A lunch and a launch

   

I had lunch yesterday with Bob Bouwer.  He’s the lead pastor at Faith Church in Dyer and a really great guy.  Faith is reaching people like crazy with the gospel and I told Bob today they have been successful at something I’ve never seen another church in our region do — reach people on both the Illinois and Indiana sides of the state line.  I know it’s been an invisible wall for us.  We have people who drive 30 minutes from parts of Merrillville, Hobart, Winfield, Hammond, etc, but people that live 10-15 minutes away in Illinois seem to be in a different world.  Bob is a guy I know I can learn a lot from and I look forward to connecting again soon.

Last night, we had our first community group of the season.  We had 23 adults sign up for our group and, sadly, had to redirect some to other groups because our house can’t handle that!  We still have 14 and I loved last night!  Most of the people I’m getting to know for the first time, and there are some cool stories.  I won’t share anything personal here without the permission of the person sharing it, but one thing is always fascinating to me — the variety of people we have at suncrest.  One of the guys in our group played minor league baseball for 2 years and another is a pilot who literally flies all over the world regularly.  He and his wife came to Suncrest at the invitation of someone he taught to fly.  Recently, he has flown troops to Kuwait and Germany and has done some charter flights to Bolivia.  I asked him if I could ride along sometime…and he said yes!  Gotta find a time to do that.

Old Stomping Grounds

I’m a  proud alum of Lincoln Christian College and Lincoln Christian Seminary.  It’s private college in Lincoln, IL where I spent 4 years in undergrad (class of ‘96) and 5 years commuting from Suncrest to get my M.Div. in 2001.  Lincoln has a lot great alumni leading some of the best churches in the country at reaching people far from God– Gene Appel and Mike Breaux at Willow Creek, Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson at Community Christian in Naperville, Jud Wilhite at Central Christian Church in Vegas. 

I’ve been back on campus a couple of times to speak in chapel or at one of their youth events or to help teach a class and I got to go back again Tuesday to  teach on “leadership development” in a Church Planting class.

 I took two of our elders with me and also our Student Life Pastor.  We got to have lunch with most of the 8 students Suncrest has at Lincoln right now studying for ministry (mostly missions, which is awesome!).

 It was a long day, but there aren’t many things more energizing to me than (1) church planting, (2) talking about leadership and (3) dreaming with people about how God might use them.  Got to do that with some of our Suncrest students one-on-one in the afternoon and with the whole class that night.

If you know about Lincoln, but haven’t been there for a while, you have to get back to campus — they have really made some incredible steps forward in facilities.  Proud to be an alum!

On the ranch…and other Sunday hapenings

  

On Sunday, we got invited by some great people at Suncrest (Lee and Deb Eades) out to their “sorta ranch” as Lee calls it.  Jack loved riding the horse…but he and I loved riding the 4 wheeler really fast even more.  Abby loved petting the horse, but wasn’t up for riding it yet.  It was a great night!

Earlier in the day, we went to a birthday party for one of our neighbors who is turning 2.  We love the neighborhood we moved into — lots of young kids and over the summer we started to really connect.  Seems like the kids from 2 of the houses are always in our backyard — or kitchen!  I invited one of the neighbors Sunday to our community group that starts Thursday night.  Got a positive, but non-committal reaction.  Hope they will come sometime soon!

Numbers (Updated)

 

I posted on some good numbers last week.  Some of these are the same, but there are more categories and some updated numbers…

·         $3000…the amount raised to help students in need in the Lake Central Schools music programs at “Play It Forward”

 

·         $100…the initial investment from Suncrest Benevolence and Missions Teams that prompted a small group to “Play it forward”

 

• 18…number of elementary students in our Fall “Life Building” session to learn about faith, baptism, etc.

 

·         14…baptisms that happened on Sunday.  We know of at least another 6 that are already committed next time we do them.  Every one of the 14 has a story.  Wish I could tell you each one.  God is doing something powerful in these lives.

 

·         444…the number of Suncrest adults that signed up for community groups on Sunday.  This blows away anything we had done before…I mean WAY more.  Thanks for taking the step!

 

·         2…new groups that were formed since Sunday to try to increase our capacity.  We still have room in some groups , so if you haven’t signed up yet, do it Sunday.

 

·         38…the number of middle school students who came to ReMix Tuesday night.  It’s a new record for our mid-week program!

 

·         7…The date in October (the 7^th) that Student Life Worship expands from one service to two (9:30am and 11:00am). 

 

·         500…the number of 20 day “Puzzled” guides that were initially printed and are now gone.  Many of us started reading this reading/reflection/prayer plan this week.

 

·         150…the number of 20 day puzzled guides we re-ordered on Monday!  If you are in a group, they are included as part of your experience.  If you haven’t connected to a group, but will still like them, you can get them in the bookstore this weekend for $2.

 

Numbers never tell the whole story…

…but they don’t lie either.  Here’s some inspiring stuff from this past weekend at Suncrest.

$3000…the amount raised to help students in need in the Lake Central Schools music programs at “Play It Forward”

$100…the initial investment from Suncrest that prompted “Play it forward”

14…baptisms that happened on Sunday.  We know of at least another 6 that are already committed next time we do them.

400+…the number of Suncrest adults that signed up for groups on Sunday.  This blows away anything we had done before…and there is still a chance for more this Sunday.

God is good.  All the time.

Play it forward

 

September 14, 2007

Hey Suncrest,Can’t wait to see you all tomorrow evening at “Play it Forward.”I’ve referenced the story a number of times, but have never told the whole thing.  Earlier this summer every Community Group was given $100 through missions and benevolence, and was challenged to make a difference in people’s lives.  Below is the initial email where you can hear Fred Ewing’s heart on this idea that is now coming to fruition. 

“Good evening to all. I am writing this because I have something on my mind and heart I want to share. Today I was handed $100.00 as a point leader to go out and make a difference with our team in the community.  After praying about it and while I was driving it hit me like a ton of bricks.  You ask what?  Well, we have been given a great gift from our Holy Father and it’s time to make a difference.  I was thinking of all the times as a kid when I was in choir and all my other friends were either in band or right along beside me.  Many of you have done the same as well because we had the opportunity to do so.  Well there are so many kids out there that may not get the chance because of funding in their schools.  I know your thinking “What can 100 dollars do?”  Well I’m talking about turning $100.00 into possibly $10,000.00 by putting on a concert to raise funds for the Gary school district or any other school who may need help getting instruments or improving their music department.  I don’t know about you guys but I know being in music has made a big impact in my life and I can’t imagine why others could not benefit from it as well.  This is just a suggestion, if you have any others please lets talk about it but is time to give back to what has been blessed upon us.”

This is going to be a great evening at Redar Park in Schererville - the concert starts at 4pm.  I look forward to seeing you there.   

Greg

PS - Been so caught up in what’s ahead this Sunday but we shouldn’t forget the worship experience we had this past Sunday.  It was pretty inspiring to me to read all the God encounters you’ve had at different times in your lives.  We’ll share some of those 5 word stories this week in different ways! 

Fasting…Could you do it? Would you do it?

 

Fasting from food is really as simple as this: not eating for the purpose of prayer.  Though it is not a common habit of most Christ-followers today, the first Christ-followers used it in two ways.

1.  It was a regular habit.  Much like other spiritual disciplines of prayer, scripture reading, journaling, etc., fasting is regular practice people use to draw closer to God and remember their dependence on him.

2.   Fasting was also used to pray intensely for new spiritual initiatives.  One example of that is in Acts 13 when Paul and Barnabas were being sent out on a missions journey.  It says, “So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”  In the next chapter, they were appointing elders in a church for the first time and we see it again, “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.”

At Suncrest we have asked people to fast at different points in our history, including in our elder selection process.  Today, is another one of those requests as we sit on the horizon of a new spiritual initiative.  Here’s how you can participate…

1.  Fast one day (24 hours) for what will happen in the next 5 weeks at Suncrest.  We believe these next 5 weeks can be essential for all of us to bring focus to our faith.  I’d love for you to join me in praying for these things…

• Pray people will take the time to seriously reflect on their current spiritual condition — to celebrate areas that are strong and commit to growing areas that are weak.
• Pray people will understand — really understand — what spiritual growth is, what it isn’t, and how to take steps forward.
• Pray that everyone at Suncrest will connect in a Community Group for 4 weeks.
• Pray for the experience people will have in community groups where they can sort out spiritual growth with the help of other Christ-followers.
• Pray that our church family would grow in these 4 areas:
  • Cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus
  • Connecting in relationships where truth meets life
  • Contributing by serving
  • Caring about people far from God

2.  We are suggesting a 24 hour fast from food, but fasting can take different forms.  That’s what I’m doing today along with many others, but you can do it tomorrow or any day in the next week.  Please do give consideration to your personal health!  Some might fast for just one meal.  Some might fast from food and drink.  Don’t be rigid about this — catch the spirit of it!

3.  Make sure you don’t just “not eat”, but you actually use that time to pray!  One of the ideas behind a fast is that the hunger you begin to feel reminds us of our dependence on God.

4.  Let me know if you will commit to a fast of some sort…I will promise to pray for you as you fast.  Email me at greg.lee@suncrest.org and just say “I’m in!”

I can’t wait to see how God works through our prayers together!

How Rich are you?

 

Had a friend tell me about this website and thought it was worth passing on…it might be thought provoking for you.

Click here: to see where you fall on the Global Rich List.

6 years ago today…

 

September 11, 2007

Six years ago this morning I met John Wasem (our founding pastor) for breakfast.  By the time we got back to our rented ministry offices, the world had changed.  It was interesting to hear from some of our staff this morning about their memories on that day…

Sue was on the staff then and remembered how we dropped everything and called through the entire church directory that day to pray with people and invite them to a prayer service that night.  Mary Beth attended Suncrest, but wasn’t on our staff at the time.  She wrote me this… “I remember coming to that gathering at our old office.  I was so thankful to have the support of this church family.  I believe it gave me an entirely different outlook and remember some family members questioning my ability to still have hope in the face of that time.  Thanks Suncrest!”

Mike was the principal of a school in New Mexico…imagine the responsibility of leading 55 faculty/staff, 600 students, and many concerned parents through a difficult day.  David was in seminary at the time and especially reflected on his responsibility to his family – wife, children, parents – on that day. 

We all have a memory, don’t we?  Beyond the details of the day, it’s worth remembering the values that day – patriotism, appreciation for those who serve us in dangerous ways, and (maybe most of all) simple kindness - that “love your neighbor” sort of kindness that Jesus called all of us to. 

I’ve received some of the same forwarded emails as you probably have about how to mark this anniversary.  I think most of them are good…I drove with my headlights on this morning and many others were too.  Maybe, however, the best way to honor this day is to do something that reflects those values and priorities that were re-shaped in us on that day. 

Summer is over!

 

Hope you had a great summer.  I had a good one, but I’m also really glad it is fall.  With Labor Day behind us, it’s time to push forward hard.  I’m teaching Sunday to wrap up this critical message series on worship and then I’ll do 5 straight weeks for our Puzzled? Series.  I can’t wait because as much as I appreciate the break from teaching to focus on other things, it’s also part of who God made me to be. 

For this week, I know there is a lot below, so here it is:

I spent all day yesterday video-taping some teaching for our community groups at Suncrest this fall.  This Puzzled? series that starts on Sunday the 16^th has demanded an enormous amount of behind the scenes work from our staff and volunteers, but it will be so worth it!  Ever felt Puzzled about how to grow spiritually?  You can do it.  We can help.

We’re asking everyone at Suncrest to commit to a Community Group for 4 weeks this fall in correlation with the Puzzled? Series.  This short term commitment is the perfect chance to experiment with being in a  group if you’ve never been in one before.  I believe with all of my heart that God will use the experience to help you grow spiritually.

 We are offering a forum on Sunday to hear some additional teaching on baptism and get your questions answered.  We’re expecting a good number of people, but there is still room for you if you’ve thought about this more since the message 2 weeks ago.  It will be held in Room 125 (near the north family entrance) during the 9:30 service on Sunday. 

Maybe you’ve heard Shine FM 89.7 advertising for this “Play it Forward” event.  Bottom line is…it’s going to be an incredible day to be together as a whole church family – lots of fun, good music, and a great community cause!!  Let’s make sure we are all at Redar Park on Saturday the 15^th (4-9pm).  Buy your $5 tickets at Suncrest this Sunday.  In fact, buy one even if you can’t go!  All the funds from the tickets go to support students who can’t afford to be part of the music program in the Lake Central School District.

New Service Times…don’t forget.  8:00/9:30/11:00 begins this Sunday!  Student Life worship will be at the 11:00 service.

At our elders meeting Wednesday night, we sensed God was prompting us to ask our whole church to fast one day next week in preparation for Suncrest’s journey through Puzzled?  You’ll hear a little more about it Sunday and then get an email about it early next week.  We are targeting Wednesday, but you could pick another day if Wednesday would be impossible for some reason.