***UPDATE*** see the bottom video…
Last week I started the series “when things go wrong in planting“. Well, here’s this weeks version – River Parishes Community College.
Apostolic
When Things Go Wrong in Planting…Loyola
Friends, many things go right in planting. We love the transformations and the breakthroughs.
Here is my most recent breakthrough.
Also, did you know I moved to Louisiana to plant?
But what about when things go wrong?
3 Lessons From The Water Park
This is part of a series called “Starting From Zero”. I am chronicling my current mission and what it looks like to start something new, in a new place.
The water park is designed to stretch you beyond your fear.
And, so is God’s mission.
When it comes to apostolic mission, fear is always involved too. Trying something new, leaving what you know behind and stepping outside the walls of conventional wisdom has a way of both exhilarating and paralyzing us with fear.
Starting Over…Again
Hello Release The APE community!
My family and I have taken on a completely new start up mission with InterVarsity – the same organization I have been working with for 13 years.
It’s Not About Falling; It’s About Getting Up
“If I fall, will you help me up?”
That is what my almost three year old Wesley said to me this morning as we walked our dog around the block.
Last week while we walked Chloe, I let him hold the leash by himself. At the end of the walk, she took off running after my middle child and yanked the leash so hard, it flung Wesley forward and he slammed the front of his face into the concrete. I heard the sound of his skull reverberating.
Crying, ice packs, pupil dilation checks, repeat.
He ended up being fine but it was clear – he’s not ready to hold the leash for this battle yet. Dad would need to help – whether Wesley liked that idea or not.
But what strikes me about today is that he wasn’t scared of falling again. He was scared of not being helped up. He was worried about how he would gather himself when the pain and tears of the future fall were too much. He wanted to know if dad would be there to help him up. I assured him, “Yes I will.”
Release The RURAL APE
I am in East Kentucky this weekend leading a section of pastors in evangelism training and I am captivated by the “rural” mission.
What I am learning in my conversations is that it takes a completely different strategy to reach rural areas (10,000 population or less) in a city. Obviously right!? But being around these guys and hearing their stories is inspiring. I also realize that many of our conferences, however APE in nature they are, do not help rural planters. The conferences are stoke the imagination of bigger and better and often use on stage speakers that have big churches and are in urban areas. A big church in rural space may be 50 or 100 people. There is not much imagination for these spaces – what if we could SEE and HERE more stories of people choosing rural spaces instead of big cities with the hope of growing big churches?
I want to be clear – I am not putting down big cities and big churches. I am more making the point that most of our apostolic imagination goes there and that is problematic.
One cool story is Mike – the guy in blue. He moved to Menifee County to plant a church. This county is considered one of the most unchurched counties in America – 87%. Thomas Rainer mentions it in this book. Menifee is poor and rural and was wiped devastated by a tornado in 2012. No one moves there willingly. During a prayer meeting a few years ago about reaching the various counties in East Kentucky, Mike stopped the prayer and said, “I’ll go to Menifee – someone has to.” Mike and his wife felt called to give their life to bring Jesus to this county. He was very inspiring to me today as I talked with him. He loves the people there and is doing life with the community.
Book Review: The Church As Movement
“Today, many churches believe their survival and success depends on collecting and consolidating more resources, programs, paid staff, property and people in attendance.”
How To Interpret Spiritual Gifts
I was asked this question on Twitter today:
@ReleaseTheAPE Think may have asked this before, but how can I explain to others why Eph 4 ministry list trumps others as ministry dynamic?
— Aídan and Abetting (@AidanAshby) February 15, 2016
@ReleaseTheAPE Would you say because Eph is the ecclesiastical epistle, particularly describing the nature and structure of the church?
— Aídan and Abetting (@AidanAshby) February 15, 2016
It is a great question and this is how I would simply answer it.
There is a difference between calling and gifts.
Think of the Ephesian 4 “callings” as vehicles and the “gifts” of the Spirit in Corinthians as accessories that trick up the car.
I Almost Quit
Since this blog is committed to encouraging planters, prophets and evangelists, I thought I would bring you into my process as a young planter over the last year. I have been severely tested and I almost quit my current mission! I have kept this off the blog because I wanted to go through the process more fully (although it is not done) and stay focused as well. I feel now is the time to let you in, and I hope this encourages you in your mission.
Going Public: The First LBCC Outreach!
[This post is part of the “4 Hour Campus Plant” series. I am live blogging my attempt to plant a ministry at a new campus with only 4 hours a week. This is a continuous story that builds, so make sure to start at the beginning.]
Today was the activities fair at LBCC and our first time doing any public outreach. Well, today God showed up in a big way! We had over 100 students stop at our booth and fill out contact cards. In just under three hours of time! That means 100 students gave us their email and want to get more information about joining our new start up ministry on campus!