From the start of Church of the Suncoast I have prayed, strived, and cast vision for a church that ANYONE could go to and feel "safe" as they investigate the Gospel. We don't need more churches in most parts of the country, what we need are safe environments for people to experience the grace Jesus has to offer them.
For the most part, we are not perfect, but for the most part we have that kind of church today. BUT, that also causes a lot of conflict from a leadership standpoint. What do you do about the girl whose boobs are hanging out each week? Do you let non-believers in the band? When someone is dealing with a moral issue do you pull them? What "lifestyles" are accepted as Christian? What do you do when it doesn't seem like a believers behavior is matching what they are telling others they believe? What about divorce? The list could go on but you get the idea.
The natural tendency of any organization is to meet and craft a bunch of policies so that the issue is settled and you don't have to have the conflict when it comes up. You just point to a policy and say, "Sorry, this is OUR policy." BUT, here is something I heard Andy Stanley talk about recently and it was so right on! Don't have policies, have conversations. This is how Jesus did things. From tax-collectors to adulterers He would have conversations not policies and categories. Maybe if we could learn from that we could not just strike a balance between grace and truth, but a powerful merger of the two that Jesus seemed to embody.
New Invite Cards
Here is a look at our new invite cards at the Suncoast. We leave a stack of 10 in a card holder with instructions on it in every seat. We also try to not put too much info on them. Take a look. We get them printed here.
An Open Letter to Students at the Suncoast
Dear Student,
Be careful who your friends are!!! This morning I woke up to sirens and flashing lights and a mother and father screaming in the middle of the damp road. I got ready for the day and made my way out there. I met Frank. Frank is a dad. Frank had an 18 year old son who goes to a local high school. Frank's son had been staying with a girl and her family for the past few nights in my neighborhood, not sure why? Frank's son apparently got into some bad drugs or O.D. and died in my neighbors home last night. Did I mention he was just 18 years old? I sat there and watched a dad beat his body saying "I should have done something, I should have saved him!" all the while his son's body lay cold just a few feet away inside a strangers house. As I learned bits and pieces of the story it all came down to this... Be careful who your friends are!!!
Show me your friends and I will show you who you are going to be.
We will talk more about this tonight at Revolution, 7pm at the Warehouse.
Be careful who your friends are!!! This morning I woke up to sirens and flashing lights and a mother and father screaming in the middle of the damp road. I got ready for the day and made my way out there. I met Frank. Frank is a dad. Frank had an 18 year old son who goes to a local high school. Frank's son had been staying with a girl and her family for the past few nights in my neighborhood, not sure why? Frank's son apparently got into some bad drugs or O.D. and died in my neighbors home last night. Did I mention he was just 18 years old? I sat there and watched a dad beat his body saying "I should have done something, I should have saved him!" all the while his son's body lay cold just a few feet away inside a strangers house. As I learned bits and pieces of the story it all came down to this... Be careful who your friends are!!!
Show me your friends and I will show you who you are going to be.
We will talk more about this tonight at Revolution, 7pm at the Warehouse.
Let's Do It TOGETHER Suncoast
To all my friends at the Suncoast. I have a mission for all of us to do together! This Sunday we begin a brand new series called "Plan B" that I believe will be a defining moment in your life. And, because I think this series is going to be so powerful I know we all have friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors who need to hear this message too. So, here is our mission... in 2 Corinthians it says this:
God says, "At the right time I heard you. On the day of salvation I helped you.” Listen, now is God’s acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation! 2 Cor. 6:2I believe God is saying this to us right now! Now is God's time, now is the day of salvation and this new series is a tool I think He wants to use. So, starting tonight AND for the rest of this series will you do something with me? Here it is:
- Every Wednesday at 6:02pm will you stop what you are doing and pray for someone you can bring to the Suncoast. Also, pray for the people others are inviting! (See 2 Cor. 6:2 above)
- After you pray TXT SOMEONE with something like this:
Hey, how's it going? I was thinking today and was wondering if you can come with me to my church this Sunday for this series we are doing called "Plan B". The service is at 10:30am. Txt me and we can sit together or do lunch after.
- Finally, BRING SOMEONE WITH YOU each Sunday of this series.
Now is the time for us to reach out into our communities and revolutionize lives with the power and hope of Jesus. I am praying for you and the many lives that will be changed as you invite them to "Plan B" at the Suncoast!
You can also direct them to the promo video on our website.
Back to Blogging 2011
Well, you might have noticed I have not been blogging much over the past month and I would like to say something real spiritual like, "I was fasting from blogging" but really things just got busy, didn't make it a priority, and thus the silence. Hopefully we staying in touch through twitter or facebook. But, now it is back to blogging in 2011.
Here is what I want to say first in a nutshell... it has been a dry couple of months for me. Have you ever had a time like that in your life? When you don't really have anything to say, don't really have any big ideas, just kind of feel... dry. That is where I have been for most of December and January. Another reason not much blogging has been going on.
A lot of it had to do with church stuff. As a church planter with a young church and a small staff you wear a lot of hats and that wears you slap out. I know you know how that feels no matter what you do for a living. You give and give and give and then you just are done. There was not a real break between Christmas and the first Sunday of the New Year this year, so combined with some poor planning on my part, it just added to the drain. Working on that. One of my goals for 2011, to get better at planning.
You also get hurt a lot as a pastor. You carry a lot. You wrestle with a lot and if you don't deal with that it starts to stink up your life and I had some unforgiveness issues I needed to work on which also added to the dry season.
AND, as always I was not really getting alone and with my Heavenly Father to hear His voice and meditate on His Word. That will dry you out quick.
So are you in a dry season? Here is my encouragement for you today:
1) Take Time to Plan Ahead
2) Forgive Others
3) Get Alone with God Daily
As the rain begins to beat down on the church office here I can begin to feel my own soul being re-hydrated. How about you? Drop the mask and let me know about your dry season.
Here is what I want to say first in a nutshell... it has been a dry couple of months for me. Have you ever had a time like that in your life? When you don't really have anything to say, don't really have any big ideas, just kind of feel... dry. That is where I have been for most of December and January. Another reason not much blogging has been going on.
A lot of it had to do with church stuff. As a church planter with a young church and a small staff you wear a lot of hats and that wears you slap out. I know you know how that feels no matter what you do for a living. You give and give and give and then you just are done. There was not a real break between Christmas and the first Sunday of the New Year this year, so combined with some poor planning on my part, it just added to the drain. Working on that. One of my goals for 2011, to get better at planning.
You also get hurt a lot as a pastor. You carry a lot. You wrestle with a lot and if you don't deal with that it starts to stink up your life and I had some unforgiveness issues I needed to work on which also added to the dry season.
AND, as always I was not really getting alone and with my Heavenly Father to hear His voice and meditate on His Word. That will dry you out quick.
So are you in a dry season? Here is my encouragement for you today:
1) Take Time to Plan Ahead
2) Forgive Others
3) Get Alone with God Daily
As the rain begins to beat down on the church office here I can begin to feel my own soul being re-hydrated. How about you? Drop the mask and let me know about your dry season.
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