What One Can Learn Driving Across IA and NE

After looking at the first few fields of corn Iowa and a good chunk of Nebraska all looks the same. Sometimes the little hill you’re driving over is a little bigger than the previous one but for the most part the scenery doesn’t change much which is why I chose to drive late into the evening. When you have the open road and a Starbucks drink in hand you have a lot, and I mean A LOT, of time to reflect and think.

First of all I went to college in Nebraska (Omaha). I’ve only been back or through there maybe 2-3 times since graduating in ‘97. But this time driving through the city and across the state made me pause and remember. It was during my freshman year in college when I gave my life to “missions” not really knowing what any of that meant nor what it entailed. At that time we didn’t talk in terms of “missional” so missions was relegated to what took place outside one’s country’s borders. Regardless if I had an appropriate missiology or not it was a significant time where basically I made a covenant with the Lord to go anywhere and do anything. Never in a million years did I ever think that would involve the city.

You see, having grown up in small town Iowa I remember in college having aspirations of being a small town pastor and something like western Nebraska sounded pretty cool. To pastor a little church out in the sand hills among the ranchers was actually appealing. But I think God remembered my covenant with Him and He began to change me. If you asked me where was my “Africa,” meaning, where I’d never want to go then the city would be at the top of my list.  Well, we’re in a moving truck on our way to Vancouver BC to plant not only churches but our lives as well.  Obviously something changed … me.

As I look back over the past 12 years since college graduation it has been quite the adventure and now putting it together it seems like all along the plan was God preparing me/us for the city … for Vancouver. There has been a complete restlessness over the past number of years and at the same time a homing beacon from the Great NW that has been calling us “home.” In so many ways no I see that covenant I made with the Lord in college beginning to come to fruition.  I certainly don’t know nor presume to know every detail for the remainder of my life but what I do know was that 12 years ago I’d be hard-pressed to be even remotely open to giving my life to a city and those who live there. God does have a sense of humor because one of the very things I dreaded instead became a burning passion and a calling.

Country Music and Sunflower Seeds

I normally don’t listen to country music but today as I drove the 24′ moving truck it almost felt like a necessity. As we “careened” down the interstate getting a gass-guzzling 7 mpg the down-home music echoed through the cavernous truck cab as me and Grant and Camden chewed on sunflower seeds. Sounds like the start of a great road trip to me.

Day 1 was all about loading.  We loaded up our first load of things from my Mom’s house in SE Missouri before we drove up to Springfield, IL to get the rest of our earthly goods out of storage. Some of the boxes seemed a bit damp and it made me wish we would’ve checked into a climate controlled unit.  Hopefully my books haven’t turned to mush.

Afterwards we called it quits and checked into at a hotel in town before we hit the road tomorrow.  The goal is to get to North Platte, NE. Fingers crossed …

Twas The Night Before Departure …

Well, tomorrow begins the next phase of the journey.  Remember a couple of years ago when Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy went on a rant when the media was criticizing his players? You can click here to see a very shortened version of it. Basically he yells .. “I’m a man! I’m 40!”  It’s kind of funny but I can relate a bit. I’m 36 and something “happened” when I hit that magical number … well, it felt like a unique milestone for me. But it was more like a, “ok Sean, this is it … you’re going to Vancouver to plant a church so you better ‘get your game on’ and step out and trust God.” Tomorrow we’re loading up the moving truck and stepping out.

Excited?  For sure! Scared? A bit. I guess having been in the role of a church planting strategist for over 4 years now I’ve seen a number of guys tackle church planting. Some new churches took off while others saw slow growth while others stagnated while others didn’t make it all. It’s a sobering enough of a reality that keeps me trusting God and depending on Him because without Him I am doomed to failure.

So here I am … I’m 36 and ready to take off across the country in a moving truck with Grant and Camden. From the beginning we prayed and trusted God to at least get us there. I set a goal to raise $10,000 for the move and other related expenses.  I figured that if I can’t trust God to get us from Point A to Point B then how could I trust Him to grow His church and redeem the lost? On the eve of our departure I’m humbled to say that God has provided the $10,000 that we needed. We were able to rent a moving truck, pay for travel insurance for the next 3 months, and so many of the things that come up with a big move like passports, airline tickets for Katie and Seth, and so on.

So here we are Lord.  This morning at Fruitland Community Church (who commissioned today) we watched a video about the persecuted church. I remember reading a quote from some American missionary that cause me to pause and reflect. Basically he said, “God called us to go, not to come home.” Indeed. On the eve of our departure we want to not only plant churches in Vancouver but to also plant our very lives along with the Gospel.

How Much Planning Went Into Deciding Where to Plant a Church?

I’ve repeatedly said that what Richard Florida writes about in his book Who’s Your City? has enormous implications for church planting.  It all comes down to the question posed in the title of this blog … how much planning went into deciding where you’re planting a church? To review, in the book Florida talks about the 3 biggest decisions we’ll make in life: (1) What are you going to do? (2) With who? (3) Where? We obviously spend A LOT of time planning and preparing for the first two, but what about the third?

What I’m interested in is how much time, effort, energy, and research went into the decision-making process church planters go through in determining where they’re going to plant. Also, where is the confluence of listening to God’s voice/will, knowing how He’s wired you and who He made you to be, and taking a pragmatic approach. Since most church planters say that God called them to the area and people they’re planting among then how do they determine it? Did they also set out certain criteria of what they’re looking for and prayed through them?

I’m also interested on a personal level because of my own process for determining where to plant a church again. It really was a long and arduous process full of tons of research, even more prayer, talking with friends, discerning needs, and trying to take a step back to see where God was at work locally, regionally, and globally. The decision to plant in Vancouver started off as a “nudge” or a strong feeling of “I’m incredibly drawn here” to the Pacific Northwest. That all started after my wife and I worked for a summer at a camp in SE Alaska after college. Since then I’ve spent countless hours researching Vancouver and other cities in the West. I was looking for a larger city (2+ million) that has a large Creative Class, a city on the front end of the new urbanism, a global/international city, a very ethnically diverse city with a large number of “visible minorities,” heavily unchurched, a large Asian population, a healthy number of colleges and universities, and other factors like a city that is striving to be eco-friendly, sustainable, and compact. Some of the other things I was looking at as well were support systems and structures that would be an aid as we planted. That way there are others I can tap into for advice, encouragement, mentoring, information, and so on.

I don’t assume that there are any 2 identical ways of how much planning went into deciding where to plant.  As each person is different so is each story. For some it was a quick process while others it was slow and drawn out.  For some it meant staying home and reaching a people and culture they’re familiar with while others it meant packing up and relocating to a different city or country. At the end God is glorified as people are reached and churches are planted.

How Did You Decide Where to Plant a Church?

That is a question I’ve been asking myself and others for a number of years now. What were the factors that led you to decide on where to plant a church?  Not only have I been thinking about this but it’s a haunting kind of question as well because the foundation of it is truly theological as well as pragmatic. Let me explain …

Several years ago while a Church Planting Strategist in Tucson I began noticing a trend. I’d roughly say that about 9 out of 10 church planters and church planter prospects felt God was leading them to plant in a primarily suburban setting/culture and among mostly Anglos. The reason this is theological is this: (1) This exposes how we view call and our theological underpinnings leading into our assumptions that leads into our decision-making. (2) This is theologically tragic because if God is calling guys to plant mostly in suburban settings among Anglos then He must not care about the 35% of the city that is Hispanic, non-White, and urban. Is that really who God is? I don’t think so.

So why or how did you decide where to plant a church?  Was it a familiar culture? Was it the most comfortable setting or environment? Were you from that area and you had a burden for the people? Was it to go to the most unchurched part of the city? Was it the easiest soil that’ll give you the most bang for the buck?  And if God is truly calling you there … do you know that for sure?  How can you tell it is God versus your preference or where is the convergence of both?

In the initial responses received from my surveys as to what were the primary determining factors that led church planters to decide where they were to plant a church the overwhelming majority said that they felt called by God. While this is exciting and affirming at the same time I wonder aloud if there’s a dark side to this. If the most difficult parts of the city are also the same places where church planters are NOT going then what does that tell us?  Does God not care? Why would He lead most planters to safer environments that’s inhabited by mostly Middle-Class families? Again, I’m not throwing stones but am simply wondering out loud. We don’t need less church plants in the suburbs because we need exponentially more. What I’m trying to uncover is why church planters chose to plant where they did …

What is Faith?

It’s funny, I’ve been following Jesus (a.k.a a Christian) at this point for almost half of my life now (I’m 36) and I feel like I’m just now learning what faith is. Odd admission I realize. Over the past number of months I’ve asked myself repeatedly and others “What is faith?” What does it mean to trust God? To “step out in faith?” While I think I did have a decent amount of faith I’m realizing how shallow I was … and am.

It seems like it is easier to “sacrifice” for God when you’re younger and without kids.  When we first loaded up the moving van to head to Arizona to go to grad school and I took a job as a youth pastor it was the greatest “leap of faith” I had ever experienced at that point. At the time it truly was but now that we have 3 kiddos any talk of a “leap of faith” is that much more pronounced because there are others involved. What if we fail? What if we go bankrupt? What if I suck as a church planter? Those and other nagging questions haunt me at times when I’m not careful. When we moved to Arizona everything was in the bank … the move was paid for, we had a free place to live (with a pool), a guaranteed job on the other end waiting for us, half of school already paid for, and it was smooth sailing. Now? It’s a bit more intimidating.

I was meeting a church planting friend this morning and we were talking about when Peter stepped out of the boat to follow Jesus by walking on water. When Peter started to sink what was he doubting?  Jesus?  No, Jesus wasn’t sinking. He saw the waves, the impossibility of the task, and doubted his own ability that Jesus supernaturally gave him to walk on the water at that moment and thus he began to sink. My prayer for me and Katie is that our eyes would simply and fully be on Jesus … not the circumstances nor the safety of the “boat” but on Jesus and responding to his beckoning to us to “walk on water.”

We have 5 days until departure and at this point there seems to be more unknown’s than known’s. But that’s okay, we’re to be living sacrifices and Jesus is the one who gives meaning to our lives and it’s worth. I think faith is simply action and obedience because my feelings are as turbulent as figuring out who’s in the top 10 in the College football BCS.

The Glue Holding Together Urban Communities

When you think about it the church is an anomaly in society. Think about it … what other group or organization cares about (1) people’s spiritual lives, (2) people’s personal lives and families, (3) people’s physical lives, (4) their community and it’s welfare and well-being whether its the natural or built environment, (5) the different facets of city and city life, (6) the arts and creativity, and we’re only touching the tip of the iceberg.

I’m looking at and surveying 200 church plants that have began since the year 2000 in several cities out West and one of the common themes I’ve seen all throughout is the church’s involvement in all levels of culture and society. Churches aren’t just a bunch of Christians getting together one hour a week on Sunday mornings singing a few songs and listening to a lecture … they really are transforming agents. Each church surveyed is involved in the fabric of city life in some way, shape, or form and the various ways are as diverse and creative as there are in the number of churches. Make no doubt about it these churches are rolling up their sleeves and jumping in with both feet.  They not only care about people’s spiritual lives but overall I see a good application of Jeremiah 29:7.

I wonder how much these churches and others really are the glue that hold together the communities they’re in.  Sure, there are many instances where if the church would disappear no one would really notice but if these newer churches are any indication that many not be so true any more. While it may not be as big as a deal to the public eye as the closing of a shopping mall or a Walmart if a church were to cease to exist in a community there would definitely be a hole. Churches are involved in poverty and homeless issues, education whether it’s tutoring or after-school programs, working with various art districts, opening up their own galleries or coffee shops, providing recreational and social opportunities for residents in high-rise buildings, and we’re only just getting started.

Is it safe to say that the church really is an unstoppable force? One hand the church is offering hope for people’s spiritual and personal lives and on the other hand they’re not just talking but jumping head-first into the various social issues on scene today.

What Should The Church Do With Gentrification?

The last time I checked my memory banks I haven’t heard any message at a church gathering dealing with the church’s response to gentrification. While many probably don’t know what the term is they’ve seen what it is about if they’ve driven through a city. Simply put, gentrification is “the buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighborhoods by upper- or middle-income families or individuals, thus improving property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses.”

There are many things about it that are wonderful and good. Who doesn’t want to see a decaying inner city neighborhoods turn around, reclaim its historical roots, and become beautiful? What city doesn’t want or need an influx of people moving back into the city? Many times these are the neighborhoods that became “hoods” full of drugs, prostitution, and violence. I remember talking to a church planter in the Lafayette Park neighborhood in St. Louis and he told me about the early gentrifiers in that area. If you go there today what you’ll see are gorgeous old homes that have been refurbished along with trendy shops, coffee shops, and eateries popping up. But 20 years ago it was the people who lived there who decided to take their neighborhood back. It was one of the city’s leading areas as far as drug use/sales and prostitution. But the homeowners would walk the streets and the alleys at night in tandems watching over their neighborhood determined to take it back. Now that’s an amazing story!

The only point of struggle is when lower income families get priced right out of their neighborhood. How should the church respond? I think one of the ways they can is to build a relationship with local city leaders as well as the developers and business owners. This was they can be a voice calling for the fair treatment of those less fortunate whether that is making sure there are provisions for affordable housing in the neighborhood or adequate schools and so on. While I know many want to make these gentrified neighborhoods exclusive enclaves there’s something to be said when people can rub shoulders on a regular basis that spans racial as well as socio-economic lines. The church can help foster this leading to things like reconciliation and the fair treatment of those less fortunate.

A Church Planter’s First 30 Days

So I’m less than 2 weeks out from driving a 24′ foot moving truck over numerous mountain passes between here and Vancouver and I’m starting to think beyond the, “holy cow … we’re moving soon!” Of course once we get there we’ll have a few days to finalize housing before we move in, get all of the utilities hooked up, unpack, register the kids for school, get the lay of the land, and so on. My thoughts are now turning to, “Ok, once I’ve settled in, now what?”  What am I to do my first 30 days in Vancouver? My feelings are the first 30 days will set the pace and precedence for whatever comes next. Since I’ve planted once before already my goal is to also avoid the mistakes and pitfalls I tripped into last time. So here’s my arm-chair missiological approach to my first 30 days:

#1 – Be a Sponge – The first thing I’m going to do is to assume that I don’t know squat other than God has called us to join Him in Vancouver. Sure, I’ve been part of the church planting world for a while now both as a planter and as a strategist both for a metro area as well as a region/state but I think that could do me more harm than good. The tendency would be to think I know what I’m doing and start running full speed ahead. This time I want to come in with a posture of a learner. The reality is that God has been at work in Vancouver for a long long time and He’ll continue to work in the city long after I’m gone. What I want to do is spend time simply immersing myself in the city, in the culture, among those who’re far from God, connect with lots of pastors and planters to learn from them, and begin to listen for and discern God’s voice in the foray. Exegesis in a passage of Scripture comes when we look at the whole and the begin breaking it down. I need to get a good picture of the whole first in Vancouver.

#2 Exegete My Focus Area – Once I’ve got a baseline understanding of the area, God’s past and present activity, and the beginnings of some great relationships formed I’d like to think I’m ready to begin exegeting and investing in the focus area of where we’ll be planting our first Ion Community. I realize that #1 and #2 do overlap and in reality they’ll both happen simultaneously as I’ll never get beyond learning about and studying the city. That is a lifelong endeavor that’s exhilarating. I never grow tired of learning about the city where God has placed me. My goal is to make sure I spend the majority of the week with those who’re unchurched and not following Jesus.

Apart from those 2 things I know I’ll walk the streets and neighborhoods praying like crazy begging God to work in people’s lives to create, form, and grow His church.  If I can begin to implement these practices within the first 30 days I know it will set a good foundation to begin the process of planting a church. I know it is both an art and a science. I’ll let you know how it goes after the first 30 days.

Church Planting is Not a Career

How do you write a post about church planting and calling without getting all cliche-like? It’s probably like asking Peyton Manning a series of questions in a post-game interview and his answers would probably be … “It was a good team effort … we came in and took care of business … we had a great gameplan going into the game.” Actually pull out Peyton and insert any QB and they all repeat the same lines. Hmmm … does the NFL have a school for post-game interviews? Anyways, back to church planting …

We’re under 2 weeks out from when we load up the moving truck to begin heading down (or up?) the road to Vancouver. As we finalize our relocation plans I keep coming back to some of the core tenants of my faith. It seems like when we have our toes on the line of an upcoming threshold it has a tendency to cause one to do a lot of reflection. Is God for real? Is He who He says He is? Will He do what He says He’ll do? Am I running from or toward? Do those far from God really matter to Him? Why am I really doing this? Is this is about a good career move or is it about calling?

Church planting is a lousy career if truth be told. It’s like sitting at a blackjack table in Vegas putting all of your chips on the hopes that the next card will get you a 21. Or its like dumping all of your savings into a start-up dotcom who’s just gone public with the potential for a great upswing but it is high risk. Like in both cases you might “win big” or go broke trying and crash and burn.

One of the issues I’ve had to wrestle through is calling. What exactly is calling? Is the way we use and model it today truly biblical? What is God calling me to do? I think I’m more under the impression that God is already working and is inviting us to join him (ala Experiencing God). I know God is at work in the Vancouver metro area. I know He’s called us to come and join Him, but I’m also terrified and humbled. The task seems so overwhelming and the need enormous. It gives one the feeling of being very small, but that’s okay because God is plenty big. I’ve had to wrestle with the reality of feeling in over my head, and like Moses, very unsure of my own abilities, but in the end it really isn’t about us is it? It wasn’t about Moses but instead God and His plan for a nation. It’s not about me but instead about God and His plan for Vancouver.

Along those lines I feel then like we’re moving to Vancouver out of gratitude and obedience. We’re excited yet incredibly humbled that God would allow us to serve Him as church planters in this magnificent city. Our prayers are that through the days, weeks, months, and years ahead we’d continue to revisit that God is calling us and its not about career opportunities but simply out of gratitude and delight that we go.