The Windy City

So, I am sitting in a meeting of Church Planting Strategist in Chicago. As we sit here, we all share a love for this city. The need here for the proclamation of the Gospel, the making of disciples, and the planting of churches is great. Chicago is one of the most under churched, under reached cities in America. Chicago is a wonderful city with a rich cultural diversity. it is truly a cultural center. I love the business of the city. Chicago is a diamond in the rough. I simply love Chicago!

DISC Profile

Today at staff meeting we spent the morning working on the DISC personal discernment inventory which is an instrument for understanding yourself and others. The instrument uses a descriptive word list to help the participant discover their personality/relational/work style. There is four categories; Dominant, Influential, Steady, Conscientious.

So I didn't really learn anything new about myself that i didn't already know. I am a high D which stands for dominant and I am also a high I which stands for Influential. But it was good to see how the other people on my team are wired and what their particular styles are.

So, have you ever taken the DISC profile?

Blogging

OK! So here is the deal. I would rather say my thoughts than write them. Not only is that true, I would rather say them to your face than record them. Otherwise I could be a video blogger or a pod-caster. The sad truth is, no matter how much I want to be, I am not wired for blogging. I am not giving up on the medium, just trying to be realistic. Maybe I will write something tomorrow....

Vision

We are at a meeting to do some planning for our organization's 2010 goals. We began the day with a discussion of our team vision which is;

"A New Testament Church in easy reach of every person in Illinois."

I really like this as a vision statement for a number of reasons.
1. It requires some thinking to unpack. We need to think more!
2. It communicates the Incarnational and transformational nature of the ministry of the Church.
3. It recognizes that what we need is a reformation not a revolution. In other words we are
talking about getting back to what is radically old not doing something that is radically new.
4. It identifies that either geographically or culturally the church in Illinois is not in easy reach
of many people in Illinois. We need all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people.
5. It focuses on the Biblical foundation of the Church.
6. It is easy to remember.

Odds and Ends

Here are some things I have been thinking about lately.

• Authentic Christian community
• Journey (the band)
• Africa
• Christian involvement in justice issues
• Do we really need Christian curriculum?
• My children leaving the house
• My wife (she is awesome)
  
• Disciple making
• The Shining (Stephen King novel)
• The Revelation
  

Greetings from SI

Wow, I haven't posted here in a long time. I have been posting regularly on my other blog Transplant Your Life. So I am sitting at the McDonalds in West Frankfort, IL using the Wi-Fi (which I had to pay for.) I have a series of meetings this week down here in Southern Illinois and i thought it would be a good time to see my parents and spend some much needed time with them. Even thought I had to pay for the Wi-Fi, I do want to give the West Frankfort McDonalds props for having styro-foam cups for cold drinks. I am a big fan of the foam cup over the plastic cup.

Tonight I am speaking at Catalyst, which is a gathering of college age adults in Southern Illinois. It meets at Anna Heights Baptist Church at about 7:30pm. I am looking forward to this teaching opportunity tonight. I will be teaching from Romans 8, if you want to know more, then come to Catalyst Tonight at Anna Heights.

Hope

I have been thinking about Hope a lot lately. I mean in the biblical sense. In casual conversation we may say, "I hope the Cardinals win." or "I hope it doesn't rain on Saturday." When we use hope that way we mean wishful thinking. I have no assurance that the Cardinals will win or that it won't rain on Saturday, my desire is for a win and no rain, but I really only have wishful thinking. When the Bible talks about hope, especially or hope in Christ as Christians the word means something completely different. Hope carries this meaning in Scripture, the absolute assurance of something you don't fully have yet. Here is my favorite passage about the absolute assurance of God's promises in Christ, our hope.

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
(Heb 6:13-20)

Here is how secure our hope is in Christ. It is dependent on God being God. God swears by Himself and makes an oath with Himself that all of His promises will be fulfilled in Christ. God connects His promises with His very character and person. If our hope in Christ fails, God isn't God. Talk about hope security!