Learning from Moms.

One, among many things, that I struggle with in life is Jesus' primary directive to "Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as you love yourself". The more I find out about God the easier it is to keep the first part of the commandment. What I struggle with is the whole "love Everyone as yourself"(everyone is our neighbor according to Jesus). Just when I think I'm getting better at loving others, I find some new layer of "prejudice", some new "lens" I view people through, some new excuse to love almost "everyone"-but not "this" person. I hope you "have it down" but I struggle in this area...

I've experienced some great Moms in my life. My mother raised seven (that's right seven) of us in an 1800 sq. ft. house in Missouri! My wife Michele is the best Mom I have ever seen! She gets more accomplished in a day than most of us "mere mortals" accomplish in a week...if we're lucky! My mother-in-law Wendy passed away of cancer over two years ago but I still both miss her and "feel her support" today. I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by truly great Moms!

Here's a couple of things I am learning about "loving everyone" from great Moms. I hope they will help you too.

1. Good Moms Love unconditionally! A good mom never meets an ugly baby, (thanks mom!) or a diaper too dirty, a nose too runny, to love her child. Imagine our culture and Churches filled with people who would truly extend love to "everyone"!



2. Good Moms Love sacrificially! A good mom always gives "herself" for her children. From single moms giving their very lives to raise and provide for their children, to "stay at home" moms who "give up?" careers to care for theirs. Good Moms sacrifice! Can you imagine our culture and churches filled with people who would give up "their rights" to care for those who are hurting, new to the faith, struggling with the consequences of a lifetime of bad decisions?



3. Good Moms Love much, and expect much! Finally, a good mom may well sacrifice her personal comfort for a crying baby, a hungry toddler, or a sobbing teenager. However, good mom's are good teachers. They love their children unconditionally, but expect and guide them to "Grow"! A good mom would never allow for her (physically normal) child to reach their teenage years without learning to feed themselves, etc. Imagine our culture and churches filled with people who loved unconditionally, sacrificially, but expected growth! (Imagine if everyone was willing to take the time, and effort to teach others what they had learned.)

Thanks Moms! We salute you. We have so much to learn from you...no matter how old we are!

actionchurch!?- "Whats up with the name?"

For most of the years I have been married (17 now), whenever I wanted to show Michele how much I loved and appreciated her I would give her a big hug and kiss. Sometimes I would literally "sweep her off her feet". My intentions were good and it felt great! She's hot, so let's be honest it felt really great! Less than two years ago we read this book (link) together. I found out from our conversations that a much better way to make her feel loved was to do something thoughtful or helpful for her. I had her "love language" wrong for years! (Thankfully, she still lets me hug and kiss her-for me!)


So what's more important, intentions or results? Jesus weighed in on this subject BIG TIME in his teachings. One of my favorites was when he was being criticised by the religious leaders of the time for his "methods". (Sound familiar?) After offering a scathing reply (read the whole story-here), Jesus uttered these words:

19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."

In Luke (here) it reads "wisdom is proved right by her children" but in all accounts, and all translations, it is clear that Jesus set a standard- We are "judged" by our actions not our intentions. If you think that was an "isolated incident" check out this parable, (link)where the guy with "good intentions" of not losing his masters money was severely punished, and the others with "results" were rewarded. This theme runs deep in the teachings of Jesus. "A tree is know by its fruit" etc. It culminates in one of his final teachings in John 15:1-17. (link)

So does calling ourselves "actionchurch" mean we have a better understanding of Jesus teaching than other churches? NOT AT ALL! Our name is simply a reminder that we will be judged by our actions, not our intentions! How does that make us "different" than other churches? IT DOESN'T! Every church is "judged" by their actions and results by both God and their community. Every one! It may "feel good" to have two cans of marshmallow fluff and some pickled beats in the church closet and call it a "food pantry" but our God and our neighbors look to us to feed the hungry. It may "feel good" to stick a crappy gospel tract under the windshield wiper of that "long haired" pagan at work, but our God and our neighbors look to us to actually show Love to them. It may "feel good" to have churchy little gatherings that we all enjoy, but our God and our community will decide if we actually "reached out"!


So Hello, our name is actionchurch. We don't have it all together. We probably never will. We will not: however, let that be an excuse not to put the teachings of Jesus into action! We will try and reject many "methods". We will experiment. We will come up short. We will never quit! We will constantly strive to find ways to make our message- Louder than Words!

Seacrest out!

"They should have eliminated Barry Gibb!"

Wow! I'm pleasantly surprised to see a "dude" still in the final three. Even if he is a "beat boxer"... Simon had it right about Lakisha "going home". As the show was ending my wife got a BIG laugh from me by saying. "They should have eliminated Barry Gibb!" I couldn't agree more!

actionchurch core values

Fun! Brevity. “A little less talk and a lot more action!” Cultural Relevance. Authenticity. Originality. Transformation over information. Doing nothing Half way! Kindness and generosity…with no strings attached. "Making Jesus Famous!" Creativity. Ambiance. Art. Family.

Lions, Bears, & Giants.

No, I'm not thinking about Teams in the NFC, I've been thinking a lot about this passage lately-

33 "Don't be ridiculous!" Saul replied. "There is no way you can go against this Philistine. You are only a boy, and he has been in the army since he was a boy!" 34 But David persisted. "I have been taking care of my father's sheep," he said. "When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and take the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! I Samuel 17:33-36

I love the "logic of faith" that David uses to convince Saul that he can defeat Goliath...Not, "I can fight the giant because I have previous giant killing experience". Instead, He believed he could defeat the giant because God had been with him in other dangerous situations! Think about it, battling a lion or a bear may sound tame compared a little "ultimate fighting" competition with nine foot tall giant, but it was an amazing feat for a unarmed teenager! David knew that without God's help he would have never made it out of either situation alive.

I find a lot of strength in this passage. I hope you will too. I've never started a church before, but I have started a business. I have never been a lead pastor- but I have been a youth pastor and an associate minister. Without the blessing of God I know I would have never come out of any of these experiences "alive"! I choose every day to believe that the same God who has called me to fight this giant, has also prepared me for the fight.

How about you? Are there "giants" in your future? Challenges you feel drawn to take on, that just seem too "big"? Are there people telling you "Don't be ridiculous, there's no way you can..."? Be Persistant! Think about the other "lion & bear" challenges you have faced in you past...Could it be that God was preparing you for the challenges of your future?

Final thought: I'm not sure if history would have "remembered" a teenager who fought a lion and a bear, as amazing as that was. History will never forget a teenager who "leveraged" that experience into faith and courage that allowed him to kill the giant, "get the girl", and one day become King!

Coffee Controversy

I was just drinking my own coffee, enjoying my day off, and reading a newspaper online when I ran across this chick from Ohio protesting a Starbucks coffee cup. Yep you read that right...Protesting a Starbucks cup!

Here's the "offensive" inscription:

The way I see it #247
"Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure." -Bill Schell, Starbucks customer.

Is this mans opinion offensive? Worthy of boycott? Burn the "Starbucks heretic"? Puhleeze!

Here's my take- Mr. Schell, may I call you Bill? I understand your cynicism about a culture that turns to prayer in times of crisis, and ignores God the rest of the time. Even though I disagree with your statement, I understand why you would come to the conclusion that God is merely a figment of our collective imaginations. I'm saddened that you have never come in contact with a person that demonstrated the power of God in an undeniable and attractive way. I'm sorry that so many of the "christians" you have met in your life are "believers" and not "Followers of Jesus Christ." I'm sorry that the "church" you have come in contact with is an impotent, inward focused, selfish organization. Even though it was painful to read your opinion on my coffee cup-Thank you. It reminded me of how much work there is to be done as followers of Christ until we can truly pray as Jesus did-"Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

My favorite TV "Evangelist".

I have had the privilege of hearing some truly great preachers. (Andy, Perry, Mark, and Ed come to mind.) Josh "Chop" Towbin, however; may have the most raw, natural, preaching "skilz" of anyone I have ever heard!

Besides having the best theme song (link) on television since the OC , King of Cars just rocks! (I am the pastiest white guy in the world and I am able to horrify my wife and daughter by "rapping" along with the theme.)

I don't know If Chop is a follower of Jesus...the show just doesn't make it clear either way, he could be. What I do know is that he preaches the "good news" of Towbin Dodge ownership with truly relentless passion. He uses his music, humor, and creativity to "evangelize" the entire Las Vegas area.

Here's a few "ministry tips" I have picked up from Chop...

1. Make it fun! (every aspect of buying a car at Towbin Dodge entertaining! Their infomercials get sitcom ratings on local TV.)
2. "Dooz it Large"- (...king of cars baby, we dooz it large, baby....Every thing at Towbin Dodge is done "large". Nothing is ever half way, okay, just "good enough".)
3. Your most important "sermons" are to motivate your team! (Chops sales team meetings are a fusion between a revival meeting and a prize fight intro...)
4. Be passionate about your "product"! (Chop raps about cars, talks about cars, restores cars...)
5. If it matters, count it! (The Towbin crew is obsessive in "keeping score" and celebrating sales...could be why they are #1 in the nation for sales.)

Check out King of Cars on A&E Television and see if you agree that Chop is the best television "evangelist" ever!

Is this a good show?

My wife Michele recently told our three year old that there are "good shows" and "bad shows" on TV so Reagan should "ask mommy whether she can watch a show or not." Now almost every program that we watch is preceded by her asking, "Is this a good show, mommy?" It makes us laugh.

I thought I would be cute and clever the other night. (That usually spells trouble for me.) When a Victoria's Secret (no link!) commercial came on I turned to my wife and asked, "Is this a good show, mommy?" She said "If you have to ask, It probably isn't a good show for you to watch."
Doh...Zing....pow...ouch!

It made me think that I should ask my heavenly father more often, "Is this a good show?" "Is this a good thought?" "Is this a good attitude?" I wonder what would happen...

17 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
Luke 18:17 (NIV)

Church for the rest of us...

I got invited to church yesterday. Well at least someone put a flyer on my door. I appreciate the invite, I really do. I admire that you are willing to come to my door to tell me about your church. We are on the same "team", you and I. We both want people to get to know Jesus.

Here's the problem though. My family doesn't look anything like the (clipart) family on your flyer. Most of my friends don't either. I don't own a tie. I don't have a bible cover with handles. We don't all have smiling intact families with a dad, mom, and two perfect children. Many of my friends are divorced. Some of us are alone. We are broken, scarred and a little cynical. We don't rush to church just because we are offered "bible centered preaching" and "vibrant singing". In fact, many of us have given up on church altogether.

My friends and I are starting a church for the "rest of us". It's called actionchurch. It's not a "better" church than the one in your flyer. In fact, I noticed your pastor is a "Doctor". Ours didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. We don't have it all together, and we probably never will. We just think there needs to be a place where "the rest of us" can meet Jesus...

28 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." Mathew 11:2-30 (NLT)

It's not over!

I was thinking last night as I watched the Idol results show that it was about this time last year when Chris Daughtry was voted off...(He was #4) I'm sure at that moment it seemed like the biggest disappointment of his life. You know the "rest of the story", Chris has one of the Hottest albums and videos in the world right now. I love the album and am "selfishly" hoping that Daughtry stays on the charts because there are several of his songs I would love to use when actionchurch launches! ( Crash, Home, Used To, and It's not over.)

So where ever you are, however bad things appear to be, whatever setbacks you have suffered, no matter how impossible your situation looks...put a fist in the air, enjoy the video, and remember- It's not over!

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV

"Launching!?"

We talk a lot about "launching" actionchurch around here. In simplest terms "launching" or "launching large" as it sometimes called, is a church planting strategy that attempts to "build" the most viable church possible in its first six-twelve months. It is not the "only" way to start a church. It is not the "right" way to start a church. It is simply a proven strategy that we have chosen to use. Allow me to explain...

Imagine church is a fire. It's not a big stretch. (Acts 2:1-4) Like fire, a Church can either be unstoppable (think Forest fire) or fragile ( think "candle in the wind") depending on the amount of fuel and air "consumed". Please stop singing that awful Elton John song "like a candle in the wind" now. I'm serious, stop it! Now imagine you must start a fire. Not because you want to make some s'mores on a camping trip. Not in a competitive Survivor "fire making challenge" scenario. You have to make a fire in a serious Man vs. Wild way. People are depending on you-lives are at stake!

As a "fire starter" you have some decisions to make. How will you proceed? Will you start indiscriminately striking your matches and attempting to light anything flammable within arms reach? Drop to your knees and pray for a lightning strike? (It could happen...) Will you start a tiny fire from a few sticks you find nearby and "nurture" it until it becomes large enough to become a self sustaining blaze?

A fire starter with a "launch" strategy would not immediately strike a match. Instead, he would make a quick survey of the area. Great attention would be given as to where to start the fire. He would identify potential fuels for his fire. As he began to gather wood and other fuels he would keep his eye out for possible "accelerants" to help his fire grow faster. (Don't try this at home, but nothing flammable is "off limits" gas, oil, plutonium etc.) Great care would be taken in how the initial kindling and starters would be arranged to create immediate heat. Care would also be taken to make sure enough fuel was gathered to sustain the fire after it's initial start. Finally a match would be struck and by God's grace a "fire" would be started.

Final thought: I hope this has made the idea of "launching" a church clearer. If strategy and planning seem "worldly and gimmicky" when starting a church, fine. Grab two sticks and rub them together with "all your might". The main thing to remember about "fire starting" is that no matter how much (or little) strategy we use...God gives fire! Did we create the fuel? "Invent" friction and combustion? Create oxygen? Create our "strategizing" ability? Form our hands? I don't think so. The main thing is that fires are started...People are cold. People are hungry. And there are some very dangerous things lurking outside the "fire"!

Sometimes the Bible makes me laugh.

I read this and about spit coffee through my nose!

Listen to me, you fat cows living in Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, and who are always calling to your husbands, “Bring us another drink!”
Amos 4:1 NLT.

Look it up (link) if you think I made that up. Wow! I'm known as a pretty "plain spoken" preacher but I think even I would have to ask "Are you sure that's what you want me to say, God?" before I let that one fly. I love that the Bible is full of real men who were not afraid to speak the hard truths!

It's an actionchurch "thing"...

Mondays are my family day off so I have been enjoying this awesome weather with "the girls". I did put an actionchurch.com windshield
banner on my VW Thing. (wiki) If you've never seen one they basically look like a clown car on crack... I figure if people want to "stare at my thing" maybe they'll check out the website.

Signs of the times?

Have you noticed the deluge of "We buy all Real Estate" and "Cash for Real Estate" signs around the York area? If you haven't, you are either an extremely focused driver, or you are completely out of it and "should not operate heavy equipment". These signs are EVERYWHERE! They are on telephone poles, stuck in yards, on trucks, billboards, etc. I snapped this one out of my car window at an intersection yesterday. (By the way, that is exactly the kind of box van I would like to have for our actionchurch "gear"... )

The companies posting these signs-EVERYWHERE- are responding to the "soft" housing market and the rising number of home foreclosures happening. They "relieve" people facing foreclosure by quickly buying their homes before they are "repo'd" by their mortgage lender. (For the record: These companies make a profit by also "relieving" the distressed families of the last shreds of equity they have in their homes...draw your own conclusions.)

I hate the fact that so many people are losing their homes in York county. (Thinking out loud: I wonder what actionchurch can do to help ?) I do admire how relentlessly these companies are taking their "We buy real estate" message to the streets. I see so many people in our county with no connection to God. Foreclosure is painful, but missing out on the very reason you were created is an eternal tragedy. What if we were as relentless with the message of Jesus? What if we realized that people are even more "valuable" than distressed real estate? What if we plastered this town with our message? What if we spoke in actions that were "louder than words"? I can just see the signs!

The Church has left the Building...

This is some video from 2/42 Church(Link) in Brighton MI, "making Jesus famous" in their community. This is what it is all about... Looks like fun too.

2.10.08

If you've been to actionchurch.com you've seen the banner that says "Launching 2.10.08". I will write more about "launching" later but in the simplest terms, February 10, 2008 is the date actionchurch will begin weekly public services. Before that we will have once-a-month "Test Drive" services in November (11.11.07), December (12.09.07) and January(1.13.08) as we build momentum toward our "Launch".

So why 2.10.08? What makes that the "perfect" day to launch a church? The Bible says in Ecclesiastes that "if you wait for perfect conditions you will never plant/or harvest. (link) There are no "lucky" days, no guarantees. After research and prayer we simply feel this is a good day to launch actionchurch.

So why "set a date" at all? Why not just wait until everything is "together" and then advertise the date? Is it a cocky thing to do? (Like Babe Ruth at bat pointing toward the outfield?) Actually the opposite is true. Even as I write this on April 26, 2007 I am so tempted to hit the "delete" button instead of the "publish" button on my screen. There are so many reasons why it seems impossible that we will be ready to "do church" by February 2008. So much money that needs to be raised, staff to be hired, teams to be recruited, equipment to be purchased. We haven't even secured a meeting place yet... So many reasons.

In my life experience God "shows up" and does amazing things when 3 things happen.

1. We get in line with his plans. (Link)
2. We make ourselves vulnerable through faith (Link)
3. We give God the "credit"when it happens!

For faith to be real and effective we cannot "hedge our bets" like our wussy politicians do. We cannot be on "both sides of the issue". Instead, we have to "make a fist" and be fully prepared to look like an idiot if we fail. I believe York county needs a place like actionchurch where people far from God can meet him. I believe there are others who feel the same and will join with us! I believe 2.10.08 is a great day to make that happen! Keep that Sunday morning (11-12) open to see whether God looks like the "hero" he is, or I look like an idiot... Either way, it will be worth seeing!

Idol gives back...

I watched part one of "Idol gives back" last night. (Where was Bono?) There are two ways to look at American Idol's first charitable effort. One is that they are genuinely trying to help people by using the shows enormous popularity. The second is to think (cynically) that this is just an enormous publicity stunt to keep attention on the popular yet "aging" show. My personal opinion is that it is probably a carefully calculated combination of the two.

But what if "Idol gives back" is nothing but a publicity stunt? If so, it would mean that America's number one show, At&T, Ford, Coca-Cola, and many other top corporations think that donating millions to the needy will attract customers to their companies and increase their profits! It is yet another sign that we now live in a "compassion economy" where people choose their products based on the "good" they do for the world. Examples: Starbucks, Gap (RED), etc... The effectiveness of these current campaigns can be questioned, but the desire the public has to purchase such products cannot!

Do I think that churches should do good in a substantial way because it's currently "good marketing"? Nope, I think the church should be the most generous, charitable, and compassionate place on the planet because it was one of Jesus' primary commands! The fact that charity and generosity are currently "fashionable" is simply an opportunity for us to lead and not follow!

So what do we have to offer (as churches)if we choose not to be "part of this "new fangled" charity/compassion fad?) Bible knowledge? Yeah, that will do it...it's much too difficult to Google "bible study" on your laptop...people will just have to sit through a 90 minute church service if they want to learn about the Bible. "Fellowship"? Yeah, no one could possibly match our church picnics and potluck dinners...not bars, bowling leagues, Myspace, Tupperware parties,...no one. "Live Music"?... Yeah, that's finally it. No one can beat an under-rehearsed band with 13 back up singers singing "As the Deer panteth for the water"...definitely not MTV, VH1, American Idol, You tube, your local club, junior high talent show....Nope, no one.

What if we as churches offer the Good News of the Kingdom that Jesus preached? What if we cared more about doing good IN our communities, than looking good TO our communities? What if we actually lived like we would be judged by how we treated "the least of these"? What if we invited our friends and neighbors to join us in our mission-regardless of their "beliefs". What if we actually changed our community? Even though I've never voted for and American Idol contestant....I would "vote" for that!

actionchurch FAQ

I am creating a new category for posts named "actionchurch FAQ". (You can access it from "Labels" in the side bar.) I hope this will help anyone accessing the blog for the first time to find basic information about actionchurch quickly and efficiently.

Here's some topics I will be covering:
1) When does actionchurch officially launch? (2.10.08) Why that date?
2) What does it mean to "launch" a church? Why not call it planting or starting a church?
3) What does it mean to be a "launch team member"? How can I help?
4) What is an "actionchurch"? Why do you call it that? What's up with the lower-case letters?
5) Where will we meet? Why? (This one's gonna be fun!!!)

Any other questions? Email me info@actionchurch.com with other questions for the category.
I want to keep the category as uncluttered as possible, but I will occasionally include other posts that I think capture the "flavor" of actionchurch particularly well.

Guard your thoughts.

I have purposely not posted about the shooting at Virginia Tech this week. It's not that I think it's wrong to blog about it, (I've read some really good posts this week) It's just that I am saddened and horrified by the shooting...so is everyone else, I had nothing to "add".

As this week has gone on though, we have seen the release of the Virginia Tech gunman's video and pictures. ("Thanks" NBC, that's exactly what he wanted, fame, but at least your ratings went up a little!) Later in the week we were "treated" to hearing Alec Baldwins phone tirade left as a message for his eleven year old daughter. ("Thanks Mommy Kim" for leaking the message, sure your daughter is humiliated but at least you have more leverage in your custody case.) The only thing that made these two stories even partially "make sense" to me are these words of Jesus-

A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines what you say. (Luke 6:45 nlt)

In no way am I trying to excuse any of the horrible actions that have taken place this week, whether they made the national news or not. It's just that we have an enemy, Satan. He's not the mischievous imp sitting on our shoulder with some "interesting" plans for how we could spend next Friday night. Instead, Satan, is a thief and a liar, a rip-off artist, the ultimate con man. Contrary to what some might teach, Satan is not just interested in "persecuting" church goers. (In fact, I'm pretty sure he is very happy with how so many of them our wasting their life on materialism, a worship of religious knowledge, and self centered "Me-ism") Instead, the entire world is in his "service area" and he's very successful at ripping us off by trading temporary crap, (fame, money, sex, drugs, status, etc.) for the good and eternal plans God has for each of us.

Here's where this effects all of us. Not just Hollywood people, crazy gunmen types, and radio shock jocks...all of us. There are no "thoughtless" actions! Whatever is in our "hearts" will eventually be what we say and do. Constantly thinking lustful thoughts? Satan is ready and willing to "trade" your family, future, and character for some steamy sex. Constantly filled with bitterness and anger? Satan is ready and willing to "trade" your relationship with someone you love for a verbal/physical tirade that will "let off some steam" and feel so good. Constantly envious of how "good" others have it? Satan is "standing by". As Jesus taught so many years ago, guard your thoughts. The "truth about you" will always come out...

I've noticed...

...that ever since I put an actionchurch.com window sticker on our cars, my gas mileage has increased by at least 50%! Also, my acceleration times are lower and our vehicles have actually stopped depreciating! (Tire wear has also improved.) As an added benefit I just noticed that there are now always empty parking spots at wal-mart "saved" for me-right up front! (You know, the ones with the blue signs!)

If you would like to "tune up" your vehicle and help spread the word in the York area, let me know. info@actionchurch.com We have more "magic stickers" available.

Thanks to the crew at Fastsigns for making the "magic" possible. You guys rock!

Disclaimer: (read really fast) YMMV. Have your vehicle driven on a closed course by a professional driver. Nothing but a miracle will stop your vehicle from depreciating...unless it is a hemi-cuda from 1972. actionchurch sticker actually weighs .0002 gram and may make your gas mileage decrease by .00088%. Don't operate heavy equipment. May cause vomiting ,diarrhea, and dizziness. For God sake, don't park in handicapped spots. If you stare at your vehicle with its new actionchurch sticker for more than four hours, see a doctor immediately.