Thanks for watching this update on our time in Alliance, Texas! (I apologize for the wretched thumbnail preview image…I don’t really look that bad…normally! 
)
Thanks for your prayers and support. More info is on the way…
1 Corinthians 13:12
12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.*(lit. face to face) All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. – NLT
I don’t have to understand everything. I don’t have to know why things happen the way they do.
Because things will always be a bit blurry here.
But God sees and knows.
And I take great comfort in knowing that one day I’ll see and understand too.
Till then, I’m ok with going without fully knowing.
And with a nod to the classic KJV, I’ll continue
squinting through this glass,
darkly.
If you are not interested in people who do not follow Jesus, you haven’t been following Jesus very much.
If you do not care about a world that doesn’t know Jesus, you’re not getting to know Jesus very much.
If you care about a good cause more than you care about people who are not following Jesus, you don’t understand the cause of Jesus very much.
If you care more about exegesis than you care about your neighbors, your heart does not reflect the heart of Jesus very much. (Nor did you do a good job with your exegesis.)
If you care more about doctrine than you care about others, you don’t understand the doctrine of Jesus very much.
And if you are a church and all of that is true about you, that is such
A shame.
Because you can do much
Better.
And so much
More.
One of the best things I’ve ever started in ministry was a weekly gathering called “Compass Men.” This gathering involved me bringing men together from both inside and outside of our church to a coffee shop for a “later than ususal” meeting.
This gathering was simple and amazing. Essentially, it involved issuing challenges to these guys with achievable, tangible things for them to do to help them grow as Christ followers, husbands, fathers and leaders.
Here’s how it played out each week:
It was cool to see men rally around this basic plan each week, with a basic action plan that was a “doable” way to flesh out their faith each week. As the weeks went on and I saw the growth happening in these men, I began to wish that we had been doing this from the very beginning.
That’s why it’s the first thing in our storyboard heading into Stoneview Summer 2009. (The astute among you will also see that the name is a hat tip to our previous adventure in church planting. That, and “Stone Men” just didn’t have the same ring to it! )
See the info below:
There’s a man of iron in you that God wants to sharpen. You can become a stronger husband, father, friend and leader.
On Tuesday nights during the summer of 2009, we’re inviting men from all over the Alliance, Texas area to join us for an hour or so to challenge each other to be the best God wants us to be.
No fluff. No study guide. No hugs. One book – the Bible.
You don’t have to be a member of our church or know anything about the Bible to be a part of Stoneview’s Compass Men. You just need to be ready to take your life to the next level.
Begins Tuesday, June 2nd.
Location: McDonald’s in the “Pilot Point Travel Center” at “Alliance Crossing”
Directions: Click for Map.
If you are a follower of Jesus, you go where He leads and you care about what He cares about – and that always leads to people.
If you want to say, “No, it leads to making God famous!” then I have to ask, “Famous to who?” And again, we’re talking about people.
The Bible is about God’s revelation of Himself and His redemption of people.
Some Christians seem to imply that people are irrelevant in ministry because it’s “all about God.” Um… Hello? I think something’s being missed, there…
Sometimes I want to shout to these well meaning Christians something along the lines of:
Yo! Dude! You are People! And that ‘whooshing sound’ you just heard was the point sailing past your head…
I understand what is meant by the phrase, “It’s all about God.” I’m just saying that if that is indeed the case, then we should care about what God cares about.
And God cares about people.
Several years ago, my lovely wife, Leona and I sensed God’s call to plant a church in the Alliance, Texas area. It was a huge step of faith for us. I had been on staff at the same church for almost 12 years, we had 3 kids, and the challenges before us were great. But we trusted God, and went for it.
Just under 4 years later, however, the church plant drew to a close.
Bam. The end. …Or was it?
Of all of the twists, turns, adventures and surprises I have experienced in following Christ over the years, probably none was more surprising to me than when I realized that He was calling me to go back. To try it again. To start over.
And so we are. And God has taught me a few things about “do-over’s” in the process.
Here are 5 things I’ve learned about “Starting Over”:
Moses went back to Egypt to free the slaves. Jonah was given a second opportunity to go to Nineveh. Onesimus went back to his master to make things right.
Where do you need to return? What do you need to start over?
…What are you waiting for?
I’m not interested in making scholars of Jesus. I’m interested in making disciples of Jesus.
If they become scholarly disciples, I’m ok with that.
Disciples know and do. They learn and obey. They follow their Leader.
They become like their Leader.
A while back I received an email from a Christian who wanted to know more about our new Church. It is typical of emails and questions I’ve received along the way, so I thought I would post a couple of his questions with my responses.
He: What is your teaching syle? Topical? Inductive?
Me: Yes. We value the Bible too highly to be limited to any one “Bible Study Method.”
He: What is your vision for your church? Briefly, of course – I ask because I noticed on your website something about “reaching the unchurched.” What does that mean, and how does it affect your teaching and other elements of your service, leadership, etc.? We are not “unchurched,” and not at all interested in a “seeker friendly” approach, where you may try hard to make everything palatable to the seeker. That’s all fine, but I’ve been there, don’t want to be anymore. it’s time to move on to growth and maturity. No offense, of course!
Me: None taken. Our vision is developing More, Stronger and Closer followers of Jesus Christ. (I then shared some of the values that I discuss in this talk: North Point Compass – Part 1 and North Point Compass – Part 2. The audio is pretty bad, but the info is clear.)
Me (continued): It sounds as though you may have had a bad experience with “seeker friendly” churches. As with “seeker un-friendly” churches, there are certainly extremes that are way off base. Our service and teaching is designed to be “obstacle free” for those who do not yet know Christ and “believer enriching” for those who do.
That said, however, we do believe that spiritual maturity does not exist apart from the mission of Jesus. This means that believers who are growing and maturing are becoming more and more selfless and compassionate towards those who do not know Christ, because they are becoming more and more like Christ Himself. Growth and maturity are demonstrated by Christ-likeness. That’s impossible without being sensitive to seekers in the process. But by “sensitive” we don’t mean “watered down.” We mean we are kind and “understandable” with the only obstacle being the “Stumbling Block” of Jesus Himself.
But if I’m understanding your questions correctly, this could be where the deal is most likely broken for you. I hope that is not the case, but there are many, many churches in the area who are no longer interested in reaching people who do not know Christ. It should not be difficult to find one to plug into if that is your desire.
However, if you are still interested in our church, I’d be happy to get to know you better and share with you a bit more of what we’re all about. Thanks for asking, and may God bless you as you seek to follow Him with all of your heart.
—-
If these types of questions are asked about Stoneview, the response will be basically the same.
Last night, as we were driving to Starbucks, Leona’s wedding ring was shining through her fuzzy, pink gloves. It was awesome, so I had to take a picture:
It reminds me what a great symbol a wedding ring is for marriage: Gold (purity of our commitment & love) , Endless Circle (Endless commitment) and a Ring (of protection)
Once on our honeymoon I took my wedding ring off and left it in the shower. When Leona discovered it a few minutes later, she freaked out. Which of course, caused me to freak out. It scared me silly that I might have accidently left it there or lost it down the drain!
So from that moment forward, with the few exceptions when I have taken my ring off to illustrate the symbolism of baptism, I have not removed my wedding ring. Actually, I don’t think I can even get it off of my finger, at this point!
Here’s why I’m sharing this with you. With the stress of the holidays, the economy and other pressures right now, slipping into a danger zone in our marriages is always a possibility. Just like the ring, our marriages need a hedge of protection around them so that they are not left behind or lost down the drain. We need to keep them close at hand.
Marriage is a covenant between you, your spouse and God. Why not take a moment and ask God to place a ring around your marriage, right now? Ask for His protection, for a renewed commitment to your spouse, and the ability to love like He loves.
Twenty years and three kids later, Leona and I are doing great. But our marriage will only be strong for the next twenty as we commit ourselves to God and each other – and place a ring around our marriage. I hope the same for you.
For inspiration, here’s a short talk I did a few years ago that I go back to every now and then, just as a reminder: Affair-Proofing Your Marriage
We are excited about the freshness and energy that our new name is giving us right now! Here are a few thoughts about the new name:
* Stoneview is a name that communicates our desire to intensely follow, obey and keep our eyes focused on Jesus, our Cornerstone.
* Stoneview is a name that reflects the geography of our location. The Alliance, Texas area is known for its stony landscape. Stones are worked into the design of all of the new developments and environments of the area. They are literally everywhere.
* Stoneview is a name that can be communicated in both an “edgy” and “stable” manner. Both ideas reflect the culture of the area and both reflect who we are and who we are going to be.
* Stoneview is a name that avoids the misconceptions and stereotypes that could cause others, especially those who are new to church, to be possibly hindered from visiting us for the first time.
* Stoneview is a name that we believe will appeal to the demographic of the individuals and families living and working in the Alliance, Texas area.
* Stoneview is a name that is not limited to this geographical location. If God blesses us with a ministry that reaches beyond this area, our name still is appropriate.
Well that’s a little insight into our new name. Ultimately, of course, who we are and what we do will be far more important than our name. … But we’re still pretty excited about it!
Our new Logo and our new website are in the works (compasswired.com is still active for now). Much more is on the way!
