Note: This is part four of a four-part blog series on the core values of New Life Church

 We are strongest when we are living our lives with other people. Our enemy knows if he can separate us from our family and distance us from close friends, we are more vulnerable and prone to deception. That’s why the church must be a place where genuine friendships can be built and people are allowed to live transparent lives with one another.

 I despise church masks, including the one I wear from time to time. We have built church around the idea that everyone should be perpetually ok when, in fact, the church should be the safest place to confess failures and struggles.  Authentic community only happens when we give each other permission to be honest without fear of rejection. In fact, a big part of our healing should include confession and prayer for one another. (James 5:16)

 I am not a big fan of organized accountability groups where guys meet once a week and confess all their temptations. If you are in a group like this and it is helping you, then continue going by all means. I just don’t believe you can organize and administrate real friendships. These types of relationships take time and intentionality. Real friendships are not made in the microwave; they must be marinated.

 Sincere friends have blessed my life, but I have also felt the pain of being lonely. The first year I was at New Life, I felt alone, even though I was on a stage every weekend speaking to thousands of people. All my close friends were back in Texas and I had to start making new friends here in Colorado. I believe God reminded me during that lonely time to never take friendships for granted and to make sure New Life Church was a place where authentic community could be easily found.

 If you are not a part of an authentic community of friends, invite someone this week to eat a meal with you or meet for coffee. Come to church early next Sunday and stay late so you have time for conversations. Find a small group and bravely go to the meeting, even if you don’t know anyone there. It takes courage, I know, but the reward of having friends is worth the risk.

This is part three of a four-part blog series on the core values of New Life Church.

 I believe that everything rises and falls because of leadership. I also believe the church should be the best place to learn real leadership, but the church has to be willing to do two things well. We must be willing to give young leaders a place at the table and we should be willing to clean up some messes.

 Most churches have older, mature leaders in all the key leadership positions but very few churches are willing to trust an emerging leader with any real responsibility.  Many churches have interns and most churches have youth pastors and worship leaders that are under 30. But often, these young leaders are not brought to the table when the key decisions are being made in the local church. They can decide some issues in their department, but their voice is seldom heard on the bigger issues of the local body.

 At New Life, there was a culture of building young leaders when I arrived and I have tried to preserve and nurture this idea. New Life had actually moved too much toward young leaders and I needed to balance the core leadership teams with some maturity. This is not the case in most churches, though. Most churches need more some 20-somethings and 30-somethings at the table when decisions are being made.

 The reason churches don’t embrace young leaders is because they cause messes. So we choose ease and comfort over the inevitable mistakes that young leaders are bound to make. Young leaders will also challenge the cultural traditions of a local fellowship and we all know that churches like change as much as cats like water.

 If the church of 2010 is to march forward and take ground in this next decade, those of us who have leadership in the local church must embrace the ideas, strategies, innovation, mistakes and messes of this next generation. I challenge pastors to bring young leaders to the table when big decisions are being made. They may not have the bid idea that saves the day, but we will have a chance a to build leaders that will one day take the baton from us.

Note: This is part two of a four part blog series on the mission of New Life Church.

Equip means to prepare someone for a particular task or situation or to supply them with what they need to be successful. This is the primary role for those of us who are pastors at New Life Church. Our focus should be teaching, praying, leading and equipping the people of New Life for ministry.

The best way to equip people is to simply get them out doing stuff. We spend too much time teaching, lecturing, and talking and not enough time experimenting and allowing people to make messes.

Before sophisticated missile guidance systems, naval battles were often won by cannon crews who could adjust the quickest after a missed shot. It was pure luck if the first shot hit its target. I believe the church has trained people to not try until there is a guarantee of success. So we stand on the ship and tell them “Ready, ready, aim, aim, aim”, but we are reluctant to yell, “Fire”.

I do believe in teaching sound theology, and I believe there are some great leadership tools like Strength Finders that can help people. But people are best taught when they have a “hands on” experience, especially if a mentor or coach is with them when they minister.

Its the same model Jesus used to equip his disciples:

Watch me do ministry
Do ministry while I am watching you.
Go minister by yourself and report back to me later.

That is equipping the saints for the work of ministry. It is not complicated.

Note to reader: This is part 1 of a 4-part blog series describing the core values of New Life Church. Next week: Part 2- We exist to equip believers

New Life Church exists to love people. God sent his Son because he loved the people of the world and Jesus said in John 13:35 that our love for one another would be proof to the world that we are his disciples.

Love is what we want most. That’s why our songs, our art, our movies and our books talk about love more than any other topic. We want to be loved and we want to show love. Love covers all wrongs, love is patient, love is gentle and love is kind. When love is present, anger is squelched, strivings cease and hurt feelings are mended.

What does that really mean and how are we supposed to carry out this mandate in a world seemingly void of love and filled with anger, evil and trouble?

As a church, we will show love at every opportunity. We will meet any real need that we are able to meet and we will give our resources to those in the greatest pain. Widows, orphans, the poor, the lost, the hurting, the lonely, the disenfranchised and the despised will always be our primary focus. 

No one loves people they do not pray for often. Love has to begin from the inside out. We will ask God to give us sincere love for people and then we will look for opportunities to practically demonstrate this love. Our words will be kind, our motives will be pure and our actions will be sincere.

To be clear, love does not mean we have to compromise our core convictions. We can hold fast to the truth we know but still show love to those who disagree with us. Love means we will listen to differing opinions and respect those with different worldviews or political affiliations. This means we will love and pray for presidents, congressmen and governors we did not vote for on election day.

Love means we will not insult those who have insulted us and we will choose kindness over vindication or revenge. Love means we will assume the best about people and not engage in gossip or slander.

Only love will motivate us to serve and sacrifice for the long term. Love will direct our decisions and determine our mission. In the end, our sincere love for others will give us the opportunity to point people to Christ, the only source of any authentic love.

Christianity has done more than enough in the past 2000 years to earn a bad reputation, but when disasters strike, like the one in Haiti, authentic Christ followers have always been among the first to lend support and aid.  We may disagree on some minor theological points and we may not play well together at times, but we do tend to rally together when the need is the most urgent.

I heard a report today that 90 percent of the non-government aid coming to Haiti was from faith-based organizations.  As taxpayers and citizens, we have also contributed to the government relief and military support that is helping bring order and stability to Haiti.  I am grateful the church has responded with such generosity and is part of the solution to a seemingly insurmountable problem.

Christ followers are a hopeful people who love to serve and love to give, but sometimes it takes a disaster to remind us of our core mission.  In a season of economic instability and uncertainty, we gave generously, even when the need right here at home was great.

I pray we will continue to serve the people of Haiti after the media spotlight has dimmed and world attention has turned to some other global crisis. The problems in Haiti are decades old and the solutions are not simple or easy. We must not give up on these precious people. Jesus told us we would always have the poor among us. He did not tell us this as an excuse to ignore them but to remind us to never stop serving them.

Loyalty is a devotion, duty and special attachment to somebody or something. Loyalty is often talked about, but rarely demonstrated. Athletes are not loyal to the hometown team, coaches leave players for better paying teams, fans are somewhat loyal, until the winning stops, and then they look for the next frontrunner to support.

I want to be a loyal person. I want to be loyal to God and the ministry He has given me. I certainly want to be loyal to Pam and our covenant of marriage. I want to be loyal to my children and to my friends.  Although relatively low in importance and high in carnality, I want to be loyal to the teams I have cheered for since childhood.

When I moved to Colorado, lots of people chided me for rooting for the Cowboys instead of the hometown Broncos.  It was all good natured and we have had a lot of laughs about it. But, when pushed on the issue, I tell people that I have always cheered for the Cowboys since I was a small boy growing up in Northwest Louisiana.  Staubach, Dorsett, Too Tall Jones, Harvey Martin, DD Lewis, Newhouse, Irvin, Emmitt, and Landry were my heroes. To root primarily for another team has never been an option. It’s a loyalty issue for me.

This season, the Broncos got off to a 6-0 start and the local fans were ecstatic and people were piling on the bandwagon. When the team sputtered to a 2-8 finish, local emergency rooms were full with people with broken ankles after jumping off the bandwagon.

I know these are worldly issues, but I am convinced that sports loyalties are a window into the soul. We certainly should not worship sports or make sports an idol, but if we say we are a fan of a team then mean what you say. Root for them when they win and stick with them when they stink.

Ultimately, loyalty to God and to others is much more critical. When tested, I want to be a loyal follower of Christ and a loyal friend. I want my devotion and my duty to be the same in the good times and in the bad times. Loyalty is a virtue that is hard to find in our culture today and when I spot it in others, I mark them as a person that I want as a friend.

I believe God wants to bless us and I believe in healing for our physical bodies. I believe God is capable and willing to bless people financially. I don’t believe any of these are the central focus of the Gospel. They are parts, but not the center. However, in the past 50 years, American Christians have focused a great deal of thought and attention to wealth and health. Certainly, we have a better understanding of healing and blessing as a result, but I suspect we have also wandered from our primary mission and lost any understanding of the theology of suffering.

Have we created a theological ideology that eliminates any discomfort and marginalizes any element that would cause us pain or even death? To be clear, I am not suggesting that we look for persecution or that we pursue suffering because it is my opinion that persecution and suffering will find us without us looking for it. But, have we, as pastors, teachers and leaders prepared our churches for difficult times? Have we created a sense of entitlement among our people that lead them to believe that any hardship is a direct reflection on their capacity of faith or the result of some secret sin?

I do believe that unbelief and sin can cause bad things to happen to us, but I also believe rough times can happen to even the most devoted of followers.  When it does, Jesus said to “take heart, for I have overcome the world.” So while Jesus is trying to help us regain our courage and move forward, we are being bombarded with messages from well meaning people that difficult days were probably our fault.  This has to stop or we are going to shipwreck people with an incomplete theology.

I suggest we keep teaching on healing and we continue praying for miracles. I suggest we keep teaching people that God wants to bless us financially, especially those who are willing to use those resources for the building of His kingdom on the earth. But, let’s not avoid the difficult teachings of Jesus and the Apostles that clearly describe seasons of suffering and loss. 

God promised to walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death and Jesus promised to enter into our suffering to comfort us and protect us.  Jesus guaranteed persecution but He also said we would always have the right words to say when brought before our persecutors. He promised us the Holy Spirit, who would teach us, lead us and guide us. 

My challenge to pastors and leaders is teach all of Scripture and not avoid the tough questions or sensitive issues. To preach and teach only on the comfortable topics is setting up our people for failure when their lives are not comfortable. Prepare the people for healing, blessing, suffering, and persecution and then the entire Gospel is really being taught.

This past year was one of the most challenging of my life, but in the midst of these struggles, I learned priceless things about God, myself, my family and my friends. It is not a year I would care to repeat, but like every difficult season, I am discovering I was more blessed than I imagined.

1.       I rediscovered joy

After the difficult first three months, I found myself staring at depression and wondering if there would ever be a stretch of days without drama. Pam confronted me at lunch one day in late April and asked me a question that I will never forget. She asked, “Are you enjoying yourself?” My candid response was “No, I’m not.”

That started me on a journey to rediscover the joy of my calling and assignment. While reading the story of the imprisoned Paul and Silas, I found the secret to living with joy even when our outside circumstances are dire. They worshipped despite being in prison and chains. I realized that I must guard my personal devotion to Christ and never lose my passion for knowing more of Him. My joy returned by mid-June and I can actually admit that on more days than not, I am enjoying what I get to do.

2.       I began writing a book

Any book of lasting value has to be birthed out of conflict, pain or revelation. Sometimes all three are required. I am not sure if I am qualified to write anything, but I am certain God has given me the ok to pen some thoughts and begin the journey. So, I began to write, pray and discuss a set of ideas that I hope will form a book that will bless and encourage others. I have an agreement with a major publisher and I expect a book to be released sometimes in 2011. The process of praying over ideas, choosing a publisher and writing down thoughts has invigorated me and I am grateful for the favor and grace along the way.

3.       I helped a friend with his dream

I imagine I will remember the events of December 6^th as one of my favorites of all time. It was on this Sunday that we announced that Pastor Ross Parsley would plant OneChapel in Austin, TX. Ross is one of my best friends and it is so exciting to help him launch this work and see him fulfill God’s call on his life.  It is a privilege to support him and launch him with resources and a capable team. 

It was a defining moment for New Life and I suspect something was implanted into our DNA that will define us for a generation. We are a Great Commission church that believes in planting other local churches with the best of our leaders.

There were lots of other great memories from 2009 – The Thorn, two epic Desperation events, praying for children who had been adopted into New Life families, the early morning prayer meetings on Thursday, serving with other New Lifers during Elevate, and a spectacular Wonderland experience on Christmas Eve.  We are moving forward into deeper waters and for that, I am grateful. 

A new decade dawns in a few days, and I believe the next ten years will be full of challenges, adventures, risks, and victories.  Let it begin – I am ready for what is ahead.

Seekers are defined as those people who are exploring spirituality but have not arrived at any concrete conclusions. They are interested in the person of Jesus, mostly turned off by the established church, but willing to live life with people who seem authentic. If the local church is committed to helping seekers find Jesus, we must know what questions they are asking and what things are of no interest to them. What are the primary questions being asked by seekers? I’m glad you asked!

1.       Do you really care about me?

Seekers believe the local church of today is nothing more than a corporate monolith interested only in established rituals, their attendance at events and their money. They wonder if church people really care about those who can’t speak church language, don’t dress like church people, and certainly don’t behave like church people.  They are willing to listen to our ideology but only if we will listen to their viewpoint with the same respect.  The local church must be committed to the intentional journey and not try to herd seekers into a box of ideas with our arguments or go for the quick sale.

2.       Are you for real?

Nothing turns off seekers like hypocrisy.  They don’t care if we make mistakes, but when we do, they expect us to own up to our shortcomings, asked for forgiveness and move forward.  In other words, they want us to take off those cheesy church masks. Seekers want to know if we are living out our beliefs in private in the same way we talk about our beliefs in public.  They expect us to say what we mean and mean what we say.

3.       Do you really love one another?

Seekers also need to see proof and the best evidence is when we, as followers of Christ, love one another sincerely.  Conflicts among believers are going to happen and seekers are certainly not looking for a fantasy world where everybody is perfect.  That world doesn’t exist.  But they are looking for a community that is committed to unity, forgiveness and redemption.  They earnestly desire a fellowship that is led by servant leaders who lead with integrity and for a group of people who are willing to sacrifice for one another.

Seekers are not interested anymore in leaders who are bible experts or leaders with a flashy, charismatic personality.  They care even less about the big staged events happening weekly at our buildings, although they are drawn to gatherings where they can have a spiritual experience.  In the end, seekers value honesty, transparency and candid conversations. If the local church is willing to engage them on that level, seekers will find the truth they so desperately desire.