Almost There

A couple of weeks ago I had breakfast with a friend from out of state. He was upset before he even sat down. When I asked what was going on, he lovingly told me how annoying it is to have such sporadic updates posted on this blog, especially when you don’t live in town. I told him I’m a talker not a writer, but he wasn’t persuaded. Mea culpa! I’ll try to do better.

So, our team of about 20 people has been meeting regularly for services since January. We’re just trying to get things in order before we invite people in. We have audio/video equipment, a children’s ministries area, our website is just about ready to go live, and our logo is all wrapped up.

Anyone interested in joining us in the next few weeks to get things started well can just drop me an email via this blog. God is doing some pretty cool things!

Prayer Helps

If there’s one thing you need as a church planter it’s a solid prayer life. I have often fallen short of that, but I continue in the struggle. I figured I would share three books with you that have helped me quite a bit over the past few months. The first is How To Pray by R.A. Torrey. The former president of Moody Bible Institute wrote this classic nearly 100 years ago, but it is still challenging. It includes chapters on hindrances to prayer, praying in the Spirit, and the importance of prayer. Reading Torrey’s book has reaffirmed the necessity of having a rich prayer life. We say that often, but it’s much tougher to actually do it.

I’ve been going through Ken Boa’s devotional Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship. This is a solid, 3-month companion that is powerful because of how much Scripture it includes. If we believe there is power in God’s Word then imagine the power of praying it regularly.

These three include books to challenge you to pray, give you a blueprint for a daily prayer life, and reach deeper in prayer.

At school at Moody I was required to read The Valley of Vision for a class. I’ll confess to being a bit annoyed by this assignment. The book is a collection of Puritan prayers. Have you tried reading Puritan writings? And we think we speak English! But these prayers are powerful. I am struck by the writers’ transparency, awe of God, and understanding of their sin. Take one of these prayers per day and make it yours.

Lots of Progress

It may be hard to believe, but one of my New Year’s resolutions is to blog more often. Luckily I have a whole year to make this work.

Much has happened in these many weeks and it’s very exciting. We now have 18 adults on board our Launch Team that will help us prepare to have everything in place to formally open Village Church to the public. We’re praying that happens by Easter.

We have secured Sunday morning rental space at the 19^th Century Club in Oak Park. Located in the heart of downtown Oak Park, the 19^th Century Club (also known as The 19^th Century Charitable Association) is a huge blessing. The building is beautiful and historic. The social club has been in existence for more than 120 years and has worked hard for causes ranging from women’s suffrage to life-long learning and social responsibility. I’m amazed that we’re going to be able to start our church in such a wonderful spot. And the staff and board of the 19^th Century have been so kind and encouraging.

Now we are engaged in getting things ready for launch later this spring. We have a team member who has graciously led the creation of a children’s ministry. It’s going to be a place where kids learn about the Bible, God, and His love for them. Several team members either discovered excellent musical ability or finally overcame their humility to tell us about it.  And I personally am wrapping up a clear explanation of our mission and vision for this ministry. How will we best impact the community with solid Bible teaching, relationships and service? We know those three things will be a big part of Village Church.

We got a huge boost of support of finance, prayer, and manpower from Village Church of Dyer, Indiana. (No, I didn’t give them naming rights to our church because of their support).  The congregation members have wrapped their arms around our project with significant commitments. They agreed to sponsor our church with at least $30,000 in financial support each of the next two years. They have committed to pray regularly for us. And they also pledged to send people all the way up to Oak Park to help out on Sunday mornings when we launch. It’s all overwhelming!

Needless to say, things are going well. But there is much to do. We are busy, but God is directing and sustaining.

For those of you praying for us (and we REALLY appreciate you) here are a couple of specific points.

1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to continue to guide our planning and work. Also, pray that He is working in the lives of people in Oak Park and the surrounding communities.

2. Pray that God will continue to protect the families of the people working on this church. Spiritual warfare is real!

3. Pray that God will keep us operating with solid integrity so we never ruin our witness.

Thanks for the prayers and support. God is on the move!

 

Thanks

During times of great sorrow we see God’s grace in new ways. Usually it’s through people.

Many of you know my mother died unexpectedly on New Year’s Eve at the age of 56. I’m still in a fog in which I know what’s going on is real, but I just can’t believe it. It’s painful, sad, and confusing. Yet, in all of the emotions, God shines through.

An old friend from California called in the midst of funeral planning. He didn’t know my mother had died, but said the Holy Spirit had been tugging at him to call me that day so he finally did. We shared a great 30 minute call filled with mutual encouragement and celebration at how God works. My new radio family at Moody has been unbelievably supportive this week. My voicemail, email, and snail mail boxes have been filled with messages from Moody Radio personnel. I’m just a vacation relief host, but they’re loving me like family. These people, combined with many Facebook, Twitter, and email messages from radio friends I’ve never met have been so encouraging. And that’s what I mean when I say God uses people to show us His grace.

God offers the peace “which surpasses all understanding” (Phil 4:7) and this has been granted to me over the past 10 days by the people He has sent my way to comfort me.

 

Parents Impact More Than Just Their Kids

I spent some time this week at a funeral visitation for the father of a childhood friend. His name was Hershel Benberry (also the name of his oldest son). For several decades he taught students how to drive in the West Aurora High School District. I knew him because his son and I were in grade school at Covenant Christian for many years. Hershel (the younger) and I spent a lot of time together as kids. There were sleepovers and baseball games. Lots of kids’ stuff. It wasn’t until I was driving to the visitation and reflecting on things that I realized the impact Hershel (the older) and his wife, Laetitia, had on me.

I remember them as good parents. They always had a good mix of expressing love, discipline, and high expectations for both of their boys. And they loved Jesus. I mean that. There are people who are Christians. They go to church, hang in Christian circles, and are generally good citizens. Then there are people who love Jesus. Hershel was one of these people. Laetitia still is.

Christian parents are under pressure to instill a knowledge of the Bible in their children and to teach them to honor God. God blesses them with the opportunity to “train up a child in the way he should go.” But their impact doesn’t stop with their own kids.

That’s because their children have friends who hang around the house and are influenced. They see the way the parents interact with their children. The friends observe the character of the parents and are impacted by it.

I don’t say this add pressure to parents, but understand that the way you raise your children impacts many more people than just your kids. God can use you to influence your children, their friends, and countless other people who come into contact with them.

That’s what Hershel Benberry and his wife did for me. And I’m eternally grateful.

Honoring Mom and Dad

The concept of honoring your father and mother is presented in the Old Testament and affirmed in the New Testament. As children we’re taught this means obeying mom and dad and being respectful of them. Clean your room, don’t talk back, do whatever they tell you to do. The focus of most teaching always seems to stop at young children. It’s as though when you turn 18 you’re no longer responsible to “honor” them. Does that requirement really end? Most people would never say it does, but there is definitely a change. What does honoring your father and mother look like when you’re at mid-life and they’re near the end?

I’m in Florida with my parents right now. My mom has been disabled for 3 years because of a pain disorder and severe depression. My father had surgery to remove a tumor from his pancreas 2 years ago. The cancer has returned and last week the doctors gave him 6 months to live. My whole family lives in Chicagoland so my parents have no support system here in Tampa. It’s just the two of them. In my mind, moving back near family for this next (and last) phase of life is a no-brainer. But I’m getting some push back.

They’d love to wait until February or March to move back home. They understand that by that time dad may be too sick to travel, but they really like their house in Florida. The weather in December sure is better in Tampa than Chicago. While it seems they should move back to Illinois ASAP they are non-committal about moving at all, much less doing it quickly. Why?

It took a while for me to realize what’s really going on. For 20 years they dreamed of retiring in Florida. They were going to enjoy many years of sunshine and a slow pace. The beach would be their friend and my dad would be able to grow avocado trees in the yard. Then, just a couple of years into this story, everything changed. They understand the logic of being closer to family during this season of life, but to leave means the end of so much. As soon as the moving truck pulls away from the Florida home it will signal the end of what was supposed to be. More than that, it means this foggy nightmare of cancer is real. Dad is going to die. An earthly marriage is about to end and so will loving relationships with children and grandchildren.

So, how do I “honor” them during this process? Certainly not rushing their decision would be one way. I don’t want to pressure them. But what if they decide they don’t want to move back near family at all? What if this is their new home and regardless of poor health they are staying? I’ll confess there’s some selfishness on my part because I don’t want this to be the last time I see my dad. I’d like to see him a lot in the last months of his life and that’s only possible in Illinois. And I want to make sure he is well taken care of. I can’t do that from 1,000 miles away. But, again, what if they become insistent about staying?

How do you honor your parents when you know what’s best for them, but they don’t want it? When emotion gets in the way of clear thinking? When fear becomes almost paralyzing?

I can’t force them to move back near family sooner rather than later (or never). In the end it’s their choice. And maybe that’s the answer to the big question. Instead of being children who make decisions for our parents and force them to comply or manipulate them into doing what we want, perhaps we should reexamine what “best” really means. Sure, they can get better care in Illinois, but if their hearts, minds, and souls tell them they’d be better all the way down here then maybe we should focus on making that as comfortable as possible. And certainly we should put our selfishness aside as completely as we can. Just because we children see one option as obviously best doesn’t mean they do and doesn’t actually mean it is best.

This post won’t end with a definitive answer and that’s tough for me. I usually see things black and white, but these are the gray areas of life. I’ll pray for wisdom concerning how to best “honor” them both. God’s pretty good at responding to prayers for guidance.

 

God Is In Control

I’ve been meditating on Romans 8:28 for  a while now. It’s amazing how comforting and encouraging Scripture can be during challenges (And God says, “Duh!”). When you begin a project like planting a church it is filled with ups and downs. There are things that amaze you with their encouragement and there are times when you really question whether you’re in God’s will. That’s where Romans 8:28 comes in for me.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”

There is much in this passage and I won’t get into it all here, but the fact reinforced in my brain as I’ve read through it time and again is God’s sovereignty. He is in charge. I know this is a “Duh!” concept, but when you internalize it there is a radical change in the way you see your experiences. Losing a job? Broken relationship? Called to leave your comfort zone? God is using it for good. Disabled? Being disrespected or treated unfairly? God is using it for His ultimate good. Could it be possible to celebrate these challenges knowing that God is at work?

We may never know in this lifetime just how God is using these “bad” things for “good.” Sometimes He shows us and other times He doesn’t. But isn’t it easier to deal with life’s pain and struggles when we can know that God is using these things for good? Praise God for His sovereignty and faithfulness.

Prayer Points:

Praise God for the success of two great events. One involved Christian Liberty Academy (Arlington Heights) and the other was a celebration of Pastor Colin Smith’s Unlocking the Bible ministry. I was blessed to be a part of them.

We have 12 committed adults on board to help us launch this church. There are 7 more seriously contemplating it. Please pray that God continues to bring people to us who are burdened for reaching this community.

I’ve been asked by a couple of people to begin a daily devotional email. I’m starting to think that may be from God since several people who don’t know each other have brought it up. Please pray for clarity as to whether that’s something I should get into. If I start a ministry like that I want it to be executed well and I’m not sure the time will be possible given everything that goes into planting a church.