The Shack and Author William Young at newhope this Weekend!

You have heard about it for months now and we are only days away from the beginning of the next message series called, "The Shack." To help us get this party started, we are having the only and only author, William P. Young, in both Worship Celebrations at 8:45 and 10:30 am. He will then come back to newhope church for a live Q and A at 4:00 pm. You do NOT want to miss it and I highly recommend getting here early! We will have live video feed in our overflow space just in case so keep inviting those family members and friends!

If you have not read this book, I encourage you to pick it up asap. This is an amazing fictional page turner that invites us into the parabolic "shack" and there find healing for our souls and relational baggage that we all tend to carry around. Let's be honest - we all have hurts and wounds that we need God to heal. I am reminded of what the Word says:

"Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard." (Isaiah 58:8)

Camp out on that verse for moment. I am praying this verse will become a reality in the life and ministry of our church. I am asking that God's light will break forth like the early dawn of each and every day. I am asking that God's healing will quickly appear. Will you join me in these prayers?

Check it out - the Word then says that our righteousness will go before us and that the glory of the Lord will be our rear guard. I LOVE THAT VERSE. What a promise. Can you imagine our God's righteousness going before us and His glory protecting us? That would be the best place in all the world to live. And God says that is available and I am asking Him to make that reality in your life during this series and beyond.

A term that Brazilian Christians often use is the equivalent to our word "renovate." It's used to describe the renewal a person experiences when being filled with the Holy Spirit. I've heard pastors and believers refer to how their ministry changed, or how their lives changed, after they were "renovated." It's similar to how we use the word "renewal", but I like their word better, because it implies a remaking, a restructuring of the heart, which is what we all need. It's an extreme makeover, and every person is desperate for one. I'm more convinced than ever that we cannot be effective in ministry without this constant and never-ending, continuously ongoing renovative work of the Holy Spirit. We need to be made new, and we need to be made over; that can only be accomplished through the power of God's Spirit.

Paul said, "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16 NAS)

That renewal is in reality a renovation; it's the process of transformation that God works in us until we become like Jesus. How does it happen? In 2 Corinthians 4:18 Paul indicates that we have to look beyond what is seen, beyond the struggles and limitations of our earthen vessels, and set our eyes are the things that are not seen, the things that are eternal.

Everything we deal with day in and day out tempts us to focus on the temporary: money problems, health problems, relationship problems, and so on. But if we can look beyond these things, enter into "The Shack" if you will, and focus instead on the presence of God, we can experience the renovating work of His Spirit.

Let's go there, beloved. It all starts this Sunday!

Peace and much love...

"Beyond The Grave... He Still Moves Stones!" Part 3

Are You Living?

If you were in church yesterday than you know we sent you off with a kicking song by Bon Jovi. My favorite lyric was, “I just want to live while I’m alive!” How are you living this day? How will you live this week? What about your one and only life?

Starting Point is tonight at the church at 6:30 pm. Any and everyone is welcome to come and find a place of ministry in the life of newhope church. We will gather in the rotunda and then you will be able to meet all the staff and visit ministry areas and discern where God might be calling you to serve.

On Sunday, we begin, “The Shack,” with best selling author William Young in the house! He will be with us in both Worship Celebrations at 8:45 and 10:30 am and then back at 4:00 pm for live Q and A. I hope you will utilize your relationships, email, facebook, and whatever else at your disposal to spread the word and invite your friends to church this weekend. This is going to be a special 4 – part series that has the potential to heal relationships and change the course of our lives! One more thing, if you have any questions that you would like for me to ask William Young from the stage on Sunday, shoot us an email at theshack@newhopenc.org. I will look over the questions received and try my best to pick questions that represent our community.

Have a great week and remember that Jesus came that you might have abundant life. (John 10:10) Now go out there and make a great day in His name.

A Good Habit of Mine...

We all have some good and, well, some not so good habits. :-) I have a good 20 year habit that I engage when I travel. Let me explain.

Every time I hit a new city I ALWAYS learn the city by taking a long run. Some people like to shop when they visit a city. Others like to eat. Still others like to hit the pool in the hotel. When I drop my bags, I almost always quickly change my clothes and learn the city by taking a long jog.

You can learn a lot about a place and the people by running through the city streets. I usually don't take the I-phone and/or ear buds because I enjoy listening to the unique sounds of the city. The horns, sirens, accents of the people, and music tell me a lot about the culture. I like the sights as well. I love to study the people, churches, building architecture, automobiles, and sky scrapers. And I love the smells. There is nothing like working up an appetite by smelling the restaurants as you run. I usually pick my eating spots during these runs.

Today, I hit the road in downtown Denver, Colorado. It was one of the best new city runs I have ever experienced. It contained everything. The "Mile High City" is a really cool place. They have lots of outdoor malls with tons of people and public transportation. This is an eclectic group of people and they have a Starbucks on every corner. (A true sign of God's country :-))

After running in the city for awhile, I stumbled upon this paved bicycle/running track. It ran along side this beautiful river for miles and miles. It also ran down through Regis University. I found their mission statement worth the read:

Regis University is rooted in a 500-year-old Jesuit academic tradition called to educate the whole person--mind, body, and soul. Today, Regis University educates men and women to take leadership roles and to make a positive impact in a changing society.


The gorgeous day, mixed with the sights and sound of sky scrapers, rushing water, students eating on the banks of river, and health nuts running and riding everywhere made for one of those most memorable inner city runs I have ever taken. I have run through dozens and dozens of cities, but this was/is definitely one of my favorites.

One of the things I love most about running in a new city is the unknown, exploratory nature of it all. I love running when I don't know where I am going. :-) I love the adventure of it all. I love not knowing what is around the next bend or hill or turn on an unfamiliar street. I love the experiential learning that takes place as I learn about a particular people and culture. I love the mystery of finding my way back to my temporary home after I have run in all sorts of directions and decide it is time to turn back. I love this particular habit of mine because all of this tends to remind me of the journey of faith.

The life of faith is a journey in the truest sense of the word. There are so many unknowns. I like that! It is a journey of exploration and constant learning. I like that! It is one long adventure with many turns and bends. I like that! And it is all about heading to a permanent home on the well known path of Jesus, but not really knowing what the course will look like along the way. I like that!

All of this is precisely why II Corinthians 5:7 says, "We live by faith, not by sight." I like that!

Learn to enjoy, my friends, the unknown and mysterious exploration and learning that comes from our journey of faith. I know this bothers some people but learn to embrace it. Accept and delight in the adventure of it all. And if you like to run, or want to start, try it when you hit a new city. It's a good habit that sure beats TV, eating, shopping or sleeping.

Speaking of sleep, it getting close to bed time. I need some rest because this is a run well worth taking again. However, though I loved the run today, I am certain I will take another unfamiliar route tomorrow or Friday. It's just good practice for the journey of faith and ultimately the final run/arrival to our heavenly home with God.

Peace and happy trails...

Baptism and Boarding a Plane...

Well, it is early and I am about to board a plane. Anna Grace and I are heading to Denver to speak to Student Pastors from across the country. I covet your prayers for safe travels, a wonderful time with my daughter, and high impact as I deliver three messages on Micah 6:8:

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.


As you know, we baptized 70 people on Easter Sunday! It was an amazing inauguration of the new baptistery pool! Here is a picture of many of the people "leaning in" and getting ready for the Sacrament! Please pray for the newly baptized as they more fully live into what it means to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

I will post some while I am away. See you Sunday - peace and much love.


PS - we had 83 people at Abundant Life last night. This is getting CRAZY good!

Beyond the Grave... He Still Moves Stones! Part Two

Do you want to know something CRAZY?

{So, check this out - my assistant sent this email around to our team last night. Let me just say this is insane and not something that really excites me. But she says it is legitimate and she and others suggest that I ought to grant at least a meeting. So, please pray for wisdom and discernment.}

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Hi Team newhope,

We have recently been approached by Lionsgate/Ithaka film Producer’s Jay McPhaul and Braxton Pope to shoot a piloted reality documentary/show on Pastor Benji and newhope church. The premises of this show would be about an up and coming southern church in its growth stages. Pastor Benji was scouted based on his background, the church history, vision, and charisma.

Please pray for clarity in this decision! Pastor Benji will be speaking with one of the producer’s tomorrow.

Thanks!

Warm Regards,

Teresa Hartsfield
Executive Assistant to Dr. Benji Kelley
Senior Pastor of newhope Church
7619 Fayetteville Road
Durham, NC 27713
Office (919) 206 HOPE (4673)
Mobile (919) 450 – 5146
Fax: 919-294-8891
teresa@newhopenc.org

In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
- Romans 8:28

Five Qualities of an Excellent Pastor/Staff Member (Continued...)

We have been tracking along lately with this post about what makes for an excellent pastor/staff person. I have listed 4 so far so this is the last post on the topic for now. As promised, I am sharing with you the Pastoral Team Covenant of newhope at the end of this post. For now, though, let's look to the 5th characteristic...

#5 – An excellent Pastor/staff member is always honest with one another. Truth is essential for a team to achieve it’s maximum potential. We have incredible transparency and honesty in our staff meetings and in our church environment. We strive for brutal honesty. If I share an idea that is horrible, I want to know. If I mess up in leadership, I want a team around me who will share that with me. I have no desire to have "Yes" men and women all over the place.

When we gather as a team I want nothing less than raw honesty. However, when we walk out of our staff meetings, we want loyalty to the team, mutual submission to one another and the vision of this church. In fact, in our Pastoral Team Covenant, we say it like this, “I will be loyal to the team by defending them publicly and confronting them privately.” In those private meetings, we get down and dirty with honesty that builds and edifies the body of Christ! When we leave those meetings, we strive to do so as unified team striving to lead a movement to Reach, Teach, and Release!


Speaking of the covenant, here is is. We live and breathe this bad boy and frequently go over these nuggets of communal living to make sure we are staying on track. If you are a pastor or leader, there is no need to ask - of course, you can use this covenant any way you choose. :-) Borrow it, steal it, tweak it - whatever - if it can help you lead your team in any way, go for it and give God the glory.

Peace and much love...

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newhope Pastoral and Staff Team Covenant -
April 2009

Believing in the Biblical priority of Christ-centered community; and believing that God has brought us together as a team to work for the cause of His Kingdom; and believing that God initiates, empowers and blesses intentional living ...

• I will take personal responsibility to pursue full devotion to Jesus, that I might relate to my teammates with grace, compassion and authenticity.

• I will build my teammates through encouragement, support and affirmation. I will respect their ministry responsibilities, their time, and their dreams.

• I will always choose to believe the very best about my co-workers. I will be loyal to the team by defending them publicly and confronting them privately. I will do all I can to guard and protect the unity and integrity of our staff.

• I will express gratitude, respect and appreciation for my teammates and I will hold in confidence the things that they choose to share with me.

• I will pursue excellence in developing the areas of ministry that I am responsible for, believing that excellence honors God and inspires others.

• I will not assume others know how I feel or that I know how others feel. I will initiate open communication and I will seek to understand their unique challenges.

• I will speak the truth in love and I will say what I mean and mean what I say.

• I will live with a commitment to accountability, allowing others to address issues in my life. I will admit when I am wrong and take responsibility for my actions.

• I will celebrate, enjoy and pray for my teammates…expecting God to do amazing things through us together!

• For the sake of our Pastoral/Staff/Leadership Team and congregation, I will fully strive to align my life with the Vision of newhope church.

Dr. Benji W. Kelley, Senior Pastor

________________________, (Signature)

________________________, (Date)

Easter Weekend Reflections

I am sorry I have been a bit quiet since Sunday. I guess I was wiped out, water logged, and slightly speechless as a result of the way in which God moved among us this weekend. If you missed it, the video message is below. Here is a brief recap/praise report...

• Lots of people accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That never gets old...
  
• Even more people rededicating their lives to Christ as Lord and Savior...
• 69 Believer Baptisms in our new baptistry pool... (You read that right - 69 believers!)
  
• 12 baby dedications in the same pool...
  
• "Kickin" Worship Celebrations...
  
• Tons of first times guests...
• Tons of second time guests returning because they love newhope!
• Lots of children and students being impacted for Christ and loving it!
• The dedication of our new building through prayer and the placement of the Cornerstone. (Read Ephesians 2 about Jesus being the "Chief Cornerstone" of the church)
  
• Hundreds and hundreds of the best volunteers I have ever witnessed serving every Sunday for the cause of Christ! THANK YOU...
  
• 1,906 people at newhope this weekend!
  
• A never ending, awe-inspiring, resurrecting God who will never leave or forsake us! (Hebrews 13)
  

Beyond the Grave... He Still Moves Stones!

Good Friday and Easter Celebrations!

• Friday night we descend into the dark depths of Good Friday at 7:00 pm. I hope you are planing to join us for this eerie and sacred night?!

• Easter Sunday the celebrations begin at 8:45 and 10:30 am! Trust me, the Worship will be some of the best ever! You might want to arrive early.
  

• Easter afternoon, join the Party on the Patio at 4:00 pm. We will have an Easter Egg hunt for the kiddos, a cornerstone dedication of our building, and believer baptisms galore!

So, here is my QUESTION - who are YOU bringing to church with you this weekend? With whom are you investing and inviting to newhope this weekend so God can do a great work in the lives of your friends?

We have worked hard to get to this point. Hundreds of people are serving and countless hours are spent preparing for this once a year opportunity.

BUT YOU AND I HAVE A PERSONAL ROLE TO PLAY!

What do you need to do in order to get family members and friends here? There is not sacrifice to steep to make. Have you asked them before? If so, ask and invite again!

And please pray! Pray that God will be glorified and praised as the resurrected Christ throughout all creation this Sunday morning. Pray that He will be the famous One. Pray that our Worship and weekend will bring glory and honor to His name.

Peace and much love during this Holy Week and Always...

Five Qualities of an Excellent Pastor/Staff Member (Continued...)

Last week, I covered the first 3 qualities needed for a pastor or staff member to be a top shelf leader in the life and ministry of the church. As with the previous 3 qualities, this 4th one is applicable in whatever kind of non-profit organization, business, or entity you might lead. In fact, we teach this one to our kids when it comes to trying to grow a healthy family/relationships between siblings. Let's continue...

#4 – An excellent Pastor/staff member is always loyal.

Don't let the pithiness of this one fool you. I am not sure there is another quality/characteristic more important than this one in the life and ministry of the church. Because satan wants to destroy the church, he is always using gossip, backstabbing, and disloyalty to accomplish his hateful work. In the church, therefore, we must always be on guard against his schemes to kill and destroy. Peter would put it like this as he warned leaders in the church:

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (I Peter 5:8)

Because I am posting this on my blog for everyone to see, I am clearly not ashamed that we expect uncompromising loyalty on the pastoral and staff team of this church. If you are a Senior Pastor out there, YOU SHOULD EXPECT THE SAME. Make not mistake about it, the enemy will find a foothold on your team (Ephesians 4:27), a chink in the armor, if you will, and it is only a matter a time before an unhealthy dynamic of disloyalty creeps in and wreaks havoc in the church.

In fact, there are people who love to find and exploit these chinks in the armor. Moreover, I would imagine there are people reading this blog right now who don't appreciate me bringing this particular topic into the light. The good news is, though, when they learn that a healthy team will not put up with this kind "sin in the camp," they almost always leave and go somewhere else.

Every person on our team understands that this is a hill on which I am willing to die. There is no such thing as a healthy team when loyalty is absent. Loyalty to the vision and to one another is one of the key hallmarks to the health and vitality of the Pastor/staff team at newhope church.

Amy Lynn and I have seen it over and over again. Some person(s) will wonder into newhope looking to cause dissension through the sin of gossip or spreading of lies. It is absolutely amazing how fast a healthy staff team can "nip this in the bud" by IMMEDIATELY calling this person on the rug and having a very hard discussion about the way in which this is sin and will NOT be tolerated in the life and ministry of this church. We actually talk about these things in our staff meetings and when we start to even smell the aroma of the enemy trying to tear us down through those who sneak in and out of churches all over this land sowing seeds of hatred and disunity in the body of Christ, we expose this junk for what it is and with a unified voice, we graciously and lovingly confront and correct. You might find Matthew 18 interesting on this subject.

If you look at our Pastoral Team Covenant, loyalty runs throughout. Everybody on this team knows that I WILL ALWAYS have their backs. That means the moment someone approaches me to talk bad about one of my pastors/staff members, I will quickly say, "Hold that thought and let's go find ___________, and have this same discussion in front of him/her so they can rightly be involved." You ought to see the back peddling and look on their face when Matthew 18 is inserted into the discussion. :-) Also, everyone on this team knows they must ALWAYS have one another’s back. PERIOD. Part of the Pastoral/Staff Team Covenant puts it like this:

I will always choose to believe the very best about my co-workers. I will be loyal to the team by defending them publicly and confronting them privately. I will do all I can to guard and protect the unity and integrity of our staff.

Now let me be very clear – we would never conceal any type of sin. Loyalty does not mean covering up or blindly defending a colleague. That would violate 1 Timothy 3 whereby the Word of the Lord talks about respect, truth, and not pursuing dishonest gain.

Make no mistake about it, though, one of the primary reasons why newhope church has always been such an incredibly warm, welcoming, loving, and God honoring environment is because this church and her staff team has never put up with the status quo of triangularization ("Christians" and staff members, usually two of them, hiding in the shadows while gossiping and backstabbing another believer and/or staff member, thus forming a kind of deadly and secretive triangle), the forming of cliques, and the offering of some kinds of, "Prayer Requests," which are really nothing more than an ubberly spiritualized form of gossiping.

The reason the early church was so contagious was because they really and truly loved one another. They loved so deeply that they became known as brothers and sisters to one another. Let the bride of Christ, and the servants that serve her and the people of God, love one another so deeply that loyalty, and respect, and accountability flow naturally from us so that God's Church might continue to shine brightly as a beacon of faith, hope, and love.

NOTE: At the end of this series of posts, I will post the newhope Pastoral Team Covenant in its entirety.

Sunday Night Download...

• I guess I need to start with the positive - it was a beautiful spring day. :-)
• Now to reality - it was not our best Sunday, to the say the least.
  
• I love the academy of country music awards. I always watch it with Anna Grace. She is a little frustrated right now because the boys are getting into her daddy/daughter space.
  
• Had a donkey named Newton on the stage this morning. Before Worship, he Christened our new stage if you know what I mean. :-) It brought the earthiness of Jesus on a donkey to "whole nutha level."
  
• The volunteers of newhope are awesome. You guys inspire me BIG time.
  
• A group of us had an amazing time of prayer in my office after Worship today for the healing of a dear friend. Please pray for Teresa Rad as she starts chemotherapy tomorrow.
  
• The good thing about leading a church in weekly worship is that when you have a GREAT Sunday, you get to do it 7 days later!
  
• The good thing about leading a church in weekly worship is that when you have a BAD Sunday, you get to do it 7 days later. :-) I can't wait for Easter Sunday!
• I love the unfolding drama of Holy Week.
  
• The new Fireside Room to meet with guests every Sunday is awesome. I can't believe how many guests are coming to our church these days. To all of you, WELCOME!
• Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood rock, in a country kind of way.
• The Festival of Hope and the 5/10 K Race was unbelievable Saturday. We think we had over 1,500 people and lots of people curious about the church and wanting tours! Well done, Amy Lynn Kelley!
• I am not sure what I think about Miley Cyrus. I am not sure she belongs in country music but the industry is trying REALLY hard to get her in the camp.
  
• Speaking of the new building, I am amazed how a great facility helps facilitate the Vision.
  
• The Heels are cutting down the nets in Detroit tomorrow night and my family is crashing Franklin Street after the game!
• Spiritual Warfare is in the air BIG time. The 3 week honeymoon is over and the battle is on...
  
• Have you ever heard that if you play country music backwards, you get your wife back, your truck back, your life back etc... :-) That is not true, at least for country music today, but it is still funny.
  
• I am looking forward to our Good Friday service.
  
• I am done. Nite - nite. :-)
  

Holy Week @ newhope...

I am about to walk out of the door to attend our annual Festival of Hope. Amy Lynn has put this bad boy on for 7 years straight and it is something to experience. After that, I hit the road and run our annual newhope 5/10 K race! And this is just the beginning. Here are the details of the events this week at newhope church. Come join us. Anyone is welcome!

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The Festival of Hope starts TODAY at NOON! The festival is a free family event open to everyone of all ages! Activities include bounce houses, train rides, climbing wall, mechanical bull, obstacle course, giant slide, and more! A Kid's Fun Run will be offered at 2:30 pm. Everyone is welcome and please feel free to bring your friends.

The annual newhope 5K and 10K Run will start TODAY at 3:00 pm. This year we've added the 10K run, and the race has been certified by the USA Track and Field Association and recognized by the RRCA. The course runs past Herndon Park and onto the American Tobacco Trail, which makes it both unique and scenic.

Registration and packet/race-chip pick-up is from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm. The race starts at our Southpoint Campus at 7619 Fayetteville Road in Durham. If you haven't signed up yet, it's not too late, just come on out around 2 pm.

Holy Week technically begins with Palm Sunday Worship Celebrations tomorrow at 8:45 and 10:30 am. If at all possible, come to the early celebration. :-)

Next, we will gather on the sacred night of Good Friday at 7:00 pm. This is by far one of my favorite worship experiences every year. The night is eerie and sacred to say the least!

Next Sunday, April 12th, rolls around with our Easter Celebrations at 8:45 and 10:30 am! Please arrive early and again, if possible, attend the 8:45 am celebration! We will have overflow available if needed!

The week concludes on Easter Sunday afternoon with an Easter Egg Hunt for the children at 4:00 pm and a Cornerstone Celebration, and a Baptism Party on the Patio at 4:30 pm. If you want to get baptized or have your child dedicated, please contact the church office at 919.206.HOPE (4673) or office@newhopenc.org.

As you can tell, it is going to be an amazing week - I hope to see you around!

Peace and much love...

Five Qualities of an Excellent Pastor/Staff Member… (Part II)

Let's continue...

#3 – An excellent Pastor/staff member does, “Whatever it takes.”

Here is the bottom line truth about me - I can't stand excuses. I mean, seriously, you have never found anyone more impatient with excuses than me. (Just ask my 5 kiddos) I just can't take being around people who seem to make more excuses than progress. Just this week, I saw an email from a guest who visited our church this past Sunday and at the bottom of her email, this leader had these words:

"You have brains in your head...You have feet in your shoes...You can steer yourself in the direction you choose."

I LOVE THAT and it is so true! As such, the pastors and staff I want to hire and keep on the team are those who know how to solve problems and find solutions. In fact, I tell them to NEVER bring me just a problem but make sure you have possible solutions in mind so together we can do whatever it takes to keep moving forward.

You might tell I am little passionate about this one. :-) As such, the one comment I never ever want to hear from a Pastor/staff member is this: “That is not in my job description.” Oh really? If I hear this, my first response is usually something like, "You are kidding me right." My second response is usually a nice little chat about doing whatever it takes for the cause of Christ and remembering all that He did for us! What if, when the Father gave Jesus His eternal assignment, He said, "Naaaaaa, that is not in my job description of being your son." Instead, the Bible puts Jesus' response like this:

"You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:6 - 10)

It is an unspoken reality around newhope church that every staff member, at times, will have to do, “Any other responsibilities as deemed necessary.” FYI - Senior Pastors and leaders out there - that is a great line to add on every job description of those who report to you.

Great staff members understand that we are about so much more than our individual ministry areas. There has been and will continue to be times when we have to step outside of our job description and do something incredibly important for the sake of the church.

In the early days, Amy Lynn and I found ourselves doing any and everything. I can recall mopping the floors and cleaning toilets, on more occasions than I like to remember, at East Chapel Hill High School on Sunday mornings because the janitor got drunk the night before and didn't show up for work. That will put you in the right frame of mind before teaching the Word of the Lord! :-) I so vividly remember shoveling horse poop out of the parking lot of the church because horse carriers used our parking lot on Saturday night and the horses did, well, what horses do if you know what I mean. It was all over the parking lot and I could only find one shovel and guess who took the lead? I can remember loading and unloading storage rooms for 104 Sundays straight! I can remember working ninety hours a week for years just to see this little fledgling Core Visionary Team become a church soaring to the glory and honor of Jesus Christ. Listen, we knew of no such thing as a job description. If a job needed to be done, we did it. Today, that same attitude permeates the life of this pastoral/staff team and dare I say, most of newhope.

Simply put in the terms of our Vision - the pastors and staff of this church have to do whatever it takes to Reach, Teach, and Release! Senior Pastor, if you have someone on the team who is constantly complaining about jobs asked of him or her, or who is constantly trying to get out of work – WATCH OUT! You never want anyone on your team who is trying do the bare minimum or whoever says, “Well that is not in my job description.”

Jesus Christ did not change the world with half-hearted, lazy, and arrogant people who wanted to be left alone in their own little silo. Instead, He turned the world on it’s head with women and men who were willing to do whatever it took, and go wherever He led for the sake of the gospel. That is the kind of person you want on your team and that is the kind of person you need to be for the cause of Christ!

Wii Dream Part 3