To Good To Be True

Only seven weeks have passed since the launch of Relevant Church. I am overwhelmed at the favor God has shown us. I truly do love my church. We are currently in the middle of a series entitled "Life in a Small Town" and God is really changing lives and perspectives about how to live our lives in a small fast-growing suburban south ATL town. In the last 2 weeks we have baptized 9 people and have seen 25 people receive Christ (that makes 61 in only 7 weeks in a new church). Our attendance has better than I could have ever dreamed (over 200 weekly) and we have seen a total of about 50 new workers get involved this month. I can't wait for this weekend as I will share on the topic of "Stuck in This One Horse Town." We are launching a brand new series in December that I will tell you about. We are truly going to touch some lives in this Christmas season. See you Sunday!

Check Relevant Out on iTunes

Back In The Saddle

After a few months off from blogging I am back in the saddle!

Blog is Back Up and Running

Hey Guys,

Sorry for the emails... Thanks Google!!!. The blog is back up and running. Shouldn't have anymore issues.

Carl

Why The Church and Pastor's Have Lost Influence - Part 3

Here is a follow up to the previous 2 posts...Wireless was down for 2 days so here is the final 2 reasons I see that the church has lost its influence...

5. Lack of Absolute Truth - This is a double edged sword. Unfortunately we live in a culture that has become a culture of tolerance to a fault. Everything is accepted as okay and truth has become relative to the individual and his or her circumstances. The church must stand for the truth found in God's Word and must not compromise in the name of tolerance. I once heard someone say that tolerance is simply listening. One can tolerate the viewpoint of another without embracing it or condoning it. On the other hand, the church must not make up truths that are not found in God's Word. There are absolutes and there are opinions and or convictions. When it comes down to it, truth is a person, not a set of ideas or beliefs. Truth is Jesus. Jesus said in John 14 "I am the way the truth and the life." Truth is found in the person of Jesus Christ and Christ-followers should strive to model their lives after Him.
6. Lack of Intentionality - The church was established by Jesus in the New Testament as the agency for carrying out His mission. As a Christ-follower, we are apart of what the scriptures call the body of Christ or "the Church." As a local church (group of believers) it is our responsibility to be intentional when it comes to reaching our community. Its easy once a church becomes more established and routine to get distracted and unfocused. I myself find this to be true on a personal level. A mentor of mine once told me that everything drifts towards complexity...life, jobs, family, businesses, and yes churches. Andy Stanley says a church "must narrow the focus by doing a few things well." As a church we must be intentional about what we decide to do and what we decide not to do.

A Side Note...
There are many great churches in our country today, and many Godly men who are role models. I believe that the local church is the hope of the world and I am passionate about seeing Jesus Christ modeled in the community in which I live. The last few days have simply been observations from my experience and the culture at large. No matter what side of the aisle we find ourselves on, one thing is clear to me...many people have been hurt or burned by church and church leadership because of many reasons that may or may not have been mentioned above.

Thoughts????

Why The Church and Pastor's Have Lost Influence - Part 2

Here are a few additional reasons that I see that the church in America along with it's leadership have lost Influence in culture...

3. Lack of a Servants Heart - The come and see mentality has been embraced by churches to a fault. When Jesus was alive, He had crowds that followed Him to hear Him teach as well as see the miracles He performed. They asked Him questions and He had influence within His culture. He didn't always make people, (especially religious people) happy, but nonetheless He had influence. It came directly from His heart for people. He said in Matthew 20:28 that He came not to be served but to serve. He lived a life of service and thus people listened. He had a voice in His culture. This leads me to the next point...
4. A Conditional Love - The church as a whole has placed conditions on love. Do we really love people, or are we building an institution. The love that Jesus had was a love of inconvenience. One that caused Him to abandon everything for the sake of changing some one's life. When Jesus spoke, His motives were pure. They were focused on the unconditional love He and the Father had for them.

The church and leaders lose their voice when we attempt to run a well oiled institutional machine called a "church" instead of being a life-giving movement that embraces people and loves them in spite of their weaknesses and in spite of what they can "bring to the table."

Thoughts???? More Tomorrow...

Carl

Why The Church and Pastor's Have Lost Influence

Over the last few decades the church in America has lost it's voice and influence. For the last few months I have made note of numerous conversations that have given me more clarity as to why this is true. Over the next few blog posts I will share my thoughts. Many of these thoughts have helped us determine the type of church that Relevant Church seeks to be.

Reasons the church and pastors have lost influence...

1.Lack of Authenticity - From narcissism in leadership to simple lack of integrity our culture is simply tired of a faux faith. We all desire authenticity and look for someone to model our life after. As pastors and leaders, we must peel back the masks and let people see us for who we are. We must also get to the point that our image doesn't matter. A church or pastors success is not defined on the number of people who attend or the size of the facility you have. What matters most is what people see in you. Are you who you say you are? Do your messages on Sundays, your blogs throughout the week, and the way you treat your family model the life of Jesus Christ?

2.Lack of Relevance - Lights and music, jeans and t-shirts do not necessarily equate to relevance. What does the church do to relate to the community throughout the week. It seems more and more we strive to be relevant for the sake of drawing a crowd and not for the sake of making an impact on those who actually show up. Do we speak on Sunday to grow our church or to grow the people in our audience toward a relationship with Jesus? Do we build relationships in our community to further our agenda or to be an example of Jesus to them?
Thoughts??? More tomorrow.

Carl

Sorting Out The Chaos

Five months ago today my family relocated back to GA for the purpose of launching a church that unchurched people love to attend in Henry County. I am trying to sort through all the things that have happened in 5 months and thought I would share a few thoughts...

•To date we have raised a total of $220,000 for the first two years of Relevant Church. Our goal is $250,000. In a down economy this is encouraging, but your prayers and gifts to help us reach this goal will be greatly appreciated.
•As of today 24 people have committed to being a part of the team that launches Relevant in October. There are an additional 10 people who are interested and our prayer is they will come on board within the next few weeks. Our goal pre-launch is 75 people.
•This past Friday we hired a Children's Director that I believe will be a huge asset to the team.
•We have plans to take a team of as many as possible to Tampa in June for training and visiting a partner church plant.
•We are still in negotiations with 3 facilities for a possible launch. Facilities are very difficult to come by in south Henry County, especially for a decent rental rate.
Thanks so much for your prayers and support...To donate visit http://tinyurl.com/yabxvu4 . Any gifts are appreciated.

Carl

I Hate Christians

Sad to say but I can totally understand when someone who has yet to make Jesus Christ the center of their life makes the statement "I HATE CHRISTIANS." As most of you know I am working at Olive Garden as a server until I go full-time with Relevant Church. Just yesterday at Olive Garden I had the opportunity or shall I say punishment of waiting on a couple of ladies. When I greeted the table, before I could even state my name, I was told exactly what they wanted to drink and that they were ready to order. One side note, I was standing there waiting to greet them as the host sat them, so there was no wait. When one of the ladies ordered she said to me "I want coffee lots of cream, water lots of lemons, and salad lots of dressing." Upon bringing the salad to the table she said "I would like lots of cheese on my salad, and could you bring me lots of butter to go on my (already soggy buttered) bread. Needless to say this adventure in grazing and demanding every time I passed by the table went on for nearly an hour (can someone say buffet). After an hour I took the check in the amount of $36 to the table. The lady paid her bill with a credit card and strategically left me a tip in cash in the receipt book. A tip totalling and egregious $4.00 (11%) along with an invitation to her church and to receive Christ into my life (how sweet). A few questions for her...

1.) Is this the Jesus that gave a generous of 11% of his life or the Jesus that laid down his life by choice for a lost and dying culture. I am pretty sure I don't want to serve the first Jesus.

2.) Is this the Jesus of the Bible that speaks of loving others and treating your body as the temple of God? And the God that speaks of one of the fruits of the spirit being self-control? Because I couldn't tell it.

Thoughts to ponder...

1.) As Christ-followers we have to check our lives and our motives. I see people everyday (and yes some make excuses) that find pretty legitimate reasons not to want to give the God thing a chance. We must represent Christ better!!!

2.) What is the minimum tip that gives you the right to throw your Jesus track or church invite into the receipt booklet. I say 50% but I'll settle for 25%.

3.) Serving others almost always precedes sharing your faith. I heard it when I was young and I will always believe it "they will never care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Don't give someone a reason to hate Christians and church and God. If he has changed your life, ACT LIKE IT!

Did I mention I was on a soapbox!!!

News and Updates

So many things are happening, but I will be brief and just bullet point them for you...
1. Yesterday one of our young adults from MS landed a job in Henry County and will be moving in the next 3 weeks. We are excited to have Clint as a part of the team. Several others will be relocating closer to the summer.
2. Julie and I are traveling 4 of the next 6 weeks to continue raising funds. We are still about $10,000 in hard cash short of a necessary goal. Be praying for us and for those of you who are already contributing, please keep it up.
3. We are working hard to nail down a facility and I will keep you updated on the progress.
4. Our goal is to have a group gathering at our house of all those who are planning to be a part of the team no later than April.
5. I will be posting details regarding core values and the direction of Relevant in the next few days.


Carl and Julie

Scariest Year of My Life

As I sit here at this moment, I realize that we have embarked on the scariest adventure of our lives. This year holds many huge unanswered questions...how, when, who etc. but the one thing that is totally clear is the "why?" Everyday I see so many people who are struggling with some major issue in life. I realize that "hope" seems to be fading from their lives like a leaky faucet... drip by drip. Everyday it seems to leak just a little more, until one day they wake up empty. I remember times in my life experiencing the same thing...that is the "why" behind Relevant Church. God has called us to reach out and impact a community in which 85 percent of people do not attend church. I notice everyday how many people have a misconception of who God is, and unfortunately churches and "christians" have done more harm than good. I am overwhelmed at the number of people who simply hate "church" as defined by "American" standards...especially in the south. We have a tough job ahead and are praying daily for God to provide all that we need to make it happen. We are now approximately 10 months from the launch day of Relevant Church and are moving at light speed. We anticipate 200-300 people on opening our Sunday. If you are interested and have a heart for people and the south Atlanta community, would you join us on this "scary" adventure. Be a part of the team that launches a church that seeks to transform it's community one life at a time. I read a quote that changed my life in 2009..."the fear of missing out has to be greater than the fear of messing up."

Relevant Church - Launching 2010

After three weeks on the ground in Henry County, we are excited about the future. So many possibilities yet so many things to do. Here is where we are at in the process of Launching Relevant Church next year...

1. We are currently raising funding for the church. We need an additional $25,000 by January. We have just filed for our Articles of Incorporation and will begin receiving funds on a local level very soon.

• We have services booked across the southeast over the next few months, but are still looking for opportunities.
• We have also recently began receiving gifts from individuals and and families and welcome any further contributions.

2. We are meeting as many old friends and new people as possible. Our goal is to get as many people to buy into the future of Relevant Church as possible.

3. We are still waiting on 2 houses to close in MS and have had a few snags along the way.
Please pray for Relevant Church. If you live in the area and would like to be a part, shoot an email to relevantchurchatlanta@gmail.com

Thanks for your prayers and support

Carl and Julie

Love Jesus...Hate Church

I was not at all surprised with the responses posted today on facebook and twitter to this question..."can a person love Jesus and despise the church?" This is a growing trend in our culture. Because of the neglect of biblical mission, along with the growing negligence and lack of purity in the "church" more and more people have become interested in Jesus, His Life, and His Teachings yet all along growing more and more distant and even hostile towards "church."

In order for us to fully tackle this issue (which cannot be done in a matter of a few lines), we must first look at what the church should be according to the scriptures. In the book of Acts, Jesus very clearly established the church with the mission he had given his disciples a in Matthew 28:19-20. The church was birthed as the hope of the world, to carry the message of Christ to the entire world. Throughout the book of Acts, we see the church meeting in homes for the purpose of breaking bread, prayer, and teaching (Acts 2:42). Furthermore we find that they added to their number daily people who were choosing to follow Christ (Acts 2:47). Those that were following Christ were also connecting with other believers, with the guidance of the Apostles. It was the New Testament Church. As the years have passed, though we don't have time to discuss church history, it is safe to say that the church has changed. Many time the message of Christ has been lost, grace has been forgotten, and truth has been neglected. However this was never the church Jesus intended. He intended a church that was pure and blameless. He desired it so much that he laid down his life for it (Ephesians 5:22-33). Jesus died for the bride of Christ "The Church." Here are a few points to ponder...
1. Jesus loves the church and so should a Christ-follower. It is important to establish the fact that not every building with a steeple and a sign is the church that Christ had in mind. In fact, I am not anti-church building or anti-steeple (ok maybe anti-steeple), but I would argue that any church that uses that as their measuring stick had missed Christ intent entirely.
2. Many have been wounded by the church establishment in America. When I read scripture it is impossible for me to gather that Christ-followers were intended to do this alone. They devoted themselves to the Apostle's Teaching (They had spiritual leadership), they fellowshipped with one another (they had other relationships within the body of Christ), and they gave of themselves (they were focused on a hurting world). With that in mind, let me encourage you to not give up on "The Church." Where there are imperfect people, there will be imperfect churches. Find a church that places a high importance on the things mentioned above.
3. It is possible to disagree with philosophies, approaches, methods, and even people within the church, but as one who loves Christ, you should love the church. Not the institution, but the body of Christ. Jesus tells Paul in Acts 9 that when persecuting the church (the people of the Way) you are persecuting Christ himself

I love the local church. I do not always agree, and have major issues with Narcissistic Pastors, Big Egos, Hyper Spirituality, Selfish Ambition, Religious Spirits (which by the way Jesus rebuked more than anything else in scripture), and the list goes on and on. I myself have been wounded by a pastor, but the thing I hold onto is that people are imperfect, but Christ is perfect. This is why I continue to do what I do. It is my prayer that Relevant Church which is scheduled to launch it the Fall of 2010 in Henry County, GA will be all that Christ intended it to be.

Thoughts???

My Family Status

For months now our family has been in limbo...We knew change was coming but were unsure exactly when. Julie and I have been in a year long process and planning to move back to south Atlanta and plant a church in Henry County. Several crazy things have happened that I will save for another time, but it has caused the transition to be handled in ways that have made it more difficult at times. Here is our current situation...I have been leading the church I have been serving for the last four months since my pastor/boss resigned. It has been a great experience and we have grown so close to so many people. During that time, Julie has been searching for a teaching position in Henry County, and several weeks ago took a position at Hampton Middle School. While we are very excited and thankful, it has caused our family to be separated. Julie and Jase are currently living in GA and I am still in MS until the end of October to complete the transition process with the church I am currently serving. We are still attempting to sell our Gulfport, MS home. I am excited yet saddened all at the same time to relocate. God has given us a passion and heart for Henry County and we will launch Relevant Church next year. I will look for a job beginning November and will be employed by someone other than a church for the first time since college. I will be sharing more of the process here as the weeks unfold, but in the meantime, will you please pray for the following things...

1. For our family in this time of separation and change. Jase is only two, so I am travelling nearly every week to be with them. Family is my first priority.
2. For our house to sell in Gulfport. Need I say more in this market, the value of the house has dropped $90,000 in the last year.
3. We have to raise $100,000 in the next few months for the church plant. This seems impossible in this economy, but we are trusting God to make it happen.

We really do covet your prayers, and look forward to seeing many of you back in GA soon.

Carl

Excellence or Mediocrity- Guest Blogger Jeremiah Fife

This past week in our staff meeting God brought to the forefront of our devotional time together the following scripture - Colossians 3:23-24. It says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
As we push forward at Gulf Coast Worship Center I believe God has called us to continually strive for excellence in all we do. Whether its serving at the church or at home or in the community. As followers of Christ the motive that drives us to excellence should be a desire to please the ONE who will give us our final reward. Everything we do should be done with a conscious awareness of his presence, a realization that he is watching.
So the question is "In the areas you serve in, is there excellence?" If so, what contributes to it? If not, I think the first question we all must ask ourselves when excellence is missing is, "Is it something within me?" We should always self-inspect first. If it isn't us and our priorities are right and we are giving our best to God, being on time, serving with the right heart and attitude, then we must ask ourselves "Has the expectations of excellence been clearly laid out or communicated?"
We must all remember that in the end we will stand before God and my hope is that we all hear him say "well done good and faithful servant!"

Reflections From Recent Weeks

Its been a wild and crazy summer, but things have been so rewarding and fun. Here are a few updates and reflections.

• Over 30 people gave their hearts and lives to Christ in the last 2 months
• 12 people have been baptized
• Chase the Lion was overwhelmingly popular and successful (watch all 6 weeks here http://tinyurl.com/o84x3s)
• 15 people have signed up for Life Connections with our biggest sign up week still to come
• Growth Groups Launch Sunday
• New Series on Family, Relationships and Finances begins in 2 weeks
• Pastor Kevin and Kristal will be here in about 6 weeks
• Over 150 people responded Sunday to start The Chase...I was simply blown away at the anxiousness of people to come forward
• We are seeing more new people than I can count
• Over 40 were at our Newcomer's Lunch Sunday

I am excited about what Gulf Coast will be in a year or so!

Watch Online Podcasts

Here is the new link to watch podcast of Sunday Talks from myself or our staff... http://www.motionbox.com/filings?folder_id=66762217 . Catch up on the Chase the Lion Series before Sunday.

Sunday Night Reflections

Wow...where to begin after a day like today. Its been a crazy few months, but here are my thoughts...

• Glad to see that The Coast has elected a new Lead Pastor. I am excited to see what the future holds for Kevin and Kristal and the people of Gulf Coast.
• Never gets old seeing people making a decision to follow Christ with their life.
• I really enjoyed speaking on "Embracing Uncertainty." Quote of the day..."defining moments usually lead down the path of Uncertainty."
• Today totally applies to my life!
• Loved hanging out with our Sunday Night Crowd. Never a dull moment!
• Actually got a great nap today! Sunday naps are the best, but now the jungle looms to be cut later this week.
• Loving "The Shack." Ill let you know if its a must read. I usually hate fictional books, but not this one.
• Still trying to sell 2 houses! Any takers?
• Getting stoked about College Football season.
• Tiger Woods won again...Is he really human?
• Five days into a diet and hating it.

So many other thoughts I will share about uncertainty in the near future, but that's all for now. What about your weekend?

Transition Update

Our Board of Directors and transitional team are excited to inform you that Kevin and Kristal Beachy have expressed that they are 100% on board and looking forward to the possibility of Kevin becoming Lead Pastor at The Coast. So where do we go from here...

1. There is a special business meeting planned for Sunday morning following the service
2. At that time all active members will be asked to vote yes or no for Kevin
3. A 2/3 majority elects Kevin as our new Lead Pastor

I will be sharing a special message Sunday entitled "Embracing Uncertainty" that will tie directly into our transition. No one is sure exactly what the future holds for GCWC, but we can be sure of who holds the future. As for our transitional team, we feel that Kevin is the best candidate and best fit for the future of GCWC and we are excited about the possibilities. Show up and lets move forward together.

Proverbs 10

I love today's chapter of Proverbs. So simple, yet so rich. I thought I would share a few thoughts as it relates to our transition at The Coast. We know there is a common thread about three types of people found in the proverbs...the wise, the fool, and the scoffer. Here are a few thoughts that are clearly stated...

• There is a direct link between the heart of a person and the words that come from their lips (v.20)
• A wise person speaks life, a fool speaks dissension (v.11-12)
• A wise persons default setting is love, a fools is hatred (v.11-12)
• Those who lack judgement deserve punishment (v.13 and 31) WOW
• Wise people understand appropriate communication (v.32)
• Wise people know how to listen, the foolish tend to babble to their own demise (v.8)

What are you learning? Maybe another question for us to ponder today is how do we communicate?

Lessons From The Weekend

This past weekend was an incredible opportunity for GCWC. We had the pleasure of hosting Kevin and Kristal Beachy as they are considering the lead pastor position here. Here are a few things I learned from the weekend...

• Hosting is a tiring process
• We have an unbelievable board and staff
• Our church family is excited about the future
• Relationships matter
• Mrs. Glenda makes amazing Key Lime Pie
• You will never please everyone, but you can set aside your differences for the unity of the Body of Christ
• I ate too much
• Red Team is still the best team on the planet
• I have amazing parents who watched Jase for the weekend
• I really missed speaking Sunday
• I am ready to jump back in the Chase the Lion Series
• Eddie and the worship team did an amazing job

What did you learn?

Carl