We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life;

we’ve added years to life, not life to years.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice.

We plan more, but accomplish less.

We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers,

throw away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies,

and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the show window

and nothing in the stockroom.

hmmm…. anybody else feeling that one?

And for any of you Second Chancers out there… any thoughts on the discussion of talents we’ve been having?

We have lots and lots of pictures… most of which I’m sure will do God a great injustice… as I looked at mile after mile of amazing landscape, I thought to myself, I understand why the angels applauded God for his handiwork of creation.

Enjoy the pics below… but please know, that they are a far cry from the enormous view we enjoyed all day. Day four is an effort to reach the Arctic Circle.

My sickness of having to watch South Carolina football kicked in since USC was playing the first game of the season on ESPN at 7:00… only that meant 3:00 here in Alaska.  We only had about 4.5 hours to figure out what to do with our day and still be somewhere to see the game.

So…. we wound up playing golf at Fort Richardson at one of the 50 hardest golf courses in America and then hanging out in the clubhouse and watching the game.  The girl who checked us in to the course was a HUGE Gamecock fan and even had a USC purse… that was really funny… two Carolina fans hooking up all the way out here in Alaska.  All in all that was pretty enjoyable.

We also got our first glimpse of Mt McKinley, aka Denali.  At 21,000+ feet, it is the tallest mountain in North America and our glimpse of it was from over 100+ miles.  It’s mind boggling to think that you can see anything from over 100 miles.  Because of the sheer size of Denali, it has it’s own weather and is only visible about 20% of the time.  So that was really awesome.  Today, we’ll finally be heading north to Fairbanks and hopefully taking in several hours of magnificent views on the way.

Finally finished up the brake job late last night… so today… we’re off!  Alaska sort of officially begins today!

The original plan was to arrive around 9:00 pm last night which would have allowed us to get a great view of Alaska from Juneau to Anchorage during the flight.  Unfortunately, our flight was delayed by nearly three hours, and we didn’t arrive until after midnight, which was 3:00 am our time… and by the time we hit the sack, it was 4:00 am our time.  Not only were we exhausted, we couldn’t see a blasted thing during the trip… thank you Alaska Air.  :(

So, this morning, we made the decision to simply spend the day around here in order to recuperate from the trip.  Around lunch time, we headed into Anchorage and got our first real look at Alaska.   Dave now works for the Governor of Alaska, so we met him there and went out to lunch.  After lunch, Lesley and I enjoyed exploring downtown Anchorage and then went back to Dave’s office.  He’s got quite the view… but not quite as good as the Governor’s.  To our surprise and delight, we got to hang out for a few minutes in the Governor’s office and admire what it must be like to have to work here everyday…. WOW!

Low clouds most of the day have blocked the sort of views that we’re really hoping for, but still, there is that sense that this is a very big place.  Uploading just a few pics from day one.  Tomorrow, we are expecting to head north to Fairbanks.

A while back I read something that put a different take on this altogether.  The writer suggested that perhaps life isn’t really a roller-coaster ride full of ups and downs, twists, and spins, but rather two parallel tracks.  I think he’s right. Often I have seen great joy mixed with deep pain and sadness.  Also, I have seen success run in tandem with something that looks like failure.  Perhaps we are never fully separated from opposing elements in this life.  Perhaps if we understand they run in tandem, then we can stop and know that there is beauty in our life RIGHT NOW when ugliness arrives.

Why am I thinking of this now?  Someone in our church has just received news that her brother has died due to tragic circumstances.  He’s only in his 20’s.  How do you make sense of that?  How do you make peace with that?  How do you act as if everything is OK?

The truth is it’s not OK… it’s not what should be.   However, it is reality.  I’m more and more convinced that the enemy of our soul, Satan himself, never tires of running alongside each of us trying to have us focus on the negatives of life.  If life were a rollercoaster, the truth of God might be too far for any of us too reach safely.  But if we know God’s love and mercy and the beauty of things he has provided for us are running right beside those things the enemy asks us to pay attention too, then salvation and help really is ever present.

I am reminded this morning of a passage of scripture, Romans 8:25-30.  Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit actually prays for us when we are so overwhelmed we don’t even know how to pray.  I’ve been there… I’ve felt that sense of being completely beaten down.  But there is beauty even in that moment… because God NEVER abandons us.  Even in those crushing moments when we can’t even pray for ourselves, He is praying for us.

There is no joy in the brokenness of life.  What Satan has brought, and what he continues to work for is full of anguish, despair and ugliness.  But we don’t have to wait till we reach the next peak or climb the next hill… God is still beside us… every step of the way.

Campus Crusade facility pics:

I’ve had several people ask what this is all about.  I’m going to “borrow” some of the information below from one of my new ministerial friends, Mark Bjorlo who was a fellow assessor.  Here’s what the assessment is all about, and how it functions:

We also consider some very important Style Factors.  Are they Below, Meet or Exceed our expectations for:

• Attentiveness (gives full attention to the person speaking)
• Expressiveness (verbal/non verbal to enhance a message)
• Team Player (knows how to fin into various groups)
• Clarity (others understand what is being communicated)
• Personal Appearance (creates positive attraction)

The Assessee meets with a therapist (trained in Church Planting), takes a battery of tests, learns about their personality types using several tools, preaches, participates in several group activates, evaluates a case study and creates a major church planting project.  Through all of these and the many other interactions we gain a tremendous insight into the candidates life. We look for one thing and one thing only…is this person a potential Point Leader for a Church Plant.  That is it.  We do one thing and we do it very well.  We aren’t looking to help them find the right nitch, just give guidance as to the Point Leader position.

Some of the Candidates:

At the end of the week we will tell a candidate what we saw and give one of four recommendations. 

1.  Approved – Green Light

If they are called to plant, we affirm that we see the stuff it takes in this person to make it happen.

2.     Approved w/Conditions  - Yellow Light

They have things they MUST do before planting.  These things could take up to 17 months.

3.     Approved w/Strong Conditions – Red Light (STOP)

This will be given rarely.  We see potential but there are significant things this candidate needs to work on before being re-assessed.  We anticipate this taking between 18 and 24 months.

AND

4.     NOT Approved – Dead End

You are not a church planter.  You should follow God’s leading into another area/focus of ministry.  

In all these cases we are not attempting to define IF a candidate should be in ministry but again, do the building blocks suggest that this person would be a Point Leader in a New Church.  

(Thanks Mark, for letting me “borrow” that summary)

Here is what the “deliberation process” looks like:

We began our days at 8:00 am and didn’t return to the hotel until 10:30 pm or later each evening.  It was exhausting work.  And yet it was exhilirating.  There is something unmatched about being in the presence of so much hope and so many dreams.  It reawakens within my own spirit the reality that the call and opportunity to begin a ministry is the highest calling and greatest privelege that I can imagine.  It stirs again the vision of seeing a body of believers become fully developed in their faith while de-populating hell and spreading the love of Jesus.  What a life…. Thank you Jesus!  

Updated: March 32, 2009

Steelers to loose Super Bowl Trophies

Pittsburgh, PA. The Super Bowl XLIII Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, the only team to win six titles, will soon be loosing half of those trophies. After a meeting between NFL Commissioner Rodger Gadel and President Barack Hussain Obama, Obama decided to redistribute half of their Steeler Super Bowl victories and trophies to less fortunate teams in the league.

“We live everyday in the country that invented the Super Bowl.” said Obama “We are not about to lose this Great American tradition in the wake of these difficult times.” Obama’s plan calls for the Steelers, who are a successful NFL team, to give half of their Super Bowl trophies to teams that are not successful or have not been as successful as the Steelers. “The Detroit Loins are just as much a part of the same fiber of the NFL as the Steelers and they should, no rather will, be entitled to a Super Bowl Trophy as well.” Obama explains in his plan that he has imposed on Godel and the NFL.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, who by virtue of hard work, excellent team play, stellar draft choices, responsible investing of free agents, careful hiring of coaches and excellent community service and commitment to their fans, has prospered greatly during the past 30 years and have won six Super Bowl Trophies. But President Barack Hussain Obama’s plan calls for the Pittsburgh Steelers to carry the larger burden of the NFL’s less successful teams. Obama went on to further proclaim, “In these difficult times we are all in this to work together. We must reclaim the NFL Championship Dream for every team, for every city and for every fan.”

“My plan will not affect 31 of the 32 teams in the league.” Obama assures. That’s over 95 percent of the teams in the NFL will not have to worry about loosing any Super Bowl Trophies. “The worst teams in the NFL and the teams that can’t seem to get a break and win a championship will no longer have to worry about going without a title.” Obama promises. “We are a country and league of hope. We all need to make a change. It does not matter the color of the teams uniforms, the personal decisions that the teams make or their performance but rather if they are a member of this great American league.”

The Super Bowl XLIII trophy will be redistributed to the 0-16 Detroit Lions. Through no fault of their own incompetence, the Lions could not manage a victory all season and this trophy will help ease the pain of their lack of performance and give them hope once again. The redistribution of Super Bowl XL trophy will go directly to the Steeler’s division rival the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals who also have fallen on hard times have never won a Super Bowl. This victory will bring a smile to hundreds of Bengal fans all over the world as they can now celebrate. Finally, one of the Steeler’s two Super Bowl victories over the Dallas Cowboys will go back to the Cowboys since the league needs to provide hope in the face of difficulty and provide hope in the face of uncertainty. This is a heavy burden for the Steelers but together we can all prosper.

All hope is not lost for Pittsburgh fans, Barack Hussain Obama has another plan in place. Obama has meet with MLB and commissioner Bud Selig on a similar plan. The New York Yankees will redistribute two of their world series trophies to the Pittsburgh Pirates as a supplement to their loosing 16 straight seasons and counting. This plan will help stimulate the Pirates and enable them to regain the American Dream. Barack Hussain Obama will be meeting with the NHL and Michael Phelps in the upcoming weeks as this issue is high on his agenda for “Hope and Change.”

Steelers must now share their wealth and fruits of their success and hard work.

Since that time, I have heard lots of opinions about assessment centers.  There are those who believe that rushing out to plant a church without first submitting yourself to an assessment is foolish to say the least.  Even I, as headstrong as I can be at times, believe that it only makes sense to allow the “counsel of many” to lead you in this important decision.  

Recently I came across a different point of view and my heart broke for the guy.  Many of you may be familiar with xxxchurch.com.  One of its’ founders is Craig Gross.  Recently Craig made a decision to leave xxxchurch to begin a church plant in Las Vegas.  Apparently, Craig had the commitment of a church planting organization to support this new ministry in Vegas with $400,000.  That’s a staggering amount of money.  But they required Craig to go to an assessment.  While his results were good, he apparently didn’t receive a clear “go-ahead” which cost him his financial support.  I don’t know how I would react to losing a commitment for $400k.  But it doesn’t change what I percieve to be the value of the assessment process.  (You can read all of Craig’s post about the experience here…. and my response to it in the comment section below)

Having been assessed as a potential planter, and having been an assessor, I can assure you it is a hugely valuable step in what I believe is one of the most demanding undertakings anyone can put their hand to…. beginning a church from scratch.  I am humbled and excited to be here this week to be a part of the process yet again with another group of dreamers.  If you read this blog, please be in prayer not only for Lesley and me, but for all of the assessors that God will give us wisdom in speaking into the future that lies before these church-planting hopefuls.

To the Pastors:  Aren’t there days that you just want to quit?

Perry told a story that allowed him to address how hard church work, and how discouraging it can be for the leader.  

FOUR QUESTIONS THAT EVERY LEADER NEEDS TO WRESTLE WITH? (from the life of Moses in Exodus 33

1.  Who is with me? - Exodus 33:12

• The average stay of pastors is only 22 months at any given church…. is it possible that some preachers are actually church-hoppers too?  
• Does the church know you’re there… that you belong to them and are committed to them?
• To the Staff:  Satan doesn’t want to split your church.. he wants to split your staff.. and begins when the staff member begins to think about his pastor.. “I do as much as he does”
  • When you think you’re going through spiritual warfare… your pastor is going through the same thing 100-fold.  You have no idea the weight he carries.
  • most pastors carry a weight that you will never understand unless you are a pastor.
  • You need to understand that the pastor is called to lead… Sheep don’t lead the Shepherd…. he has to know that you have his back.  

2.  Am I pleasing You? (We must constantly ask God this question) Exodus 33:13

• If God told you that this Sunday would be your last Sunday what would you preach?  Then go preach it Sunday because it may be your last.  
• Don’t be a prostitute that preaches for a paycheck and please people, but be a minister that pleases God.  
  • DO I UNDERSTAND THAT MINISTRY IS RECEIVED, NOT ACHIEVED?
    • We try to do way to much on our own rather than receive what God wants to do.
    • God knew every stupid mistake we would make as leaders before we even make it… that’s the mercy of God.
  • AM I PLACING LIMITS ON ME THAT GOD DOESN’T PLACE ON ME?
    • God often puts his most powerful gifts in his weakest vessels
    • What is the thing in your heart that you won’t speak about because you’re afraid people will think you’re crazy or afraid God might not come through?

3.  Will we see God? Exodus 33:14-17

• Are we creating an environment in church where people can live lives full of sin, come to church, and leave unconvicted and feeling good about themselves?
• Moses told God that he wanted God’s presence over anything else.  
• Do you want attendence or repentence?  It takes a pastor, a leader that will proclaim the Bible as the Word of God without apology.  
• It’s not always a bad thing when people leave your church… especially if they leave because they are offended by the Gospel.  

4.  What’s next? Exodus 33:18

• We don’t want to be a monument, and we don’t want to be a museum… we want to be in motion asking God to show us, what’s next?
• What would happen if the leadership’s sole passion was to get ahold of God and ask him “What’s next?”.  
• What would happen if those in the church would partner with the vision God has planted into the leader to pursue what’s next?
• We would be able to reverse the current trend of the decline of religious affiliation.
• Lord help us to be people that want the ball in order to effect change rather than people who are on the sideline criticizing those are trying to move the ball.  

COACH MARK’S THOUGHTS

Lord, help me to lean more fully into you.  Help me to find peace in the fact that it is YOUR church… and I will never love nor care for the people you have entrusted to my leadership more than you do.  Lord, I want to know more of who you are so that I can know more of what you desire for our church.  Give me the courage to be fearless in following your call on my life.  Help me to never be swayed by the criticism of men, but to rest confidently in who I am in you and what you are calling me to do.  May my leadership flow through your power and your strength and may that allow us, at Second Chance Church, to be a force for you glory in advancing the Kingdom of God.