This Fall, at Grace Church (in Powell, Ohio) we will be joining God on an exciting journey.

In order, to provide some clarity for this new venue we’ve assembled an FAQ  sheet (see below). More questions and more answers will be coming over the next couple weeks. Already God is showing us in pretty drastic ways that this new path is His will.

(Check out this website for more info and to invite your friends {via facebook, email, linkedin, etc.} to attend). 

Scary? Yes.

But an adventure nonetheless:

• What is it?

 A 14 week outreach that focuses on Jesus and the hope, freedom, and new name He offers to us.

• Who can come?

1. Come if you are a 3D
2. Come if you brought a 3D
3. Come if you are serving the 3D

• Who can’t come?

1. Complainers can’t come.
2. Critics can’t come.
3. Consumers can’t come.

• Who are the 3D?

Disillusioned, Disengaged, Dechurched

• How can I serve?

Just a start: prayer counselors, childcare workers, greeters, plants* (people who will meet other people and hear their story).

• Is there childcare?

Yes. Birth-5^th Grade

• What is the content of the evening?

Teaching, Music, Video, Story, Dialogue

• Is this a church?

No. It is an outreach.

• How can I invite others?

Postcards, online http://yoursecretnamesaturdaynights.eventbrite.com/ facebook.

• Is this another service?

No. It is an outreach.

• Should I come to this instead of Sunday morning?

No. Sunday morning is so you can be equipped. If you are a follower of Jesus, Saturday evening is for you to serve.

• When is the start date and end date?

September 11 – December 11

• Is this safe to come to?

Not if you like to wear masks.

• What will this eventually become?

Only God knows. We are simply stepping out in faith and leaving the results to him.

• What time does it start?

6PM

• How long will it run

7:30 PM Some will choose to go out to dinner or coffee with the people they invited or met in order to serve them further.

• Where is it?

7600 Liberty Rd. Powell, OH 43065

• Will there be music?

Yes. However, the music will tend to be more platform led since the 3Ds probably aren’t familiar or at a place where they are ready to worship God in music.

• Who will be watching the children.

Adult females that complete an acceptable Grace Kids application form.

• What safety precautions will be taken with the kids?

We will have a select group of men, who have passed a background check, stationed in key hallways. The educational wing will be locked down during the event.

• What type of follow-up will there be for 3D people who come?

Relationships, mentoring, discipleship, Celebrate Recovery, support, prayer.

Do you have a HEART FOR HAITI?

Much of the media hype is over.

But this country still needs our help.

I’m thrilled that Sean Kaiser stepped up and took the lead to organize this event.

All the information is below:

A friend of mine, Dave Lewis from GBIM, recently asked me if I’d say NO for the Great Commission. After learning more about weSHARE 2010 I decided to say YES to his request.

What is weShare?
It’s our “Great Commission Fast” to support our missionaries

How’s it work?
Choose to give up daily extras to give the money saved to the Great Commission

Why?
“…how can they hear…believe…unless they are sent? (Romans 10:14-15)

What’s the goal?
If each of us sacrifices $3/day, together weShare will raise $300,000 for our missionaries

When does it take place?
May 1st -- May 31st

Click here to give now!

To learn more contact Dave Lewis at 574-268-1888 ext 29 or  dlewis@gbim.org

Watch the video.

Here’s a couple, Tom and Beth Haner, from Grace Church having a positive impact in the community.

They are a family of Transformists…those who are in the world, but not of it.

They volunteer in many ways, trying to bring Christ’s love to those families with special needs.

To learn more about Transformists, listen to my sermon from Sunday called FREE TO LOVE.

(Just click the link and then the play button to hear it streaming)

The TV interview is below:

Yesterday I hopped in the car and drove through a predicted 12 inches of snow.

I arrived at the Cleveland clinic with mixed feelings.

I was told my mentor and friend was very sick.

A little over a month ago I sat in my office talking and laughing with David Plaster,  lead pastor of the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus,  and former Vice President of Grace College and Theological Seminary. He agreed to ordain me this Spring. A few weeks later he was in the hospital with a life-threatening disease. His loving family is sharing daily updates with us on this site.  

I had already prepared myself for the worst. Anyone who knows Dave is familiar with his incredibly sharp intellect. He taught me and my fellow classmates most of what we know when it comes to theology. Standing at his bedside yesterday Dave couldn’t say or do much.

Still, I was touched by the strength of his family. I felt it natural to tell them of Dave’s investment in me at a very dark time in my life. In fact, he is very instrumental as to where I am today. Although Dave couldn’t talk, as I told my stories he cried.

I prayed for he and the family and he cried some more. I told him the whole city of Columbus was praying for him.  

His supportive wife fed him his lunch and he even drank the unpleasant drink the nurses provided him. I’ll tell you though- he let us know it tasted nasty.

The whole way back I thought about how Dave has mattered to me:

• 1998 – Dave heard I wanted to be a military chaplain with the CMA denomination and so he asked me to come to his office. He told me that I should be a Grace Brethren Chaplain and stay on for Seminary at Grace.
• 1998 - After I agreed (you can’t tell Dave no) he began to mentor me on a weekly basis.
• 1998 - Because I was going to be a military chaplain Dave told me I needed to do an M.Div. in counseling not an M.Div. in pastoral studies. Turns out it was a good choice because a year later I met my wife Kelly in marrigage and family counseling class.
• 1999 – Dave bought me my first NASB Bible as a college graduation present. (see pic)
• 1999 - Dave did some digging and found a pretty significant scholarship so that I could attend seminary and remain debt free.
• 1999 – Dave got me my first “pastor” job, an intern under his friend Galen Wiley at Warsaw Community Grace Brethren Church.
• 1999 – Dave prepared me for my license exam as a pastor.
• 2000 - Dave baptized me (see pic).
• 2000 – Dave counseled me for marriage, cracked the code on how to do taxes as a pastor, and was involved in my wedding.
• 2000 – When I was senior pastor at Tiosa Brethren Church, Dave helped me do my first funeral when someone in my church died suddenly.
• 2000 – Dave filled my pulpit so I could go on my honeymoon.
•  2001 – Dave helped me prepare my flock at Tiosa for my transition to my new church (Grace Church).
• 2003 – Dave edited my first book using his theolgical grid.
• 2003 – Dave stayed at our house as he taught at the Grace Seminary site in Columbus. He couldn’t eat much of our food because we like sugar a whole bunch.
• 2005 – Dave agreed to be part of my Advisory Board for my Doctorate program.
• 2006 – Dave helped me defend my dissertation.
• 2008 – Dave began mentoring me again as he returned to Columbus while filling his new post as lead pastor.
• 2008 – Dave joined my monthly NCO small group and blessed us younger pastors with his wise counsel.
• 2009 – Dave and I co-taught a seminar at the Equip 09 conference.
• 2010 – Dave began to prepare me for ordination.

This September my new book YOUR SECRET NAME releases. In it I tell my story. Naturally, Dave Plaster, fills several pages including this one: 

 I started the first semester of graduate school apprehensively, knowing all too well the horror stories about the difficulty of the seminary’s counseling track. My mentor Dr. Plaster, who also served as the Vice President, encouraged this track because in his mind it would better prepare me to be a military chaplain. I followed his recommendation, but at the moment all it felt like was twice the work.

Under the seminary banner I had Greek and Hebrew classes to confound my brain, while under the counseling banner I had Addictive Disorders and Abnormal Psychology classes to challenge my soul.

Relatively new into the semester while sitting in one of my counseling classes I saw a stunning girl who not only took my breath away, but also my attention. She walked in extremely late—and extremely confidently—and I promptly tuned out the rest of the class, much more interested in her than the lecture.

Dave played a major role in me discovering MY SECRET NAME. Amidst my bout with depression and self-injury, when a professor failed me from a counseling class for my confession of cutting, Dave stepped in and overruled his decision. At a time when hardly anyone believed in me Dave stepped forward and defended me.

I’ve dedicated each of my books to a loved one. My first one ( The Journey Towards Relevance) to Kelly. My next one (Called) to Keegan. My 3rd one (The Fine Line) to Isabel. And my upcoming one (Your Secret Name) to Addison.

Yesterday I told my mentor and friend I was going to jointly dedicate Your Secret Name to him as well. I did tell him though that Addison looks much more beautiful than him. 

He laughed and then he cried. 

We are praying for you and your family Dave.

God knows when he needs you more than we do. 

(Keep track of Dave here)

You know the difference between MSN and Google?

MSN =

Cluttered, jumbled, a large number of articles, topics, headings, themes, colors, and messages.

They designed it this way. They wanted to capture your interest. They even have a search bar powered by BING.

GOOGLE =

Crisp, clean, simple, easy to navigate, one purpose in mind (OK maybe 2). They also have a search bar.

They also designed it this way. They wanted to provide relevant answers to your search question.

On Sunday morning, at Grace Church, I’ll be preaching in all 3 services a message titled GOSPEL 101.

The sermon in a sentence is: SIMPLE IS BETTER.

The text is 1 Corinthians 1:17-31.

We’ll answer the question:

Are you an MSN Christian or a GOOGLE Christian?

As I sign off, I’d like to know, which one are you?

You can’t beat an afternoon with your son and your church delivering 325 boxes of God’s love.

I guess I’m blessed to have such a cool job.

“Lay people.”

I hate the term.

As if a few of us are ministers while the rest are second class Christians.

The Bible doesn’t read that way.

And it was never God’s heart…this clergy/laity divide.

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:5-9

I’m lucky to serve at a church where we flip the paradigm.

Forget the 80/20 rule.

Most consider themselves ministers and most serve in a ministry.

Like Saturday.

We deliver 150 Thanksgiving meals to those in need.

Turkeys, pies, stuffing.

Just one facet of Grace Serve.

So are you a minister or just a “lay person”?

Gearing up for the talk on Sunday at church.

The title is: You are the Story

The concept is from 2 Corinthians 3:2-3:

You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 

This verse is probably review for you.  What probably isn’t review = Simchat Torah.

Simchat Torah—meaning “Joy of the Torah” is celebrated on 22nd Tishrei, the day after the end of Tabernacles, and marks the reading of the last portion of Torah and the reading of the first portion in the next year. 

On Simchat Torah, all the Jews congregate in the Synagogue, and rejoice over the fact that they have the Torah to study from and lead them in their lives. Traditionally, seven Hakafot (circuits) are danced around the Bimah (the raised platform in the middle upon which the Torah is read).

What happens when there was no Torah to dance with in the concentration camps? Listen to this story from Rabbi Lawrence Goldmark in his article JUST HOW PRECIOUS OUR CHILDREN ARE

The first story takes place in a nameless concentration camp sometime during the Holocaust.  Inmates in one barrack began to celebrate the holiday, though they did not have a Torah scroll with which to dance. Yet they wanted to dance with a Torah scroll.  One of the inmates asked the only teenage boy that lived with the older  men how much he knew of the Torah.  The boy answered that he already was  preparing himself for his Bar Mitzvah before being deported to the camp.  “There’s  enough Torah in you” said the man.  “You will be our Torah scroll” and he lifted up the boy and held him tenderly over his shoulders as though he was a precious Torah  scroll.

The truth is that every follower of Jesus is a living Torah.

Points to Ponder:

1. You are the only Bible some people will ever read.
2. How did others read you this last week? (past)
3. How do you want to be read this next week? (future)

Sunday morning I took a risk.

I believe the Lord wanted me to.

I preached for 10 minutes and then I stopped.

I asked everyone to  journal their thoughts for 5 minutes.

Then I asked them to do something bold.

To turn and get in groups of 4 and ask discuss 3 questions.

1. Why are you here?
2. Out of your deepest held beliefs which one has deeply changed?
3. Are you on a plateau or are you letting Christ grow you?

The results?

You can find out a few different ways.

1. Listen in on the service. Go to this link or the the Podcast page or iTunes. (Episode 46)
2. Read one participant’s impressions. You’ll get a taste below and then you’ll need to go to his blog for the rest of the story.

Sometimes changing the rules is the best way to grow.

Today, at my bud Kary’s Church he played.  Kary took a risk and introduced his congregation to the BTL process of speaking and listening. Instead of giving what they’ve come to expect from Sunday morning service, he gave them a jolt and asked them to play along. 

They played.

I participated in the service by simply being in the pew and connecting to those that happened to choose the same pew as me. 

Random.

I met a couple in both of the services.  The first couple I already knew and I still learned a ton.  We hadn’t connected in years and, actually, I had never really asked them about their kids.  Today, we changed that.  Very cool.

The second couple, in the second service, I had never met.  Today, we changed that.  We connected for about 16 minutes.  I had never seen them before in my 50 years on this planet.  They had never seen me.  We had never spoken a word of English, our native tongue, in each others company.  We were complete strangers. 

Read the rest here.