Pope family and TWO14 Update

I thought I'd post a quick update since it's been a couple of months.

First, I'm selling insurance for Austin Brokerage Company. We help small businesses and individuals with health, life and disability insurance. We work for the clients, not the companies. ABC is a great place with great people! I'm glad to work w/ the Garrett's.

Second, TWO14 Network is now an official entity with the state. That means we can accept tax deductible donations. We are still working on the 501(c)(3) status from the fed and should finish filing the paperwork by the end of this month. We thank Rick Peralez (www.churchbizsupport.com) for his help in this endeavor.

Some people have asked about financially supporting us either personally or as a network. We would certainly appreciate any and all help as the Lord leads. Tax deductible gifts can be mailed to:

TWO14 Network
124 Rinehardt St.
Hutto, TX 78634

Please indicate in the memo line if the support is for the Pope's or the general network expenses.

Third, we (at TWO14) are transitioning from a training group into a missional group. We have 5 families meeting and reaching out to our neighbors. Between kid's activities, neighborhood meetings and dinners, and work related connections, everyone is staying busy showing and telling the gospel. Our men hosted our first "outreach"... a dude's brew party. It was tons of fun and we got to meet some guys that we wouldn't know otherwise.

We want to greatly thank all of you who've been praying for us and for all the generous acts of obscene grace shown to us over the last few months! We sincerely praise God for you! Please pray that we would remain faithful to Jesus' call to embody the gospel.

There can be rest for the wicked

The last few days God's been dealing with me through Psalm 127:1-2
Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat- for he grants sleep to those he loves.

I am wicked. I think it all depends on me. I piss and moan when things don't go my way. I'm an ass to my family when I feel the stress. Change my heart!

My livelihood rests in God's provision. No matter how smart I am or how desperate I may be, only He can bless or take away. Help me to trust You with all my guts and not to depend on my own thinking, but to acknowledge You in all my ways.

Compare and contrast:

Lyrics to Ain't No Rest For The Wicked :
I was walking down the street,
When out the corner of my eye
I saw a pretty little thing approaching me.
She said "I've never seen a man
Who looks so all alone,
Could you use a little company?
If you pay the right price
Your evening will be nice,
And you can go and send me on my way."
I said "You're such a sweet young thing
Why you do this to yourself?"
She looked at me and this is what she said,

"Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees.
I got bills to pay,
I got mouths to feed,
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
I know I can't slow down,
I can't hold back,
Though you know, I wish I could.
No there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Until we close our eyes for good".

Not even fifteen minutes later
I'm still walking down the street,
When I saw a shadow of a man creep out of sight.
Then he walks up from behind
And puts a gun up to my head,
He made it clear he wasn't looking for a fight.
He said "Give me all you've got
I want your money not your life,
But if you try to make a move I won't think twice."
I said "You can have my cash
But first you know I got to ask
What made you want to live this kind of life?"

He said "There ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees.
I got bills to pay,
I got mouths to feed,
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
I know I can't slow down,
I can't hold back,
Though you know, I wish I could.
No there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Until we close our eyes for good".

Now a couple hours passed
And I was sitting at my house,
The day was winding down and coming to an end.
So I turned on the TV
And flipped it over to the news,
And what I saw I almost couldn't comprehend.
I saw a preacher man in cuffs he'd taken money from the church,
He's got this bank account with righteous dollar bills.
But even still I can't say much
Because I know we're all the same,
Oh yes we've all got to satisfy those thrills.

"Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees.
We got bills to pay,
We got mouths to feed,
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
I know we can't slow down,
We can't hold back,
Though you know, we wish we could.
No there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Until we close our eyes for good"

Update

It's been a while. I've had my head down focusing on getting the foundations put in place for our simple church network (TWO 14 NETWORK). This has involved a job search, recruiting, tons of relational connections and some training. Now things are starting to catch some traction.

On the job front, I'm selling health insurance for a company that caters to self employed people. We offer customized packages at great prices. Looks like an excellent fit in that it is a relational job with flexibility. My boss is an awesome guy that knows what he's doing. This job is a huge answer to prayer.

Concerning the network, we have 5 couples meeting in our home on Sunday nights. They are praying about making the cut over to pure simple church with the goal of identifying and reaching their sphere of influence. Church plants will happen out of that effort. God has brought together a great core team of folks who have enough discontent with the status quo, vision and gusto to launch out into something new. One couple is already gathering people for our first plant outside of our original group. It seems like every week I meet another potential simple church planter. Very exciting times!

Missionally, we are meeting neighbors, and combining intentional efforts with spontaneous encounters to move relationships toward Jesus. This is a long term investment and is somewhat slow going. Nevertheless, we're here for the long haul. Jesus incarnated the gospel and so should we. Many in our group are helping another couple in the group with their Halloween festival this Thursday night in their apartment complex. They've got games, inflatables, prizes and all kinds of cool stuff going on. The Popes are throwing a "hallowiener" is this Sat night. We're passing out the best candy, free hot dogs, bottled water and projecting the Wii on the garage door for people to play. This is an exposure event designed to turn strangers into acquaintances.

So, for now, we're getting ready to transition the Sunday night meeting into a neighborhood church, launch another church, getting all the legal stuff setup (tax stuff), working on a website, and most importantly, reaching out to others.

Some have asked about my job situation wondering if I will ultimately be paid by the church/network. The answer is no. During the first 6-12 months I am receiving some supplementary funds from a couple of churches and a few individuals to help bridge the gap until my insurance business gets traction. However, this is not permanent, nor will the network pay any of our missionary planter/pastors. Having unpaid pastor/planters is an integral part of our strategy to be authentic with people who don't know Jesus. I know first hand that payment for ministry can actually be a HUGE roadblock for people who are suspicious about the gospel. Therefore, I need a job for credibility with them as well as with those who I am expecting to lead these new churches.

I want to say a big "THANK YOU" to all of you who've prayed for us and given out of your generosity! The provision and obscene grace that God has given us is astounding. Shayla and I revel how God has shown up for us in the last two months. Please continue to pray for us -that God will be glorified in the faithfulness of his people and for effective ministry.

Ed Stetzer on Being on Mission

Ed Stetzer - The 9s from LifeWay on Vimeo.

vision and job hunting

God's vision is that "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the water covers the sea" (Hab 2:14). The association of churches that I am a part of has taken this vision seriously and has taken responsibility for the geography known as "the Greater Austin area." This area comprises about 1.6 million people. In an attempt to reach this area with the life changing reality of Jesus Christ, we've embraced a three-fold strategy: 1) Multiply Disciples, 2) Multiply churches 3) Partner with like minded ministries, churches and individuals.

When it comes to the second of those three, (church planting) we have embraced a model known as the "missional" model. This is different from the traditional hive off in that it involves fewer people (usually about 10 families) but an increased level of outward focus on missional living. Weeknight small groups are morphed into "missional communities" and there is usually a gathering on Sunday morning. This model seems to work somewhat well in the suburbs of Austin. The jury is out on how well it works towards the core of Austin. (As a side note for those of you who don't know, Austin is a very eclectic city that is very different from the suburban areas that surround it in terms of political persuasion, lifestyle and values.)

In my journey on mission, I have become increasingly aware of the number of people who are anit-Christian but pro-God. Books such as UnChristian by Kinneman and almost anything coming from George Barna's research document and confirm on a professional level that such people exist. The soon to be released movie “God Save Us From Your Followers” is another example of what I’m talking about. These people tend to be creative, eclectic and tribal. An attempt to reach them with traditional/institutional church-ianity will fail because of their ingrained distrust for "the man." Thankfully, there is a solution to the problem of reaching these people.

Some call it simple church, others call it missional, some call it house church. I'm not all that interested in descriptive handles or labels, so I don't care what we call it as long as we are willing to do it. Shayla and I are actually attempting to birth a network of these kinds of churches in the Austin area. Part of what that means is that I will no longer be a paid pastor at a church. Of course that means that I need a job that will be able to support our family and hopefully offset the increase in housing needed to move to central Austin.

All that said, we're confident that God will show Himself faithful to provide direction, wisdom and resources for this endeavor. Please pray for us to be obedient and wise. I am currently looking for a job in sales or project management/operations. My resume is posted here for sales and here for PM/Operations. We would greatly appreciate any leads you can give. Feel free to contact me with potential careers in these areas or persons interested in reaching people using this new model.

very interesting

Church Disguised as Life

An illustration of my philosophy of ministry...

One mouth, two ears

Funny thing about us humans... we can communicate but oftentimes we don't. We front and appear to be listening while mentally preparing our rebuttal statements. I bet there's a term for people talking AT each other instead of TO each other. Perhaps communication dysfunction, or correspondence retardation, or mouth/ear/brain disorder. I don’t know.

What I do know is that I observe this phenomenon all the time. The usual suspects are political “discussions” or “debates.” In this sphere, Republicans label Democrats as baby killers and Democrats berate Republicans as “imperialists” with no compassion for the poor. Libertarians, don’t enter the “conversation” because they are “apathetic” and just want everyone to get along.

As of late, I’ve observed this phenomenon in another arena, namely church methodology/ecclesiology. As many of you know, Shayla and I are venturing out on a journey that we believe God has called us on. This journey includes no longer being a paid pastor of an institutional church, getting another job, living on mission and starting house churches. The conversations I’ve been having with some have been painfully predictable. Institutional church Christian: “How are you going to do leadership? Who will run it? What about doctrinal purity? You’re going to meet in a house? When will you get a building? House churches just don’t make sense to me.” House church Christian: “Institutional church is so regimented and full of consumers. Worship at an institutional church is entertainment. Where are the relationships? Money is used on salaries and staff not the kingdom.”

The truth is, both models are just that, models. They are not right or wrong. Each one has inherent strengths and weaknesses. House churches struggle to be on mission and outward focused as much as institutional churches. Consumerism is rampant in both. IC has program consumers, HC has relationship consumers. Both have leadership issues. Both have problems. Both also have tremendous plusses as well.
IC (particularly mega churches) have major resources in land, buildings and funds. These assets can be capitalized on for mission in the community as co-work centers, soup kitchens, food banks, meeting rooms, education and training centers, recreational facilities, etc. For a great example check out Hope For New York sponsored by Redeemer Presbyterian. On the other hand, house churches can utilize their small size to quickly adapt and plant more quickly and more efficiently. Since leadership responsibility is small in terms of numbers, the pool of potential leaders of churches is increased significantly. The end result is quicker multiplication and viral growth. HC’s also tend to have shorter assimilation processes for unbelievers to become friends and family of the local body.

The bottom line is that everything has pros and cons. Everything. We would be wise to heed the proverbial saying… God gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason. We as the body of Christ should be especially conscious of this truth. Jesus, help us to listen to you by listening to each other!

What not to do...

Painfully funny...

Changing the Scorecard pt 1

This book is extremely helpful for those seeking to bring about significant and lasting change to the church today. Some highlights from Reggie McNeal's Missional Renaissance:

Ch 1 -The Missional Renaissance

-Emergence of an Altruistic Economy
"It beckons the church to move from being the recipient of a generous culture (religious causes garner the largest percentage of charitable dollars -about a third) to actually being generous to the culture.... This explosion of good actually creates a chance for the church to gain relevance and influence. But only if the church is willing to get out of the church business and get over the delusion that the "success" of the church impresses the world." -p5
-Missional Shift 1: From an Internal to an External Ministry Focus
"Success in the internally focused culture is defined in terms of organizational goals.... In other words, the scorecard is tied to activity focused on the organization itself." -p7

-The Search for Personal Growth
-Missional Shift 2: From Program Development to People Development
"...the only real (emphasis his) guarantee is that the church will keep people busy." -p10
The shift from programs to people development is difficult for three reasons:
1) It's hard work and takes time "it isn't something you start and finish in a twelve-week course."
2) "...the shift from pursuing institutional goals and objectives to measuring the impact of ministry on people's quality of life calls for a dramatically new scorecard."
3) the ministry "professionals" or clergy are not prepared for a life of people development
"Typical clergy training efforts, including Bible colleges, seminaries, and denominational and parachurch ministries, prepare church leaders to teach the Bible, manage the church, ad grow a business." -p11 -project management (including the sermon) not people development. -we need to recalibrate

-The Hunger for Spiritual Vitality
"People moving into the unaffiliated (religiously) category outnumbered those moving out by a greater than 3-to-1 margin... this group has more than doubled in the last decade... 25 percent of all adults under age thirty are now in the unaffiliated class." -p13
-Missional Shift 3: From Church-Based to Kingdom-Based Leadership

-What's Next?
"...once you start down this path, it will ruin you to the old world." -I can't tell you how true that is!

Ch 2 -Missional Manifesto -for those of you who are familiar with Guder's Missional Church, much of this will be old hat. However, for others new to these concepts, it's a great overview of what "missional" means.

There is a big difference between "a" church and "the" church. "'A' church draws on centuries of thinking about a corporate something that exists apart for the people who make it up. This language fails to make a break with the Western, Constantinian, institutional view of what church is. Missional followers of Jesus don't belong to a church. They are the church." (emphasis his) -p19
"We try, then, to build great churches, believing that this is God's primary strategy to engage the world. Inevitably, this preoccupation leads to discussions of how we can "do church" better. Thinking about church in who mode focuses on what it means to be the people of God. The central task is developing great followers of Jesus, believing that God has created people to demonstrate his redemptive intentions to the world in and through them. This perspective frames an agenda so that the community of faith my encourage all its members to be faithful to God and to his mission as they live out being the church in the world." -p20

-The Heart of the Missional Church
"The problem is that the Western church veered away from this self-understanding (picture of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus) as rooted in God's mission and assumed other agendas.... [O]ne's understanding of the church becomes determinative for the church's agenda....:
1)From the Reformation heritage comes the understanding of church as 'a place where certain things happen.
2)A vendor of religious goods and services
3)A body of people sent on a mission." -p22-23

-A Missional Characterization
"The missional church is the people of God partnering with God in his redemptive mission in the world."... Our job is not to "do church" well but to be the people of God in an unmistakable way in the world. We are to be the aroma of Jesus in the cemetery of decaying flesh." -p24
"Church is not a part of life for the missional Jesus follower; it is a way of life with others who are on a similar journey." -25-26

-The Bible for Missional Eyes
"In this context (non-missional church), Bible study typically functions as a devotional aid and an instructive lesson applied to church people who find what they need for godly living." p26-27
On the other hand, for the missional church "...it becomes far more disruptive than informational. The Bible presents a call to action, not just a lesson to be studied." -p27
He then proceeds to work through a plethora of verses to support his claims:
Exodus 19:5-6; 1Peter 2:9; John 3:16; Matt 22:37-40; John 10:10b; Eph 4:13; 1Peter 3:15b; Matt 5:13-15; John 20:21b;

-The Plot Thickens
"The missional church's story sees the human drama and Gods' saga intertwined, on incomprehensible without the other. The following plot elements have helped give it shape"
1) People are created in the image of God
2) God is on mission
3) God's mission is redemptive
4) God's mission is always being persecuted in the world
5) God doesn't postpone his mission, waiting for the church to "get it"
6) God is up to something new
7) The people of God play an important role in the mission of God
8) The kingdom is a future that provokes a crisis
9) Missional expression can grow out of the current church, but it is not limited to the current church

-Shifting into Missional Mode
"So what specifically do you need to do to move into the missional movement?" -p38
The blogs that that follow will outline the three major shifts necessary for change.