It takes all kinds!
I love being a part of a diverse group of people I think that it started by growing up in Montbello in Colorado. We were exposed to so many different people, different nationalities, and different lives that it made a huge impact on me. My mom loves to talk about the Hell’s Angels that lived down the street that came and killed the rattle snake that was next to our fence. Or about the guys that moved in the house across the street at Midnight and then in three weeks moved out around the same time of night. Just to have the police show up the next day looking for them. We were on football teams and in church groups that had tons of different people in them, we all just thought that was the way it was supposed to be in life.
Everyone’s weLcome, nobody’s perfect, anything is possible
That is what I see in Elevation Community Church. That everyone is welcome. What I want people to understand is this, I don’t care what people look like, (If you are a person that wears CHURCH clothes you won’t like this church) I don’t care where they have come from (Just so you know we all won’t be the same color), I don’t care what they have done (You can be a CEO or a CON), and I don’t care if you even believe what we believe (Everyone has to start some where). What I care about is that you feel welcome and that you realize that there are going to be “no perfect people” in this church and that starts with the Lead Pastor. Some of the people that are going to be coming to Elevation will be able to share stories about me that will exemplify that. (All family members will sign gag orders, brothers for sure) Why because I am not perfect I have never been and I never will be, in fact I am going to say right now that I am going to make mistakes when it comes to starting this church. But people need to understand that, “Anything is Possible”.
Matthew 19:26 (NLT) Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
I do have to say that I struggled for several weeks with how I wanted to write this value and I talked with Pete Wilson and he said it so I have to give him props for the saying, and yes I used it. May we see that through a relationship with Jesus Christ anything is possible.
What area of your life do you see as impossible? Would love to walk through this with you.
What will Elevation value?
We are so excited about the things that God is doing already in Elevation Community Church that we are already beginning to celebrate the wins in the areas that we see are of value to this church. But for you are to be able to celebrate along with us I want you to see the things that we feel that God has shown us are important and that we are to value.
EvErything is covered in prayer (Before, During, & After)
Everyone’s weLcome, nobody’s perfect, anything is possible
LivE worship & relevant biblical teaching are a catalyst for life change
Everyone is inValuable & irreplaceable in community
SacrificiAl living means you cannot out give or out do God
Together we have fun while serving our communitites
EverythIng is an experiment (Change is constant)
EveryOne needs to grow (leadership development)
ONe church, many locations (Multi-site)
Over the next couple of days, weeks, and months we are going to take the time to go through each one of the areas of values so that everyone can understand how God has put this together. I do want to thank the different leaders that have had a hand in all of the preparation that goes into what we have here now. Pete Wilson, Scott Hodge, Mark Batterson, Ken Jensen, Tad Grandstaff, and Thom Ranier. With out the phone conversations, the talks, the books, and encouragement we would not be at the place we are today as we move closer and closer to launching Elevation Community Church.
Life’s Chain of Events
I don’t know why but today I have really been taking a mental inventory of the men and women that God has used to be influential in my life. These are people that through out my life that God has used to add another link in the chain of events that have made me who I am today. Some of them may or may not even know how God has used them but to me I really see them as the hands and feet of the Lord. They have either helped me along, pushed me, kicked me in the butt, or have been an ear to vent too. So for me I wanted to be able to take the time to name some of them, some are gone, some are living, some are near and some are far. All I know is that I thank God for each one of them and the amazing way that they have been a part of my life in word or in deed. So this is my list of names that have been used by God in my life:
Phil Bloyer, Nancy Bloyer, Pastor Fredrichs, Skinny Knapp, Harry Munson, Peter Fredrich, Jim Brooks, Meerle Steele, Mike Hiller, Jim Evans, Greg Meeker, Charles and Margie Kellim, James and Rachel Preston, The Boys at Union Hill Baptist Church, Nathan Lawson, The Staff at Riverside Hospital, Thelma Murray, Rick Richardson, Randy Sanders, Jerry and Becky Coon, Todd and Joe Stevenson, Matt Coon, Ted and Jody Herzog, Shawn and Candice Kelly, Josh Reinke, Chris Hallock, Phil Newby, The Elders at Grace Bible Church – Miles City, Bill Robbins, Ty Blaus, Marcus Boykins, Matt McMann, Dan and Joy Bethel, Nathan Maples, Joe Hunsaker, Kevin Carlson, Jason Olcott, Pastor Jay of I.C.M.C., Warren C. Bloyer (Your words from the past), Mike Yaconelli, Mark Batterson, Pete Wilson, Ric Small, Ken Jensen, Brian Logue, Kurt Baughn, Sammy Verbis, My awesome kids – Danielle Bloyer, Tyler Bloyer, Morgan Bloyer, With out a doubt my brothers and sister, I have to close with my wife Michelle L. Bloyer. (She is the best thing that the Lord has loaned to me)
Lord may I continue to remember the names of people that you have used to build into me ,I know that there are names that should be on here that either I have forgotten or have yet to be brought to this place.
Maybe this is something that you need to do is take an inventory of the men and women that have made a difference in your life. Maybe you need to contact them and let them know the difference that they have made. Maybe you need to realize that you are someone that God is going to use in the lives of those around you. Whose list will you show up on? Will you show up on anyone’s list? Take the time to thank the Lord for those that He has used to lead you closer to Him.
Who is on you list – make a short one today.
Being the Church
So today as I was reading through the blogs of some guys that I really enjoy as well as respect as church leaders and men of God. I found one of the most awesome blogs about what it means to be the church. I have to say that I am in totally agreement with what Pete Wilson the Pastor of Crosspoint in Nashville, TN. writes about. In fact when I lead a church I will take what he has said and use it in the development of the church that God places me in. Take sometime and read this if you think that you are the church –
Yesterday someone read a quote from my message on Sunday which Jenni had put on her blog. The quote was,
“We need to stop playing church and start being the church.”
This person contacted me and asked me what I really meant. A quote of that nature probably deserves further clarification.
It means we need to stop arguing about style of worship and get concerned about the poor and hungry around the world.
It means we need to spend less time gossiping about others and more time allowing God to break our hearts over the people in our cities who are facing an eternity apart from Christ.
It means we need to stop whining about what programs our church has or doesn’t have and we need to learn what it means to abide in Jesus from one moment to the next.
Listen, it’s got to stop. We’ve got to stop showing up on Sunday mornings and playing church. The New testament never calls us to just go to church, but to be the church.
It seems far to often we’ve reduced church down to spiritual masturbation. We’ve made it all about us. We’ve turned it into something we do to stroke our ego-driven, self-centered, materialistic lives. It gives us momentary pleasure, but we’ve failed to give, serve, or sacrifice of ourselves. It leads to false intimacy with our creator God.
We play church.
I’m done with that.
Be the church.
(sound of me stepping off my soap box)
How do you think we “play church”? How do you think we can “be the church”?
Thank you Pete for you leadership and the way that you are directing your church. May we all take Christ’s leadership and be the church and not play the church. Go to his BLOG on the link of his name, check it our for yourself.
"Psycho for Jesus" Scott Bloyer 