmed by the amount of trees and the denseness of the endless forests.  We’d often comment, "How did the settlers ever get anywhere?!"  It was apparent a good portion of their time was spent clearing the land and blazing trails.

What is a trailblazer?

trailblazers  plural of trail·blaz·er (Noun)

1. A person who makes a new track through wild country. 2. A pioneer; an innovator. 3. One that blazes a trail to guide others1

When I looked up the word and read the definition, I was motivated to keep going! Giving up was NOT an option.  God’s assignment for me was to plant this new church in “wild country” and He considered me innovative – wow!  Let’s do this!

The apostle Paul was a trailblazer extraordinaire.  He knew he was called to go first.  He preached in heathen cities to hostile crowds, endured incredible hardship, and said bold things like “Follow me as I follow Christ.” (I Cor. 11:1) We know Paul started 14 churches in different cities, and it’s very likely he started more. 

Why we need trailblazers

Many of us love to walk on well-worn nature trails, enjoying the beauty and fresh air that surrounds us.  But have you ever taken the time to consider the hard work that went into building that trail?  Someone had to do the dirty, sweaty, backbreaking work to make something wonderful for future nature lovers to enjoy.

Church planters are pioneers.  Led by the Holy Spirit, they go to a particular area and do the hard work necessary to make sure that for generations to come, people will have a place to find Jesus, worship corporately and enjoy the presence of God.

  

What does a trailblazer do?²

1) Surveys the area for the potential trails; walks the area and takes note of potential hazards.  It’s no different for church planters.  At Three in One, we are currently “surveying” the area near our theatre for the best place to build our church.  We go in with eyes wide open to risks and problems that may arise. Lots of prayer walks to come!

2) Draws a rough map of the trail, realizing adjustments may be necessary.  With any new life venture, writing down the mission and vision is key to success. 

3) Clears the area, beginning with the largest things first (trees, rocks), then the brush, then the weeds. 

To future church planters, the first obstacles are obvious: gathering a core team, raising the finances, etc.  It’s when you get to the removing-the-weeds stage where things get really difficult.  Weeds in a church can be negativity, gossip, someone who stirs up division, etc.  The best way to weed the wrong people out is to do more outreach—the people who are in your church for the wrong reasons want nothing to do with loving and serving people outside of the church. 

4) Builds bridges across the wet, low-lying areas (use what's already there to make your bridge--logs, stepping stones, etc.)

Be a church who “builds bridges” in your community.  Find ways to come alongside others in the area who are in line with why Jesus came—to set captives free (ex. help in drug rehab program) and to heal the brokenhearted (ex. Minister in nursing homes). 

James 1:27 is another standard of where to be in your community.  “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” This can look like serving in local feeding programs, school tutoring/mentoring programs, homeless shelters, etc.

5) Marks the trail with signs

Every Sunday morning at 7:30 am, my son and I drive around the community near our church and put our church sandwich board signs in strategic spots.  After all, what’s the point of having a church if no one knows you’re there? I can’t tell you how many people have come to our church saying, “I saw the signs!”

The best “signs” your church has are your people.  It’s important to create a culture where people learn the power and payoff of inviting people to church and sharing their salvation stories with friends, family, and even strangers.

Are you ready to be the person who goes first?  Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." If God has called you to plant a church OR start a new business OR be the first one in your family to serve Christ, OR ,fill-in-the-blank,  He thinks you are a trailblazer!  That’s pretty cool!  Now, go blaze that trail!

¹ http://www.memidex.com/trailblazers

² http://www.trails.com/how_2436_build-trails.html  

What to Expect When You’re Expecting - Part 2 "The Good Stuff"

In my last blog I talked about what hardships you can expect in your life when you’re expecting to do a great work for God. I’ll admit, the post came off a bit “Debby Downer,” but if you’re like me, you don’t want things sugarcoated. Even Jesus told his disciples, “In this world you will have troubles, but take heart, I have overcome the world!”*

I’ve saved the best news for last. Let’s look at “the good stuff” in Nehemiah’s story. As you’ll see, when you obey God you can absolutely expect His help! 

God will send unlikely people to help you 

King Artaxerxes noticed that Nehemiah, his cupbearer, was “deeply troubled”* and asked him why. When Nehemiah explained how Jerusalem lay in ruins, the king asked how he could help. The king proceeded to give him time off, letters of recommendation, timber, and an armed guard. Did you see that--a heathen king helping his Jewish servant? That’s favor from an unlikely source!

Leaders will follow you

As Nehemiah describes the various people that helped build the wall, nine of the men were specifically referred to as “leaders.”* Why does that matter? Accomplishing a great work for God may require partnering with people of influence. “Influencers” can mobilize their followers. God will bring you “influencers” to help you raise the army needed to do the work.

People will be willing to work outside their specific talents to do the work that’s needed

A goldsmith, a perfume maker, priests, and merchants all became carpenters to help accomplish Nehemiah’s vision. One man even brought his daughters to help repair part of the wall, which back-in-the-day was considered “man’s work.” When you have a God-given vision, Spirit-led people will do whatever it takes to help you see it through.

You will develop a heart for the oppressed and even do something about it 

During a recent famine in Israel, the poor borrowed money at high interest rates from their wealthy family members just to survive. To pay back the debt, some were forced to sell their children into slavery! Nehemiah found out and was furious! He strongly rebuked those greedy relatives and demanded change. Because Nehemiah had proven himself a worthy leader, the people repented and changed their ways. What do you call that? A beautiful and unexpected side effect of obeying God!

My Nehemiah Experience

Just as my husband and I have experienced the difficulties of ministry, we’ve also seen God do all the “good stuff”. The unlikely people He’s sent our way to help, the gifted and talented leaders who serve alongside us . . . well, it’s miraculous. I’m always amazed how people will humbly serve to make our church plant succeed—getting up early to help transform our movie theatre into a church, helping with childcare, ushering, greeting, tearing down after service, etc. 

God also sent us an unlikely supporter--Joel Osteen. We’d only been a church for a few months when I produced a segment with the Osteen’s for The 700 Club. They found out I was a pastor’s wife, we talked about a few common friends we shared, and voila! Matt and I were invited to a private meeting with local pastors, given front row seats at his local “Night of Hope,” invited to become a Champion’s Network church and attend a CN pastors' conference at Lakewood Church. My husband and I eagerly attended and found ourselves laughing at the improbability of us being there. Looking around, pastors with mega-churches and multi-site campus churches surrounded us—and there we were, with our unknown little church plant of 200 people. Only God! 

My unexpected side effect of starting a church? I’ve developed a heart for women and children suffering from domestic violence. Before 3n1 Church, this cause was nowhere on my radar! While searching for some local community groups where our women could volunteer, I came across the H.E.R. Shelter, a temporary home for families escaping abusive situations. We’ve been working there almost 2 years, and I absolutely love these women and children!

I sincerely hope you will stick with the call of God on your life. It will be hard and you will be tempted to quit (BIG understatement). But if you will hold on to your God-given vision with the tenacity of a bulldog and the stubbornness of a mule, you will see God do unbelievable miracles. Keep expecting! 

* John 16:33
*facts taken from Nehemiah 2-4

What to Expect When You’re Expecting

Part 1. . . “The Hard Stuff”

Are you expecting God to use you in a powerful way? To do something significant? To help build the kingdom of God? Nehemiah also felt God’s call to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. His story gives us a sneak peak into the hardships we can expect to face when we attempt a great work for God:

The enemy will assign some “good” people to be your enemies.

Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official were well respected by the people of Judah. Tobiah’s father-in-law was a bigshot, and his son married a woman from an important family. Tobiah was even known for his “good deeds.”* Yet, these “good" men sent threatening letters, spread false rumors, tried to accuse and discredit Nehemiah, and plotted to harm him.

Scoffers and mockers will have some unpleasant things to say about you.

Sanballat ridiculed the work saying, "What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they're doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?" *

Tobiah also chimes in, "That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!"*

Be ready for a  fight.

Nehemiah quickly realizes the dangerous building conditions and encourages his people, "Don't be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!"*

People will complain that the work is not happening fast enough.

The people who were once working enthusiastically now whined, "The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves."*

The enemy will try to find your weak spot and expose it.

Nehemiah’s enemies threatened, "Before they know what's happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work."*

Physically, you will be stretched to the max.

Nehemiah records, “We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard . . . During this time, none of us—not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me—ever took off our clothes.”*When you don’t even have time to change your clothes—that’s serious!

My “Nehemiah” experience:

My husband and I started a church in 2009. We’ve experienced similar attacks from the enemy, although our “fight” never required us to hold an actual weapon and no one plotted “physical” harm against us. Instead, we’ve had to fight in prayer using God’s word.

Likewise, I’ve never had to work so hard that I couldn’t change my clothes—thank the Lord! But I have worked so hard that my body & mind began to break down, requiring extra trips to the doctor and to the counselor!

I never expected that planting a church would be so challenging. After all, we were obeying God’s call! Didn’t that assure us of His unlimited favor, blessing, and open doors? Instead, we felt blindsided by the insidious attacks of the enemy many times, and we questioned if we even heard God in the first place. Should we continue to fight for this church plant or should we give up?

For me, Nehemiah’s experience is a reality check. First of all, why should I think doing God’s work would be an easy thing? There is no great work accomplished in the Bible that didn’t require hard work, perseverance, and significant sacrifice—for instance, look at Noah, Moses, Esther, David, Mary, Stephen, Paul, etc. At the same time, I need to be like Nehemiah and trust that God will help us to build this wall and complete the work.

*all scriptures taken from Nehemiah ch. 3 & 4
Look for the follow up blog, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” Part 2, “The Good Stuff”

Doing Church in a Movie Theatre

I’ve always loved going to the movies. If you know my husband Matt and me, you know that if there is a halfway decent movie out, that’s where we’ll be on a Friday night. The BEST date night for me would include a Lime-Cilantro Chicken salad from Nordstrom Café, a little time to walk it off in the mall (to work up an appetite), a movie (a British chick-flick is the ultimate), popcorn, Diet Coke, Jr. Mints & Peanut M&M’s.

Growing up, I wasn’t allowed to go to the movies (the exceptions were Sound of Music and Chariots of Fire because of their spiritual content—I love you mom!). I mean, what if Jesus were to return and we were in a theatre—would I make the rapture?! But times change . . .

I married a man who loves a good story. So, even when we were practically living on minimum wage, we always budgeted for a trip to the movies on date nights. Over the years, my Regal Crown club card has earned its share of free drinks, popcorns, and movies! Now, the cinema, aka “my happy place,” is giving back in an even bigger way! How ironic that we would start a church that meets in a Regal theatre? How amazing that almost 200 churches nationwide now meet in theatres!

I’m thrilled to be part of a theatre church! If you are thinking about going to church in a theatre or starting a church in a theatre, here are the positives:

· Cup holders! We let our people bring in coffee/drinks, and this is comforting to an “unchurched” person. Seriously, when we’re clapping or raising our hands during worship, visitors can hold their cup and not experience that awkward “what-do-I-do-with-my-hands” moment.

· Huge, clean bathrooms!

· Big screens—we have 2 projectors and use the entire screen. People are so used to looking at the screen now and even prefer it. We’re betting that we can simulcast into another theatre and our congregation will still have a similar “my pastor is in the room” experience. Which leads to. . .

· Room to grow—there are multiple theatres still available. Right now, we use 3 theatres—one for adults, one for teens, and one for children. As the main service grows, we hope to have a second worship team in a 4^th theatre, and we will simulcast the message.

· Non-threatening environment to unchurched people—Some people might be intimidated to go into a church building but are very comfortable walking into a local theatre.

· Unifying—Every week our set up team works hard to transform the lobby, hallways, theatres, and 3 storage rooms (nursery, tots, & pre-k’s) into a church! Some might see having to set up/tear down your church every Sunday as a negative, but I’ve found it to be incredibly unifying. These volunteers become like family. One young man came to set up after spending the evening in the ER, and he was clearly in pain. I said, “Allen, what are you doing? You should be home in bed!” He said with a smile, “I’m here for the service, the church service. That’s what we call it, right?” I was blown away.

· Forces you outside the church walls, because you don’t have any! We focus on small groups inside people’s homes; we use Barnes and Noble, Starbucks, or Panera for staff or counseling meetings; we go TO the community for outreach and don’t wait for them to come to us.

· Your people learn that the church is NOT A BUILDING—it’s the body of Christ. Where does God live? In my heart, NOT in a building. I am the sanctuary of God.

· Personally, I look forward to the set-up time each week. On Sunday mornings, my teenage daughter Skye and I drop Dad off at the theatre at 7 am and head over to Starbucks for 30 minutes of latte’s and girl time. Then, my daughter sets up all the classrooms for the little ones. This time is very special to me, and I’m so proud of my daughter really “owning” this ministry.

Want to hear the negatives?

· I miss having a larger, deeper stage area for the performing arts (I’m a sucker for cool lighting & funky background décor). On the plus side, we put our efforts into making videos since we have such BIG screens!

· I leave church craving popcorn REALLY BAD! They make a fresh batch just as we leave, and it smells sooooooooo good.

My unedited "In the Green Room" Interview with Andy Stanley

CLICK HERE to watch the interview on Vimeo.

Before Andy Stanley's live appearance on the 700 Club, I asked him some questions in the green room. Andy is the pastor of North Point Ministries in the Atlanta area. Each Sunday over 20,000 adults attend worship service at one of their 3 campuses. To watch the iPad band at his church (which he mentions in our conversation), click here.

If you want to see the interview that appeared on CBN's website, click here.