John Bauer Concert at newhope THIS Saturday!

Here's a reminder and invitation to come out to newhope church this Saturday night for a concert given by Jon Bauer at 7:00 pm. Jon is an award winning Christian artists - should be a blast!

So, spread the word and bring a friend. Maybe they will also come with you to church this Sunday for our final installment of The Bucket List.

See you Saturday...

Orange Conference

You might think, "What in the world is the Orange Conference? Well, you will learn all about on May 11 and 18. The picture above is this ginormous shared worship experience between children, students, and parents! Simply put - off the hook and a great way to bring families together in Christ!

Suffice it to say for now, God is really leading Pastors Jarred and Amy Lynn as they think through how children's ministry and student ministry interface with one another. It is a critical partnership and we are pumped up about what God is doing with the children and students at newhope. We are even more pumped about the way in which everything changes when we get into the new building!


We will wrap up the conference this afternoon, do one final night in Hotlanta, and make our way back home in the morning. Peace...

Sunday Night Download...

* I love our church. Today was one of those days when I saw, as clearly as ever, the beauty and power of the body of Christ.

* I shared my deepest struggles in all of life with the entire church today. I never really thought I could I could do such a thing. I feel completely exposed.

* I think the music in worship lately has been the bomb. Something extra special is happening on Sundays at newhope these days. Can you say, GOD!?

* I normally feel utterly exhausted on Sunday evenings. Something is different today. Though I am tired, I actually feel lighter and refreshed. I am not a brain surgeon, but I am certain it has something to do with sharing my heart and life fully with the newhope family God has called me to serve.

* I am going to the Van Halen concert at the RBC center May 5th!!!!! Yes, I just put five exclamation marks at the end of a sentence. A friend walked out of church today and said, "You are going to the Van Halen concert." I just got an email saying he has me not one but two tix! Now that is cool. I have changed a lot since my very first concert, Van Halen's "Jump" tour, in 1984. But I still love good ole Rock 'n Roll.

* Did I say I love our church? The prayers, more hugs than I have ever received in one day, emails, comments - all have moved me deeply today.

* Thanks to everyone who has made the move to either the first or third worship celebration. (8:45 and 11:45 am) It really made a difference today. All three worship celebrations felt great. Of course, we always need relief at the 10:15 am service but we are making strides and creating space for people to come and experience Christ! Remember that we have secured permission to park in the parking lot beside our building/parking lot, as well.

* My kids can never do anything to make me love them more. Nor will they ever be able to do anything to make me love them less.

* I can't wait for the completion of the new building. They are paving the parking lots and laying the curb and gutters this week!

* I had a blast with the Round Table group of pastors that came to North Carolina last week. I love doing life with other church planters.

* I will miss the Hogues. It was cool to follow the Spirit's lead at the end of the third worship celebration today and send them off with prayer and blessings.

* Traveling again this week. Pastors Jarred and Crystal Ritter, and Amy Lynn and I are going to one of the best Family Ministry conferences in North America. We leave at 10 am tomorrow and will return Thursday. Should be a blast. I will miss my kids but we plan to do live video chats on the computers in the evenings. I love technology.

* Have you crafted your Bucket List? Go read Psalm 39 - life is fleeing, shorter than the width of your hand, here one moment and gone the next, like the breath that just entered and left your lungs. Go, beloved, live life for all that it is worth!

* Our Pastoral Team/Support staff is stronger than it has ever been. Please pray - I have a few more critical hires to make before we take our post near Southpoint Mall but it is coming together in a BIG kind of way.

* Pray for our church. Lots of raw emotional stuff flying around today. Pray for healing and action.

* I love Spring. I love Sunday evening Spring showers. That made this afternoon/evening prefect. :>)

* Anna Grace is growing up and changing so fast. We just finished watching the 2008 Country Music Awards. And YES - I love country music. If you don't, I will pray that you one day see the light! :>) It was a great opportunity to cuddle up with my baby, sing our favorite songs, and discuss topics like modesty, integrity, and faith.

* Did you know the Bible says, "God is the Father to the fatherless." (Psalms 68:5) Thank you, God - I could not make it without you. Will you please bring Ron Kelley to faith in your Son, Jesus?

* BTW - my favorite country singers, right now, are Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, and Brad Paisley.

* Nite - nite...

Vision

I have spent the last two days with a great group of amazing pastors from all over. We talked about everything under the sun as it relates to ministry, the church, and trying to lead God's Church! As such, we talked a lot about Vision. I was reminded of Andy Stanley's powerful words regarding vision:


1) Make it simple

In other words, boil it down to an irreducible minimum. Last week, while attending a leadership conference with 25 other newhope leaders, Andy cited the One Campaign's vision statement as an example: make poverty history. That is a great vision!


2) Cast Vision Convincingly

3) Repeat God's Vision Regularly

Great leaders always remember that Vision leaks. Pastor, as your church gets larger, you need more vision and you need to share it more frequently. (Not less) Become a master at casting vision with creative redundancy.

4) Celebrate Vision Systematically

I often say to our team, people imitate what we celebrate. Stories do more to celebrate, clarify, and illustrate vision than anything else."

5) Embrace Vision Personally and Publicly


FYI - The Vision of newhope is Reach, Teach, and Release!

Membership Class Tonight at 6:30 pm

I'm really excited about our membership class tonight. It's at the church at 6:30 pm.

You don't need to register at this point - just show up. Even if you are not sure you want to join yet, this is a great way to get to know the ins and outs of newhope.

I absolutely love Abundant Life 101 and CAN'T WAIT!

New Series Starting TOMORROW!

Perhaps you have seen the movie? If not, I highly recommend it!

We start a new series tomorrow and I can't wait. I truly believe this series has the capacity to profoundly change the way in which you live for the rest of your life!

While sharing a hospital room together, corporate billionaire Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and working class mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman), decide to leave it all behind and do all the things they have ever wanted to do before they die. The prognosis has been given and the shadows of death are lengthening by the day. So, they take a scratch sheet of paper and scribble all the things they want to do before they "Kick the bucket," as it were.

If you had 6 months to live, what would you do with those 180 days? Would your life change? Would you share more love? Laugh and live more deeply? Value every second and seize every day? In the words of Tim McGraw, would you "live like you were dying?”

We’ve all been given just one life. No more. No less. How are we supposed to use it? What’s on your bucket list? I hope you will join us this weekend for part 1 of The Bucket List!

Leading newhope pastors and staff...

As I write, I am surrounded by the newhope pastors and about 15 other amazing newhope leaders. We are attending the Maxwell Leadership Simulcast today. Instead of taking notes from this particular speaker :>), I am sitting here thinking about the responsibility I have to lead these pastors and lead them well. I am incredibly humbled and thankful for the opportunity to lead this team. I often get asked by other pastors, how do you lead your team? What do you expect of those who work for newhope?

Here are some things you might appreciate knowing about the pastors and support staff of this church and how I lead them:

1. I expect all pastors and staff to obey the greatest commandment of God, namely to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul. It is my responsibility
to make sure they remain grafted into the vine and bear much fruit. John Wesley, an 18th century reformer, used to ask his pastors, “How is it with your soul?” This question requires ruthless self-inventory. That question demands an analysis revealing the truth about your own spiritual reality. Anyone engaged in healthy living knows Wesley was right to insist the condition of our souls determine the faithfulness and impact, or lack thereof, of our ministries. Even if you are not a pastor or church staff person, let me ask you, "How is it with your soul?"

2. I am passionate about marriage and family and expect the same from those that work at newhope. I want the pastors to know I can replace each of them BUT their wives/husbands/children CANNOT replace them. I want people to date their mates. Convinced quality time is the result of quantity time, I want people to make lots of time for family. If you are married, no one is more important than your spouse. If you are a parent, you are required to make the decisions that are best for your family. I expect my staff to get their priorities right: God first, spouse second, family next, and then ministry/church…

3. Having written #'s 1, 2, and 3 - you need to know I expect the pastors/staff of newhope to work really hard and offer ministry that is excellent. I expect them to deliver their best ministry effort and add value to our team and the teams they lead. They need to be positive team players who are solution-oriented. I expect faith based ministry that depends solely on the power of God. In the words of Mark Beeson, "Pastors need to play well in the sandbox with others, complement the efforts of their teammates, and help build a healthy church." It is one thing to work hard, but it is another to work hard and offer excellent ministry opportunities and environments. Always remember, leaders are NOT people who always do things right. Leaders are people who do the right things!

4. For them to accomplish #3, I’m responsible to provide a context where high capacity leaders can soar. This morning, John Maxwell talked about the difference between ducks and eagles. The goal of a duck is to waddle around and float in a pond. Eagles, on the other hand, are created by God to soar! It is my job to equip and encourage the pastors and staff of newhope to soar to higher heights for the glory and honor of God! Great leaders deserve enormous opportunity. It is my job to provide those opportunities. If I fail them, I fail the people they lead; failing them weakens the church. As such, I am accountable to God.

5. I need to provide the pastors/staff of this church with ample vacation time, abundant continuing education line items and book allowances, AND EXPECT THEM TO USE ALL OF IT!


Of course, there is a lot more to leading leaders, but there is a quick stab. I have to go, Andy Stanley is getting ready to speak and I love that dude.

If you are leader out there, I hope this information helps you lead those who report to you. If you are a newhoper, I hope this helps you understand how I lead our team. I also hope this helps you remember how blessed we are with the pastors/staff of our church. Trust me - WE ARE SO BLESSED WITH AWESOME PASTORS AND SUPPORT STAFF MEMBERS. (BTW - nothing thrills me more than hearing about newhopers loving on and encouraging the pastors and staff members of this church) If you are a newhope pastor or staff member, we will discuss this next Tuesday. I want to honestly hear how you think I am doing leading you? I also want to know from you, "How is it with your soul?" How is it with your family? How is it with your ministry?" It will be a great discussion.

As always, I covet your prayers...

Wisdom...

As I opened the Bible this morning, it fell open to Ecclesiastes 9. (I don't recommend your reading plan consisting of letting your bible fall open to determine which passages to read, but sometimes it is perfect :>) Here is the passage and some of my bible study notes from this morning.

Ecclesiastes 9:13 - 18 says this:

13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: 14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it. 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.

17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
than the shouts of a ruler of fools.

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.


* This is an example of wisdom that greatly impressed even Solomon.

* In the vision, the wise one sees a small city, a powerful king, and a poor but wise man. The wise man saved the city through his wisdom. Solomon concludes, "Wisdom is better strength...The quiet words of the wise are more to be to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good." (Ecclesiastes 9:16 - 18)

* The wise one is not remembered, just the wisdom he embodied to save the city.


Lord God, I have a tendency to focus on strength, health, and talent. Help me to seek Your wisdom more. I so want to wise in your eyes, which I know will sometimes make me look foolish in the world's eyes. Forgive my sin. God, I pray that people remember not me, but the wisdom about you that came through me. I never want to be that "one sinner who destroys much good." (Vs. 18) Teach me, Father God, when to be quiet and when to speak. When I speak, let me speak with wisdom that can only come from you. Let that wisdom come from your Holy Word. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Tonight and Tomorrow...

The play, Dead Man Walking, and the Prisms of Faith Colloquium tonight were rich with grace, truth, and authenticity. I really appreciate the prayers/support so many of you expressed on my blog, at church today, and via email. It means a lot. Let's continue to pray for the University, family of Eve Carson, those accused of the crime and family members on both sides.

I am very tired. It is mid-night and I wish I could just preach our three services now and then sleep for 3 days. Amy Lynn says she feels the same way. We simply overdid it this week. Too many ministry commitments, too many baseball, soccer and softball games with the kiddos. Just too much. And there is no one to blame but me.

I am going to sleep - hope to CU at newhope in the AM.

The Death Penalty

It is easy to talk about The Death Penalty when murder is out there somewhere. What about when someone like Eve Carson gets brutally murdered for no apparent reason?

I have been asked to facilitate a discussion on the campus of University of North Carolina this Saturday night, following the remarkable production called, "Dead Man Walking." The play starts at 5 pm at the Playmakers Theater and the Prisms of Faith Colloquium will follow the play, starting at 7 pm.

As you might imagine, I covet your prayers. There will be persons on the panel from different faith traditions. Each religious leader will share his/her stance and understanding of this complex issue. Even though I am facilitating the discussion, I have also been asked to share my personal understanding of the death penalty and my take on faithfully understanding the biblical position. I will then field questions from the audience and ask the different panelists to respond.

Interestingly enough, this play was already on the University's calendar at the beginning of the school year, well in advance of Eve's horrific murder. The University decided to continue with it's original plan, even though emotions remain raw and tender.

You are more than welcome to join us. If not, if you think about it, please say a prayer for me and this community wide event.

HOPE Chest - sharing clothes in His Name...

I have been away marrying a beautiful young couple in Charleston, SC. The couple's small group came down, as well. As a group of newhopers, we had a blast.

While away, I heard the HOPE Chest clothing exchange Saturday was awesome! I love that our church continues to grow with a heart for the those in need. Matthew 25 is a great chapter as Jesus talks about the differences between sheep and goats.

Way to go, newhope. I am proud of you and the work of God among us.

Since Sunday, I have not been able to stop thinking about the beauty and potential of the local church. If you missed it, you can check it out here.


Srikumar Rao is a business professor at Columbia and London Business School. He challenges his MBA students to take a vastly different approach to business. “He asks them to stop living in a `me centered’ world and start living in an `other centered’ one” (Time, “Inside Business”, April 2006). He imagines a future where business leaders begin to ask, “What can I do to make things better?”

What would happen in our church and churches all over this land if we started to do away with "me centeredness" and instead focused on being “other centered” churches? I believe we would have nothing short of a gospel revolution in a short period of time.

As Phil Stevenson points out, "Churches tend to be more inward than outward looking. We tend to be driven by finding the best practices to entice people to come through our doors. We look for strategies that will puff the numbers, fill the chairs, “spike” our average and leave us feeling better about ourselves. And why not? This is the value that is primarily rewarded in today’s church culture."

A slightly different approach, though, is to operate from a missional mindset! This perspective will push us out our doors and into the community to connect preChristian people to the gospel. The same spirit that caught our corporate hearts to respond so readily to Hurricane Katrina can and should be applied to our neighborhoods. God has placed newhope church in central North Carolina to lead an indelible mark on the spiritual landscape of this great state.

Steve Sjorgren in his book, The Community of Kindness, says “We believe the power of God’s love is what brings people to Christ—not slick programs, not telling people how bad things are, not evangelism and not theology.” People best encounter the love of Christ when the church is BEING the church. It is the church storming its community with practical “need-meeting.” It is the church asking and answering the tough question: “What can we do in our community, for our community, that if we were no longer here we would be missed?”

As we get ready to move to our post near the Streets of Southpoint, THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION TO ASK!?

“What can we do in our community, for our community, that if we were no longer here we would be missed?” (Steve Sjorgren)

As we ponder these kinds of urgent questions, here are some suggestions:

· Drive or walk or run your particular community and pay attention
· Go to the Chamber of Commerce and inquire about community needs
· Read the local paper and see what is being reported
· Go door to door and ask and talk to people
· Spend an hour in a local gather place (Starbucks, Southpoint Mall, etc) and watch and listen.

After you have listened and observed and prayed - let us know your thoughts/ideas. Together, we can pray and discern what God is calling us to do for the sake of His Kingdom in this part of the world.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts and ideas in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

The best is yet to come...