It’s late and I don’t have much left - this day has worn me out. While I’m dead tired, my mind is still racing from this morning. I’m just overwhelmed with gratitude. As I reflect on this morning, and wrapping up our first year in meeting in the theaters I’m grateful for:
- Our amazing God who continues to blow my mind with how much he loves us.
- The movement that is C3. C3 Church you stepped up big-time. Not only did you deliver the food and supplies, but in many cases you added to it. For people who needed help you paid utility bills, rent, and mortgages. You helped people with Dr’s for checkups and tests. Some of you even helped people who were unemployed find a job. Then, you invited people to experience C3 with you today, and as a result they experienced God. You even provided their kids with Christmas gifts. You’ve made loving God and loving others have traction in people’s lives. Your love for God and others is contagious and you’ll roll through Christmas this week knowing you’ve made someones life better.
- January 4, 2009 - that’s right, I’m already grateful for it. Even though it hasn’t happened yet, I know what we’re planning and I believe God’s going to use it to change even more lives. Remember, next weekend we have no gatherings so be ready Jan. 4 and bring people with you!
In the midst of deep gratitude I’m also burdened. I’d like to ask you to pray for a couple of needs I’m aware of. One of the families we’ve been helping is scheduled to be evicted Christmas Eve. Please pray that God provides the necessary funds for them. Also, another one of the families we’ve been helping experienced a tragedy this week. The Mom in this family ended her own life. For her husband and three kids Christmas will be very different now. There are constant reminders all around us that people desperately need Christ - and to know his deep love. Let’s share that love this week.
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There are moments in life where you just know. They are rare. Those times when it’s beyond description… and you just know. This coming weekend at C3 Church is going to be beyond reality. God is going to do something huge. Lives will be radically changed, families will experience hope for the first time in a long time, children will be excited about life… and a movement will become even more.
C3 - this Sunday we have a rare opportunity. There are people you know - your neighbors, work associates, classmates, family members - who desperately need to know the love of Christ and how he longs to know them. They will come this Sunday just because it’s Christmas. They will come… only if you invite them. In the rush of the holidays, with all that is to be done, please don’t skip the most important things - thinking about Christ, spending time with family, and inviting others to a worship experience this Sunday. Think about it, you could help someone experience their very first Christmas as a follower of Christ.
So, this Sunday 100 families will be helped with food and basic necessities, and they will hear about the love of Christ and have an opportunity to know him personally. And, hundreds more that we invite will also have the opportunity to meet Christ. This will be one of the most important Sundays in the life of C3. As a pastor, sometimes God lets you in on what he’s about to do… I’ve seen it and this Sunday is going to be huge for many. This Sunday at C3 people will move from death to life - will it be someone that you invite? Every single day invite someone to meet you at C3 Church this Sunday!
Last night during dinner we were talking about “Christmas Vacation” and the C3 devo for the night. The discussion turned as a couple of the kids began to have “more intense discussion” (don’t know if that ever happens w/your family during dinner). It stopped when I said, “Nate, say something nice about Kayleigh.“ Then every person at the table, one at a time said something nice about her. Of course, everyone wanted to be next. We spent some time with each person hearing something nice from everyone at the table.
I watched something happen.
I saw the power of words.
What I saw was more moving that what I heard. I watched the countenance of faces change, the atmosphere became lighter. Last night at dinner every person in my family was encouraged - I heard things I really needed to hear, and I believe each person did. It struck me that we had each heard more kind things last night than many people hear in week… or much longer.
Our home is crazy hectic - a pastor’s home with 4 full of energy kids and a bride with a million talents, and a husband that’s got to be worth 4 more kids - it really is crazy… but it’s crazy good. This Christmas season I pray that in all the business we take the time to love and encourage those who mean so much.
C3 - Sunday’s flyin at us - invest and invite!!!
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After a number of conversations with pastors lately, I’m wrestling with some things I’m noticing. Here are just a few thoughts.
Pastor, your primary job is to please God. That’s done by serving him, passionately reaching people, and relentlessly pursuing the vision he’s given you for your life/church/ministry. I’m over pastors who work so hard to impress other pastors. Rather than “networking” to build a resume, what if we spent our time loving God and loving others - what if we bragged on Jesus more than on ourselves, our numbers, and our plans.
If you’re considering being a pastor - please understand there’s nothing like it in the world. You’ll have the privilege of stepping into peoples lives to help them by pointing them to Christ. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Make sure this is what you were born to do, not just something you think would be cool.
- Let God define your vision - don’t just take one from somebody else. Seriously, I think so many churches are in trouble b/c so many pastors are either lazy or impatient. Laziness means I don’t want to do the hard work of finding out what God wants from me/my church. Impatient means I want to “arrive” so others will notice me, so I don’t want to take the time to search God and his plan, I’ll just jump on another train and pretend it’s mine. If you’re “lazy” or “impatient” (as defined above) - do us all a favor and don’t become a pastor.
- No matter what you do now, you can’t fully understand the role of, pressure of, joy of, or burden of a Senior Pastor until you are one. Just b/c you’ve run a business doesn’t mean you have a clue about how to run a church. Just b/c you sit at the table on a staff, doesn’t mean you have any idea what it is to sit in “that” chair. I’ve been a Student Pastor, Senior Associate Pastor and Interim Pastor and guess what - none of them are the Senior Pastor… not even close. The temptation is to look at that role and think “I could do that“ - maybe… but only if God’s called you, not if you think you’ve got “what it takes“. If your pastor makes it look easy it’s b/c he’s either passionately following God and has a confidence in Christ from which he leads, or he’s lazy and doing nothing. You’ll never know in a month what he lives in a moment.
- Finally, this one’s huge - listen and be teachable. It blows my mind the guys who want to talk to me who really just want to talk at me. Recently I talked with two guys - they were worlds apart. One pastors a church in FL and drove over to check out C3 - this guy is the real deal. He’s older and wiser than I am and leading a church with record growth, but he wanted to learn whatever little bit he could learn from C3. We’re not growing as much as he has, he has much more experience in effective leadership and yet he’s still hungry to learn. I was blessed just to talk with him. The other guy I talked with… well really he hasn’t done much but try hard to make others think he’s got it all figured out. In our discussion I didn’t tell him anything he didn’t already know. He is phenom at one thing - self promotion… and it wore me out. Please, no matter how big and bad you get, please always be hungry to learn and more passionate about the movement you lead than impressing us.
I think I feel better… for now. Seriously, I communicate with tons of pastors each month. Many want to know how we transitioned a church or what it’s like to be portable, or why we sold a 20 acre campus to become portable - I love these discussions. If you want to connect and talk through these and other issues - I would absolutely love it. Just know two things - I’m probably going to ask you more questions than you ask me (I have a deep hunger to learn from you) and… if you already have all the answers and you just want to impress me… I’m busy getting my hair done.
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It’s been a crazy busy day and still flyin. Today:
- Took Ang for some tests today (not educational
).
- Our creative team talked through C3’s weekend experiences. After “Christmas Vacation” we’re having a kickin service on January 4, then launching “Mosaic” on January 11 (you’ll hear more soon).
- I’m really pumped about what I’m going to be sharing this weekend at C3 - this message has huge potential for major impact in our lives as we look at another element of Christmas Vacation.
- Accepted speaking engagements for a couple of conferences in ‘09 - one in LA and the other in DC. I love connecting with pastors who want to make a difference doing what they were born to do - this will be a blast.
- Still decorating more… still.
All that is about to slow down, because our family is about to have a “manger moment.” Tonight, here’s what we’re discussing from C3’s Noisy Night devo:
Jeremiah 29:11 tells us “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’” The reality of this verse can get lost in all our busyness. Give each member of your family an opportunity to share what the primary source of stress is in their lives.
C3 - Sunday’s going to be awesome… invite like crazy to get those you care about there!
