The Northern Lights Church Planter Network

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:38:00 +0000

Easter Stories
Just what is the story behind the mysterious glowing lunch bag? If you're interested, join us for lunch this Thursday at the LPBA office in Berthoud at 11:00 am and bring your own Easter story to share. We'll be serving up some great Barbeque from Nordy's and reconnecting after missing our last blizzard-cancelled lunch.

Next Church Planter's Lunch, Thursday March 26

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:30:00 +0000

My kids and I came upon a flashlight in the woods when we were hiking together. To our surprise it worked well and produced a strong beam of light. We were on a remote trail in Pingree Park and couldn't help but wonder how someone lost such a good flashlight. We decided to spend the rest of our hike creating different scenarios of how the flashlight landed in that spot and the identity of its owner. My children imagined that the owner was violently attacked by a wild animal in the night and began to look for signs of the attack. Our stories seemed to gravitate to the more dramatic and violent. If you like writing, maybe you could create your version of how the flashlight was lost and share it at our next Church Planter's Lunch on Thursday, March 26 at the Longs Peak Baptist Associational building in Berthoud (there is a link on the blog to a map). Hope to see you there.

Northern Lights @ Sky Corral

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:31:00 +0000

Many of you have heard the news that Kelly and Rani Wheat have returned to Colorado. You may not know that they have come to manage a lodge that specializes in helping it's guests connect with our Creator through His creation.

I went up to spend some time with Kelly and his family a couple weeks ago and had a great time. It was well past dark when I arrived. I was stopped in my tracks when I got out of my car to retrieve my bag...the stars in the sky were amazingly bright! The lodge already started working it's magic on me as I encountered God right there next to my car.

Kelly and I hiked up to the original Sky Corral which is a holding pen in an enholding in the Roosevelt National Forest. It's beautiful. If you're looking for a place to take a group of leaders and get away together or have an outdoor adventure with your family, give Kelly a call at 970-484-1437 and see what he can set up for you. Two thumbs up!

November's Lunch

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:16:00 +0000

It's been a while since we had lunch together. Since our last lunch, the leave's have all but left their perches in the trees and joined us to see what it's like to live (or die) at ground level. Was hanging around in a tree that uncomfortable? Did they get bored looking down on everything? Was it worth the risk to see what our world looks like from below? Are they now regretting their decision as they get blown, raked, piled and stepped on? Or are they having a great adventure? I hope it was a happy fall for the leaves...

I'm looking forward to lunch Thursday. I get to hang around with a group of people who, for the most part, like where God has planted them. No matter what comes, good and bad, we seem pretty thankful. It is good to be content to work in the field you have been planted. Join us if you like and be thankful. Not that the leaves weren't. I don't think they put as much thought into their fall as I did.

May Church Planter's Lunch

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:08:00 +0000

Date: Wednesday, May 21 11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Location: Longs Peak Baptist Associational Office, Berthoud

Judgmental, antihomosexual, hypocritical, too political and sheltered. According to some researchers, these are the words being used by younger generations to describe their perception of the church. Whether you have read the book or not and regardless of whether you agree or not with the conclusions, leading believers to love people in spite of their assumptions is a challenge we all face. Come have some lunch and bring your two cents so we might be encouraged by one another.

February Church Planter's Lunch

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:25:00 +0000

Date: Wednesday, February 20

Time: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Place: Longs Peak Baptist Associational building, Berthoud, CO

Last time we met we had an engaging discussion about funnels. Henry Moore led us through an assesment he had done with Derby Hill Baptist Church that sparked some great discussions within our cohort. Unfortunately, we didn't get to dig as deeply as we desired after the presentation. We will start there this Wednesday and see where it leads. Don't let the fact that you missed the last meeting keep you from this one. It's good stuff. Oh yeah, and there's a free lunch.

Come and Commune...Only Later

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:01:00 +0000

Hey church planters. Sorry about the date change but I was called out of town on the 7th of November so we are going to have to move our next church planter's lunch to November 14th and I don't want to miss our time together. I hope you can join us because it will a special time just before Thanksgiving. We're going to celebrate the Lord's supper together so bring a thankful, open heart. See you soon.

Church Plant Survivability Report

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 04:48:00 +0000

At our last church planter's lunch we passed around a few copies of the North American Mission Board's latest study on church plants. If you're a report kind of person click the following ginormous link http://www.namb.net/atf/cf/%7BCDA250E8-8866-4236-9A0C-C646DE153446%7D/RESEARCH_REPORT_SURVIVABILITY_HEALTH.PDF?tr=y&auid=2440992 for the entire PDF version of the report. The report can tell you all about what might happen to your church. Or what might not happen. It's a fascinating read. If you're not a report person we recommend spending more time with your family. Get outside. It's a beautiful Fall day and the leaves are ready for piling.

Upcoming Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 06:12:00 +0000

This coming Sunday, September 16 is the date for the Longs Peak Baptist Associations annual meeting. It happens at Immanuel Community Church. The business session begins at 3:30 pm. There is a dinner at 6:00 pm. And there is a worship service at 7:00 pm.

I've been asked to give an update on what is happening in the church plants in the association and have been encouraging all of you to be present at the 7 o'clock worship time with as much of your church as you can. This should be encouraging especially to Immanuel Community Church that hasn't heard much about what has been happening in the churches they started in the past few years.

Then on Wednesday, September 19 we will be gathering for our monthly church planter's lunch at the associational building from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

In October we won't be having the church planter's lunch because the Colorado Baptist Convention happens on the 15th and 16th when we would normally have our lunch. Some of us are going to get together during that convention in Steamboat Springs. If you'd like to join us please call me at 970.203.1933.

Our November meeting will be on the 7th in order to avoid all of the holiday stuff that will start to happen.

The Yellow Tent

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 22:57:00 +0000

If you look closely at the middle of this photo you'll see a dark spot. And if you look a little below and right of the dark spot you'll see a yellow spot. The yellow spot is a 4-man tent parked among the boulders beneath the summit of Longs Peak. The next photo shows where the first photo belongs in it's larger context. The yellow tent isn't even discernible among the sofa-sized boulders.

I had never been to the top of the mountain our network of churches is named after. It looks big enough as I travel up and down I-25. And yet the view from that strip of asphalt never reduced me the way the view from the yellow tent did this past Sunday. As I stood 1,000 feet below the summit of Long's Peak among the debris of rock that has weather away for centuries I was put in my place. I was humbled before my God. The God who made mountains like this to humble men like me.

I wondered as I looked down on the yellow tent if this wasn't how the churches we lead appear to the people that live on the front range. And if it was, do we have the stamina to keep our tent pitched in the middle of a rock-hard boulder field and find joy in loving and serving the wanderers who trickle past us on their journey through life.

It really would have been noble of me to be thinking deep thoughts like this while I was on the top of Long's Peak. But to be honest the lack of oxygen had severely reduced my brain's capacity to think of more than just surviving. I was actually wondering how in the world I was going to get down the mountain that had taken everything in me to get up it. I was wondering if my lungs were going to be able to extract enough oxygen from the air I was breathing to stay conscious. I was wondering if my 16-year old son was resourceful enough to get my body off the mountain after I had passed out. Those are the only kind of thoughts that crossed my mind at 14,000 feet.

Somehow, I managed to get down. I think mostly because I didn't want my son to have to figure out how to get my unconscious body back to Loveland. Or maybe it was because I knew I had scheduled our church planter's lunch for this coming Wednesday and I didn't want to let anyone down. So if you can, join us this Wednesday, August 15 in Berthoud from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. There is lot's of oxygen there and we can wonder about all kinds of things together.

A Planting Strategy with a Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 06:01:00 +0000

At our next church planter's lunch (Wednesday, July 18) we would like your input on a revised framework for starting new churches. After observing our successes and failures we are suggesting revisions to the way church-planting churches mentor, deploy and fund new planters and new churches. We will also, eat, pray and catch up like we always do but we cherish your insight and experience as we do some rethinking. And about the cookie-cutter...it's only in the picture, not the plan.

PowerPlanting

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 20:25:00 +0000

They're coming. 100 youth and their leaders are about to descend on several of our church planters to help start or encourage new churches. And because they are coming when we would normally have a church planter's lunch we won't be having a church planter's lunch in the month of June. We do have one on the calendar for July 18 so mark it down and we can all get together and hear about what God did through the PowerPlanters.

Please pray for those of us who will be working all over the place with our respective teams. Ken Mowery in Greeley has several teams. Matthew Boardwell in Erie has a couple teams. Stephen Sandstrom has a team for Fredrick. Jim Misloski has a team working in Loveland. May the Spirit be with you!

Disneyfied

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Mon, 14 May 2007 16:44:00 +0000

At the end of April I had the privilege of traveling to Mickey Mouse's hometown of Orlando, Florida to join about 1,500 other church planters at a "new church" conference. I have to confess my skepticism. I really wasn't expecting much and yet in spite of my little faith, God blessed me. At our next church planter's lunch on Wednesday, May 16th I'll share some of the information that was presented that I think might have some relevance to what we are doing here in Colorado.

I missed our last lunch and am looking forward to catching up with all of you. Hope your days have been full of the Spirit of power, love and a sound mind.

One Pink Egg at a Time

noreply@blogger.com (Thesloski) — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:14:00 +0000

This was part of the scene Saturday morning at Loveland Community Church's egg hunt. There were more eggs than the kids could pick. I watched this little egg hunter with her bunny basket move leisurely from one pink egg to the next passing up hoards of other eggs. Only pink eggs for her. And when she did find a pink one she would bend down, slowly pick it up as she steadied herself and then treasure it like she had found a gold nugget. She hasn't learned yet that life is a race to see how many eggs you can get before they're all gone. I hope she never does. I hope I can remember to live my life this week the way she hunted for eggs. Savoring every moment, unaware of the scramble happening around her, and taking her own sweet time. My prayer is that all of us can experience this kind of peace during our after-Easter, before-tax day week.

Our next church planter's lunch will be Wednesday, April 18 at the Longs Peak Baptist Association building in Berthoud. It begins at 11:00 am and ends at 1:00 pm. Hope you can join us to catch up and encourage each other.