Sunday Recap: "Un" Series pt.2

Today was week two of the "Un" series...key word "unsure". I continued the story of Gideon (Judges 6 and 7) by talking about how each step of the way Gideon was unsure...but not paralyzed by indecision... Being unsure is inevitable...it can be either the beginning or the end of your faith...depending on whether you chose to take action or not. What an amazing week this has been...we've not only been talking about how "God specializes in using unlikely, unsure, people for undeniable acts of greatness"...but truly living it out as a church as well. We started out the month of August absolutely unsure how we would be able to put on the York Fair event (and survive a month of 5 weeks of rent)...and we have truly seen an undeniable outpouring of support and generosity from the people of actionchurch...all I can say is wow.

The Highlights:

• Last year Michele, Reagan, and I went to York fair alone...this year the tent is going to be packed with great actionchurch folks ready to serve fair goers free Duncan Donuts coffee and give away free actionchurch balloons for the kids. I am really excited to hang out with our folks! Whenever it comes time to serve the community...actionchurch folks are always ready to go...If I weren't the "preacher dude" I would still love to attend a place like actionchurch...way to go!
• I can't believe I'm saying this but thanks to some very generous people...all of our York Fair give away expenses are covered...If you were planning on giving...please go ahead...we'll be glad to give away more stuff...but it I am so grateful to say that as of now we are covered. Sweet!
• Fire From the Sky on stage...cool band...lots of energy. Always a pleasure to work with them.
• Packed house on Labor Day weekend...we are seriously working on making some more seats for this fall...stay tuned for details...
• For some reason I felt like I never quite "connected" with the sermon this week...Preaching is kinda like being on a sports team or in a band...no matter how much you prepare...no matter how "ready" you may be...sometimes you just have an "off" week. As seriously as I take communicating on Sunday morning, I'm so proud and excited about what the people of actionchurch are doing that I'm not even going to worry about it...Sunday morning is about so much more than me...
• I know I keep saying the same thing in so many different ways but our people really rock...I actually got out of the way Bill and Garrett downstairs and set up went faster and looked better without me...
• After church the crew tore down and loaded all the stuff for the Fair and we were still out before One o'clock...you guys rock.
• Speaking of loading for the Fair...Jerry D let us borrow the "ac allstars bus" (Below) so we can have a place to store and transport all of our supplies and gear for the Fair... Awesome...I wonder if he'll mind if I cover it with actionchurch graphics before I return it...
• Thanks to Jared and Melissa for teaching actionkidz today...actually thanks to everyone who does the tough (but important) job of making sure that our "kidz" grow up thinking church is fun and Jesus is real!
• ...as I said today I am "unsure" of exactly what the future holds for actionchurch...but I am certain that God is using a bunch of "unlikely" folks who show up at Fat Daddy's Nightclub on Sunday mornings to do something absolutely "undeniably" awesome. I am seriously overwhelmed and humbled to be part of the "action"... stay tuned!
  

Quote of the week:

“Jesus did not come to make us safe, but to make us brave. If we’re not living a life that’s a little scary, we should wonder if we’re following Jesus.”

-Gary Haugan (International Justice Mission)

York Fair: Shopping list

Thanks for everyone who has volunteered to help out at the fair! For those of you who have asked about what we are buying to give away...here's the shopping list. Thanks so much to those of you who have already given to this effort...the true "message" of actionchurch is not what I say on Sunday morning...but what we do during the week. If you have a chance at all to swing by the tent at the fair you will experience how surprised and happy people are that a church merely wants to serve them a great cup of Duncan Donuts coffee for free...or give them a balloon for their child...or the surprise and delight of a carnival ride worker when we bring them a hot cup of coffee during their grueling evening on the midway...it is truly "worth the price of admission" just to experience their reaction. "Serving others...no strings attached" is one of our core values and the York fair is such a great place to put it into action.

Here's what it takes to put on the event:
Coffee, cups and lids: $350+
Coffee "fixins" sugar etc. $80
Balloons: $190
Helium: $125
Invite cards $150
Spot rent for tent $800

Opportunity to give fair goers a positive experience with a church....priceless!

God's will....

I'm in the midst of finishing the sermon for Sunday about being "unsure"...and at the same time considering some really exciting (but also "scary") possibilities for actionchurch... These two things have definitely got my mind full of questions about "God's will"...

• Can we be absolutely sure of God's plan at any point in time?
• Is God's Plan for us "one master plan" or is it more flexible like GPS? (basically an infinite number of routes to an end...provided you chose to follow the map from where ever you are...?)
• Is there "one" perfect plan for us...and then many "secondary" plans that are the result of our "missing" the original plan???
• How can we be sure...?

Google has 403,000 listings for "knowing God's will" and I'm pretty sure that's not nearly enough! Anyone who is a follower of Jesus will be unsure at some point about exactly what God's plan...or the much more ominous sounding "God's Will" is.

The Good news is that "God Specializes in using unlikely, unsure people to do undeniable acts of greatness!" Stay tuned for more on Sunday.

17 Gideon replied, “If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me. Judges 6:17

No expiration date...

I am really thankful for all the people who have signed up to help/hang out at our tent at the Fair (details) this year! After the great response we had to our Relay for Life effort this year I wasn't surprised that we will be taking a great team to meet and serve "York Countians" at the fair...when there is an opportunity to serve the community, actionchurch folks step up to the plate in a big way! You guys Rock!

I've been thinking though, that besides all the great volunteer support we have this year, in some ways it is becoming more difficult to do community events like the fair...not easier. Last year all we were concerned about was telling the people of York county about Jesus...and a place that they could hear about him on Sunday mornings even if they "didn't like church". All our efforts and funds were focused on that goal! This year we are balancing "outreach" (I hate that word but whatever...) events with planning, funding, and preparing for upcoming Sunday mornings and dealing with the "care and feeding" of the organization we call actionchurch. The typical...and sadly, normal... response would be to become less and less outward focused as we become larger and more complex as a church. To shift our focus from those "outside"...to caring for "each other" on the "inside". It's a subtle shift...but it happens...

The thing that inspires and motivates me to never let actionchurch become "inward focused" is the mission that Jesus gave to the church before he left for heaven: "Go into all the world and preach the Good news to everyone". It doesn't say "wait for the world to come to you"... and as far as I can tell there was no expiration date!

He didn't say "go into all the world" ...

• ...Until your "church is pretty much full" on Sunday morning
• ...until it gets too "expensive" to reach out to others because "running a church is an expensive operation".
• ... until culture changes and you would have to change your methods to actually connect with people...
• ... until you get too busy with your own church programs to have time to serve those outside...

Although at times it would certainly be more convenient...I can't find any of these "expiration dates" or "escape clauses" in the command Jesus gave to us... Our responsibility is to be "simple" and "efficient" as a church so that we never run out of "money and energy" to actually do the work that Jesus left for the church...

15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Mark 16:15

Growing up..equals change.

Today is "extreme room makeover" day for Reagan. We're going to be changing her "baby snoopy" bedroom into an "infinitely more grown-up" Ariel room. (In case you're wondering...I have the most "grown-up room of all"- Buzz Lightyear!) "Growing up" leads to change...and change affects all of us differently. Five year old Reagan is literally jumping up and down with excitement...while Mom Michele will probably have to dry her eyes while she packs away all the baby snoopy stuff...

I'm thinking I will have some lessons to learn today about leading actionchurch this fall through a time of growth...and change. Even though both growth (and the resulting change) are a healthy and normal part of the life of churches..and kids...they can be exciting, expensive, and stressful all at the same time... and everyone reacts differently to them all!

Now off to try not to staple my finger to her toy box as I attempt a little upholstery!

Sunday Recap: "un"series-(unlikely)

Week one of the "un" series. "God Specializes in using unlikely, unsure people to do undeniable acts of greatness!" Man, do I love telling people how God sees potential for them that they don't even realize. Today we talked about the angel calling Gideon a "mighty hero" while he was still hiding out doing his threshing in a hole in the ground to avoid his enemies... (go there) "Go in the strength that you have...and I will be with you." I can't wait to tell the second part of this story next week when we talk about being unsure...

The Highlights:

• Torn From Red "tore up" the stage today! There is something really special that happens when one of "our" bands not only plays a great set...but absolutely brings the right songs. They started out with a Foo Fighters cover "Best of you"...followed by their originals "We all die young" and a really cool new track "I heard you say". What was really "spooky good" was their final song "If that's what it takes"...I found myself just bowing my head and closing my eyes during parts of that song...wow.


• Lot's of great response to our call for volunteers to help at the York Fair...look out York... you have no Idea what is about to hit you...we've come a long way since last year when it was just Michele, Reagan, and I running the coffee booth....what a cool "God" story!


• We were packed out again this morning...not a lot of empty seats...Torn From Red is always a "draw" but we had lots of people gone for their last vacation before school starts...I had several interesting conversations today about possibilities for making more space for people this fall... Pray for wisdom and courage for the whole actionchurch crew as we deal with this "good problem" of running out of space at 11am on Sunday Mornings.


• I think Josiah really captured the grungy "feel" of actionchurch in the graphics for the new "un" series...he is going to use the same "look" for our fair "invite card" and powerpoint slides...can't wait to see what he comes up with.


• I loved taking questions during the "txt msg" series but I definitely feel more "on my game" preaching as a monologue this week... I do think it's great to mix it up...I don't want to ever fall into a "rut" of just doing things the way we always do...


• Speaking of not "just doing things the way we always do" we really are struggling to make actionkidz a better environment for our kidz but also our volunteers... this summer has been very difficult trying to adequately staff the "kidz"... Being short staffed has made it difficult to communicate and teach while trying to "coral" kids...which has made it even more difficult to keep volunteers. Michele was teaching today due to a teacher canceling and she was absolutely swamped. We are absolutely considering suspending actionkidz in a couple of weeks to retool and rest the volunteers if necessary... add this to our "stuff we are working on" file.


• ...at six months old actionchurch is definitely like a "toddler" we are constantly growing and needing to clean up our "messes". That being said- I absolutely believe in our crew and know that we will continue to grow and impact people of all ages for Jesus!


• Lots of "big, scary, crazy, future" vision stuff bubbling under the surface at actionchurch...I can absolutely see God "winding up" to do something really "undeniable" in the near future...these are exciting times!

Finally, I snapped the picture above of the actionchurch decal on Dave B's bagger in the parking lot. Is it just my imagination or is there a "halo" around his bike now??...I'm just sayin'...look what happens when you "upgrade" your vehicle with an actionchurch decal...

Quote of the week:

Oh Christ, when you're ready to come back

I think I'm ready for you to come back

But if you want to stay wherever exactly it is you are That's okay too -

It's really none of my business

Mewithoutyou- Carousels

Ok maybe I should have posted this under "lyrics of the week"... but Josiah was tellin' me about this song yesterday and now I cant get it out of my head. For those of us who don't have it "all figured out" ...who don't have a wall in our house covered with push pins, string , pictures of Larry King, (who may or may not be the anti-Christ...I'm just sayin') and Left Behind books...this might be "our song".

My Schedule (or, Why I don't get out much)

Michele and I get a lot of invitations (OK...Michele gets most of them) to events, parties, hang-outs, etc... and she was saying yesterday that many people are genuinely surprised when we can't attend because of my work schedule. The following is my weekly work schedule...bear in mind I am not complaining...or bragging...everyone on the actionchurch crew works or goes to school or both. I just want to let everyone know that it's not that I am anti-social and don't want to come to your event...we just have a very busy weekly schedule. OK....maybe I am a little and "anti-social" and don't want to go to your party...but I do have a very good excuse :-)

Sunday: Show up at the club at 7 to pray, pick up the parking lot, and set up the tent and outdoor signs... This is my "quiet time" on Sunday morning and how I prep for preaching...ymmv. We roll out of the club at 1pm grab some lunch and I generally fall asleep watching nascar... We occasionally do things with folks on Sunday afternoon but I am generally suffering from my "holy hangover" from the morning and am even less "fun" than usual.

Monday: Family day...the only "sane" day of the week. ...I wish I could say that we did something "fun" like going to Disney every week, but this is at least time together. I generally blog and answer mail in the morning and but I don't do sermon prep, and I TRY to stay away from the computer for the rest of the day.

Tuesday- Saturday: Five days a week I work as a painting contractor to earn a living and help support actionchurch. This generally consists of painting 5-7 Rental Townhouses per week. I actually start my morning (6am to 8am) working on actionchurch "stuff": blogging, returning emails, sermon planning, newsletter, etc. At 8am it's off to paint but while painting I make and return phone calls for church, plan and rehearse the sermon, book bands, reply to emails on my phone, etc. I also occasionally take lunch meetings. I generally work until 5...no quitting time...as a contractor you work until you are finished...then it's home to eat, shower, try to play barbies without falling asleep...work out, read, return email...watch some tube...pass out.

Thursday Night: On Thursday night I finalize the sermon for the week. Occasionally I will have to do some additional work on Friday night or early Saturday morning If I am late getting the lyrics from the bands... For the past two Series Josiah has been doing all the graphics which has taken a TREMENDOUS load off me in the sermon prep department (and they look much better also) I generally start at 10pm and work until after midnight putting the PowerPoint, music, announcements and my sermon stuff together... The rest of "study" and planning is done while painting.

That's my schedule...yours may be busier...I certainly would not want mine to be!

York Fair...be part of the action.

I announced Sunday that we would be returning to the York Fair this year (September 5th-14th). We will be giving away free Duncan Donuts Coffee and actionchurch Balloons again. We have reserved a spot for the tent across from the Beer Garden and the 105.7 the X tent...yep that's pretty much the perfect spot for actionchurch! We will be "open for business" from 4pm to 10:30ish on weekdays (we close when the crowds clear out like the other vendors around us) and 2pm-10:30ish on Saturdays. Last year we had a fantastic time meeting people from the York area (York fair attendance is over 600,000/yr), serving them great coffee, and telling them about our "church for people who don't like church".

What can you do to help? I'm glad you asked... We need people to help set up and tear down the actionchurch booth, people to help make coffee, blow up balloons, hang out and meet people. We need people to wear there "actionchurch colors" (we have t-shirts available for the event) and answer fair goers most common question after "Is this coffee really free?"...which is..."Do you guys really have church at Fat Daddy's Nightclub?"

We also need generous people to sponsor the event... Purchase 1000 actionchurch balloons for $125.00... purchase a great cup of coffee for a fair goer for .25...how about 100 cups for $25.... or 1000 cups for $250.?...Sponsor our (tent spot) rental at the Fair for $800?

So why do we do it? Why do spend the money...spend the time? Why do we give away stuff to people who may of may not come to church? (Michele actually makes a point to deliver coffee each night to the workers in the games that travel with the fair.) We do it because the York Fair is the single greatest opportunity to meet York County folks face to face...to "shock them" with the idea that there is a church who actually wants to serve them a free cup of coffee instead of bombarding them with a religious message...to offer them (not accost them) with an actionchurch invite card if they are interested. Best of all -to tell those who ask that there is a church where they would absolutely be accepted and welcomed...no matter who they are or what they have done!

Please do not miss this opportunity to be part of actionchurch at York Fair! This is an "all play" event and every one of us can be a part of the action!

"authority"...

One final thought from the "txt msg" series. This series has been making me think a lot about the future of "preaching". I think we are just beginning to tap the power (as are other churches) of using media to make Sunday Mornings "interactive"... Frankly, though I think the whole dynamic of "preaching" is changing. We live in a world where any local "joe" can write his own review of a new book on amazon...where a stay at home mom can become the "authority" on an issue by writing her own wikipedia entry and starting a website. I think the days of the "learned pastor" coming "down from the mountain" of seminary education and being the "final authority" on scripture are coming to an end... People are less likely to except the "authoritarian preacher" when (if the church has wi-fi) they could pull up more information than a single seminary degree can provide on their laptop...

I know this transformation scares a lot of religious leaders...what will happen to biblical truth?...we can't exactly "wiki" the gospel and re-write it in any way we chose... we can't exactly put the parts of the Bible we may not like up for an "online vote"... However, I actually think the future for "preaching" looks bright.

I know that people don't come to actionchurch to listen to a bobble head like me because of my great education... I clearly state most weeks that I am "some guy you met in the bar" who has never been to seminary. Every week I just try to "do my homework" on a "life question" and present some new possibilities from God's word for it's solution... I don't see my job on Sunday morning as being a final "authority"... but as someone who serves by doing the scriptural "research and development" for the topic...Preaching becomes an act of service...not a show of "dominance"... Something "old" is "new" again.

42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.

Mark 10:42-43

"Leftover" questions from "txt msg"...

I've had these questions in Tupperware in the freezer since yesterday so they still should be "good". As I say on Sunday...I'm not an "expert" on anything but 80's metal and latex paint, but I will do the dangerous act of saying what I think... These are the answers I would have given if I would have had time during the sermon...if you disagree feel free to sound off in the comments.

Q. If God says we should love one another how can he also say that we shouldn't like gay people?

A. God says that we are to love our "neighbors" as ourselves...gay, straight, or "evil mac user" we should treat everyone with kindness and love...no exceptions! I think one of the saddest comments on the church in society today is that we are known for "being judgemental and mean to gay people".

Q. How do u share the greatest story ever with someone who doesn't believe when Christians have distorted it for so many years?

A. Live it! Love them... Admit that we as "Christians" are "wrong" at times...don't argue!

Q. Why does God take away people that we love and need at such a young age?

A. Wow, I wish I had a good answer for that...the "faith" part of my brain wants to say that the Bible says that there is a "time to live and a time to die" and we all have the opportunity to live eternally...so maybe it only seems to us that God is "taking our loved ones away" HOWEVER, the part of me that has a child and has experienced loss of loved ones would think that was a "crappy un-helpful answer"...so sorry, I am out! I honestly don't know.

Q. If you desecrate your body with tattoos will it keep you from getting into heaven?

A. It may keep you from getting into a Jewish cemetery...but not heaven. And "sorry" we will have new bodies in heaven so that sponge bob tattoo you have will not be with you for all eternity. There is scripture where God told the Israelites not to cut themselves or tattoo themselves (go there) ...but if you notice the verse before it says also not to cut the "corners" of your hair or trim your beard...so unless you look like ZZ top I don't want to hear about it!

Q. Can a Christian have a relationship with a "non-believer"?

A. Of course...Christians should have friendly loving relationships with those outside our faith. The Bible warns about entering into business or marriage relationships with "non-believers".... It's hard enough to sustain a marriage or business relationship with someone with your same core values and moral code...It's nearly impossible when you don't agree your faith. The Bible does teach though that if we become a follower of Jesus and our spouse is not yet a "Christian" we are not to leave them...but instead to live a life that would cause them to want to be a follower of Jesus also. (That means no early morning "bullhorn preaching" telling your spouse that they are "going to hell!)

Q. Can u lose your salvation?

A. Wow, this should be a post by itself... "My answer"...my belief is that you can not "lose" your salvation...you can not do something and "oops" I lost my salvation...but I do think you can choose to turn your back on Jesus and walk away from the faith. In the end God is the Judge and his people will continue to argue about whether a person that clearly is no longer a follower of Jesus "lost his salvation" or "was never 'saved' in the first place". I think all those arguments come out of us not being able to see into peoples hearts like God can... for more thoughts on this check out the parable of the sower that Jesus told. (go there)

Final Question: Don, how do I get my hair like yours?

A. Men's wigs!

Sunday Recap: "txt msg" pt 3.

Hard to believe this was already the final week of the "txt msg" series...we are definitely going to be making more interactive "texting" portions in future sermon series. The topic today was "What is it to be a 'Christian'"? ..."What does God want us to do with our lives?" I shared some instructions Paul wrote to the church at Philipi from Phillipians 2:12-16 about how they should live...2000+ years later I think the Christians would be far more "popular" and definitely more effective in our culture if we put could just put those simple instructions into practice!

The Highlights:

• The Shakedown on Stage...I like these dudes a lot. They are have a very unique sound and I always like their originals even better than their covers..
• Lots and Lots of technical difficulties today... the cool thing is that most people probably didn't know because we are getting much better at dealing with stuff that is screwed up.
• Also lots of great questions today. I didn't get to some really great questions due to time but I will definitely try to post some of them later in the week.
• Today I announced that we are going to be out at the York Fair again in three weeks...Looking forward to giving out free coffee and telling lots of people about actionchurch at Fat Daddy's...more details to follow.
• Josiah thought it would be a "great idea" to post my "so 1987" High school Senior picture as a "text message from the 80's" It was funny..but now I must kill him!!! Actually he's pretty much indispensable so I guess I can't murder him...although I did shove him afterwards...assault and battery??? (I also know that Michele was his accomplice...I can't "kill her" though...or Reagan and I would starve to death...she's indispensable in lots of ways!)
• I am looking forward to starting our next "un" series next week. I think this is going to be a very important three weeks for us as a church...
• We were packed this morning...one of the club owners checked in and couldn't believe how much we have grown over the summer.
• It was very cool also to spend the afternoon hanging at one of the owner's home for of his son's birthday party...We were laughing about the fact that this time last year I was still the "crazy preacher dude" trying to convince them to let us have church at their club...I'm still a "crazy preacher dude" but it is so cool how that relationship has changed. We honestly could not ask for more supportive club owners to rent from...
• ...found out that the "actionchurch" #87 Extreme stock camaro finished 2nd last Night! Thanks to Lance for giving actionchurch a shout out from victory lane...
• I need to get an "actionchurch bike parking" sign made...It was cool to see the bikes roll in this morning for set up....
• Speaking of set up wow...Thanks to all of you Dave, Josiah, Garrett, Bill, Lori, Michele, Jeff, and Chrissy...you guys are "monsters" thanks for "making it happen" on Sunday morning. Thanks also to Dan, Steve, and Ethen for making everything "disappear" afterward.
• Thanks to all of you who invite, invest and are getting involved...the best is yet to come!

500...

...just realized that I passed the five hundred posts mark on the this blog...Wow, last spring when I started this thing I had no idea about blogging except that it seemed like a great way to share the journey of starting actionchurch with anyone who would want to follow along. Since then this blog has "evolved" into several new functions:

• being an online "journal" of the triumphs and failures of this thing we call actionchurch.
• being a "sample" of what actionchurch is like on Sunday morning...If you hate the blog...you probably won't like Sunday morning much either...
• being a place to get input and discussion from actionchurch folks about the challenges and opportunities of our little "church in a nightclub"...

What have I learned from the last 500 posts? The power of consistency...the power of just doing one simple thing on a consistent basis. Sometimes it felt like "nothing was happening" sometimes it felt like "no one is listening"...sometimes it still does... but over time, great change comes from taking small steps in the same direction. Our journey is really just beginning...

What are some "small steps" you could take toward your dreams ?

Simple answers are hard to find...

One of the most frequent questions people have is "What does God want me to do with my life?" I've been working all week trying to come up with a "simple" answer from scripture...

I can see why both those inside and "outside" of our faith are confused about what it is to be a "Christian". We tend to talk about being a follower of Jesus in may facets: from the "mechanics" of being forgiven, to our various ideas of christian "lifestyle", to various ways of "serving God". When you add the political and religious aspects that have crept into Christianity it all gets very muddled and confusing.

The Big question is what is it to be a "Christian"?... What does God want from us as followers of Jesus?... Simple answers are simply the hardest to find...

Jerry Duncan (ac all-stars band leader) is part of putting together a benefit concert at the Harp and Fiddle on Sunday. If you look at the faces in the various bands you will see a lot of musicians that have appeared in the ac allstars line up on Sunday Morning. We are really blessed to be surrounded by so many talented (and generous) people... If you have a chance Sunday get down to the Harp and Fiddle.

Plan "D" God...

Remember taking "multiple guess" tests in school...routinely answering "A", "B", or "C" until you finally came to the question where none of those answers seemed correct. Were you overlooking something? Did you miscalculate? Or was there another answer out there that was simply not listed? Remember wondering if it could possibly be time to check the "none of the above " box "D"???

I think God delights in throwing a "none of the above" " plan D" our way occasionally. Just when you think you have a problem narrowed down to solution "A", "B", or "C" I think God delights in bringing a plan "D" solution...one that you never even thought of...one you weren't even asking for...a solution that quite frankly you didn't know existed. It reminds us that "He is God and we are not!"

One year ago it seemed "impossible" that actionchurch would exist today...we didn't have a place to meet...we didn't have funding...and only a handful of people were "crazy" enough to imagine that anyone would even want to attend a church for "people who don't like church". We had read all the church planting books...made all the typical plans...and to be honest none of them were working. Because God is a "Plan D, none of the above" kind of God- actionchurch is growing and thriving in a place that no one would have thought possible...Fat Daddy's Nightclub.

I don't think God is nearly finished yet...In fact I believe God is about to "go all Plan D" on us again...to do something undeniable...out of the ordinary...something that doesn't fit into our little "A", "B", or "C" reality... Stay tuned.


20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

I am so thankful we serve a "Plan D" kind of God...how about you?

Sunday Recap: "txt msg" pt 2

Week two of "txt msg" at actionchurch. Great questions today on "The Supernatural: angels and demons". I used to Revelations 12:7-9 to lay down the history and back story of the conflict between Satan and God...angels and demons. Satan is "Not Your Friend"!
Here's the highlights:

• "race car day" for actionkidz today. Thanks for Bob and Joan Lash for bringing out the #222 Legends car so the kidz could get their pictures taken with the car... It was great having a race car and hauler outside...somehow it just felt natural for actionchurch!
• Chambered onstage...Really good to have Dave and Chris back (formerly of Clean Slate) they have added a new bass player (Jimmy) and are now a killer 3 peice....Great cover of "Well enough alone" by Chevelle...I really liked the new "ballad" that they debuted today. Welcome back guys!
• wow did people have great questions today...not sure I always had great answers...but all in all I love the challenge and the interaction that this series is bringing. You can bet we will continue to explore txting and other interactive technology on Sunday mornings.
• I managed to set off the alarm at Fat Daddy's this morning...got to meet a really nice police officer...
• I had a blast hanging out with my Dad at the track last night...but I was really tired this morning. I usually don't go out on a "school night" but it was worth it to get to see Lance and the #87 Extreme Stock kick some butt on the track with the actionchurch cog on the car...loved it!
• Good crowd again today...August is a little down from July but Summer has been really a time of growth for actionchurch...
• Set up was unbelievable today...thanks everyone...I honestly don't even know how everything goes together anymore...with all the new help it just flys!
• The AC was broken downstairs...and the AC thermostat for upstairs is downstairs...result: uncomfortably hot downstairs...freezing cold upstairs in actionkidz. I'm really thankful that it was pretty mild today or it would have been really unbearable.
• My 71 year old retired Baptist Pastor Dad and Mom survived their first trip to a Nightclub... They said they enjoyed it...not sure if they were being kind or need to to adjust their medications ;-)

Quote of the week:

I believe God wants every church to succeed.

I believe heaven aches for this to happen.

I believe God will pour out his power and wisdom on people who pull up their sleeves

…Ask God to help us,

and then get on with doing what God asks us to do.

Bill Hybels- Leadership Summit 08

- I think so too...let's do this thing actionchurch!

"txt msg" questions...

It was a lot of fun to respond to questions that people sent in via text message during the sermon last week. I am really looking forward to some great questions this week as we discuss a topic that it seems so many people are curious about... the Supernatural: angels and demons.

Josiah and I are already discussing how things we learn from doing this series can be used in future Sunday mornings at actionchurch...maybe more "text your questions/comments"segments in future sermons...or, live audience polls/ or surveys... or, text this number to "vote that Don never wear that t-shirt in public again". I'm excited about the possibilities (except maybe for the whole "vote Don off the island" thing).

Thanks to all of you who sent in questions and comments... Here's a couple we didn't get to:

Q: action church rocks!!! (thanks)

Q: is ur gut God speaking? (I think it can be...I am "wrong" about so many things...but sometimes I "know" in my gut that something is right... I think God absolutely created and uses our "gut")

Q: if you pray how do u know u r forgiven? (it's about faith...I don't fully understand electronic banking...I can't "see" my bill being paid when I swipe my debit card at Lowes... but they let me leave the store with my new "stuff". I don't fully understand why God says Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is payment for my sins...but he says because of Jesus my account can be paid in full. It's simply a leap to faith to pray and believe that God has forgiven us...)

Inflatable church???

We've been talking a lot lately about how to have "more seats

on Sunday morning" so I read this article today (link) and I had

to at least look into the "possibility"...

I don't see anywhere to plug the sound system, video and lights in but the seats sure look comfy... Of course there is the problem of windy days...and having to ask every one to remove their shoes, glasses, and any sharp objects from their pockets like they do at the bounce house at the fair. It's also weird not to see a "bar" anywhere ...guess I better keep looking.

Six month check up...

actionchurch "launched" at Fat Daddy's Nightclub on February 10th so this coming Sunday is a our "Six month" milestone... I think it's time for a bit of a check-up... So here's a couple of observations about our first six months...

• If you are willing to tell the story of Jesus in a relevant way...people (of all ages!) will come.
• People inviting their friends and co-workers beats "advertising" every time! ...good thing too...we haven't been able to do any real advertising since February!
• It costs way more money than I thought to run a church...I thought our biggest struggle would be to get people to attend...I was wrong about that...even with an "all volunteer" staff, lack of funds has been our number one struggle.
• Connecting with people emotionally (especially through laughter) is the most important aspect of effective communication at actionchurch... (Good thing...I am far more likely to make someone laugh on Sunday morning than deliver a "brilliant theological argument"!)
• The key to improving actionchurch is not for me to get "better" at everything...it's to find people who are "better" at the things I suck at and empower them to act!
• Some of our biggest "successes" are the things that I didn't plan...they just came out of trying to make something out of a seemingly impossible situation... (Innovation comes from Desperation!)
• It turns out I don't know nearly as much as I thought I did six months ago...

The next Six months??? I think the word that comes to mind is "bigger". Bigger risks...bigger impact...bigger decisions...a "bigger" understanding of how powerful God is when we "join his kingdom plan"...work like crazy...but allow him to "fight our battles"! Please pray for wisdom and courage for the actionchurch crew...ask God how you can be a part of the "action"...most of all pray that God will do something "undeniably amazing" right here in York County. More on that later...

Random acts of blogging...

First- Ten Seconds of Hail on our deck on Saturday afternoon...dang, I have never seen it come down like that...

This guy from church (link) wants to give away a refrigerator...do you need one? It seems like a good deal for the "vintage" orange soda included alone... Thanks Rich

Reagan has been watching this movie every night for about a week... I know it's August but it still makes me laugh...

Sunday Recap: txt msg

Today was the first installment of txt msg where folks in the audience were able to text in their questions to the screens around the club. The topic we discussed was "Does God still speak... and how can we tell if it's him speaking? I spoke from 1 Samuel 3 and used some of the principles found in the chapter to try to shed some light on how and when God speaks to us...

The Highlights:

• Great questions today...actually more questions than we had time for. I will try to cover a few of the "extra" questions later in the week in a blog post. This is definitely a series that we will learn from and possibly include texting segments for questions and audience surveys in future sermons...we'll see.
• Josiah did a great job today not only with getting all the technical stuff to work but in being the sermon "producer". His job today was to post the questions in a way that would "flow" and not totally throw a very easily distracted "preacher type" off his game. We basically used the model of a talk show...I was the "mouth" and he was the "producer/call screener".., I actually enjoyed the format...hope someone else did also.
• Brian Neal (with drummer John on percussion) accoustic set ...I really appreciated him sharing his "story". Very cool cover of "Shine" by Collective Soul.
• Pastor Dennis Hall and Youth Pastor Mike Miller from Frienship Community Church
  It was amazing that they would chose to come out and Hang with us...I forgot to mention that their worship Pastor Rich Thornton visited us last week...They have been a help and encouragement to actionchurch since the very beginning...I aspire to being as helpful and open handed with other start up churches in the future...thanks guys.
• I used the word "dumb ass" in the sermon...seemed like a good descriptive word for my past behavior...maybe not.
• Great pics by Ashley today... she is definitely the "official photographer" of actionchurch...I love the moments she captures. (her work above)
• I think for the first time this summer our attendance was actually a little lower...we had some visitors from Friendship that filled in some seats but there were a lot of people away today.
• I was totally proved wrong about "mac stuff" from the "apple mafia" this morning...I'm more than happy being wrong when things look so much better...thank you "apple geniuses".
• It's always cool to get to know actionchurch folks when they help with set up...thanks to all the set up and tear down crew!
• We used a desperate housewives clip today...love it!
• Next week- A race car in the parking lot...Hard rockin' "Chambered" (new incarnation of Clean Slate) on stage...and my parents are visiting from MO...sounds like fun...better watch my mouth.

If you missed it here's the Desperate housewives clip...

Chuck E Cheese Church...

I had a really insightful question in an email this week and since I actually had an answer (that doesn't always happen)...I asked if I could post the question and answer here for everyone. The question was:
"My family and I attended actionchurch this Sunday and loved it (ok maybe they said 'weren't totally repulsed by it')...we know that actionchurch is primarily designed for "people who don't like church"...we are a family of Jesus followers...can we attend or would we just be taking up valuable seats on Sunday morning?...it looked pretty crowded.

Believe it or not I told them actionchurch was like Chuck E. Cheese. Now before you think I have completely lost my mind think about this... Chuck E. Cheese is designed for kids. Everything about it is geared for kids...but without adults the place would be out of business. Adults pay for the games...cook the "bad pizza"...supervise the play...and care enough about their little ones to bring them to Chuck E's place-even though it may not be their first choice as a restaurant...

actionchurch is designed for "people who don't like church"...people who have wandered far away from God...the broken...the cynical...the "burned". We are going to do everything in our power to "gear" actionchurch on Sunday mornings to that crowd. But guess what, without followers of Jesus joining in, paying the bills, bringing their loved ones, helping us make our own brand of "bad-kid friendly pizza" and fun..we would soon be out of business.

Thanks to all of you who support actionchurch...even those of you who put aside your "church preferences" to bring someone you care about. Thanks to those of you who give financially each week even though all you get in return is our thanks...and maybe a donut. Thanks to those of you who give your time so that others can enjoy a great experience on Sunday morning... Thanks especially to all of you who volunteer in actionkidz so that our "kidz" can have a great memory of church when they grow up. Keep on coming...keep on bringing your friends...if we'll just be faithful God will provide more seats!