Ups and Downs

Planting churches has been full of ups and downs. Here are a few examples:

• 31 people in church one week (while missing 14 others), then 14 total the next week.
• One moment we’re seeing PBJ volunteers we hardly know willing to donate haircuts, cell phones and medical aid to help folks get back on their feet – the next moment I’m praying over the effects of miscommunications that threaten to sink the whole ministry.
• We’re seeing God connect us to people in places we hadn't been focusing, while some places we have focused are not producing the contacts we thought they would.

Fortunately it’s been mostly “ups” lately. We’re seeing from 2-8 folks from our homeless outreach (PBJ) at church each week (both volunteers and those we’re helping), along with a new wave of young single adults. Currently 6 PBJ men are off the streets and into temporary housing, while 2 already have jobs and 2 have been saved from life-threatening infections through volunteer intervention. Also, we now have fully functional men’s and women’s discipleship groups and had 8 attendees at our last Newcomer Café (many of who hadn't been in a church in years).

Season of Change

Next month the first CWR church plant in the Aliante community (North Las Vegas) becomes its own “particular” church, and will be planting a 3^rd (yikes!) church 10 miles west of there in May. As a result we’ve shifted our pastoral responsibilities. For me that means a lot more work planning, preaching and doing training for the church in the southern half of the city, all to help us better become who we need to be to reach our part of the city with our unique group of people (where it’s quite common for an engineer to pass the communion tray to a homeless man, who in turn passes it to a young mom).

As our core group has changed and we’ve gotten to know our community better, we’ve noticed a few things. First, the urban poor we longed to reach are coming to us more through our homeless outreach (folks we give rides to) than our worship site location. Meanwhile, our partnering with another church in Paradise that better fits that neighborhood has enabled us both to reach our different groups more effectively. Most of the folks that we see coming, and who we feel best equipped to reach, actually live south of our current worship site. At the same time we’re seeing Sundays where we’re afraid we’ll run out of seating if everyone shows up the same day. All that, coupled with a place further south that’s literally been waiting 3 years for a church like ours to move in, means we’re likely moving our worship site later this spring. The new location would make us more accessible to the quarter-of-a-million people living in Henderson (second largest city in Nevada, where most of our church’s contacts live), and would serve as a beachhead for further church planting in the southern half of the metro area, just as our Aliante church has for North Las Vegas. 

As we’ve been preaching through the book of Acts we’ve seen how the first church planter (Paul) was told “No” when he wanted to go somewhere other than where God wanted him, then was redirected to the people God was preparing for him to reach. I can now see how God has been redirecting us as well the past few months. To better prepare for this new phase of the church plant I'm scaling back DJing to once per month (which also means more fundraising to replace that income). Please pray for wisdom and courage during this time of transition. Pray for endurance as I take on more weekly responsibilities. Pray for protection from the schemes of the enemy. Finally, pray that God brings us a church planting apprentice to assist in the current work and to help plant more churches in the years to come. Thank you.

Park Bench Justice

PBJ volunteers preparing "Survival Backpacks" for 40 homeless

One night in October I thought we could help better connect with a spiritual seeker (whom I randomly met bowling) by planning to take the unused food from a potluck dinner to some of the homeless she knew living by the Strip. Somehow, due to a miscommunication, she ended up not coming that night. As we drove around randomly looking for the homeless (since we’d lost the one person who knew where they stayed) we met a community of 20 homeless that sticks together for safety and support. Upon meeting them and hearing their stories God started doing something in the hearts of those in our Missional Community. By the end of the night they were already planning their next trip to do the same.

A few weeks later “Park Bench Justice” (PBJ) was born out of our Missional Community (www.facebook.com/ParkBenchJustice). Since then it’s grown beyond what any of us could have imagined. Every week we’re meeting new people coming to join us for our bi-weekly deliveries to 30-45 of the most needy in our city. They include people from other churches, people who have walked away from church, and people who never claimed one to begin with. The week before Christmas over 20 came out to help us pack and deliver “survival backpacks” (pictured above) full of supplies to help them through the winter. Recently we've been able to help 2 of them get off the streets and into housing, with another couple about to do the same this week, once his disability check arrives. Most of them, having experienced life on the streets, are now eager to help in any way they can. Many of them have joined us for worship services, 2 of whom are also in a discipleship group. Our Christmas Eve service, which was half newcomers, included 4 we had just fed that afternoon and 1 Mormon PBJ volunteer who hadn’t been to any church since her mother died 2 years ago.

Christ is growing his church as his people respond to his call to be the church. And he’s doing it in such a way that we can’t take credit for it. People are beginning to serve out of gifts and passions we (and maybe even they) didn’t know were there. In the process we’re seeing rapid spiritual growth as living “on mission” stretches them to the place where they see their need of God’s enabling power, and rejoice at what He’s doing in, around and through them. The culture and feel of the church has totally changed from when we first launched. It’s not what we had planned. It’s probably something better.

Please be in prayer for those serving in and being reached by this new endeavor. Please pray for endurance for those offering the most time and energy to this ministry. Pray that the resources necessary to keep this going are provided. Pray that hearts are united as the gospel goes forth in both word and deed. Pray for guidance as we seek how this development might affect our current ministry priorities and direction. Finally, pray for protection for us all as the Enemy loves to steal and kill and destroy, especially when Jesus is using his people to bring life and hope to dark places. Thank you.

“Why do I always spill my guts when talking to pastors?”

That’s what one UNLV student (an officer in the Secular Student Alliance -SSA) told me last night right after sharing the mess of his family life that he went home to on Thanksgiving - and it only took him 2 minutes to get there. Meanwhile the girl sitting on the other side of me was likely puzzled by his comment. Could the guy she’d been talking with at a gathering of the SSA actually be a pastor?

Many there were missing the sense of community they had before leaving the church. Many had so many negative experiences with Christian groups they had given up hope on the church as a whole. Yet some were actively seeking a place where doubters were welcome. Some leaders have been seeking a church willing to let them come (seriously, I’m not making this up).They’re actually excited (!) to find Christians willing to come to them where they’re at. Jesus told 3 parables in Luke 15 about God being the type who pursues the lost sheep, coins, and sons of his kingdom, wherever they may have gone. As I begin meeting with more of these students, please pray that we as a church can be that welcoming place for those with honest questions seeking honest answers and healthy community. 

A recent worship service at our paradise campus

Recent Developments

Our new Bible lesson leader captivates his young audience with Goliath's spear (or a dumbbell of the same weight)

• Two of our women recently founded “Park Bench Justice” (http://www.facebook.com/Parkbenchjustice) a non-profit to serve the needs of Las Vegas homeless who fall through the cracks of the current system. They've already created some local buzz that’s drawing people to be involved with the work of our Missional Community and, as a result, the life of our church. 
• We’ll be setting up a “Finals Survival Table” during the students “Study week” and Finals week. We’ll be seeking donations to help provide stressed out students free water bottles, coffee, healthy “brain foods,” gum, inflatable mats for power naps, humorous coffee table books, etc. Of course, listening ears and prayer are always on the house. We're delighted to have Intervarsity Christian Fellowship assisting with this event.
• Our team of Good News Club volunteers has increased (pictured above)! It’s great to see our folks being stretched as they use their gifts. This has also freed me up to operate more in my gifting before and during the club time, resulting in lower stress for volunteers (and myself).

Year End Giving

A significant portion of the funds to make a church plant happen are given at the end of the year. That’s just a reality. Those funds cover everything from renting worship space to meals with people we meet to paying our own utility bills. While roughly 2/3 of our funding now comes from local giving at the 2 campuses, that still means we’re dependent on outside giving to meet the other 1/3 of our monthly expenses. Some of you reading this are the reason I can still put gas in my car. For that, thank you!

When Jesus saw the needs before him in Matthew 9 his first instruction to his disciples was to pray for God to meet that need through his people. In chapter 10 those same disciples became part of the answer to their own prayers. I would ask the same of you. Pray that God would move in the hearts of men and women to give to keep this work going as we move closer to being fully locally sustained. At the same time, be open to God asking you to become the answer to your own prayers. You can give an end of the year gift online by following this link http://www.citywideredeemer.com/online-giving/, or by mail at the address under the “Contact Us” link on the above webpage. Thank you.

LOL

So much has happened since my last update. Much of it has caused us to literally laugh out loud (LOL) at what God is doing around us. I’ve been meaning to write this for weeks. Please forgive the delay. With the new season has come so many new opportunities for us here in the heart of Las Vegas.

UNLV: This Semester we began a new campus ministry on the UNLV campus. I meet with students on campus on Tuesdays one-on-one and in a small group. The focus is discipling students with a vision for equipping them to reach and gather other students from the UNLV campus. This effectively makes them our church’s 4^th Missional Community. This week I (by accident) ended up helping with a fellow Covenant Seminary grad as he spoke primarily to UNLV's Secular Student Alliance about “Understanding Christianity.” One student from that event wants to come to our church now, while another signed up to be part of a group called a “Thomas Society,” where skeptics are free to come with their honest questions and doubts about Christianity – and no subject is off limits.

First Good News Club at Paradise Elementary

Paradise Elementary: The principle of this school on the edge of the UNLV campus would not claim to be a follower of Jesus. Yet the impact of a Good News Club (a Bible club sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship) at her own kid’s school has led her to welcome us to start one at Paradise Elementary. Almost 40 kids were signed up for it at the school’s open house last month (where we were the ONLY table besides the local PTA). This week I was confused when zero children showed up at the start time. Then slowly the children found their way to the classroom where we were able to play games, sing songs, learn a Bible verse, eat snacks, hear a Bible lesson, and learn of God’s love through his Son Jesus. The children loved the time and each one I spoke to told me the name of a friend they want to invite next week.

The school has also offered to both promote and host our “Surviving the Economy” events. Next week a woman who teaches financial principles, helps folks reduce debt, etc. will be sharing what she knows with the 

families that have kids at the school. The area zoned for the school has 0% home ownership and is as diverse as the United Nations. Praise God for allowing us to be a part of what He’s doing in this community.

Serving dinner together at the Ronald McDonald House

Discipleship: The challenge of all this activity is how it increases the need for leaders and people to serve. To help with the anticipated numerical growth our Missional Community is focusing on developing leaders to keep up with what God appears to be doing around us. Each week we alternate between events that focus on serving, outreach and building community, and nights where we focus on developing our own interactive relationship with God and growth as servant leaders. Already we’ve seen young men and women rise to the occasion and step out in faith in ways that both stretch them and build into the lives of others. While we’ve been saddened by some who are struggling with a model of discipleship (and church) that seeks to engage not just the head, but also the heart and the hands, others have really benefitted from it (including myself).

How to Pray: Pray that God allows me sufficient rest and discipline to guard my own time with Him. My tendency is to gravitate to service for Jesus over time with Him. Pray that I’m able to delegate some of my current responsibilities so others can use their gifts and I can better use mine in areas that can’t be delegated. Pray for wisdom in encouraging those who have come from backgrounds where spiritual and doctrinal pride are seen as virtues, and for renewed hearts among those who have expressed literal hatred (!) for non-believers. Thank you.