I typically break down my “vision audit” into 5 categories: personal/spiritual, family, physical, financial, and professional. These represent the major areas of my life that I am responsible to faithfully manage and that I will one day be expected to give account of to God. And these are areas I feel inspired to improve and with which I desire to honor God.

I’ve learned that the wrong question to ask is, “How can I grow or improve this year?” The better question is, “What is preventing me from growing and improving?” My “vision audit” always brings me back to “center” and forces me to move intentionally through these four stages:

Stage #1: Honest Assessment – Where have I succeeded? Where have I failed? What prevented me from achieving my dreams/goals this past year? What are my greatest fears moving into the New Year?

Stage #2: Goal Setting -What should be my highest priorities this year? Do these ambitions line-up with God’s priorities? Am I dreaming Gil-sized or God-sized dreams? Do they require faith?

Stage #3: Defining Wins – How will I know if I’ve accomplished my goals? More importantly, how will others know if I’ve accomplished my goals (i.e. are they missional in nature)? Most importantly, will God be glorified through these goals? If so, how; if not, why?

Stage #4: Evaluation – Are these goals measurable, i.e. how will I measure success and/or failure? When and how will I perform self-evaluations to see how I’m doing? Who will keep me accountable? Is there a “safe-fail” mechanism in place to keep me from undue condemnation?

2012 is a leap year, so there are 366 days, 8,784 hours, 527,000 minutes, and nearly 32 million seconds awaiting you. As you prepare to “bring in” the New Year, don’t forget to spend some time checking up on your personal well-being – spiritually, physically, financially, and professionally. You’ll grow because of it, those around you will celebrate it, and God will bless you through it!

Make it a great New Year!

Sunday was a good-news, bad-news, good-news sort of day. Let me explain:

• The good news - we had a record turnout for a non-holiday (or special event) service. Meeting newcomers to GCC is one of the highlights of my week!
• The bad news – we heard of at least one vehicle that arrived a bit late and turned around and left because there was no available parking. That’s bad news, but it’s a problem we will temporarily solve with our two-service schedule beginning October 16.
• The good news – we had our highest turnout to Discover GCC with 18 newcomers. It was a wonderful chance to connect with some quality individuals and families who are finding GCC to be a place where they can “come as they are…but grow.”

So Sunday’s good news outweighed the bad news, and that’s great news!

ONE church…TWO times

We are just weeks away from the launch of our second service (9:00 am) and I can’t begin to tell you know optimistically anxious I am. We have several resources available to equip you to share the exciting news that GCC is now “ONE church…TWO times”:

• Yard Signs – there are still a handful remaining. Pick up yours this coming weekend
• Invitation Cards – we have an ample supply of cards you can use to invite people to our new series, “Bones,” beginning on the 16th
• Facebook Event – go to the GCC Facebook page (facebook.com/mygracecrossingchurch) and invite your FB friends to the “ONE church…TWO times” launch on October 16

In addition, on Saturday, October 8 we will distribute invitational door hangers to our community. Breakfast will be provided at 8:30 am and we’ll hit the pavement by 9 am. We could use some additional manpower (or woman-power), so please email beckie@gracecrossingchurch.net to register.

The past 20 months have been epic, but I suspect the best is yet to come. With the wind of God’s Spirit to our backs, let’s move together toward our preferred future!

Over the summer months (typically “flat” for church attendance), we have experienced steady, healthy growth evidenced by:

• Auditorium – our median attendance for the summer (June – August) has been 182 with a low of 161 (Independence Day weekend) and high of 222. For this past 4 weeks alone (including the Labor Day weekend), our median attendance has been 210 and last weekend was a record attendance (for a non-holiday/special service) with 224! Add to that our children and volunteers and we’re pushing the 300 mark weekly!
• Ignite Children’s – rooms are completely maxed out and have been for some time. Our children’s leaders are prepared to staff a second service and eventually a fourth room to accommodate the growth in our children’s ministry.
• Parking Lot – we are using every parking spot nearly every week, and people are double parking (again) on our high weeks!
• An intangible – there is a “holy buzz” here at GCC. No doubt about it, God is providing the momentum; we are now expected to sustain and steward it!

Bottom line is this: we have hit a ceiling on our impact (growth) potential and must “lift the lid” to make room to resource more aspiring Christ followers in our community. Our most fruitful season of ministry is about to begin.

We covet your prayers and support as we hoist the sails to begin this new journey together, praying for the wind of God’s Spirit to steer our course ahead!

• Is GCC spiritually safe? i.e. do you feel comfortable knowing that people will encounter God in a loving and non-judgemental manner?
• Is GCC relationally safe? i.e. do you feel comfortable that people will experience a warm and authentic reception by our church family?
• Is GCC emotionally safe? i.e. do you feel comfortable that people will be accepted “just as they are,” yet challenged to grow and admit their spiritual deficiencies?

Thankfully, I heard what I had hoped to hear: “Absolutely! When I bring a friend to GCC, I am confident that they will experience loads of energy and enthusiasm, a spiritually positive place to which they will want to return.”

Here’s our pledge to you: Our team will continue to pray and work diligently to ensure that the weekend service at GCC is place you can invite your friends…no explanation needed! In return, we ask you to spread the word about GCC and invite your friends to a weekend service.

One constant we’ve gleaned from all the marketing gurus is this – your people are your best advertisement. So think of yourself as a “living billboard” and help us spread the word about all the good things God is doing here at GCC. Oh, and by the way, I’m making a huge announcement this coming Sunday. You won’t want to miss it!

This is an important week for those of us who claim allegiance to Jesus. My wife and I watched Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ this past week to be reminded once again of just how kaleidoscopic God’s love is for us!

I love the way The Message captures Ephesians 3:18-19, “And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.” God’s love was fully experienced and tested in the person of Jesus Christ!

Take some time this Holy Week to reflect on how long and how deep and how high is God’s love for you!

Good Friday Reflection

I hope you’ll make plans to join us April 22 at 7 pm for our Good Friday experience. This day was anything but “good” for Jesus, but it is certainly good for us. Come and join us for this chance to remember the crucifixion through the eyes of Peter, one of his most passionate followers.

Easter Sunday Celebration

Excitement is building for our Easter celebration this coming Sunday, April 24. We have scheduled two morning services at 9 and 11 am, so there will be plenty of room for you and your guests. If the resurrection of Jesus Christ were not enough, we will be celebrating the water baptism of a dozen people who are publicly expressing their faith in Christ. I don’t think there is anything that Christians should get more psyched about than celebrating with those who are declaring they are “all in” as followers of Jesus!

You won’t want to miss out on this marvelous weekend!

I am totally blown away by the response to the G3 Challenge. This is worth celebrating!

To date, we have had…

• 115 response cards/online forms submitted
• 100% reading 40 Days w/Jesus
• 60% interested in “planting” a second service
• 78% willing to volunteer/serve at GCC
• $45,500 pledged to help increase our capacity (additional parking/seating)

I couldn’t be more thrilled to see so many of our spiritual family stepping up to the growth “challenges” we are currently experiencing here at GCC. I am convinced that every human challenge is nothing short of a God opportunity. And while none of us enjoy “growing pains” at the time, all of us are better in the long run when we embrace them and choose to be stretched by them. So thanks to those who have come off the bench and into the game here at GCC; we couldn’t “grow to the next level” without you!

For those interested in getting involved in some or all of the G3 Challenge, please click here. In the words of George Elliot, “It’s never too late to be what you might have been!

Moderation

For the first time in years, I’ve decided to begin counting calories. Wow, what a rude awakening! It is amazing just how much we can consume without even thinking about it. I’m relearning the importance of ‘portion control.’ The Bible actually uses the word ‘moderation’ for this, and it applied to every area of life. Philippians 4:5, “Let your moderation be known unto all. The Lord is at hand.” That’s not an accidental combination, in my opinion. I think moderation in all facets of life make us more keenly aware of the Lord’s nearness. I know that has been the case in my life recently. Somehow, the more I am consumed with consuming, the less I am consumed with God.

As part of this life-change, I have begun increasing my energy output via exercise. It’s true that the more calories you burn the more calories you can consume. MyFitnessPal has been keeping me accountable to eat in moderation and exercise, and over time I’ll enjoy the benefit of “my moderation being known to all” (hopefully). More importantly, my moderation is known by the One who not only counts every hair on my head, but also counts every calories I consume and place in His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). That’s a good dose of healthy motivation!

I am thrilled that so many of our church family are joining us for our 40-day reading. I can’t think of a better way to prepare for Easter than reading Jesus’ life story. For those interested in jumping in, we have a handful of complimentary books remaining. You can either stop by the church office to pick up a book or get one at our weekend worship celebration. For what it’s worth, I have learned from personal experience that I act a lot more like God when my thinking is shaped by God’s word. Give it a try for 40 days…those around you will be glad you did!

Write Them Down

In reviewing my goals for this year, I was reminded again of the importance of writing them down. In Habakkuk 2:2, we see the significance of transferring our plans from pen to paper. I love the way The Message expresses this verse: “Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming.” I think goals become more of a ‘vision-message’ when we write them down. In fact, until they are written down, they remain merely wishful thinking.

How about you…do you have a plan of action for 2011? If so, is it written down so that it can be “read on the run?” Life has a way of moving faster and faster – don’t let your goals get left behind!

Praying for Japan

I know that all of us have been impacted by the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan this past weekend. To put the magnitude of this disaster into perspective, here’s an excerpt from USA Today: “Scientists said the quake ranked as the fifth-largest earthquake in the world since 1900 and was nearly 8,000 times stronger than one that devastated Christchurch, New Zealand, last month. The energy radiated by this quake is nearly equal to one month’s worth of energy consumption in the United States.” Amazing! Talk about a one-two punch.

Please join me in prayer for God’s peace, comfort, and strength to be with our neighbors in Japan. I am so thankful for “first responders,” both government agencies and NGO’s like Convoy of Hope. Convoy is one of GCC’s global partners providing life’s necessities to those who have lost everything. For “real time” updates on the relief efforts in Japan and/or to make a donation of any size, please visit the Convoy website.

The G3 Challenge is underway and I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to see what God is going to do in your life during this effort. The energy in the auditorium was uber-contagious on Sunday; thanks for carrying me with your enthusiasm! And thanks to all those who have already “manned up” and embraced all three apsects of this challenge. I promise, you won’t be disappointed!

Please visit the G3 Challenge page to get all the details about this 3D vision initiative. To hear Sunday’s presentation, please check out the podcast. And, of course, we challenge you to throw your hat in the ring and accept any or all of the spiritual growth challenge, the giving growth challenge, and the volunteer growth challenge via the response card.

Cool Verse

I read this verse the other day and thought it was so powerful. 1 Peter 1:2, “God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.” Here’s what struck me – God knew me and he still chose me! Let’s be honest for a moment. People typically look more impressive at a distance. Get “up close and personal” and you often discover the person is not who they seemed to be at arms length. Peter assures us that God not only knows us, he opens his arms wide and welcomes us into his family. Then, if that weren’t enough, he chooses to invest his whole person into the development of our person. We are made clean by Jesus while the Spirit makes us complete and healthy (i.e. holy). A total spiritual “extreme makeover” of sorts!

I love the way Max Lucado frames this idea: “God loves us just the way we are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.“ Whatever else may be going on in your life at this moment, that’s worth pausing to celebrate today!

40 Days With Jesus

This coming Sunday, March 13, we will be resourcing your spiritual growth by providing each person and/or family with a complimentary copy of the book, 40 Days with Jesus. Beginning March 14, GCC will be reading together for 40 days all the way through Easter (April 24). I love reading together as a church family. There is just something so powerful and unifying when we’re all on the same page…literally and figuratively!

I trust you’ll make it a priority to build time for God’s word each and every day beginning March 14. If not now, then when?

Make it a great week!

I’m thoroughly enjoying the The Perfect Ten campaign we’re presently in through Christmas week. Launched on 10.10.10, we’re reading a minimum of 10 minutes a day, giving 10 weeks toward a Habitat for Humanity build in our community, and participating in one of 10 serving projects at the build site. What’s super-exciting about this particular project we’re partnering with is that the build is for a Sudanese family who were resettled in the Dayton area after fleeing religious persecution and their war-torn nation. And yes, it’s a family of 10! How cool is that?

It has been particularly thrilling to hear of those reading their Bible systematically for the very first time and those sacrificially giving to and serving with Habitat for Humanity. I just love being part of a faith community committed to a missional model of ministry! If you have not yet jumped into this exciting all-church effort, I urge you to do so now. It’s never too late to be be part of something bigger than yourself!

Post Election Reflection

I’m sure many of you were where I was Tuesday night – watching with anticipation the election returns. It’s always interesting to see the pendulum of popular opinion swing. After listening to all the political pundits from both sides of the isle, I’ve come to one simple conclusion – people are never really satisfied with human leadership. Never!

Take ancient Israel as an example. Governed by Judges, they weren’t content and demanded they be led by a King like other nations (1 Samuel 8:4-22). At the end of the day, they weren’t satisfied with this particular model either. It’s actually a microcosm of human nature: we tend to want what we don’t have and don’t appreciate what we do have. That’s not intended to be a political statement; that’s simply an observation of the condition of the human psyche!

Regardless of how you cast your ballot on Tuesday, at the end of the day I think what people really long for deep down is a perfect leader, a need which simply cannot be fulfilled in this life. Meantime, we just have to trust the words of Jesus in John 19:11, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” A great reminder as we ramp up toward the 2012 Presidential election!

My political pundancy, for what it’s worth!

Several months back, I was surprised to learn that we had a sign “jacked” from our church. We purchased this sign when we moved into our new facility and used it to announce our service time. We placed it at a prominent location just off the main road at the main entrance to our new facility.

We discussed this and decided, since there was nothing we could do to correct the situation, we would just pray for the person who apparently needed the sign more than we did. This morning I arrived at our building to discover a “holy return.” The person who “lifted” the sign apparently thought better of it and decided to return it to the church months later…anonymously! I’m not sure the motivation behind this turn of events, but I’d like to think that they realized it’s not a good idea to take something belonging to God (it was purchased with resources designated to God’s work)! The only thing that could make this story any better is if this person shows up at GCC and we have the opportunity to share God’s love with them…anonymously, of course!

One thing I know for sure – by now they know the time of our morning worship service!

Real Men Wear Pink

Jordan, our Children’s Pastor, was recently Ordained to the ministry here at GCC. It was a memorable night of honoring him for his educational and spiritual accomplishments. Many don’t know that in addition to his responsibilities servicing the spiritual needs of kids and their families, Jordan volunteers as our lawncare “professional.”

This past Spring, we needed to purchase some lawn equipment and chose to go with the very best – a John Deere Tractor. Typically, when you purchase a John Deere, you receive a complimentary hat. What we didn’t realize is that the unit must be purchased from an authorized John Deere dealer (not Home Depot, in our case). When we realized this, we knew what we had to do. We presented Jordan with his very own John Deere hat at his Ordination.

A couple of his “friends” here at GCC decided to complete his ensemble with this beautiful John Deere tee-shirt. Check out Jordan’s new lawncare ensemble. Now he’s ready to mow the lawn!