Elder Retreat

Highlights from a great day on our elder retreat.

1.  We decided to come to Restoration House in New Hampshire for our retreat to get a first-hand appreciation of our church planting efforts in New England.  It’s been cool to see how God has worked in this Region through Restoration House Ministries.

2.  We prayed together for about an hour tonight for our staff.  We asked the staff before we left how the elders could pray for them and got some great responses.  It was powerful.

3.  We had lunch with 2 key leaders from Rockingham Christian Church and did some mentoring for them as they walk into having their first elders.  We prayed over them after a great conversation.

4.  Talked about the next evolution of a leadership development effort to supplement our model of reproducing leaders.  If you are a growing church, leaders are ALWAYS in short supply.  We want to creat systems that meet this critical need.

5.  Most helpful discussion for me…an ongoing shaping/discussion of what the role of elder is at Suncrest. On one hand, we know there are some Biblical fundamentals that will never change.  On the other hand, we know some leadership functions have to change as we grow.  Picture above is from some stuff we charted out on the whiteboard.  Next post will have some of that stuff if you are interested.

On the road again

This week has felt like a month to me.  I had lunch with Jenny, Jack, and Abby Sunday after church and then headed for the airport. 

On Monday, I was with our church plant in Boston to meet with their management team and I just have to tell you how incredible this church is.  They set new attendance records every week.  They had a higher attendance on Sunday than they even did on Easter…317 people!  What they are doing is unheard of in urban church planting circles.  Your generosity has made this possible.  Most of you know our church “tithes” 10% to give to causes beyond ourselves and out of that we have committed $50,000 over 5 years to launch this church.  God is using your gifts here…and beyond.

On Tuesday, I was in the office and had my usual Tuesday of meetings before heading out to coach Jack’s first soccer practice.  That was a blast!

On Wednesday I was in Dallas (where I’m typing this from here Friday morning) for an opportunity I don’t deserve.  I was invited to gather with 12 pastors from around the country who are (1) leading large churches and (2) are under a certain age.  It’s called Next Generation Leadership Community and is hosted by Leadership Network.  It was 48 hours of insightful and challenging conversations.  I’ll reflect more on it over the next couple weeks here if you want details.

The best part and worse part of my trip – I left my cell phone in my car at Midway!!!  It was a sick feeling for the first few hours, but I have actually quite enjoyed it.  Since I am experiencing some signs of withdrawal at this stage, I’ll be glad to get it this afternoon when I land back in Chicago.

Suncrest Update

 

Hey Suncrest,

I’m missing you! 

Last time I wrote I was on my way back from a family vacation.  Since then, it’s literally just been more planes, trains, and automobiles.  I got back on Friday the 20^th in time to do a wedding rehearsal and some laundry – then went to the airport Saturday after the wedding with 2 Suncrest High School Students to spend 5 days in New England.  I was teaching out there on leadership and church planting to some top-tier high school students from around the country.  I also got to worship at the new church we started in Boston – www.reunionboston.com – a very inspiring experience! 

I landed back at O’Hare last Thursday night and in the next 72 hours, I managed to get out of town with just Jenny for one night, go to a wedding reception, a graduation party, to the beach with our kids, and worship at Suncrest in both Student Life worship at 10:00 and with the adults at the 11:30 service. 

In that time frame I also had a very enlightening experience.  In the 11:30 service Sunday, we had some “secret shoppers” at Suncrest.  This was a group of 7 people who currently don’t go to church who agreed to come and give us their feedback (as long as I was buying lunch!).  This was the first time I’ve done this, but it won’t be the last because their feedback to me was so beneficial:

·         It was encouraging - we blew away their expectations with the music and the warmth/friendliness factor.

·         It was insightful – they told me about things they didn’t understand, why they did or didn’t do things like fill out the tear-off panel, visit the welcome center, go to the bookstore, etc.

·         It was challenging – They had some great constructive criticism of some elements they experienced.

·         It was confusing – Really, it was a reminder that different people have different preferences – what some people really liked, others didn’t and vice-versa.  Suncrest has never been a place that has tried to “please everyone”, understanding that is impossible so this was a good reminder.

·         It was convicting – I might write more about this sometime, but more than anything the conversation at lunch convicted me…again…and more than ever…that our sensitivity to unchurched people needs to stay at zenith levels.  The stakes are high – no less than people’s eternity hangs in the balance!! 

I can’t wait for this Sunday.  The Sunday we emphasize our commitment to being a church that starts other churches is a highlight of the summer.  This year we have one of the most dynamic speakers I’ve ever heard coming…you won’t want to miss it!  The new church he is starting is in Tampa, Florida. 

And even more important…we will receive a special offering to give this new church a much needed-boost as they launch.  Please come prepared to give generously in addition to your regular offerings. 

See you Sunday. 

Greg