How You Argue Shows Your Maturity
One of the things that we all can agree on (which is not much) is that there is a lot of arguing going on
in our world today. Everyone has an opinion on everything and then there are people with the opposite opinion on everything. Which means people argue. Especially when it comes to our online world. There are even memes now online that show how people are willing to say things to people online that they would never say to someone face to face (I like the Mike Tyson one personally).
The sad thing for me is that I see followers of Jesus treating other followers of Jesus in the exact same way. Truth be told in some cases even worse. Then we see men and women in church leadership that are treating
each other this way. Church leaders that have read about biblical conflict resolution from Matthew 18 where we are told to go one to another and talk with each other. But yet they are sharing their arguments with everyone willing to read in 140 characters or less.
But, then I read in the book of Romans where Paul is talking to the church in Rome about how followers of Jesus are to treat each other with differing thoughts and opinions.
Romans 14: 1 (NLT) 1Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.
Paul even goes on to write don’t argue about what food you eat and don’t argue about what day is holy or not. I
am sure that we all can make some similar associations with current areas of argument in our word today especially between followers of Jesus. Did I mask that one good enough? Or did I get my one shot at the conversation? (See what I did there.) But then Paul brings it back around to how we are to be living our lives
when it comes to each other and our arguments.
Romans 14: 10 – 13 (NLT) 10 So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” 12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
As I read these verses it leads me to understand that how we argue as followers of Jesus shows our spiritual maturity it shows me how we treat each other is more about the other follower of Jesus than ourselves and our own opinions. My hope is that if you are reading this, that both you and I will take some time to think about how we respond to other followers of Jesus, and when we do respond, what are we showing when it comes to our spiritual maturity.
The People at this Church don’t Look Like Church People
Over four years ago we moved into a church building that was owned by another church from a different denomination. And over the last four years we have done some building changes on the outside but most of our work has been on the inside. So most people that either live close to this building or had come to the building before would have noticed the subtle changes we have made. But recently we had a neighborhood meeting where we invited the community to come in and talk with us about one of the things we are doing when it comes to the building property.
We are developing the back 2.1 acres of our property to where there will be an apartment complex built for low-income housing. For people that are coming out of homelessness, people with disabilities, people dealing with mental health, and those that are transitioning from prison. The goal for us is that we want to be a part of the housing solution in our community for those that need the most help. So we knew that we were going to have some people that were not going to be supportive of what we were doing. During this neighborhood meeting, we heard from a few people that were very against the work that we’re doing.
But when it came to this meeting it was not a comment about the low-income housing project that stuck with me the most. It was from a man that has been living behind our building who says he is a Christian and it was about the people that come to Elevation. Here is what he said, “We liked the other church that used to be in this building because those people looked like church people. The people coming now don’t look like church people.”
Which made me want to ask the question; “So what does a church person look like?” Is it suits, is it nice cars, is it nice looking people? What does a church person look like?
Church people look lost but are now being found, church people look lonely but are building relationships, and church people look left out but are now being brought together as a family. Church people have different cultures, church people have different languages, church people have different races, and church people come from all over. So if that is what it looks like here at Elevation I am good, no matter what someone says.
Why a Free Market?
We see people with cardboard signs all the time that say, HUNGRY or NEED FOOD. But what can you do about it? What if you could help a family that is in need get food in a dignified way? This is the question that we have been working to answer over the last couple of months. So at Elevation Christian Church we have an amazing group of volunteers that take our building and set it up for a free market that helps people that live in our community that are in need get food in a dignified way.
So to do this we work with an organization that helps us provide quality food through the free market to the people in our community. We choose to work with this organization because most of the time when you ask people to donate food they give you the food products that they don’t like (sauerkraut) or have had for years. (Expiration not noticed) Or when you ask people to donate money they think they are already helping someone by giving them money as the pass by them holding their cardboard sign. I watched a TED TALK where the Mayor of Albuquerque talked about how by donating financially to a food bank or free market can make a greater impact when it comes to helping people get food. Unfortunately when we give someone money on the street is less likely to go to feeding them but to feeding their addiction. So at the Free Market at Elevation we are able to purchase large amounts of quality food where we can then give it to the people that are in need for FREE. That is why it is called, “The Free Market at Elevation.”
Through the amazing volunteers at Elevation we create a mini grocery store with grocery carts and all where people can get the food they need for themselves and for their families. We also have people called, “Shoppers Helpers” that walk through the Free Market with the people from the community to build a relationship with them. It is not someone that probes about their issues or their needs but someone that can become a friendly face. Then once the person is done going through the market the shoppers helper asks how they can pray for that person and gives them a card or some encouragement. We recently had over 100 second graders from a local school come and help set-up and while they helped they also created cards to give to the shoppers of the Free Market. I was told that one man went through the market for the first time where he recieved his food, had someone pray with him, and then he recieved one of the second graders cards. What I was told was the man thanked his shoppers helper for their prayers, then began to walk out of the building, while he was on the front walk way he read the card from one of the second graders. He was so overcome with with the care and the card that he came back into the building with tears streaming down his face to let the volunteers know how thankful he was for the food, the care, and the card. He said that it was all just what he needed that day.
I tell you this because you can be a part of the Free Market at Elevation. You can help people that are in need of food by your donations and when you donate you know that they are getting quality food and dignified care at the same time. Just click here. Because when you do you will be doing what is best for the person that is most likely going to be holding a sign some day saying, “In need of food”. Be a part of the movement to make sure that someone is being fed and fed well physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Seek the one to Reflect the One
I am excited to be able to start the new year with a goal of writing on this blog at least twice a week and making it a part of what we are doing at Elevation. I am also going to be writing to help husbands, fathers, and men to be all that God wants them to be in each of their lives.
So today is kind of a two for one! We have started a series called, “The Vow”. We are talking about the vows that we need to take serious if we are going to be prepared for marriage or to have strength in our current marriages. Because if you are reading this you probably have like me seen the stats or studies that show that half of marriages are not making it for the long haul. And most men are like me where we did not have the best or if any examples of what it means to be a Godly and loving husband. So it is my hope that we can start the conversation where we can give men a place to start when it comes to preparing to be great husbands or help those husbands to grow and get better.
I have been reading through the book of Psalms and there is one that is specific about what it looks like for a husband to spiritually lead his family. We talked about what it looks like to, “Seek the One, to Reflect the One” to our spouses or women that we want to marry in the first message of our series. So read with me Psalm 128:
Psalm 128 (NLT) A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. 1 How joyful are those who fear the Lord— all who follow his ways! 2 You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be! 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table. 4 That is the Lord’s blessing for those who fear him. 5 May the Lord continually bless you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live. 6 May you live to enjoy your grandchildren. May Israel have peace!
The writer is talking about how it starts first with the fear of the Lord and of the one who is following in the Lords ways. Then it says that we will enjoy the fruit of our work because of who we are following the Lord. But then it show how as we “SEEK THE ONE” it will enable us to “REFLECT THE ONE” to the people in our homes. It is says that the wife will be like a fruitful grapevine flourishing within your home. This shows that as you make Jesus the one in your life and that he grows and shows through you that your wife will flourish, that your home will be better because of the both of you being affected by Jesus and that your HOME will be different because of you both being changed by following the Lord.
It then goes on and talks about the kids! Your kids will be affected by the way that you and your spouse are being changed as you “Seek the One to Reflect the One” as a couple. The future of your family the future of your kids are being lead by the way that you are being lead by Jesus. If we want to be a part of changing the directions of our families legacy’s we do that be following Jesus. It also points out sitting around the table, maybe this week as you, “Seek The One to Reflect the One” you have a conversation around the table with your kids about what you are learning or doing as a follower of Jesus?
But then it talks about seeing Jerusalem prosper and that you may live to enjoy your grandchildren and see Israel have peace. As I studied and read more this is showing that as we “See The One to Reflect the One” that it will lead to change in our community, that we will be a part of the change to generations of people because of the way that we are following Jesus. What you do as a follower of Jesus and as a husband and as a father can be used by God to change the communities that we are in and the generations that are to come after us.
What do you need to do this week to “Seek The One to Reflect the One”? How can you make sure that your wife is flourishing? How are you getting your kids around the table to talk about following Jesus? Take some time to pray and think about this and please feel free to leave a comment and share what you are planning to do.
Carrying to much?
So yesterday as I was heading to the airport with my wife and daughter to fly out to an event that I was going to speak at something caught my eye. We were sitting at an intersection that we always go through about three to four times a day and there was a man on the corner with a refrigerator. That’s right a refrigerator all by himself on a dolly. Then as we pulled up the light changed and he painstakingly hauled the refrigerator across the street to the other side, but when he got to the corner it got stuck. So he worked and worked the refrigerator up on the corner as all of the cars in the turn lane waited and honked. Then once he got it up on the corner sidewalk he paused caught his breath and then hauled the refrigerator down the street to some unknown destination.
As I watched this happen I was thinking first, how I could get out and help this guy with out getting run over and with out being late for my flight. Then the second thing that came to mind was why is there no one to help this guy to move this refrigerator? Why is he carrying so much of a load all on his own? I thought that it was really interesting to see this since this last weekend at Elevation we talked about the need and call for community. We talked about “Relationships lead to community and community fuels maturity.”
It made me think about all the people that are involved in faith communities (churches) that are carrying to much on their own. Whether it because of their own choice of not being involved in community by choosing to be that person who just shows up and never gets to know any one. Or that they are involved in a faith community (church) that doesn’t make relationships a priority. It burdened my heart to think about how we have so many people that say they are following Jesus but have made a choice to forget about the “One Another’s”. Through out the New Testament there many “One Another’s” and there is one that I thought of when it came to the man on the corner with the refrigerator.
2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (NLT)
When did we start to think that we need to handle things all on our own? When did it become ok to know of the struggle someone is having and to do nothing? It is my prayer that today you will notice the family member or friend that is carrying to much, like the refrigerator and get involved. Who do you know that you can help carry the refrigerator down the street today? Don’t miss out on sharing in the burden.
Generosity is who we are . . .
One of the things that I have come to realize is that when it comes to being a generous person its not about what we do it is about who we are. For me I was raised in home where being generous to people around you was just who you were. It wasn’t something you had to think about, or guess about, you just did it. So when I got married I just started doing what I thought was the natural thing to do. Well my wife had grown up differently then me and it was a point of great conversation for us. (That’s called an argument.) So we both had to come to a mutual understanding of what we were going to do when it came to being generous. Which honestly was a really good thing for both of us to come to as a couple. I would really say it was a great chance for me to grow as a husband, father, and as person that works in the faith community. (church)
You see because of that difference between my wife and I it enabled me to see how and why people struggle when it comes to being generous in and with their faith community. For us at Elevation we talk a lot about being generous in fact we want to be known for our “Insane Generosity” to the community around us. But for a community of faith (church) to be generous that means the people of the church need to be generous with what they give to that church. If you are a part of a faith community then you will have heard this is about offerings and about tithing. (We are not going to argue Old Testament vs New Testament giving.) So we want people to see that for us to be generous as a church community then the people need to be a part of that through their generosity through their tithes and offerings.
But most people honestly struggle here because of the different ways that they were raised. Some were raised that all you had was yours and that you take care of your own. Some were raised without anything so you had to keep whatever you had to be able to make it. Others were raised where you were just generous enough to make sure you looked good. While as others were raised with the idea that helping someone in need is just what you did that you were generous.
So it is my hope that I can encourage people to live out a generous life. Whether it is by caring for your neighbor. (Hopefully you know who they are.) By providing some food for another student at your school. (Had one of my kids do this.) Or through the tithes and offerings you share with your community of faith. (My wife does this for us now.) Because as you begin to do this you will be amazed that the words of the New Testament begin to be lived out your life in an amazing way.
Acts 20:35b “You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
How are you living out a life of insane generosity in your life? How are you being generous with your faith community so that they can be generous with the community around it?
Look in the parking lot?
So this weekend I had someone invite me to come and see a car that was in our parking lot. We walked out the front door and the person pointed out the car in the parking lot. My first thought was ok nice car but that is not the make or model that I get all fired up about, I let them know that I am a mustang kind of guy. But then the person drew my attention to the license plate that was on the car. There I saw what had got the attention of the individual.
This is the actual license plate that was on the car. This is not fabricated or changed in any way to make this an interesting picture. For those of you that don’t know we are a church that is in the great state of Colorado where I am a native. A place where it is currently to legally purchase marijuana. Now I don’t intend for this to be a place where we argue about what should be or not be legal. We live in a state where it is legal and I have to live in that reality as a leader. So the person that pointed out the license plate then asked me this question, “What should we do about this?”
My answer to this question was simple, “Make sure they have a great parking spot and they have a good time.” With that answer I saw a look of confusion for a minute. But then I went on to explain what I meant. My answer and my prayer was that this person felt comfortable enough to come and be a part of our church so I wanted us to live out, “It’s ok to not be ok, but God doesn’t want you to stay that way.” I wanted the person that came in this car to understand that they can come here and be cared for and encouraged in their faith journey. Then I wanted the person to know that pointed out the license plate that God is going to be the one that is going to change a life. So we should be excited that this person was with us and hearing about the radical grace of Jesus.
We were not going to run them off because of their license plate because just down the row was another car that I knew the owner was dealing with porn, I knew that there was another car on the next row where the owner was dealing with mental illness, and I knew that there was another car on the other end of the lot that was in legal trouble. The only thing different about this car was that their license plate was letting us know what was going on in their life. So we were going to simply pray for this person, pray that Jesus was going to impress upon their heart about a relationship with Him, pray that this person would experience life change because of who he is and not because we pointed out their license plate. So my encouragement to you is to look in the parking lot, look and see not the license plates but who are the people that are there to be cared for and reached with the radical grace of Jesus? Who knows maybe you need to start with your car.
Celebration Matters
We see celebrations happen every weekend. We see football players soak their coaches after a big win. We see college fans rush the court after their basketball team accomplishes a big win. Soccer fans will line the streets of their cities after there is a win at the World Cup. Businesses have a salesman ring a bell once they have made a sale. (Watched this when my daughter bought her first car.) So why is it that the church community does this so poorly? Why is that celebration has been reduced to a simple AMEN? Why is it that when we see God do something amazing in the lives of people that we keep it quiet? Why is it that when the church team accomplishes something together we receive grief from other followers of Jesus for sharing and celebrating?
Well one of the things that I have learned over the last five years of starting a church is that CELEBRATION matters. That is right we need to celebrate more of the things that are happening in and through our church teams. This last weekend some people at Elevation chose to celebrate a great day at Elevation where 15 people said, “Yes to a relationship with Jesus” by dumping confetti over my head. (Thank you for not using Gatorade) over the top of my head. It was something that was really awesome! I was touched as the pastor of Elevation to celebrate what had happened in our church. We all know that God is the one that made the life change happen. But the people (Wendy & Marissa) chose to celebrate that day by doing something that we see every week in sports. We had people watching that were just checking out Jesus and His church, they all cheered and laughed. But then it created conversations about why that happened. We all were able to share with them that we were celebrating what Jesus is doing in the lives of people. To which one man that I talked with said, “I love that you guys have fun celebrating! I have never seen this in a church before.” To which I thought, WHY?
Maybe this week I can challenge you to think about how you celebrate. Maybe it is celebrating something in your marriage. Maybe it is celebrating something that has happened in your kids lives. Maybe it is celebrating something that has happened in your work. Maybe if you are a church volunteer or leader celebrating something in your church. We can throw parties, give gifts, send thank you’s, and maybe dump confetti over someone’s head. But let’s take the challenge this week what and how we celebrate.
Baptism Celebration
Baptism is a celebration and it is amazing.
So yesterday at Elevation we had a baptism celebration at Elevation. It is one of the things that we do that amazes me that I get to be a part of. As a church family and team over the last four and a half years we have celebrated 194 people getting baptized. The baptisms are amazing as we see husbands, wives, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, and friends baptize the people that they know have taken the step of saying yes to a relationship with Jesus. There is nothing more amazing then watching a little boys face as he looks up at his dad after he comes out of the water. I get emotional when I see a spouse that is getting the chance to baptize the person that they are staying with for the rest of their life and eternity.
But then you get to hear the stories of how and why they said yes to a relationship with Jesus. You get to hear about the struggle, the mess, and many times the hurt that lead them to realize their need for Jesus. But then you also get to hear the stories of how families lead in the area of faith, about how students knew that it was what the knew they needed to do, and amazing stories of a life of faith and growth. No story is ever the same and no baptism is every the same because of what is happening in that persons life.
What I am excited to think about though is the stories that I have yet to hear. I am excited about the faces, the families, and the friends that we get to take pictures of baptizing those that are making their life with Jesus public. Who knows maybe you are one of the stories that we are going to get to share.
“Empowering people”
We are working to Serve One
As we go through the “I Love My Church” series at Elevation this month we are going through the different areas that we believe are important for the people that make up this church. One of those areas is “Empowering people to serve with passion and focus.” We know that as followers of Jesus and the people of his church we are called and directed to serve those that are around us. We don’t because we have to but because we want too, especially because Jesus set the example.
Mark 10:45 (NLT) 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
So what does it look like to Serve ONE:
- Serve One is Relationship – we serve because of our relationship with Jesus, ultimately its about serving him. Its also because of the relationships that we have with people in our lives.
- Serve One is about Health & Hard work – we serve because it enables us to become healthy spiritually, physically, and relationally. We also know that serving is hard work and it is something that is going to challenge us. When you serve people the hard work comes from serving the people around you the way that they need to be served not necessarily the way you want too.
- Serve One is Focus – we want to be a church team that serves because we have focus together and individually. We focus our efforts together in what we do as a church every week. We also want people to focus on the way that they are created, gifted, and passionate.
We are excited as a church team and family to “Empower people so they can serve with passion and focus.” We are going to be continuing the conversation about “Why should I love the church today?” this week at Elevation. If you want to find out more about Elevation just click here to go to our website.
What are some ways that you are serving the people around you?
Vision 2015 (Part Two)
Leading into the year 2015
We want to take a stand for the city of Aurora as a church team and as a family. So we have seen there are ways that we can do that and we hope and pray to follow in the footsteps of King David:
1 Chronicles 19:13 (NLT) “Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the Lord’s will be done.”
So with that in mind we are looking to care for the people that Jesus cares for in our city as well as the rest of the world. It is in that hope that we are excited about several things that are coming. Here are a few of them:
- The Compassion Experience April 17th – 20th will be at the Elevation building in Aurora. The Compassion Experience is an opportunity for you, your family and friends to really experience first hand what it is like to live as a child in a third world country. To find out more information you can click here. (Experience)
- Global Compassion with the our new partnership with Compassion we are going to seek to enable 75 children to be sponsored in Tanzania. We chose Tanzania because of it’s proximity to the Congo and our teammate Justin Wren’s work with the Fight for The Forgotten. Also with our teammate Nicole Rauch and her work in Madagascar with Welcome.
- The Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit August 6th & 7th will be at the Elevation Building. We are excited to be a place where the leaders in our community and other churches in the state will be able to come and grow from the featured speakers and opportunities. If you are interested in being at this event then you can click on the link and get registered today. (Leadership Summit)
These are some of the opportunities that we are taking this year to make an impact both in our city and in the world. In the Vision 2015 Part 3 I will talk about some of the other ways that we plan to engage people so they experience life change in Jesus. If you missed Vision 2015 Part 1 click here to get caught up.
What are some things that you are planning to do this year to make a difference in your community and this world?
“Come & See”
Its about engaging people in a relationship
“Engaging people with experiences that lead to life change.”
When we moved to Colorado to start Elevation it was a passion and desire in us to reach people that didn’t have a relationship with Jesus. Michelle and I had come back to a place where family, friends, classmates, and work friends were living a part from a relationship with Jesus. So from day one we knew that we had to think of how we were going to engage people with experience that lead to life change. One of the things that I have enjoyed is to see how we can follow Jesus lead in this area of our life and our church team. In the New Testament in John there is an amazing interaction with Jesus and some disciple of John the Baptist and then those disciples who began to follow Jesus and their family and friends. But here is the conversation that Jesus has at first:
39 “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.
Jesus invites these men to come and see. Come and see what? His home, his new sandals, or maybe to see his new X-Box (ok not that)? The invitation was to come and see his life. It was an engaging statement to say come and follow me personally. So many people that are followers of Jesus want to have a process or a mandate on how to reach people for Jesus. The problem with that is in the New Testament we are commissioned to go but it doesn’t necessarily say how to go or exactly what to say or even do. So what I have done is spent my time going and hanging out with people and when they ask me how my life is different or has changed then when we were in high school or college I invite them to come and see. I invite them to spend time together and walk through life together so that they can see who Jesus is in my life and how he has changed me.
I also invite them to join me at the church where I belong. Now I know there are some people that are thinking why would you do that? Church why church? For me it is to get them to see that there are other people like me that have a relationship with Jesus. It also creates the opportunity where they might see or find someone that is dealing with stuff that they are dealing with in their life. That they will get inspired by what they here and experience. It is a “Come and See” about doing life where we accept you warts and all. I am only going to be able to connect with so many people and so are you. So why not create opportunities with a church team where someone that you are in a relationship with just might connect with someone else on the church team that will take them further in their faith journey with Jesus. The goal is that people will experience life change in Jesus. Not that I have all the notches on my bible where people said a statement or made a prayer about Jesus. It is about being involved in a life long spiritual fitness plan that leads to health in a relationship with Jesus and others.
I know that there are going to be people that disagree with this idea. I know that there are going to be people that think we should be running down every street with people yelling about Jesus. That is great and it awesome that you disagree because it still doesn’t change who Jesus is and it doesn’t change that we are called to tell people about Jesus. We all have been gifted and challenged to do it differently because of who we are as a follower of Jesus. Let’s just make sure that we spend more time telling people about Jesus then telling other followers of Jesus that they are not doing it right. Because if that were the case even Phillip who after he was invited to follow Jesus would have been in trouble,
John 1:45 45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” (my emphasis)
He said, “Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth” he didn’t say Jesus the Son of God. What he did is he took what he knew at the moment and he shared it with a friend because he wanted to share with his friend how Jesus had changed his life. He then says,
John 1:46b 46 . . . “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.
What are you doing this week to engage people where you have the opportunity to say, “Come & See”?
If you would like to see more about “Come and See” feel free to watch a talk that Scott gave at Elevation this last week. (Click Here)
Gold Rush Day!
What if I told you that you could meet some of the guys from the Discovery Channel TV show “Gold Rush”? What if I told you that you could win some gold pans that were autographed by the guys from the TV show? What if you were able to see, “How to Survive The Holidays”?
On Sunday, December 15th during the Sunday Experiences at Elevation Christian Church we are going to have with us some of the guys from “Gold Rush”. They are going to be sharing with us about their lives and their stories. So I want to encourage you and the people that you know to come and join us at Elevation. You never know what is going to happen and you never know who you might meet. To make sure that you know all about this awesome day make sure that you go to www.elevationcc.com
What are some questions that you would want to ask the guys from “Gold Rush”? Who knows if you show up we just might use your question.
What about Spanish speaking?
At Elevation we have what we call the “Advance The Line” campaign. It is our hope that we are going to reach 1,000 people in the city of Aurora in the next year. So we have developed this campaign and prayed about what it would look like in our community. One of the things that we realized about the city is that we are seeing more and more people that speak Spanish. That there are families that have 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation families that are from a Spanish speaking background in our community.
So we thought what would it look like for a church in Aurora to bring both english and spanish speaking people together. What would it look like for a church to develop a process of having the different generations of spanish speaking people all in one church. A church that is not the typical spanish speaking church with it’s traditionalism or even the charismatic side of things that are associated with a spanish speaking church. Through all of this we are excited to let people know that we have added to our team a leader that we believe is going to help us create this new opportunity as a church in Aurora for all of these people.
So I would love for you to meet Neill Snyder he is the guy that we believe that God has brought to us so that we can be exactly the church for Aurora. He and his wife are going to be helping us reach out to the spanish speaking people of Aurora. So if you would like to meet Neill, talk with Neill, or give Neill a big hug you can email him at neill.snyder@elevationcc.com Over the next several months we are going to be working to forge a plan where we are going to engage people so they can experience life change in Jesus. We are planning as of now to be launching spanish speaking experiences on Easter weekend in 2014. If you are interested or if you are just curious please let us know or even take the time to come and check out Elevation as we prepare to “Advance the Line“.
Elevation Dream Team
Here is one of the amazing people that makes up the Dream Team at Elevation. You see we call of the people that serve at Elevation the Dream Team. Why the Dream Team? We believe that God has brought together the perfect team to accomplish what He wants to accomplish here in Aurora through Elevation. Each person on the team has been gifted and created to make the team the best it possibly can be to win the game. So we have people that serve in many different ways and make a difference in many different people’s lives. In fact we are so excited about the people that are on the team that I am going to be taking the time to share with you about who some of these people are and what they do at Elevation. Here is the first DREAM TEAM member that I want you to know about:
Alex Lopez and her daughter Genesis who is along for the ride with mommy. Alex serves alongside with her husband Josue on the Parking Lot Team. They are a major blessing to the church and the prepare the school for people to come every Sunday. They understand the importance of making sure that people know how to get in the building as well as where to park once they get to the school where we meet. You see she is one the people that makes it possible for us as a church to engage people so they can experience life change in Jesus. If you are unsure where you should serve on the Dream Team then I want to encourage you to be come to the Elevation offices and check out the Discover Workshops that we make available each month. It will open your eyes to the place where you can make the most impact. Get on the Dream Team!
Advance The Line
At Elevation on October 6th we celebrated our Third Anniversary as a church in Aurora. It was a great day where we talked about what has happened in the life and people of Elevation and what is going to come. It is on that day we revealed the “Advance The Line” campaign. We are preparing and planning to engage 1000 people in the next year. It is a goal that is way above any thing that we could possibly do on our own and is only going to happen because God shows up. Much like when Gideon went into battle, with only a kazoo and a flashlight. (My twist to the story.)
So what does “Advance The Line” mean. When a battle is being fought there is always a line that is to be crossed. That when men used to fight they would draw a line in the sand and then they would be asked to tow the line. The line is a figurative way for us to remember that the kingdom of heaven is forcefully advancing. (Matthew 11:12)
Here is what the “Advance The Line” campaign looks like and then how you can help to be a part of this advancing line:
- The development of storefront or warehouse property where Elevation can be seen as permanent in the community. Unfortunately there are too many church starts that are coming and going in Aurora and people are noticing, especially people that don’t go to church. (Why should I go to your church? You won’t be here in a year any way.)
- We are going to plant a Spanish speaking campus right along with Elevation. We are going to call it Elevation Espanol and it is going to work in conjunction with Elevation to engage people so they experience life change in Jesus. There are currently 70,000 documented Spanish speaking people in Aurora and approximately another 50,000 undocumented Spanish speaking people. They all need to hear about the radical grace of Jesus.
- We want to reach students and their families in a new way. So we are along with the help of another church in the state going to start a driving school. If you want to reach people that no one else is reaching you need to do things that no one else is doing. (Don’t know who said that.)
- It is our hope to have an inflatables business where we are involved in the parties and events of the community. We have already been blessed by a church that is given us four inflatables. We hope to call this business “E-flatables” and use this business to spend time and develop relationships with people all around the city.
- Then finally have in the campaign to begin the process of having a fitness gym. Our hope is to call it “Elevation Fitness”. We want to let people know that we care about them physically, mentally, and spiritually. All with the hope of building a bridge through a relationship with people so they can experience life change in Jesus.
This is the “Advance The Line” campaign and it is an audacious and huge plan to engage people so they experience life change in Jesus. It is our hope that not only will we be able to reach people but that we will see God move through this in such a way that we can help other church planters and plants see the possibilities of reaching people this way. But we are raising support to get all this going. So if you are reading this and this is something that you are interested in supporting financially then here is how you can do that. You can click on the link ADVANCE and it will enable you to give online to the “Advance The Line” campaign. If you would like more information on this courageous endeavor then please feel free to email me here scott.bloyer@elevationcc.com I would love to share with you more.
What are some things that you are praying about doing that is going to “Advance The Line” where you are living?
Students are not an ADD on
Over the last 20 years I have spent working in churches I have always felt that students have ben looked up on as just an add on to what we do as the church. I was always asked as a pastor to students to make sure that we had something for the students to do on Sundays and then something to do during the week. It always felt a little like we were just to add something on for them. Just to keep people happy or keep the students out of the way.
Well when we started Elevation here in Aurora we felt that students shouldn’t be an add on but a big part of who we are as a church team. So this is what we did:
- Students are included in the main times on Sunday. We try real hard to make sure that we have communication that will involved them and encourage them as followers of Jesus.
- Students are asked to serve on our Dream Team just like the adults. The middle school students need to serve with an adult. The high school students can serve any where as an adult. (Sometimes better just because they can grasp technology quicker and they are quicker to reach out to new people.)
- Students are invited to be a part of the church as Team-mates just like everyone else. They are not just an add on they are team-mates.
- Students still need some time with there own age so we do that in Community Groups. Just like we do the adults.
Students are not the church of the future they are the church of today. So why not let them be a part of the church instead of just being an add on. Let’s help them identify as being a part of the body of Jesus not just something in the back hall that as long as there are no stains on the carpet or holes in the wall we are doing something good. What can you do to help make sure that students are a part of the church? How can we do things differently to enable them to grow as the body of Jesus?
(This is not a judgement on any church or any type of ministry. Just a process
of thinking through how we are integrating the students in our care.)
Sunday Night Thoughts
Each week I get to be a part of something amazing. I am fortunate that over three years ago this last week that God called us to start Elevation here in Aurora. So this morning just like I have for the last three years I got up and went to a school and helped other Elevation Team-mates get things ready for our experiences. But there was something different about this morning at least for me:
- I saw our band there and excited about the possibilities of the morning with a new song.
- I heard people talking about the friends and family members that they invited to Elevation.
- I met people that had not been to church since they were kids but felt they needed to be at Elevation for something new.
- I spoke with Dream Team members at Elevation that are excited about the part they get to play in reaching people.
- I saw God move on the hearts of people that were able to understand that coming together and worshipping Him is an exciting and powerful thing.
Each week at Mrachek Middle School I get to be a part of something amazing. What if each week you were amazed at being a part of what you do? What if you were confident that what you were doing is what God had called and prepared you to do? Don’t you think that would change your view point?
What do you need to do this week to find out what you can do to make that happen?
Sunday Night Thoughts
It has been an amazing last three years since we first started Elevation here in Aurora. As Michelle and I spent Saturday together we talked about many of the things that have happened in the last three years at Elevation. We talked about the things that brought smiles to our faces and we talked about the things that hurt our hearts. We still hang to the word that we created as a family when we left Northern California to move to Aurora, CO to start Elevation, it is “terriciting”.
You see when you are starting a church or when you are actively stepping out in faith as you follow Jesus it is two things:
- It is terrifying. It is a scary thing to step out in faith, it is a scary thing to walk with in the unknown, it is a scary thing to no know what is going to happen next, and it is a scary thing to not have total control over what you are doing.
- It is exciting. I mean it is exciting to see how God shows up when you didn’t know how. It is is exciting to walk where you have never walked before. (Like a good trip in a new country.) It is exciting to not know what you are going to experience next. We have seen some amazing things happen in people’s lives. It is exciting to not to have any control of what will happen. (Just like a roller coaster.)
So to all of those that are preparing to start a church, or to step out and try something new when it comes to your spiritual development, I encourage you to go for it. I want to encourage you to know that it is the most “terriciting” thing that you can ever do and it is well worth it. I hope that today as you read this you are hearing that still small voice of God telling you to do something that you know is just crazy. Because you when you hear that voice and you step out you are about to embark on the most “terriciting” thing possible. Have a great day, week, month, and year being “terricited”!
By the way I am so “terricited” for the next year that I just can’t contain myself, what about you?
Rocktober Music Video Contest
One of the things that we like to do at Elevation is give things away. We also like to challenge creative people to do creative things. So at Elevation this month we are inviting bands and performers to make music videos and share those with us for cash prizes. I would like to encourage you to share with others this website so that they can send us a video for this contest. (Rocktober)
But if you want to really see something that we hope will get you to laughing and encourage others to get in the contest watch the video below. We are ready to ROCK!
“Have a ROCKING good day!” Garth.
Sunday Night Thoughts
This weekend as we prepared for our Sunday experiences I have to say that my focus was elsewhere in our state. With the heavy rains that have hit Colorado it lead to having a heavy heart. I spent time on Sunday back in a room behind the area where we meet praying for our state.
I spent time praying for our friends in Greeley at Journey Christian Church where they are taking to the task of helping people affected by the flooding. (If you want to help in Greeley the go here and help out. CLICK) I then thought of our friends in Boulder where there are several different churches that are seeking to stem the tide of need in their communities. It is and will always be the dream and focus of Elevation to be a church that is caring for the community that we are living in. So we pray and applaud the work that these churches are doing here in Colorado.
But then my mind turned back to what was happening in our own experience that Sunday and I marveled at what we had going on:
- Adam Cruz was leading our band. Adam along with the team at Element Church in Cheyenne, Wyoming have been such an encouragement to our team. Through coaching and care they have helped us through the last three years.
- Brandon Appelhans was with us from a ministry called “My Quiet Cave”. Where the focus is on the health and well being of those struggling with mental illness. I believe that this week we are going to see people that will take next steps in their life with mental illness. This Wednesday is going to be powerful.
- The Dream Team at Elevation continues to grow. Each week I see a new face of someone that is taking the next step of serving at Elevation. They see that they get to be a part of something bigger then they know.
- The team at Elevation sees the opportunities to not just go to church but be the church in Aurora. So on Saturday, Sept. 28th we have people that are excited about taking care of Mrachek Middle School.
- That I love being a part of the team at Elevation. That this Sunday I saw people picking up trash, I saw people jumping in areas that they were not scheduled, and we had people care for those that are struggling in life. I love Elevation!
It is in the midst of the storms and in the midst of the struggle that you are able to see God show up in amazing ways. I believe at Elevation and here in Colorado we are going to see the church, the body of Jesus do amazing things.
God of The Underdogs
Message Series that we are currently in at Elevation.
I am so excited about the current series that we are in at Elevation. We are doing a series called “God of the Underdogs”. It is from the book that was written by Pastor Matt Kellar from The Next Level Church in Florida.
Everyone loves a great underdog story. Rocky beating Clubber Lang, the US Hockey Team vs. The Russians, and the Broncos vs. Cleveland Browns (twice). But lets be honest we don’t love the underdog story if it is our own. That means that you are the one that has to come from behind or you are the one that is not the best. So why are underdog stories of other people so great? It is because everyone wants to see something amazing happen. That is what happening at Elevation.
It has been a great beginning to what I believe is going to be one of the most inspirational and challenging series that we are doing as a church. I believe it is because people are going to see that God has a plan for their lives and that he can use them know matter where they have been and what they have done. God loves using the underdog.
What I want to encourage you to do is go and by the book and see exactly how God uses the people of the bible and will use you too. I challenge you, no I dare you to take this step and get out there and be an amazing underdog. “God of the Underdogs” here on Amazon.
Why should followers of Jesus be healthy?
We are created for more then we are doing now.
Over the last couple of weekends we have been going through a series called “Built 4 Life”. We are going through the different areas of the bible that talk about living a healthy lifestyle. So as we talked about health we came upon the idea that as followers of Jesus our health is an act of respect to God himself. So the statement that we are thinking ont this week is:
“Respect the building, respect the builder.”
So what does that look like for us and everyday living:
- Excercise: Take some small steps this week to get in the discipline of exercise. Start small and work up to something that will continue to encourage health.
- Experience God With a Healthy Life: For people who are called followers of Jesus this means that you are to worship God with a healthy lifestyle. Take a look at 1 Corinthians 6:19. Remember you are not your own.
- Extend Life’s Opportunities: This is where our health and the way we live can put us in a position to do great things with opportunities that God places in our life. We are built for so much more than we are doing now.
So what are some things that you can do this week to start living a healthier lifestyle? List something here in the comments section.
If you would like to see the message from this last weekend then just click here. (Built 4 Life)
"Psycho for Jesus" Scott Bloyer 