Pop Goes The Church

I bought this book a little while ago, but I haven’t even cracked it yet because there were other books in my reading queue. I have a feeling that I’m really going to like it and I’m hoping it will help put some feet to the things I want to do at Freedom Ridge.

I have agreed to do a blog discussion of this book with 3 other guys … Mike Demastus, Dan Hudson, and Kyle Phillips. We’re going to read a section, then post our thoughts and insights on our own blogs. The first post will be up no later than July 15, which is good because since we just moved I have to find where I put my book.

UPDATE: I found my book! I walked into the room that is going to be my temporary office, and a bright ray of light was shining down on a box in the corner of the room. I think I even heard angels singing. So I marched over to the box, took off the lid, and there was my book sitting right inside!

Truthfully, I remembered I drew stars all over a certain box that I wanted to locate easily (it has some books and important stuff in it.) I just looked for that box. It didn’t take that long to find it, although I like the “ray of light” story much better.

Freedom Ridge Card

Here’s the front of the card we’re gonna pass out on the 4th. It measures 3″x3″.

Here’s the back of the card.

Things Have Been Busy

When I started blogging I made a personal commitment that I would post as regularly as possible, but only if I had something to say. I don’t want to blog just for blogging’s sake. Well, for the past 10 days or so I haven’t had a lot to say because I’ve been REALLY busy. Let me tell you why …

We have been living in a duplex that is 1000 square feet with one bathroom. Not a lot of room, especially when you throw 2 teenage daughters, two dogs, and a cat into the mix. Well, we just recently moved into another rental (a house this time) that is HUUUGE compared to where we were, and the rent is a little cheaper. This house was built in 1875 when Ulysses S. Grant was president. But I think it will serve its purpose for us while we wait for our Houston house to sell.

So I’ve been busy, because we’ve been moving, and because I’ve been extra busy I haven’t had a lot to post. Now that I’m getting back into a routine, I’m hoping to post more regularly.

When I was a kid, it seemed like summers were when things slowed down and the phrase “the lazy days of summer” had some truth to it.  I think summers are the busiest time of the year now.  What’s up with that?

4th of July Booth

The city of Ames has a day long celebration on the 4th of July. Freedom Ridge is going to be taking part by having a booth at the Bandshell Park. (Here’s a map.) We will be there from Noon to 7 p.m. passing out free bags of popcorn as well as inviting people to register to win a free gas card worth $100.

I’m excited about this opportunity, because I am positive that Freedom Ridge has a lot to offer to the Ames community and surrounding area. We are designing a church made for people who don’t like church and invite them to experience the freedom found in Jesus. It’s gonna be fun.

If you want to volunteer to help with our booth, please let me know. If you can’t help but are in the area, please stop by. We’d love to meet you.

My Soda Saga Pt. 2

About 3 weeks or so I shared with you how I am going to lay off the soda. Well, I have fallen off the wagon. I made it 3 days without any, then it just sorta started trickling back in until it started gushing. I’m still not back to previous levels though, which is good.

I still have the goal of going an entire week without any, with the ultimate goal of having it only occasionally. I find myself drinking it to get my sweet fix, which I am a major sweetaholic. I haven’t given up.

Catching Up

I’ve been kinda busy lately, so I haven’t been posting as much as I like to do. So I am going to try to catch up with some details so you know what’s going on …

1. I’m liking Twitter. Even though the only people I know who are doing it are my daughters, it is still pretty cool. Twitter is still relatively new, so I figure more people will jump on board as time passes. I encourage you to sign up, and you can follow me here.

2. We are moving to a different house next week. Right now we’re in a 1000 sq ft duplex with one bathroom. We’re moving to another rental, but this time it is a much larger house for a little cheaper rent. If you want to help us carry some heavy stuff, let me know.

3. I performed a wedding on Saturday. They had it outside, and I had been kinda worried for them since the weather has been really weird. But the weather was almost perfect. They are a cute couple, and it was my first wedding to do as Freedom Ridge’s pastor.

4. Our house in Houston still has not sold. Sometimes I wonder what God is doing.

5. I found some office space in downtown Ames that I’d like to get for Freedom Ridge. I’d be more productive getting out of the house, and it would get us some “face time” in town. It cost around $300 a month, and that is with utilities included. Anyone out there want to buy us a year’s worth of office space?

6. We got our car fixed, so it now goes in reverse again. We took it to Max’s Auto outside of Ames and saved ourselves almost $200 over the quote the mechanic in Ames quoted me.

7. Life is good.

Father’s Day Is The Most Important Day Of The Year

I think it’s ironic how Father’s Day is treated. It doesn’t get the attention and respect that it deserves. This year it is stuck right in between Flag Day (June 14th) and National Fudge Day (June 16).

I am of the opinion that Father’s Day is more important than Mother’s Day; maybe that’s because I’m a dad. Maybe it’s because I know the importance of a dad being involved in the life of his child. Maybe it’s both. I’m a dad and there’s not much more that I enjoy than being a dad.

Here’s how it goes: on Mother’s Day the mom says, “Honey, it’s Mother’s Day and I REALLY need a break from the kids. Why don’t you take the kids and go do something with them?” Then on Father’s Day the mom says, “Honey, it’s Father’s Day and it would be a good idea for you to spend some time with the kids. Why don’t you take them and go do something?” Somehow, it’s been turned around on us. But that’s OK.

So to all the Dads out there, please realize how important it is for you to be there for your kids and to be a huge part of their life. Maybe you have said “I spend quality time with my kids.” That’s usually a cop out for someone who doesn’t spend a lot of time with their kids. But here’s a harsh truth: quality time comes out of quantity time. The more time you spend with your kids, the better chance you have of having quality time with them.

So if you’re a dad, be a Dad. You’re a king, you’re needed, you are important. Don’t be an absentee wannabe.

Today Is Flag Day

Today, June 14, is Flag Day in honor of the day that the Stars & Stripes were adopted as our national flag way back in 1777. Also, this is the same day that the US Army was founded two years earlier in 1775.

This country isn’t perfect, but there is no other place I would rather call home. The freedoms we have here and unlike any other place, and we need to make sure that we do our part to protect them. I’ve always admired those who joined the service and literally lay their life on the line to protect our country and freedoms.

If you read this and you are an American, my words to you are “don’t be lazy, don’t be apathetic, and don’t feel like you are owed something. Be thankful, and do your part.”

Remember after 9/11 when everyone rallied behind the flag?? Those were the days. America IS a great place.

Gas Prices Keep Going Up

I went to Ozark Christian College in Joplin MO from 1986 to 1990, and I remember being able to by gas for 69 cents a gallon. I had a ‘79 Honda Civic and I could fill that thing up for about 7 bucks. Those were the days.

For about the last 18 months I have already been adapting my driving habits, mainly just by combining errands into one big one instead of running a bunch of little ones. If I can put off an errand for a day or two or three in order to combine it with something else, that’s what I do.

Lately I have been wondering how the rising gas prices are going to change our way of life. The obvious thing is everything else is going to get more expensive, but I think a much larger issue is that people’s sphere of activity is going to shrink dramatically. We’re going to become a much smaller society. Recreational activities and vacations are going to be closer to home. Neighborhood stores will become more important. People may even find jobs closer to home, or move closer to their jobs.

I’ve been especially interested in how this is going to affect churches. I’ve talked to some pastors and they’ve already seen the effect through lower offerings. I think people will start to find churches “closer to home” rather than driving many miles to a particular church. Here’s an interesting article about gas prices and the church.

How has the high gas prices affected you? Have you made any changes?

Turkey Forcing Church to Fight to Stay Open, Again

The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org has just learned that last week police in the Turkish capital of Ankara warned a legally recognized church that it would be closed in three days.

The Batikent Protestant Church, located in Ankara, is one of the very few Protestant churches which have been legally recognized in Turkey by winning a series of precedent-setting court cases. On June 2, however, two police officers served the pastor with a notice from the local government that the church was to be closed within 3 days because it is meeting in a building that is not approved as a place of worship. This is in spite of the fact that the Batikent Protestant Church won a court case against the Yenimahalle Municipal Government last year that overturned the government’s attempts to shut it down on the basis of zoning code violations. This current notice is forcing the church to fight yet another legal battle over a case it has already won.

On June 4, the founding pastor of the Batikent Protestant Church, Daniel Wickwire had his lawyers open a court case challenging the police notice that they received on June 2. Wickwire, who has been a missionary pastor in Ankara for the past 23 years, said, “It is very obvious that what is happening to our church is a pre-meditated, continuous and jointly orchestrated direct attack against the Church as a whole in Turkey by the right-wing Islamic government (AK Party) that is currently in control in Turkey.” He mentioned specifically that the Yenimahalle Municipal Government has been working in conjunction with the national Ministry of the Interior to try to shut down the church.

Wickwire himself has been the target of much hostility for having the audacity to take the Turkish Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom at face value. Officially, he has been forced to stay in Turkey as a tourist for the past 19 years while having to leave the country every 90 days, because the government refuses to give him either a residence permit or a work permit on the basis that he is a missionary.

His attempts to even apply for a work permit at the Turkish Consulate in Chicago were mysteriously “lost” in red tape. A year after he applied in Chicago his wife returned to follow-up on the application and was refused her request for information. Wickwire said, “The consulate officials became very nervous and said that they would lose their jobs if they were to give out this information. They said that if we were Muslims we would not be having this kind of trouble.”

A well-know TV newsperson repeatedly came to his church to do interviews with him with the express purpose of shutting down the church, but was convicted by the courts of trying to incite a riot against the churches in Ankara and was given a 2 year jail sentence. However, this man was somehow able to get out of having to do any jail time.

Pastor Wickwire has been involved in over 15 court cases in the last 6 years in order to keep the church doors open. Wickwire told ICC, “It is high time for the international community to speak out against such overt, blatant and continual harassment and persecution of the church.”

Would you pray for Pastor Wickwire and the Batikent Protestant Church? In addition, would you please call or write your Turkish embassy to ask them to uphold religious freedom by dropping this latest attack against the Batikent Protestant Church?

Turkish Embassies:

USA:Phone (202) 612-6700, Fax (202) 612-6744, contact@turkishembassy.org
Canada:Phone (613) 789-4044, Fax (613) 789-3442, turkishottawa@mfa.gov.tr
UK:Phone 020 7393 0202, Fax 020 7393 0066, turkish.emb@btclick.com

Back It Up

We have this Dodge Neon with a standard transmission. It’s a stick shift. The other day it decided to quit going into reverse. We can drive forward just fine, but when it comes time to back the thing up you are out of luck. You have to get out and push, and even though it is a small car it is still pretty heavy. So we’ve had to adapt a little bit in how we drive. You need to pull through the parking spaces so you don’t have to back up. Instead of parking in the driveway at home, you park in the street … drive around the block instead of turning around.

I took it to the garage to find out how much it will cost to go in reverse again. $500. And that’s $500 more than we have right now.

I don’t know about you, but when I think of “backing up” or “going in reverse” in life, it has a negative connotation to it. The way I am wired, I am always looking forward. But every now and then it is good to back up just a little bit, get a different perspective and evaluate, and then adjust course if need be or continue moving on like you were. But you have to keep moving forward.

I’ve learned in church planting, you need to have a plan and a strategy; that’s a given. But you also need to be flexible enough to adapt your strategy as you become more aware of the community’s culture, or as different opportunities arise. Just because it looks good on paper doesn’t mean it is going to work out in reality.

When it comes to life, you can’t go through life staring into the rear view mirror. I know people who live that way, and it’s a miserable way to live.

So even though “reverse” is a necessary gear, don’t get stuck in it. Keep on keeping on.

Sharing About Freedom Ridge

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to go to a church in Dubuque IA called The Bridge. They wanted me to come over and share with them about Freedom Ridge and our mission. It was a lot of fun. The people there were great, friendly, somewhat normal, and receptive.

This coming Sunday, June 8, I get to go the Clinton Church of Christ in Clinton IA to do the same thing. I’m looking forward to it. Please say a prayer for me.

I like talking about Freedom Ridge and I get pumped when I think about all that God could use us for. It scares me to death, too, because I don’t want to get in the way of what God wants to do. I feel unworthy to be in this position. Sometimes I feel like God could have made a better choice, but for some reason I am here and I want to be open to God’s leading.

Freedom Ridge is going to make a huge impact; not because of me, but because of God.

Web 2.0

I’m really starting to get into this stuff known as web 2.0. Of course I have my blog, but I also have a Facebook account, and our church has a page on Facebook also. I have just created an account with Twitter and think I could have a lot of fun with it.

As a church planter, I am learning the possibilities and advantages of having these things. I’m sure I haven’t tapped into their full potential, but I am learning! There’s also some really really cool things we could do as a church with Twitter, and if the opportunity arises we will definitely do it.

So if you read this … request me as a friend on Facebook, become a fan of our church page, and follow me on Twitter so we can read each other’s tweets.  Technology is amazing.

Our Trip To Parkersburg Iowa

This is going to be a longer post than normal. I usually try to keep it around a couple hundred words or so, but there’s a lot to say about this one … and there’s pictures to look at. We went to Parkersburg on May 31 to do what we could do. Here’s my thoughts about the day:

1. I was amazed at the extent of the damage. This town took a direct hit. Just look at the pictures and you can tell.

2. This is the guy who owns the house we first helped with. He was needing help carrying large stuff out to the street. His home was eventually going to be bulldozed and have to be rebuilt. I asked him how long he had lived there, and he said 35 years. They had built the home brand new. He had a really good attitude, because he kept saying it was just a house and they could get another one. He was also funny, because he kept saying “I apologize. My wife isn’t a very good housekeeper.” The next picture is a front view of his house, and the third picture is a shot of a board sticking out of the back of his house.

3. There were several “comfort dogs” around town. These were volunteers who took their well-trained dogs around town to help relieve stress from many of the storm victims and volunteers. They come from as far away as Boston and Kansas City to provide this service. You can find out more about them at Animal Assisted Crisis Response.

4. This is my wife (pink shirt) and my daughter (not pink shirt) in the upper level of a home.

5. Here’s some more pictures of damage.

6. This is me with my two daughters. The volunteers would check in at the local church, and from there you would be assigned to a work site. There were several shuttles that would be pulled either by a truck or a tractor and take you to your work site.

7. This is the second house we worked with. The house was totally blown off of the basement and wrapped around a tree in the front yard (see the second picture.) The basement was made out of cinder blocks, and the whole back wall caved into the basement. The basement was filled with a lot of debris. I am hoping these people were not home when the tornado hit, because their basement would not have been a safe place to be.

8. I want to give a big shout out to Target. They had a tent set up right outside the area where volunteers were to check in. They were passing out water, work gloves, sunscreen, a lot of snacks, and some fruit. We didn’t have any sunscreen, so we went over there and I asked them how much it cost. The woman working there said it was all free! Very cool.

9. The Red Cross impressed me again. I went to Pascagoula, Mississippi, to help with clean up after Hurricane Katrina and that was my first experience with the Red Cross. They were on top of things as they drove through the neighborhoods bringing food and drink to the families and volunteers. I witnessed the same thing in Parkersburg. Again, very cool.

10. Parkersburg was not the only town that got hit. Please pray for everyone in that part of the state, because it is going to take some time to recover.

11. The extent of the damage was massive. Seeing pictures here and on TV does not do it justice. If you can go help out there, do yourself a favor and go help.

If you went to Parkersburg or any nearby area to volunteer, please comment because I’d like to hear about your experience.

Touching Base

I don’t have a whole lot of time to write at the present time, but I just wanted to let you know that we did make it to Parkersburg on Saturday to help with the clean up from the Tornado. I will be out of town for the next couple days, so on Wednesday I will get you some details about our trip as well as post several pictures.