Carols and Cookies at Rosemont

The week before Christmas some folks from all 3 of City-Wide Redeemer's Missional Communities "joined forces" to go carolling and Christmas cookie delivering in a low income apartment complex called Rosemont. This is a community that litterally sought us out as a church and offered us free meeting space if we could use it to serve this community. Wow! What started as a group of 15 or so carollers from one church grew to quite the festive crowd of singers, guitar players, cookie deliverers, and laughing children, as many of those we met along the way decided to join us in spreading the joy of Christmas to their neighbors (pictured above). One father of 3, who plays the role of father to many more in that neighborhood, surprised me when he said how greatful he was to live to be 50. He began asking where we met for worship and wanted to keep in touch after that night. I was amazed at how well we were recieved, simply because we took an interest in them as a community. The following week we held a bilingual (English / Spanish) Christmas Eve service there, drawing a handful of folks from this community that we had just met. God has definitely gone before us on this one. Pray that He continues what he seems to be starting among the people of Rosemont.

Home Sweet Home

This past weekend bad sweaters were in abundance as I hosted our Missional Community's Christmas party at MY NEW PLACE (pictured above). After nearly 7 months of searching, waiting, frustrating (or rather "being" frustrated), I finally moved into the community of Paradise last week. I'm now within a mile of UNLV, the airport, the Strip, and 2-3 of the core families that will help launch City-Wide Redeemer-Paradise this February. This month alone we've seen a number of needs of people in the city met simply because God is leading His people toward areas of need, rather than away from them.

Our Paradise Christmas Eve service will be our first public worship "presence," serving as a preview for what is to come later this winter. There's also a good possibility that the UNLV Student Union will be the site for our weekly worship gatherings. This widely familiar, central location would make us accessible to both the students population and to the many contacts we have that find our North Las Vegas worship site too far to drive to. Thank you to the many who have been praying for all of this to come together.

"My Drug Dealer Led Me To The Lord"

That’s what a stagehand named Billy told us as we met for breakfast one morning. Over 2 decades after his unusual conversion he now helps recruit for a Bible study for others who work at the same show. Last week 2 from our church attended this “between shows” Bible study to see what it looks like to reach out to those whose lives (and schedules) revolve around the hospitality and entertainment industry that drive the Vegas economy. We’ve seen that it takes a certain boldness and sensitivity, such that few have attempted it and even fewer have been able to connect with the workers while doing it. Yet God is at work there. Others have gone before us in establishing this type of ministry, and we long to see what role we might play in seeing it continue. Those working behind the scenes at the many Vegas attractions on the Strip need to see that Christ’s church is not afraid to meet them where they’re at. They too are precious in His sight.

ATL -> STL -> PTL!

This month has been full of travels. Before coming home to Nebraska for Thanksgiving and meeting a seminary roommate at the Grand Canyon (pictured above), I was in Atlanta (the ATL) for a weekend of training. While there I was greatly encouraged to meet many who have been and will soon be supporting God’s work in Vegas in various ways. On the way back I stopped in St. Louis (the STL) to reconnect with old friends while sharing what God has been doing in Las Vegas. I also got to answer some questions from those considering a Vegas visit to see if God might be leading them to join us here. A few told me they were praying for the “A-Team” here [see post: “I (Heart) Atheists”]. The following week I was hanging out with this same group when I witnessed one of them, a professing Atheist, start recruiting her friends to come hear me preach at Christmas. What?! It was a wonderful reminder that God works through people’s prayers. All I can say is “Praise the Lord” (PTL)!

4:44 on 2-20

On Sunday, February 20th at 4:44 PM (tentative time), we plan on launching public worship for City-Wide Redeemer – Paradise. Paradise is a community of nearly a quarter-million people sandwiched between the cities of Las Vegas and Henderson and home to the Las Vegas Strip, McCarran Airport, and the UNLV campus (with its 28,000 students). Of the tens of millions of people that visit Las Vegas each year, most all of them arrive, stay and play in Paradise. If you’ve heard of it, it’s probably in Paradise. What we’ve noticed, though, is that most Christian churches tend to locate outside this region, or maybe on the perimeter. We want to plant a church right in the heart of it.


We are hoping to have monthly “preview” worship services leading up to the February launch. Many we know would come to something like this that are not already a part of ours or any other church. In the meantime this venture will take lots of prayer, preparation, gathering, prayer, networking, fundraising, finding the right place for worship, oh and prayer too. It’s been encouraging to see those who were once uncertain about their relationship with our church as a whole are now eager to do whatever is needed to help launch this new site. This, again, is in answer to your prayers. Thank you again for all your support, and Happy Thanksgiving.

Ordination

After 4 years of seminary and 6+ months that featured 5 exams (each coming in 3 different forms), 3 submitted papers, 2 trips to L.A. and a sermon to boot, I finished the ordination process this past weekend here in Las Vegas. On September 25th we hosted a college of pastors from the Las Vegas and Las Angeles areas (the Pacific presbytery). They are the ones who oversaw my ordination process. Above you can see Rick Schaeffer (another pastor in our presbytery) reading from the Scriptures my charge as a pastor. What followed was my being surrounded by a group of pastors from L.A. and Las Vegas as they laid hands on me and prayed over me as I was ordained as a minister of the gospel, serving with City-Wide Redeemer. At the end I was delighted to have this group of pastors committed to me (and I to them) as a "band of brothers," with one heart to minister to the people God has placed in our midst. A few hours later I got to celebrate the wedding of a couple from our church at a beautiful estate on the outskirts of town. No I wasn't DJing or even officiating (though I can do that now) - just a guest. It was a relaxing end to a big day and I'm glad I was able to share it with my new friends.

Gathering

The theme for our Missional Community this fall is "Gathering." Part of that is gathering people. That's hard to do, though, if you don't meet them first. Recently I've had some very encouraging conversations with people I've met through Meetup groups. These are groups that gather people from around Las Vegas who have common interests or are in a similar life stage (the picture above is from a mini-golf outing with one of these groups). Most of these people are new to Vegas, looking for new friends, and hoping to find a community where they feel at home - a few have even voiced interest in what I'm doing as a church planter. I've also found that I meet someone new every time I go play disc golf at a local park, go watch a Husker game with the Alumni association, or go out to Karaoke "Sweet Caroline" with folks I know from my Improv class. I've been encouraging others in our MC to consider their everyday experiences as chances to meet and connect with people that might one day be a part of the church we're wanting to plant in this part of town.

"Gathering" also means gathering food. We're pursing the possibility of adopting a local Title I (economically disadvantaged) elementary school. One school in particular has over 130 students who qualify for food assistance through a local charity. 30 of them are refugees. A number of them are homeless. But, since the donations are shared among over 200 schools in the district, there is only enough food for less than half of these children to receive their weekly "backpacks" of food that allow them to eat over the weekends. One woman in our MC is a teacher who regularly sees the effect this has on her students. While further donations would be spread out among all 200+ schools, we believe that gap can be made up by local communities "adopting" their neighborhood schools to fill that gap. We're attempting to start the ball rolling here in the Paradise community in the next few weeks.

"We Are Family"

A month ago my mother (pictured on right) and aunt came to visit from Nebraska. It was a great chance for us to catch up and for me to play "tourist" in my own town. After a week of sight-seeing and showing them what my life in Vegas is like my mom took my aunt and I to the top of the Stratosphere (tallest observation tower in the U.S.) for an early surprise birthday and ordination party. As we observed the city below from the 106th floor revolving restaurant I was touched by her thoughtfulness, presenting me with cards and notes she'd collected from relatives in 3 different countries, along with my late father's "Las Vegas" coffee mug (which I hadn't seen for years). Wow! In the end, it helped me better appreciate these 2 wonderful ladies and my new home town even more. Who wants to visit next?!

Growing In Grace

I've been encouraged lately to see how God has been working in our Sunday night Paradise Missional Community. Recently we took time to share with each other what God has been doing in us, around us, or in response to prayer. After some stories of how God had responded to prayer in ways beyond what was anticipated, one couple shared, "Apart from God, we wouldn't be married right now." Another person shared how God was convicting him of his own pride and "haughty" attitude. The sheer honesty was eye-popping, but also a sign that God is at work in their lives, and that they were eager to let His gospel shape them into who He wants them to be.

What To Pray For

This fall's focus on "gathering" is in anticipation of beginning public worship services in the Paradise region this winter. Please pray that we would be united in mission, heart and vision as people from different backgrounds, cultures and life stages come together. Pray that we would be able to effectively serve and impact our community, whether through adopting a local school, or otherwise. Also pray for wisdom and courage on my part as I lead this endeavor. Every week we encounter those who have been wounded in various ways. Pray that we would respond with patience and compassion as we have the opportunity to meet and love these people.

I (Heart) Atheists

A new friend I met where I go swing dancing got quite the surprise when she heard what I did for a living. Her response: "Oh, well you may not like me then. I'm an Atheist." I thanked her for her honesty and assured her that I don't limit my friendships to people who believe the same as I do. She told me she and her family had come across different speakers who challenged the belief in God, but apparently had never heard any good responses to those challenges. I got to meet her boyfriend and a bunch of other recent Vegas arrivals in the next few weeks. After a game night at her place her boyfriend caught wind of my "day job" and started asking me a lot of questions about what I believe, while sharing his own story. We decided to continue the conversation another night over dinner. I was surprised when they invited 2 others to join us, both of whom saw no valid use for "religion" as they saw it. Not all who came were open to respectful conversations on such matters (so we decided to table the conversation until later), but one has come to a couple of our Missional Community gatherings, while the original couple has asked about coming to hear me preach. I love the honesty and desire for community I see in this group, and would love to see what God has in store for them in the future.

On the Move...

I made an offer on a house in the heart of the neighborhood our Missional Community meets in (about 1/3 of it's market value 3 years ago) ... and the seller accepted it! Now I must wait for the bank to approve the short sale (may take a few months). While my swamp cooler in my temporary home struggles to keep up with temperatures over 110, I've been able to beat the heat the old fashioned way ... by heading to cooler climates!

At the end of June I was flown out to Colorado to DJ for the daughter of a family I lived with after graduating seminary. After celebrating "Canada Day" in Vegas with with a wedding group from Newfoundland (who somehow thought that being a Vegas DJ meant I knew where they could get drugs at that hotel), I flew to Canada over 4th of July to visit some family I hadn't seen for 9 years. Great time of reconnecting in the beautiful foothills of the Canadian Rockies (the picture above is from their ranch). The next Sunday I preached in response to 3 questions given for our "I Have a Question" sermon series, all revolving around the origin of the Bible and how we understand it as a church. The next week I was off to fill the pulpit for another church in the area. It's encouraging to see what God is doing in other churches throughout this city. Final count: 4 churches in 4 weeks, 7 planes, 3 cancelled / rerouted flights, 2 malfunctioning video projectors, and 1 home sweaty (err... sweet) home.

Coming Up...

At the end of August I get to play tourist in my own town as my mom and her sister come to visit. But before my "stay-cation" I have an action-packed 4 weeks. This week I travel to Chicago for some church planter training with other planters from around the country. It should be a great opportunity to learn from others who have been down this road before. When I get back I'll work my 11th DJ gig of the month (yikes!), and we'll get to celebrate the wedding of a couple in our Paradise Missional Community right there in the back yard of the home that hosts it. My focus will then be preparing for sermons and the final exams of my ordination process in August. Assuming all goes well, I would then be ordained here in Las Vegas September 25th. Please pray for these times of training and preparation. It will be a very intense month, I'm sure.

June Update

Odd Hour Ministry

With a lot of Friday night DJ gigs, I've been showing up pretty late to the Aruba (hotel where I go swing dancing). This means most of the dancing is done and only the bar regulars are left. About 1 AM a guy was sharing stories of an old friend of theirs. One of the regulars started telling me the group's back-story and how that guy from the stories committed suicide last fall. Telling funny stories about him was their way of coping with their loss. She then told me how her sister had just died, that she knew I was a pastor, and that the religious upbringing she had was based on fear and control. Now as an adult she no longer goes to church. The next day I sent her a recent sermon from our church that I thought would interest her, since I thought it touched on everything we discussed that night. She agreed and wrote back, saying, "You have a very interesting take on things. It's not what I'm used to hearing. Thank you for sending it to me." Thanks to all of you for your gifts and prayers that make it possible to share the message of the gospel here in Vegas.

Special Delivery!

Recently a friend from my North Carolina days came to town to compete in the World Series of Poker (played across the street from me). It's been a blessing to have someone close by to connect with at odd hours. This morning I took a friend from my St. Louis church to the airport after he was in town for a wedding. Last night he got to join our Paradise Missional Community for a time of fellowship and prayer for each other, our community and our city. Our conversations while he was here helped confirm for me that God is at work in Vegas, even if it took a second set of eyes to help me see that better. His whole visit was a great encouragement.

Consumer or Servant?

A recent survey of Las Vegas residents revealed that 40% would leave the state if they could. That's a lot of unhappy locals. Recently I understood where the 40% are coming from. One Friday night in May I was driving home from a DJ gig, frustrated with my new home town. A combination of miscummunication, poor planning, forgetfulness, and a lack of ownership for mistakes all converged in one event I was working, and I became the "clean up" guy trying to make it all better. The next day a co-worker tried to remind me how this city was built on "greasing palms" and kickbacks, and how the trend continues today. In the middle of my frustration I caught myself thinking like a "consumer," concerning myself simply with what I'm getting out of this town. I had to ask myself, "Am I here for what this city has to offer me, or for what Christ has to offer this city?" Seeing this "consumer mentality" in my own heart challenged me. Please pray that I not lose focus on the reason I am here, and that Christ sustains me in the process.

May Day! May Day!

That's how I was feeling about 11:00 AM on May 1st (a.k.a. "May Day"). I had just returned from one intense week in Atlanta, after which I was given the formal "thumbs up" to help start new churches in the PCA, and was feeling exhausted already. Now some scheduling changes made me wonder if my licensure exams (the first half of the ordination process) would have to be pushed back a couple months. So at 11:00 AM, in the middle of an intense theological examination with the pastors overseeing my ordination, where my mind was fuzzy and feeling overwhelmed, a friend climbing a mountain hundreds of miles away felt led to pray for me - in the middle of her climb - but didn't know why. The next day she told me of the odd time and place where she felt led to pray. I then told her what was happening at that time, and how that moment was the turning point for me. By the end of my "May Day" my mind was clear, my heart settled, and I had passed my exams with flying colors. I left that experience even more convinced that God works through our prayers. Thank you all for your prayers for myself and the work God is doing here in Las Vegas.

Paradise Valley Missional Community

This is the name of the new missional community we began in April, meeting in the neighborhood east of the Strip and UNLV. Sunday night 15 of us gathered for dinner (pictured above). It was wonderful to see God bringing together people from different ethnic, educational, cultural, and even spiritual backgrounds (picture an Arab university scholar eating with an American fighter pilot, while a disabled man who lived on the streets for 2 years catches up with a professional musician). Last week I had lunch with one of them who says he's searching for Truth and the meaning of life, knows he's not a follower of Jesus, but is now considering whether the Bible is the Word of God, and whether his search for Truth and God needs to be redirected outward toward Christ, rather than an inward search for enlightenment. Please pray for Mike that his search for Truth leads him to the one who called himself, "The Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6).

On The Move

This next month I'll hopefully be moving into the Paradise Valley neighborhood. I still have to figure out the exact location, whether to rent or buy, roommates, etc. I'll also be scoping out potential worship gathering sites for down the road while also trying to network in the area. The decisions we make in the next few weeks will be pivotal to the mission of the church. Please pray for God's leading in this process. I look forward to updating you on what happens as the summer approaches.

March Madness

15 Second Update (Quick! Before your boss sees you!):

This past month flew by, but not because it was uneventful. After 10 weeks I'm finally into the full swing of my new life in Vegas.

• Preach 5 sermons. Check.
• Finish "re-training" with new DJ company. Check.
• Start feeling like a "local." Check.

2 Minute Update (For those with time to smell the roses):

We recently met with some folks living east of UNLV about starting a new missional community there. The history of that neighborhood has been one of church works starting, then moving out into the suburbs - leaving this neighborhood, and it's people, behind. Starting Easter Sunday we're hoping to start gathering a few key people with a heart for this part of the city to see what doors God might be opening up. We've been asking locals, "If there were a church IN this neighborhood, FOR this neighborhood, what would that look like like? What would you want to see?" People living there seem to be longing for community, but many don't know where to find it. This Sunday night our hope is to start meeting some of those felt needs, with hopes that God also opens doors to meet the other needs of this community.

Surprise!

Yesterday a number of new people came to our Sunday worship service. That afternoon we got an email from a visitor who let us know she thinks she found what she was looking for ... and that she wanted to help support my apprenticeship. Didn't see that one coming. God continues to provide in the most random ways to remind us it's not our strategies, but God's Spirit that makes things happen here.

Prayer:

Next month I'll be traveling to Atlanta to meet with some church planting veterans. Given their seal of approval we would then become eligible for special grants to help support our work here. A week later I'll hope to finish my licensure (Like the first half or the Bar exam, only for pastors). Please pray for these times, that they would be productive and encouraging, not just overwhelming.

“This is Keith. He’s a DJ and a pastor… oh and he drinks too!”

This is how one new friend from the place I go swing dancing introduced me to her friends. After 2 hours of conversation (which began at midnight), I had been asked to share my story of faith, got to respond to some very good, honest questions and misunderstandings about Christianity, and made 2 new friends in the process. I've learned that many in Las Vegas see just 2 options: the "everything goes" mentality that earned the name "Sin City," and a form of ultra-conservative religious moralism. Since most people here don't think I fit well in either category they ask me a lot of questions, trying to figure out where I'm coming from. I'm grateful for the many opportunities this has given me to dialogue with people about what it means to follow Jesus - from the restaurant workers and civil servants I see regularly, to co-workers that like to discuss Christian views on sexuality over pancakes and eggs (at 2 AM, of course).

We regularly find ourselves laughing with delight at what God is doing here in Vegas, including...

• A new couple we met Sunday morning. It was apparently their first time in a church, and they want to come back.
• A young woman who says she's "not much for blind faith," but was delighted when we offered to help her understand faith in Jesus.
• Seeing God meet very tangible needs in very unexpected ways. Too many examples to list here.

Viva (in) Las Vegas

Living in a town that caters largely to those who don't live here year-round takes its toll on those who do. Working in a "24-hour city" means many work odd shifts that frequently leave people (including spouses and their children) seeing each other much less. The stories I heard of life growing up in Vegas nearly brought me to tears. I've also noticed that relationships of trust are hard to form here. I'm beginning to see why. In less that 5 weeks I've already been asked to buy stolen merchendise twice, then told by one local to just buy it "hot," since it's cheaper that way and the real owner will never get it back anyway. One co-worker even told me, "Everybody is trying to scam you here." As sad as this may be, it only makes authentic Christian community stand out more. The purpose of the Missional Communities that we're starting here is, not only to serve the needs of this city, but also to create a visible presence that demonstrates how the gospel transforms people, relationships, and even whole communities.

Items for prayer...

Thank you to those whose have been praying for my time of transition. God has graciously provided many good friendships in just the past week. I've also been blessed by temporary free housing and more DJ work that expected. Together they have helped bridge the current gap between my funding and my financial needs. Please pray that God continues to provide for the work he has called us to here.

First 2 Weeks

After 2 days of driving through fog, mountain snow, and rare desert rain I arrived in "Fabulous" Las Vegas. And I hit the ground running.

Wednesday: Twenty-Four hours later I got to witness the birth of City-Wide Redeemer Central, the new Wednesday night worship gathering site just blocks from the Vegas Strip. Here we saw a group of mostly young men come together to hear about God's Word and what it means to trust it as we seek to follow Jesus (pictured above).

Thursday: I got lunch with a friend from my St. Louis church, now going to school at UNLV. I'm trusting God to be working through him and his relational network to draw people to himself.

Friday: After a weekend trip to L.A. was cancelled because of closed mountain passes I was initiated into the Las Vegas swing dance scene. There I met all sorts of people, from a local teacher who came to faith through tragedy after being brought up in the LDS (Mormon) church, to a relocated New York actor/singer now doing solo work in one of Vegas's best know shows. The latter seemed quite surprised to meet someone who came to Vegas to pastor and work as a DJ.

Saturday: I "trained" at my first wedding reception with a local company similar to the one I worked for in St. Louis.

Sunday: I was introcuded to the rest of City-Wide Redeemer and got to know more of the young musicians in the church - many of whom came to faith in the past 6 months.

This past week: Spent a lot of time preparing for the sermon I preached on the 31st and getting to know where everything is in this "neon jungle." Apparently I'm right next to Chinatown. I worked a bridal show Saturday and booked a couple brides for the coming year before observing another DJ at a wedding at a local casino-hotel. Never thought I'd attend an outdoor pool-side wedding ceremony in January. After preaching the next morning I found out that many at the Sunday service were first-time visitors, including someone I met swing dancing. It's encouraging to see how God is working here.

Items for Prayer:
Even for an outgoing guy it's tough to be in a new town and have to start forming new friendships. Please pray that God sustains me in this time of transition. I'll be spending much of the next week preparing for my licensure examinations and following up some local leads. Please pray that these can be fruitful times. I look forward to seeing what God has in store here when (if?) I get into a "normal" schedule.