History in the Making

We shouldn't have to identify our core values for them to exist

A church's core values shouldn't have to be spoken to exist. They're either being lived-out and modeled... or they're not really core values at all. At History Church, we have four of them...

1. Welcoming Environments
2. Disciple-Making Communities
3. Servant Leaders
4. Bridges to the Community

For years, I've agonized over our fourth one - Bridges to the Community - because it requires my unwavering and tireless leadership all throughout the year. It's outreach. It's evangelism. It's hard work. We don't naturally want to do this.

I've tried justifying it with our invest-and-invite opportunities... our landscaping efforts at the school... a movie night we held... a year ago. But at our last Partnership class, when we got to this core value, someone asked, "So how are we doing that?" My heart sank because I knew it wasn't truly a core value at that point.

The good news is... we've put it back at the top of our priorities. Not just in words, but in activity. It starts with me. Then it trickles down to how our staff spends their time... down to ministry leaders, small group leaders... and then to the congregation.

You complain about what you're gifted at...

I don't usually shoot my bullet before Sunday, but our X-Men series is based on some principles that are repeated throughout the year at History ... The first one is: You complain about what you're gifted at.

In other words, our spiritual gift will be a source of frustration until we start using it. Many people go to church, only to find holes or inadequacies in the ministry. Then they either complain about it... or go to another church! It doesn't even cross their minds that God may have brought them to that church to fill the hole!

When God gives us a spiritual mutation, he gives us a supersensory ability to detect problems that we were designed to fix.

Uncle Rico wedding photos

Phil Sowada - one of History's best and brightest - got married several weeks ago. And Phil knows he can put me in stitches with his impressions from Napoleon Dynamite... so this... from his offical roll of wedding photos... arrived in my e-mail today. =)

The filling up that comes from pouring out

I had an amazing time leading our denom's regional church planting network today... It gave me a taste of what it'll be like when History has a number of plants all throughout northern Virginia one day. My spiritual mutation of encouragement came pouring out of me... and consequently filled me up, as any expenditure of our gifts will do.

On a personal note, I'm jazzed about God giving me opportunities to connect with unchurched folks on an almost daily basis... Last night, I had a half-hour conversation with a recently fired Starbucks manager, who I can now say is a friend. Today, I ran into a family that Ainsley and I met ONE YEAR AGO in Reston Town Center... and struck up a new friendship that will bring good things.

This is such a great reminder to be patient and wait on God to work in people's lives. An amazing servant leader in our church, Ally Fouts, reminded me about persevering in an e-mail today...

"I was calculating in my head last night, and I realized I spent two years listening to [my friend's] witness about Christ before I got the message (and I saw him pretty much seven days a week, 12-18 hours a day!) so the morale is to be patient. Pray. Persevere!"

Outreach outing last night in Reston

I couldn't be more proud of our small group who went to Reston Town Center last night, looking for opportunities to share our faith. The gals invited unchurched friends to a restaurant, and the guys surveyed people to discover their spiritual beliefs. All of us had some amazing encounters with people... and our nervousness and anxiety gave way to exhileration, as God had clearly prepared several people's hearts. We handed off $3 Starbucks gift cards and an invite card to anyone who would talk with us... The torrential downpours here in Washington held off just long enough for us to get in an hour's worth of conversations... awesome stuff.

Exclusives from Saddleback

I thought Matt and Tricia checked out for the week to attend the Purpose Driven Worship Conference at Saddleback... but by golly, Matt's posting about the conference with pics. Hoorah Matt!

Recon in the promised land

Wyatt and I did a little recon this morning at the venue where we hope to do a children's production for families this summer. Blew me away how awful the entertainers were... and how many moms and kids were in the crowd. These folks must be desperate for something to do during the week. I can't say exactly where this is [plans are pending], but God could be opening up a great opportunity for History...

Fellowship's new artsy video venue

CBS video footage of Fellowship Church's new video venue campus in the downtown arts district of Dallas.

Divine encounters... repeated...

Ains and I take Wyatt to the Barnes & Noble train set several nights each week for fun... A rewarding by-product is meeting other parents and giving Wy some much needed social interaction with other tykes. About a month ago, we met a young Iranian mother, who is going through a bitter divorce and having a rough time through it all. She's embattled in a pretty nasty custody war over her two year old boy with a shrewd husband... Anyway, she and Ainsley swapped phone numbers and committed to a play date together. Ains tried calling for several days... to no avail. But something interesting happened yesterday... This lady called Ainsley at 11:00 AM to schedule a time together... and in a completely chance - or not so chance - encounter, I ran into her at a Tyson's Corner Panera at 1:00 PM, while meeting with Tally Wilgis. Neither Ainsley nor I knew about each other's experience until we were catching up on the day's events at about 11:00 PM. Things that make you go hmmmm.

A swift kick in the spiritual rear

About two months ago, I was preparing for a message outside of a bookstore when a couple of teenagers approached me. At the time, I was really wrestling with opportunities to share my faith, and I had just asked God to give me an answer, when this guy and gal walked up to me... They said they were from a local church, surveying people about spiritual beliefs. I played the role of a confused spiritual person for a while, before revealing my true identity as a pastor. But the experience was a slap in the face from God to me... I realized that if two high schoolers could approach a complete stranger in public to share their faith... why in the world was I so fearful? Tonight, our small group guys are going out to survey people in the same location with our own spiritual questions... hoping for opportunities to share our faith. It was the kick in the rear I needed.

TED conference blog

I'd love to attend the TED conference at least once in my life... some of the best ideas in technology and design from creative minds in various disciplines... such as Tony Robbins. Not my favorite guy, but a great communicator. Click to watch the video below.

Update on portable preschool ministry

Someone gave $2,000 toward our new preschool environment this past Sunday, so Jen, Kitty and the preschool team will be pulling together the pieces starting in July. God is opening some doors for outreach as well... a local town center is open to letting us put on a children's production on their stage during the week. Their programs tend to draw hundreds of kids... praise God.

P. Ditty worship conference

Our worship pastor, Matt Morgan, is off to the Purpose Driven Worship Conference in California this week, along with his wife Tricia. This is the first time they've left both of their little girls behind for such an extended period of time [so say a prayer for them]. To supplement the trip, I told Matt to get lost next Sunday, and I booked another worship band to fill-in at History. I can't wait to see the renewed passion Matt brings back with him from the trip.

Rob Bell on tour...

Rob Bell is bringing his Everything is Spiritual Tour to Arlington, Va, in July... along with many other interesting venues across the country.

Pics from yesterday's TV commercial shoot

Pics from yesterday's tv commercial shoot... which will center on our church helping someone move. Something like... "It's not so much what people say that matters... but what they do. This kind of friendship speaks loudest of all." This was an actual move too... so the sweat was real. No special effects necessary. Great photos by Ally Fouts.

Tv Commercial, conversations, etc

We had our TV commercial shoot this morning with about 20 cast members and extras from History Church. =) It was an exhausting and looooong day, but the filmmakers were incredible to work with, and we're excited to see the finished product in about a month. I'll post photos soon...

On Friday, Bruce Johnson gave me 3 hours of his time, which ~ according to his consulting fees ~ is worth about $750... but he was so gracious in letting me settle the bill with lunch. I met Bruce two years ago when he invited 6 planters to undergo a 9-month mentoring program with him. Incredible, incredible insights...

A nice abstract thought to end Friday

The Holy Spirit is a highly flammable agent inside every believer. As pastors, we can either preach harder as though banging rocks together to create a spark. Or we can light ourselves on fire with passion for Christ and watch it spread to others around us...

X-Men Series - What is your spiritual mutation?

We're doing a series in July called X-Men: What is Your Spiritual Mutation... talking about spiritual gifts. It's exciting to think about how God has equipped each of us with unique supernatural abilities for ministry... gifts that are not natural to our human nature. On July 2, we're handing out metallic folders imprinted with History Church School for the Gifted on the cover... and spiritual gift inventories inside. Jen created some of the most amazing screens for this series.

Smart UPS employees

Tonight we got home to find a package from Limelight Productions hidden UNDER our doormat. We were so thankful that UPS actually took the time to hide it UNDER the mat. I don't know what we would have done if someone would have seen this package and stolen it. Thank goodness WE looked under there. =)

A rant: Leadership is about risking failure, incompentency, criticism, you name it...

I've had some great conversations lately and have been reading some great books [here and here] about the risks inherant to leadership. Leading is not about having the right answers or fail-proof strategies before you make decisions. It's about risking all of those things for the sake of great rewards. And yes, your neck will be on the line. And yes, you will be isolated and alone with your decisions at times. And yes, some people will criticize you, even despise you. But you will eventually bumble your way to the right decisions and the right way to do things. And it is only through this great risk of failure will you experience those great rewards.