Wandering on the CityEdge

Disciple in Order

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

When leading CityGroups (Missional Communities) we must attach it to a people group. A group we want to love, serve, and ultimately come into a life giving relationship with Jesus. We don't start with belief. We start with putting the power of the gospel on display. Jeff and Caesar do a great job explaining it here...

How To Disciple People - Jeff Vanderstelt and Caesar Kalinowski from Verge Network on Vimeo.

Advice to Church Planters (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:21:00 +0000

My friend Jason Lantz who leads an amazing missional expression of the Church called Love Canton asked me, if I could do it all over again, what are 1-2 main things that I would remind myself about starting a church focused on making disciples. Yesterday was Part 1: Be intentional about discipleship, and don't try to add it later. Here's my second thought...

Disciple Your Family Well, And Open Your HomeI was raised by Christians, my dad came to faith much later in life than my mom, but still. I was raised in "a Christian home." My wife, Sondra, was raised by Christians who both came to faith at the same time. Both Sondra and I came to faith in our 1st decade of life. We turned out pretty well by the world's and the church's standards, so I'm not at all knocking what they did.

But if we are honest (and yes we've talked to our parents about this) neither our parents (or Sondra and I) had any idea of how to really help our spouse or our family take their next steps with God - A.k.a. Discipleship. This has recently become a talking point in our home. Often we talk about how we can disciple one another and our kids.

I don't know about you, but I've never been a part of a discipling church culture. I've experienced discipleship moments, I've had someone like a mentor pouring into me for a season, I've felt it a bit in a few small groups I was in, but I've never been a part of a true discipleship culture. And I couldn't find one. So where do I start? My family.

I realized that no one can teach me more about the gospel of grace than my wife. No one can teach me about kingdom living like my kids. NO ONE! If discipleship is about learning to be like someone. By proximity alone, my family is already discipling me, and I'm discipling them. I'm teaching them how to live their life by what I do. So we started to be intentional about it.

In 1 Timothy 3 the basic characteristic of someone called to lead God's church is based on, "how well you can disciple your family." If you can't disciple your family, you can't disciple his church.

Once you begin to work this out in your family. I would take it a step further and invite people into your home. This is one of the best things we've done with some of our friends. We also accidentally stumbled upon the importance of discipling our kids in our CityGroups. Sondra and I felt that we had to posture discipling our kids to other parents, so we invite the kids (and of course their parents) to participate in almost every CityGroup activity.

Practical Application
The best, and most important place to build your discipling culture is in your home. If you can disciple your family and show them how to disciple others, you'll change your life. And if you invite people to see the gospel on display in your own life, up close uncut and raw, you might just change the world.

Advice to Church Planters (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:44:00 +0000

My friend Jason Lantz who leads an amazing missional expression of the Church called Love Canton asked me, if I could do it all over again, what are 1-2 main things that I would remind myself about starting a church focused on making disciples. It is for a Church Planters Boot Camp for Stadia that I will briefly participate in. I thought I would share my thoughts on my blog as well, so here it goes...

Discipleship is the Mission, it is not something you can "add later."

Intentional Discipleship is the Mission
This was my gut assumption and is why I left my career in computers and electronics to start a church. I love worship gatherings, I love communicating the gospel, and I love the arts. But my gut assumption when starting the church was this - a church that disciples through life on life relationships and a shared mission. At first I had no idea what that would be like, but it was that internal, Holy Spirit, nudge.

Quick Story: I remember the first time I stood before a church planting board and gave my church plant's pitch. I had no idea what I was doing. I was nervous as all get out, and I started wondering why God ask me to do this. A large portion of my pitch that day was pertaining to 'intentional discipleship." When they asked me about how I was going to do that. I had little to no idea... I'd say, "Uh... it would be discipleship... [long pause] life on life stuff.... [another pause] and it would be intentional, you know?" Thinking back I'm not sure if I was making statement or asking a question. Need less to say the board told me I need to 'think through my discipleship strategy." They were right.

All I knew at the time was discipleship is life on life, moment by moment, struggle by struggle learning. It was intentional in that I was calling people to trust God and act upon what he was telling them. That was it. I really wish I could have learned by being a part of a discipling church culture, but I wasn't. My assumption is that many church planters have not either. And that's okay, start learning.

Don't Add It Later
You need to be intentional about discipleship from day 1, otherwise you will have to move mountains, lose people, and hinder the mission of the church to make it a part of you ministry later. Shouldn't it be the foundation of our ministry. After all discipleship is our mission right? Make disciples who make disciples. Build on that.

Practical ApplicationFind a discipleship community to participate in for a season. A huddle of another community or something. If you cant find one start one that is small and work on it. Don't be afraid to fail, God is full of grace. Just follow the Spirit, and look to the scripture. This leads to my second thought... (see tomorrow's post)

Funny Friday | No One Says...

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:03:00 +0000

Don't Fabricate, Reciprocate

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:01:00 +0000

Engage the story of your soul.
Explore the cracks and expose the darkness.
Listen to the whispers of God
And let the light enter in and mend your wounds.

And when he does, retell it.
Don't fabricate, reciprocate.
Return to him over and over.
This will never fail you.

If followers of Jesus engaged the cycle of death and resurrection, the stories we tell would be epics, the news we brought would be good. In exchange for Christian propaganda we would have the King himself!

Funny Friday | The Force VW Commerial

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:43:00 +0000

So cute...

2012, Stolen Stuff, and God Moments

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:20:00 +0000

2012 is here! As 2011 ended, I thought about all that has happened in the last year. Starting a brand new church, Selah starting preschool, and Mylah being born. Significant moments for sure. Then I began dreaming about 2012. I was all prepared to preach a message on New Year's Day called Clocks and Calendars. The message would challenge our young church to turn significant moments, good or bad, into God moments. Simply saying, "let's make God opportunities into God moments." Little did I know what I would wake up to on New Years Day. At 8am I got a phone call from Dave, who pulls our trailer, informing me that it got broken into. $7,000 worth of gear was stolen. As you can imagine I was a bit flustered and angry. We gathered the essential sound equipment we needed for our worship gathering, I taught the Clocks and Calendar message, and then I took care of the police report and insurance claims. Then I sat and fumed and festered about it. I had all kinds of plans and visions for the next couple of months and this felt like a huge interruption. And then it hit me. Didn't I just preach on making God opportunities into God moments? What was God showing me? What could I do with this 'bad' moment to use it for His glory?

I remembered that God is a God of justice, but he is also a God of forgiveness and second chances. God has generously forgiven me, and I felt God nudging me to offer "the church trailer thief" that same forgiveness and grace. So I wrote an article to our local paper and posted it to our church blog called Dear Church Trailer Thief. It is basically a letter offering him (or them) forgiveness and grace. In the letter I tell him that if he returns the sound equipment to us, we will not press charges. Instead I will write him a check for $1,000. I explained that this is what God's grace is like, we don't deserve it, but at great cost to him he gave his wealth away. I ended the letter by telling him, whether or not he takes us upon this free pardon and small gift in comparison to what was stolen, I forgive him.

Our church has been amazing at living out our love beyond reason mantra, but I fully believe that this is a God moment for our young tribe. It will pour fuel on the already burning fire to reach people far from God. To be a church for the rest of us. A church of second chances. We know that this is God's church and we continue to seek his direction. Making the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:16) and seeing him work all things for those who love him (Romans 8:28). Make God moments in 2012!

Funny Friday | TT - All He Does Is Win

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Funny Friday | Bohemian Rhapsody by the Muppets!

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:29:00 +0000

Give More!

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:06:00 +0000

This year I've challenged CityEdge, our crazy tribe of Jesus followers, to spend less and give more. Give more relationally to their friends and family and give more to those in need.

I also decided to cancel our Worship Gathering on Christmas Day, and have an Christmas Worship Experience Online instead. Since we will not have to pay for the school we usually rent, we took the money we saved and gave it away yesterday. We gave everyone at the Gathering $20 in an envelope and encouraged them to give it to someone who needs it this Christmas season. Then tell us the story at http://cityedge.org/givemore. We've heard really cool stories and it's only been one day!

Also on December 18th we are giving 100% of our regular offering to Charity Water. Charity Water is addressing the water crisis across the world. Check out this video...

We believe that this is close to the heart of God and we want us to love all this Christmas!

Tell us how you are giving more!

Funny Friday | Lost Her to the Darkside!

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:17:00 +0000

Meaning of Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:16:00 +0000

I'm a huge Timothy Keller fan and I could hardly wait for The Meaning of Marriage by him and his wife Kathy to be released. Read the book with your spouse or spend an hour watching this interview. It's worth your time.

Watch live streaming video from penguinbooks at livestream.com

CE Interactive TV (Testing)

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:24:00 +0000

Funny Friday | Hitchcock's Angry Birds

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:15:00 +0000

Really Angry Birds!

Followers, Not Chimney Houses

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:03:00 +0000

I think practical theology is important, which is why I'm working towards my Masters in Theology (current hiatus), and I'm going to a SynergyU class this weekend. But I've been concerned about how we equip ministers for mission through bible colleges and seminaries. 3DM is addressing my concerns...

Re-Imagining Theological Education | 3DM from 3DM on Vimeo.

My four year old daughter, Selah was sitting beside me when I was watching this video. Our conversation went as follows when she saw a traditional church building.

In a puzzled voice Selah said, "That's not the church."
With authentic curiosity I responded, "What is it then?"
"It's a chimney house!"

My daughter is aware that church is not solely a building or organization, it is a people and organism. I wish we could commit to equipping ministers in the trenches for mission. To be with and be for people who are far from God instead of the spiritual vacuum of our seminaries and bible colleges. To make disciple making disciples, not chimney houses.

Distance Learning Mentor: Dallas Willard

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:10:00 +0000

When I was in education we had distance learning classes, but in my ministry I have had distrance learning mentors. Dallas Willard is one of them. I gobble up anything I can get my hands on from him. Here is a great video of him talking about discipleship, kingdom, abandonment, and eternal life that I highly recommend. Bring your brain, he's a thinker!
Who has been a mentor for you? Dead or alive, local or distant?

Music Monday | Florence and the Machine - Shake It Out

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:25:00 +0000

Florence and the Machine blows my mind and so does there new album Ceremonials. Grateful to Heather Mariano for turning me on to them. Shake it Out is just another brilliant song by F+M...

Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play
And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues strong
It's always darkest before the dawn

And I've been a fool and I've been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I'm always dragging that horse around
And our love is pastured such a mournful sound
Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues strong
But it's always darkest before the dawn

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaaah
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh woah

I am done with my graceless heart
So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart
Cause I like to keep my issues strong
It's always darkest before the dawn

And given half the chance would I take any of it back
It's a final mess but it's left me so empty
It's always darkest before the dawn

And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope
It's a shot in the dark and right at my throat
Cause looking for heaven, for the devil in me
Looking for heaven, for the devil in me
Well what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me

Music Monday | Sheet of Night by John Mark McMillan

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:32:00 +0000

The devil’s dealing dirty
In broken hearts and counterfeit currency
The living isn't easy
When a heart’s regret can tax the air you breathe

But like diamonds we shine
Up against the sheet of night
The jet-black sheet of night
We overtake the cityscapes
We scale the heights
We break but we don’t die

Whoa we’ve got a blood
We’ve got a love that’ll brave the flood
Whoa we’ve got a blood
We’ve got a love that’ll brave…

The cold will leave you guilty
And the wind will shake you like a tambourine
The dogs will leave you hungry
And your superiors will tax the blood you bleed

The devil’s dealing dirty
In broken hearts and counterfeit…

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I personally believe that John Mark McMillan is the best song writer (lyrically) out there. He plummets the depths of the scripture and his soul to write his music. Then he expressess it in such a image-rich and profound way. Also his voice is super unique. Get his new album Economy today!

Music Monday | Someone Like You by Adele

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:52:00 +0000

So much talent. Ridiculous.

Funny Friday | Love Tap

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:05:00 +0000

Great video.

Music Monday | Stereo Heart by Gym Class Heroes

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 11:31:00 +0000

STEREO HEART
If I could only find a note to make you understand
I sing a song and the image grab me by the hands
Keep myself inside your head, like your favorite tune
And know my heart is a stereo that only plays for you

My heart's a stereo
It beats for your, so listen close
Hear my thoughts in every note

Make me your radio
Turn me up when you feel low
This melody was meant for you
Just sing along to my stereo

If I was just another dusty record on the shelve
Will you blow me off and play me like everybody else
If I ask you to scratch my back, could you manage that
Like it read well, check it Travie, I can handle that
Furthermore, I apologize for any skipping tracks
This the last girl that play me left a couple cracks
I used to used to used to used to, now I’m over that
Cause holding grudges over love is ancient artifacts

If I wasn't old school, fifty pound boombox
Would you hold me on your shoulder, wherever you walk
Gym Class Heroes Stereo Hearts lyrics found on

Would you turn my volume up before of the cops
And crank it higher everytime they told you to stop
And all I ask is that you don't get mad at me
When you have to purchase mad D batteries
Appreciate every mixtape your friends make
You never know we come and go like we're on the interstate

Mylah Elizabeth Rush

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 14:56:00 +0000

Mylah Elizabeth Rush was born yesterday, October 7, 2011. She was 8 pounds 2 ounces and 20 inches long. She is the roundest and biggest of the Rush babies.

Sondra was amazing and she is recovering quickly. Sondra is my hero and inspiration. She's done a great job feeding and caring for Mylah on very little sleep. Simply amazing.

Selah (4yrs old) is such a pro at being a big sister. She was kind, patient, and super sweet.

Aliyah (20mos) thinks that Mylah is her baby doll. She would yell and scream if she wasn't getting to hold her.

Mylah means mercy. Yes, I am surrounded by girls and No, I'm not begging for mercy like Duffy because of it. I'm grateful for God's mercy in my life. And every time I look at Mylah I want to be reminded of God' love, grace, and mercy to me and all of mankind.

Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. - Luke 6:36

Dear Mylah,
You were born yesterday and I love you. You are beautiful and a vision of mercy in my life. Thank you for allowing me to be your father. I'm sure I'll mess up, but know that I love you and will always do my best to lay my life down for you with grace, truth, love and mercy. You are a gift from God. A gift I will always treasure.

Love,
Daddy

May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this; they are the new people of God. - Galatians 6:16

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. - Luke 1:50

Sister Saturday | The Girls Playing Games

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 11:22:00 +0000

Selah plays twister for the very first time.

And the girls play tag for the millionth time.

Funny Friday | Christian Hipster How-Tos

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:05:00 +0000

Stumbled upon this. Enjoy.

Music Monday | Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Rush) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:14:00 +0000

Excited for the new Coldplay album