Mark Waltz | ...Because People Matter

Discovering GCC with Mark Beeson

 

I first sat in this class with Mark Beeson 14 years ago, as an attender of Granger Community Church. I was not part of his staff team. I was new to the church with my wife, Laura and our daughter, Olivia, who was only 4 years old at the time. We knew this was "our church" early on, but this class sealed some things for us.

I remember that first class. Mark Beeson was, as you might expect, disarming and engaging. I laughed out loud more than once. More than twice. Mark was highly entertaining.

I took in the class again today with 50 other folks at our Elkhart campus. Mark was no less engaging today. I laughed out loud again and again. I was caught up in his story-telling. But what captured me was not only how Mark presented, it was what he presented. His message was, again today, captivating. 

I enjoyed the opportunity again today to...

• celebrate the miracle of God making a way through Jesus for me to engage the Creator I was made to follow and reflect.
• marvel at the hundreds, even thousands, of men and women and students who have gone public with their trust in Jesus.
• laugh at myself and the crazy, ridiculous notions about God and church that I clung to for too long.
• feel my heartbeat race with the vision and mission of a church committed to be the Body of Christ in the world
• affirm why we do what we do the way we do it as a church.

I needed today. This class helps me lead better. Helps me celebrate every person who steps up to - not merely attend - but to participate, to own the mission and vision, to be the Body of Christ with this local movement. 

Yes, I've been on staff now for over a dozen years. And this is still my church.  My family and I are in. We're in, so we can go out. We're called to follow Jesus, which means we "go." Church isn't a safe harbor we live in; it's a group of people committed to leaving safe to live out a dangerous message of Jesus' love.

If you've not participated in Discovering GCC, there's still one more opportunity to do so.

Saturday, March 10, 8:30am at our Granger Campus

Clear your calendar. Invite a friend (even if you've attended before... someone needs your invitation to participate). Register here. 

By the way - Mark's voice was strong. Four hours of teaching. All morning. He didn't miss a beat. Thanks for praying for him.

Mark's Ready. Are You?

 

 

As you may know, our Founding Pastor, Mark Beeson underwent a little vocal cord procedure last week to rectify a Clint Eastwood speaking syndrome that had gone on for over a couple months. Following the surgery Mark was under a strict directive from his surgeon to not say a word for the remainder of the week. Tough for most anyone. Tougher for Mark. As he put it, he didn't know up to that point what it was like to not talk. 

Word is, he spoke his first word a couple days ago. He's back. A little more rest, some voice therapy and he'll be good as new. 

Which means, he'll be set to lead Discovering GCC at our Elkhart campus this coming Saturday at 8:30am. 

I've sat through this class with Mark many times. It never grows old. Mark's sweeping, engaging story of the Bible, his hilarious stories that punctuate why we do what the way we do it and his clear communication of vision remind me why I'm on the team with Mark at Granger Community. 

This class is for you if...

• you're new to GCC - either campus. Come learn what would take you weeks to figure out - catch it all in one morning. Understand the whys and the whats. Learn how you can be part of what's happening in Elkhart, South Bend, Granger, India and many places in between.
• you're serving on a team at GCC. Maybe you just stepped up through our Volunteer Expo or you've been serving for months or even years... but you've never attended this session. Now's the time.
• you've been around GCC for a long time. Soaking. Spectating. Even healing. Get to this session. 
• you're curious at all about what it means to belong, to be a member of GCC.

A mere $10 covers your materials and snacks for the morning. We start at 8:30am and you'll be on your way by lunchtime. There are two opportunities. The first one is just days away, so hop to it!

• This Saturday, February 11, 8:30am-12:30pm at our Elkhart Campus.
• Next month, Saturday, March 10, 8:30am-12:30pm at our Granger Campus. 

Don't put it off. Mark's ready. I'll be there. Register here - now.

It Starts. Tonight. Tangible. Kingdom.

It starts tonight. Not "The" tangible Kingdom - it's always been. But The Tangible Kingdom journey for the people who are Granger Community Church - that begins tonight. 

It's been called a study, a group gathering, an experience - but it's more than any of those.

• It is a study. We'll work through The Tangible Kingdom Primer by Hugh Halter & Matt Smay. We'll dig into the Scriptures to understand the King of this kingdom better than we do now. Peter tells encourages us to "grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ."
• It is a group gathering. Many of us will gather at our Granger and Elkhart campuses on Monday nights, dozens of women will gather on Tuesday mornings and a bunch of men will gather in groups on Wednesday mornings. Many more will meet in homes - as friends and family - in "groups" to study and engage, yes, an experience.
• It is an experience. We're expecting God to not only reveal truth to us, but to change us by it. We're expecting to experience the kingdom of God in our lives.

But it's more than that. It's a journey.

• It's a fresh discovery of who we're created to be - together. 
• How we're made to live. What it is to be called... and sent. 
• What it is - not to merely be an "evangelist," but an apprentice of Jesus. 

It's not for the faint of heart, but it will be fun. It'll be challenging, but refreshing. It'll be transforming. 

Join the journey. 8 weeks. Grab a friend or make a new one. Register here. 

Supply Drop 2012...Because People Matter

 

 

A year ago we committed to an audacious five-year vision. That vision is challenging our perceptions and practical expectations of what church can and should be.

• As the church we gather on the weekends, but the buildings we gather in are just that - buildings. 
• As the church we're called to grow up in Christ, to mature as disciples, but the sign of a disciple is reproduction. 
• As the church we support and care for each other, but it's not all about us - our care has the power to transform our community through the love of Jesus.

Simple statements. Stretching realities. 

In light of our vision, we spent the past year surveying our community. We identified pockets of forgotten people that receive little to no help from others. So, while we continue each month to serve up thousands of food boxes through our community center in downtown South Bend, we're all coming together this Saturday to pack and deliver essential care totes for two groups of people in Michiana.

• Nursing home residents: We'll deliver care packages filled with wish-list items for 2,000 Medicare/Medicaid nursing home residents.
• Title 1 school teachers: We'll deliver care packages filled with wish-list items for 2,000 school teachers in under-resourced schools.

Note: this serve has nothing to do with our unique, individual S.H.A.P.E. (Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experiences). Our SHAPE helps us identify those serving areas where our unique wiring best fits. We serve there with expertise and passion. The rest of the Body of Christ, the church, as well as our community needs us to serve that way. 

However, sometimes there are tasks, needs, callings that rally the entire church - regardless of our SHAPE. Such is the case with Supply Drop 2012. It's an all-skate. All hands on deck. All in.

Are you in? We'll start with coffee and a light breakfast snack at 9am. Come early and get a head start on the caffeine if you want. That's what I'll be doing. We'll spread out in teams all over our building (at both Granger and Elkhart), pack hundreds and hundreds of totes, then go in teams to area schools and nursing homes to deliver the love of Jesus. His love will be packaged as totes, carried by the Church.

Together, one life at a time, one gesture at a time, we'll see our communities transformed for God's glory. 

You in?

See you Saturday.

New Service, New Times at GCC-Elkhart

Last week I sent the following to our team leaders who shared it with their teams at GCC-Elkhart. This past weekend we announced this exciting change. Thought I'd pass it on so everyone can celebrate and be well informed. Enjoy!

The excitement about what God is doing at GCC-Elkhart is palpable! Our growth is more than obvious; each week we’re meeting new friends from our neighborhood and the surrounding area. We’ve waited past the holidays to confirm our need to add service times to accommodate our reach into the community. It’s been confirmed: we’re out of space on Sunday mornings. It’s time to add another service.

Our lead team at Elkhart has considered many possibilities. We’ve joked about a Sunday, 7:30am service, but of course, we need to offer service times when people will actually attend and invite their friends to join them (I know seven of you would show up at 6:30am, but we'd like you to bring your friends with you.). Although we’ve talked about Saturday evening services, the funding required for equipment to stream the message live from Granger’s campus is currently prohibitive. Initially, Saturday evening services would require the investment to properly light our parking and sidewalk areas. We believe adding a service on Sunday morning is our best option.

We can offer three service times on Sunday mornings without additional funding at this point. We believe this is not only good stewardship, but will offer a variety of service times that will reach a diverse audience from early to late morning. Beginning Feb 5 our GCC-Elkhart service schedule will be:

• 7:45am Volunteer Huddle
• 8:30am  1st Service
• 10:15am 2nd Service
• 12:00pm 3rd Service

I know you get this, but a quick reminder: While we will remain sensitive to the pace at which we make significant changes, I trust that you understand and accept this core attribute in our GCC DNA: we will do whatever it takes to reach people with the love of Christ. Change is often inconvenient. New people require us to change. I suppose we could conclude: new people create inconvenience. Every week we get to choose to make it about other people. I believe that is still your heart. 

I wanted you to know this news first, before announcing it this coming Sunday. After Sunday’s announcement, please help us tweet, Facebook and verbally communicate this schedule change with enthusiasm.  This is great news! This additional service will enable us to invite our friends and make space for people we’ve not even met yet. Space for them to experience how much they matter to God and take their next step toward him. 

I’m so grateful for this phenomenal team of growing and developing volunteers at GCC-Elkhart.

Mark your calendar. Invite a friend. Our new series, Keeping Score launches with 3 services in Elkhart: Sundays, 8:30am, 10:15am and 12pm and 4 services at our Granger campus: Saturdays, 5pm and 7pm and Sundays, 9:30am and 11:30am. 

Belonging to Something Bigger than Me

I'm cracking open this blog scene again. It's been awhile. 45 days awhile. But who's counting? This past month plus has been a season of inexplicable joy coupled with crippling pain. Numbing loss and refreshing memories. Much needed rest and nights that were way too short. 

And in it all, God has been faithful. Amazingly faithful.

I've been inspired working alongside the people of GCC-Elkhart. They tirelessly invested time, energy, sweat and tears the past several months to prepare our new ministry outpost, which opened just before Christmas. 

Since then we've seen our weekend attendance nearly double! A month ago we moved from the Hall of Fame to our new home - an amazing gift from St. John's United Church of Christ - at 2701 E. Bristol Street. Already we're out of space on the weekends. We're offering two service times, 9:30 and 11:30am - and we're packed. We've spent the past several weeks exploring approaches to adding a new service time (more on that in the next post).

But, adding services is only the first of many steps to address the need people have to feel connected, to express significance, to participate in something bigger than they are. It's not just true of our people in Elkhart, it's true at our Granger campus as well.

Our founding pastor, Mark Beeson, dropped by GCC-Elkhart this past Sunday to celebrate the growth we're experiencing in Elkhart. No one infuses confidence and empowers people better than Mark. He observed this innate desire we have to find and express identity with a smaller, tighter-knit group of people. We need team. We want to belong to a family. All of us.

In his blog post late Sunday, Mark asked: How do we "employ" people? Not paid staff. Not new "hires." But how do we help people engage in the movement? He notes:

...too often it's not easy for people to be productively employed in the work of God's Kingdom, and that's not because "folks aren't willing." Many times, it's because they're not adequately informed, trained and equipped. Some times, it's because they're not well-connected. The question becomes, "Since people want to be trained so they can be better employed in God's work (thereby more qualified to add value and make a difference), and many now feel un-connected and under-employed, what are we going to do?"

We're fixing the problem. Here's a sampling of how:

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  1. Easy on-ramps. We're providing convenient and clear steps toward friendship, service and spiritual growth. Easy to navigate web-based assistance makes navigating the easy on-ramps fun.
  2. Discovering GCC, which is our new version of the old Core Class 101. I'm teaching it on two Saturday mornings.: once at our Bristol Street campus on February 11th and once at our Granger campus on March 10th. (You can register here)
  3. Our Volunteer EXPO is matching relational ministry "employment" opportunities to your talents, hopes and dreams. 
  4. The Supply Drop, giving thousands of us one great day to help our struggling neighbors all across Michiana. It's this year's version of last year's Food Drop.
  5. The Commons, which we're building without adding debt so it's easier for connections to happen and friendships to develop.
  6. Weekends, which we're spooling up for new levels of focus and growth.
  7. The Tangible Kingdom Training, GCC's discipleship plan this semester, will enrich your life, connect you to God's Plan and prepare you for your best Easter yet:
  •  
    • Adults on Mondays @ 6:30 PM - both campuses
    • Women on Tuesdays @ 9:00 AM - both campuses
    • Men on Wednesdays @ 6:00 AM - Elkhart campus
    • Men on Wednesdays @ 6:30 AM - Granger campus
    • Online at your convenience
  • God is at work. You can adjust your life to join HIM and I hope you will.

How's that for good news?

John 13:16-17  -  A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn't give orders to the employer. If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.

(Read Mark's entire post here.)

I'm honored to serve on the team with Mark Beeson and the staff he's assembled.. It's a tremendous privilege to partner with the faithful people at GCC-Elkhart and the hundreds of volunteers who are Granger Community Church at our Granger campus. Our best days are ahead. In the words of John (above): act like it. Let's live the blessed life!

 

Little Cherubs Daycare and Granger Community Church

This Sunday, December 11 we'll hold our first service as Granger Community Church at our new multisite location at 2701 E. Bristol Street in Elkhart. The level of anticipation couldn't be higher. Scores of volunteers and staff have labored hundreds of hours, given up sleep and demonstrated astounding skill. The preparation continues as I write, but come Sunday morning we'll be ready: two services at 9:30 and 11:30am.

With so much to celebrate, another group at 2701 E. Bristol is struggling. For the past several years Little Cherubs Daycare has rented space to provide care and teaching for up to seventy children a semester. In the past week the parents and staff of Little Cherubs have expressed hurt and anger about our recent arrangment in the building we now own and occupy. I want to offer some background and vision for the people of GCC-Elkhart, as many questions have surfaced in the past few days.

• Before the transfer of ownership (which occurred in July) from St. John's Church of Christ to Granger Community Church, we agreed to rent space to Little Cherubs for at least one more school year. 
• We agreed that we would make evaluation of any longer term no later than February. We wanted to make that determination as early as possible, so that if there were any changes in the agreement, Little Cherubs would have ample time to make different plans. 
• The Little Cherubs staff responded graciously to a move to the lower level of the building for the past three-four months so construction could occur without interruption to their program while assuring safety for their children.
• During this time our staff and volunteer teams processed the best use of the children's space on the main level of the building, knowing we would provide ministry to potential hundreds of children on the weekends. This time also allowed time to understand how the daycare utilized their classroom space for teaching.
• At the same time plans to open Granger Community Church's own licensed Early Learning Center on our Granger campus at 630 E. University Drive were in full motion. Our target open is Fall 2012. We want our vision and focus to be clear - to our families and our community about this new ministry. 
• Some have believed that Little Cherubs was merging with Granger Community Church, becoming GCC's daycare in Elkhart. While we've planned to occupy the same building, Little Cherubs remains a unique ministry from GCC. Given this confusion and wanting to open our own Early Learning Center with clarity and strength, we have opted to end our rental agreement with Little Cherubs at the end of this current school year - May 2012. This was not a swift decision. It was not a pleasant or easy decision.
• The use of classroom space is very different between our church and Little Cherub's. The overlapping use of the same rooms as classrooms is incompatible. Not wrong, just different. Different enough that it would not be possible to completely empty rooms of daycare materials and furnishings for weekend use. 
• However, for the remaining six months of the school year Little Cherubs will be welcome to use considerable space on the main level of the building for napping, reading circles, music and movement, etc. as they see helpful. They will be able to maximize their classrooms on the lower level for teaching and table activities without disruption to their setup.
• Finally, we made this difficult decision to end our rental agreement as soon as possible, allowing the daycare more time to make necessary arrangements for other space. 

We respect the work of Little Cherubs. They have established a worthy reputation in our community. The families and children of Little Cherubs are good people. Their program is good. We're happy to work with them over the coming months. I trust our relationship will be healthy. I know their care for their children will remain strong and unwavering. I'm grateful for that.

Join me in praying with the families and staff of Little Cherubs as they struggle with this transition. Pray they find a new home where their approach to ministry is a perfect fit. Thank God for the good and faithful work of Little Cherubs. 

These are the tough choices that come with careful evaluation of what we've said "yes" to. There will continue to be countless good ideas for the use of this building in Elkhart. There will be hundreds of good ministries we could offer to our church and community. Some of them we will embrace. Many more we'll take a pass on. Maintaining focus, staying true to our agreed upon vision as a church isn't easy. It's not easy for any organization. 

Sunday will be a big day! Pray for all the details in opening the space for services this month. Pray for our artists as they lead us. Pray for our children's and guest services and facility care teams as they finalize preparation and create an atmosphere that communicates God's love to everyone who attends services this weekend. 

See you at 9:30 or 11:30! 

OverStock Sale: How to Wow, First Impressions & Lasting Impressions

Call it a Black Friday Sale, Holiday Special or Lucky You Day. I overbought. You save big. 

Here's the deal:

 

Retail: $9.99

Now through this site:

•  
  •  
    •  
      • $8.00 each - single copy + shipping
      • $7.00 each - 10 or more - FREE FedEx Ground shipping
      • $6.00 each - case of 84 - FREE FedEx Ground shipping

 

Retail: $19.99

Now through this site:

•  
  •  
    •  
      • $14.00 each - single copy + shipping
      • $13.00 each - 10 or more - FREE FedEx Ground shipping
      • $12.00 each - 1/2 case of 40 - FREE FedEx Ground shipping

 

 

 

Retail: $19.99

Now through this site:

•  
  •  
    •  
      • $14.00 each - single copy + shipping
      • $13.00 each - 10 or more - FREE FedEx Ground shipping
      • $12.00 each - 1/2 case of 40 - FREE FedEx Ground shipping

 

 

Email me directly: mwaltz@gccwired.com. AX, VISA, MC and Discover accepted.

 

He's No Turkey

Tom Grathwohl has taken more difficult steps in the past year than I've considered. Pretty sure. And every step has taken him closer to his goal - and to Christ. As he disciplined his life and lost a hundred pounds, he realized how blessed he was. He wanted to encourage others. He wanted to give to others, to be a blessing. 

A few loaves of bread and some sliced meat, and "Tom's Turkey Tuesdays" was born. His story blessed our entire church this past weekend. Watch this. Be blessed.

 

Football, Churches & Momentum

I watched the Indianapolis Colts play again yesterday. I'm a fan. But, the truth is - they've lost any sense of momentum. Momentum is something the Chicago Bears are trying to capture. In contrast the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions (inspite of Sunday's loss) have momentum. That momentum has established movement. A movement that impacts fans, focus and victories.

Any team, individual, organization or church knows when there's movement, when they have momentum. But, how is it started? How do you get traction? What are the factors to build a movement?

I shared this clip yesterday with our volunteer team in Elkhart before our weekend service. The clip has been around for awhile but it helped us talk about the leadership potential in every individual.

Check this out:

Everyone has this potential. Everyone has influence. Everyone can invite someone else to participate. Everyone can take a step and boldly obey God. Everyone can serve in their unique way, inviting others to join them. Everyone can be part of creating a movement...setting the pace for momentum.

We're about 6 weeks away from launching our first weekend service at our new site in Elkhart. We're actually not moving that far from our current location, the RV/MH Hall of Fame. But, the move is significant because:

• St John's Church of Christ gave us their building. Yes, gave. I'm still awe-mazed.
• The location is snuggled in a densely populated residential community. We'll be a neighborhood church.
• This permanent facility moves us from being a one-day a week physical gathering place to a 24/7 physical outpost of the kingdom.

It's more than a move. I believe this move is a significant step in new momentum, in experiencing a movement. 

A movement was something ancient Rome thought they had as they dominated the East. A movement was what Israel hoped Jesus would accomplish in overthrowing Rome. But, Jesus actually started a movement of love and power through a small band of 12 unlikely leadership candidates. He started a movement with 12 men who stepped up and boldly danced. A movement was started. The Church was born.

It's a movement Jesus started. It's not even our idea. Because it's His - we - Granger Community Church - have purposed in our 2016Vision that... 

We will launch and equip Granger Community Church start-ups all over the globe. All expressions—micro, mega, multi, rural, suburban, urban, multi-ethnic, local, domestic and international—will be united by the same mission and DNA. We will be a movement of more than 100,000 missional followers of Jesus gathering as 2,000 reproducing churches.

It's a God-sized vision. And we're trusting God himself to empower what He's called us to. 

We move in 6 short weeks. If you're part of Granger Community Church - regardless where or how you participate...Granger, Monroe Circle, online, Elkhart - pray for God's hand in this move.

• Pray we experience a movement. 
• Pray the momentum we experience results in men, women, students and children knowing God personally. 
• Pray we bring the kingdom to every domain of society in Elkhart and our surrounding communities. 
• Pray for hundreds to stand up, step out and begin to dance.

If you're in Elkhart - don't merely make the move with us to 2701 Bristol Street. Be part of the movement.

Church: Self-protectionists or Change Agents

The scriptures are clear. Jesus said, "You're in the world, but not part of it." Paul said, "Come out from them; be separate."

Many Christians have read these teachings and built walls to protect themselves from the stain and shame from a sinful culture. They've created a safe zone as "church," celebrating pious purity with their self-righteous noses in the air. It's a sad, sad commentary that dismisses Jesus' call to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. To be "friends of sinners," if we're at all like Jesus. 

This past weekend, our senior pastor, Mark Beeson, brilliantly exposed this mistaken posture of the church by demonstrating our mission...with a simple science experiment. Crystal. Clear.

LifeServe2011: Guest Services || Volunteers Resources

It was a privilege to partner with my publisher, GROUP Publishing, this past week in Louisville, Kentucky for the 2011 National LifeServe Conference. I got to meet leaders from across the country whose passion to not only raise the guest services bar, but to ingite the volunteer culture in their churches was flat-out inspiring. 

Many of you were interested in the presentation slides and handouts from each of the three sessions. You'll find links to the handouts and Vimeo files (of the Keynote) below. Please note: the Vimeo files are not manual; you'll need to use the "pause" feature to delay slide advances. Also, due to some copyright issues, I was not able to upload any of the videos used in the training sessions.

I trust the following will be helpful in taking your notes and vision back to teammates who weren't able to join us for the conference. I'd love to hear stories as you lead change and discover new best practices that help people understood their worth in Christ.

Thanks for making it a great week!

Empowered Volunteers Make First Impressions That Last

Session Handouts:

• Session 1: Develop Wow-Makers Who Create Wow Experiences
• Session 2: Create a Volunteer Culture That Transforms
• Session 3: Empower Volunteers to Lead Ministry

Vimeo Presentation Files (working on Keynote upload):

 

Session 1: Mark Waltz Keynote, Empowered Volunteers Make First Impressions that Last

AND 2011: Mark Beeson on Attractional & Missional

Mark stated it clearly and directly from the get-go: All of it is attractional. Missional is attractional. How we love, serve and lead is attractional. Here are some highlights from what followed:

• Jesus lived on the earth as a winsome, charismatic leader who's teaching attracted people.
• The way he loved was attractive. The way he forgave was attractive. The way he accepted was attractive. 
• The challenge for all of us to be like Christ. And in doing so, to be attractive.
• God doesn't wait 'til our character is pristine before he calls us. He doesn't wait 'til we're "attractive" to call us. The scriptures are filled with stories of people who were at the low end of the character scale. We talk of the biblical characters as "heroes" of the faith. They really weren't so much heroes. God was the Hero.
• At the same time, people often add a "little Jesus" to their live and expect their life will somehow be attractive. 
• Rather, the closer we get to Jesus, the more intimate our relationship with him, the more we live like him... the more attractive we become to others. 
• Multiplying "attractive" Christ-followers, who will live out their missional impulse as their character in Christ grows is the AND of discipleship.
• Thousands with developing character will do more to reach our world than relying on a few power house leaders. 
• 2 Peter 1.5-12... the picture of character/spiritual/personal growth will help us bring attraction and mission together to reach our world with the love of Christ. 
• God remains the Hero of this story. 

As I've tried to listen and take notes, I'm aware that Mark's delivery and content is impossible to capture here. Not because Mark isn't a brilliant communicator, but because I stopped too often to laugh, think and connect to Mark's message.

Now Mark didn't say any of this, but I'll add that Mark illustrates his point with his life.

Mark's teaching is attractional. Not because he's ever tried to fit inside some model of ministry. Mark's communication is attractional because...

• Mark's character is attractive. He has integrity. He teaches what he lives.
• Mark owns the personal growth curve and next step that is his as he continues to journy with Christ. That's attractive.
• Mark is transparent and vulnerable. That's attractive.
• Mark engages the story of God in scripture, acknowledging the humor, the stupidity, and the wonder in the real human lives that show up there. That's also attractive.
• Mark is a leader with a God-sized dream, a compelling vision. Attractive.

Mark is real. I work with him. Process with him. Share life with him. We're friends. I see Jesus in him. That's attractive to me. 

AND 2011: Inspired with No Budget

I started day 2 of the AND Conference sitting under the leadership of Don Reynolds. Don leads all things arts and community at our Elkhart multisite. Today Don's topic is: How to Operate on No Budget. I know Don's heart so I thought I knew what to expect. But, again - I was inspired by Don's heart for Jesus and his grasp of living with an abundance mindset. 

Acknowledging the significant contrasts between equipment, stage, staff, and budget compared to our Granger hub, Don cast vision that reminded everyone to:

• keep the main thing the main thing: it really is about people
• God's been working already with what we have. It's a gross error to think that the only way God will continue to work is if we have more.
• We're called to be stewards, to be grateful stewards, thankful to be included in his agenda. A grateful, abundant mindset allows us to serve with joy.

I serve with Don. We're on the same team. He's my friend. And the thankful, abundant mindset he presented in this morning's session couldn't have been more authentic. It's who Don is. It's how he leads our teams in Elkhart. I was insprired again today sitting under his teaching. 

By the way - we have a budget for ministry in Elkhart. Our people there give generously. We have a budget. But, like any church, any team we're more than capable of dreaming of more. The charge is to be responsible with what we have. Big budget, small budget, no budget. 

In Don alone we have more than we could dream about in any size budget. We can't pay him what he deserves. Ever. His pursuit of Jesus humbles me. His leadership inspires me. His friendship is priceless. 

Count your blessings. Count your wins. Be grateful for your people who lead and make ministry happen - regardless of the budget.

AND 2011: Hugh Halter

Hugh Halter, author of The Tangible Kingdom, AND and most recently, Sacrilege was our keynote speaker for day one of AND Conference 2011. Hugh coined the word AND as a viable title of anything - namely his book - before Granger Community Church offered the conference by the same name. We had no idea he'd grabbed the title before we promoted last year's first conference, but he was a real Christian about it and didn't sue us. In fact he's been with us, helping us grasp the call of AND. 

Here are some highlights from Hugh's session. If you were in the session or you caught it online, you know this was a challenging, paradigm-shifting talk.

• The church has always been counter-cultural, known for community, communion, inclusiveness, belonging, and intentional blessing to others.
• As it happened in the early church, it happened for Hugh's church plant in the Northwest. This little pesky thing known as the "local church" emerged. 
• And with it - the attractional style of weekend church services.
• There was a day in our culture when people where looking for church, looking for a style of presentation that is "attractional."
• There is no "balance" in the AND. Genius, yes, never balance.
• The reality is "missional" has always been the call; always been the commission.
• Church is something that God builds. It is not a method. Rather He builds the Church through disciples. 
• Paul was the classic sodalic leader... GO. Be missional. Decentralize the efforts. Evangelist, prophet, apostolic.
• Timothy was the modalic leader who would bring the efforts of the sodalic work together. Maintain it. Pastor, teacher, shepherd. 
• The scriptures, as do our experiences, reflect only 15% of the church carry modalic giftings. 85% of the church is more sodalic gifted.
• We tend to build the local church well through sodalic gifts and leadership - with programs for connecting, even growing.
• The challenge is to shift from mere "first decision," belonging... to "second decision," incarnatlonal connection - not to each other - but to those outside the "church."
• Both sodalic and modalic are necessary. How we prioritize is the question.
• Don't leave the "big modalic, structured church," saying I'm gonna be the church, thinking you'll only lead or be part of a sodalic, organic, missional church. Because if it works - you'll find yourself in a modalic church.

Ask:

• Who is on the team? Do we have sodalic people on the team?
• Is there healthy chaos? That's a normal reality in finding the genius of the AND.
• Are we building, developing disciples.
• How will you move from doing the ministry to equipping the church for ministry.
• How will you invest your time and money?
  • What you draw people with, you'll draw people to.
• How will you work from where you are? What needs to give in time, energy and budget?
• Are you ready for a fight? 
  • AND wakes up the enemy. Get ready.
  • "But," "if," "or" doesn't stir the enemy at all. Status quo continues.

I was encouraged to continue to embrace the chaos. I was convicted again by the fact that people really do matter - whether they come to our box or not. 

What are you doing to struggle with this tension? To live the AND as an indivual and the church?

 

Volunteers Are People Too.

We know it, no one needs to remind us. Or do we need to be reminded? The volunteers and staff who make up our ministry teams matter as much as the people we're serving. Our teams are people, too.

As I've had conversations with volunteers and staff on my various teams over the past couple weeks, I've been reminded. People matter. People need value. These people are my first "customers" or "guests".

Just this past week or so, I've been reminded - they will experience value when:

• I ask how they're doing - specifically, remembering the life experiences they're facing (death of a family member, challenging season with kids, disappointment in ministry, etc.)
• I listen to their take on the ministry they're leading. All of it. The highlights and the low spots. The victories and the frustrations.
• I state expectations clearly. What's expected gets inspected. Stated objectives and goals within the mission and vision define success.
• I invite them to view the opportunity/challenge as though they are in my seat (if they're a good leader, they're already thinking about what they'd do if they were in my chair) and tell me what they'd do next.
• I initiate conversations before they begin to question if they or their contribution matters to me or the work of Christ in the local church.

There's plenty more to valuing volunteers and staff who make up our teams. These are reminders that I've experienced personally within the past few weeks. 

I'm grateful for the hundreds of volunteers who make ministry happen every week at our Elkhart and Granger sites. These two days of AND they'll be taking vacation days, leaving work early, postponing other plans to serve our guests. They're the real deal. Relentless. Solid. Joyful. 

I look forward to hanging with a bunch of them the next couple days. 

How do you value your team of staff and volunteers?

 

Joy. Pure Joy.

My wife, Laura, and I are in a world of change. We're empty-nesters now. She's wondering what to do with her time. How to be productive and fulfilled. We're ramping up a new chapter of ministry in Elkhart as our new site there will open up in the next couple of months. I'm on the road helping other church leaders and teams with guest services and volunteer best practices (Join me in Louisville next week for Group' LifeServe Confernce). We're in the middle of our AND Confernce right now. 

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not whining. But, it has been an enormous amount of change. I'm finding our Experiencing God series at Granger Community has come at a great time - not only for our people, for our church - but for Laura and me too. God's up to something. In us. 

I've been reminded of Paul's journey lately. He was in a world of change, too. I don't know change compared to his story. From the time God knocked him off his donkey and onto his own, he lived in constant change. Painful change. 

He wrote Philippians from prison. I wonder how often on lonely prison nights, he thought of the days when he imprisoned Christ-followers. How many times did he feel the fabric of the coats he held so others could stone believers like Stephen... to death. Think about it. What were all those jail stays like for him?

As he first entered the jail compound, I can see him wince as he thinks about being the one who was responsible for the scores of believers who were thrown into a place like this.  Then I see an odd smile form across his face, as he reflects on their resolve.  Their conviction.  Their faith.  He hadn’t understood it then.  It had only made him more angry.  Now, smiling, he felt what they had felt.

He had once looked down on them.  Saw them as a threat.  A menace.  A disruption and distraction from the tradition of what he knew to be as “the faith”.  The religious order.

Now, he was grateful to be counted among them.  To suffer for Christ as they had done.  Even as he faced the probability of death, he squared his bruised shoulders, lifted his throbbing head and … rejoiced.  He knew joy.  Joy.  The kind the brothers at Jerusalem said Jesus had promised.  He couldn’t explain it.  But he had to write about it.  He had to invite his friends in Philipi to experience downward mobility and then know the joy of living – or dying – in Christ.

Quite the attitude Paul carried. An attitude of joy. Joy in suffering. Joy in the not knowing. Joy in the middle of constant change. 

I know little of change, really. My friend, Jerry, understands change. He just said good-bye to his wife, Debbie. Bob knows change, his wife, Pam, was just tragically killed a few nights ago. How will either of these men live with that level of change?

I'm gonna be okay. Laura's gonna be okay. There's plenty of change coming in this new season of life. And part of that change will be fresh ways of experiencing God in personal relationship. It will be marked by levels of friendship and partnership in our marriage. We'll enjoy a new phase of connecting with Liv as she soars in her own new chapter. This will be a season of joy. 

Thanks, Paul.

 

 

Awake for the Party.

It's not too late to party. Or at least share the party.

For the past several years the people of Granger Community Church, Elkhart have embraced the community of Washington Gardens with an all-inclusive, take the lid off party to simply say what we try to communicate all year: You matter to God, you matter to us.

Check out ways to be involved here (scroll down to Block Party). And watch this brief clip that celebrates the event over the past couple years.

 

Elkhart Campus Block Party 2009 from Granger Community Church on Vimeo.

Do It Your Way

Frank sang about it. Burger King promoted it. But this isn't about hamburgers or contrarian jazz. This is about a most unusual approach to participating in a conference. And a church conference at that. You know the usual approach: sit through a day-full of general sessions and hope at least some of them relate to your specific area of responsibility or lifestage in your local church journey. Attend a workshop or two because that's all that's offered... or actually look more interesting than checking your email at Starbucks down the street.

This is different. Really different.

• For starters, as staffers at Granger Community Church, we're planning to share all we've learned and are learning over the past three years.
  
  • We're in the thick of a new vision, a new normal, that's changed and is changing who we understand ourselves to be... who we understand the church to be. We've stumbled along the way, discovered some amazing surprises, experienced some astounding victories and scratched our heads more than a couple of times. We intend to share all that.
  • Here's how my friend, Tim Stevens, summarizes where we've been:
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    • We took a full year gathering input from the entire congregation about their dreams for the future of the church–which resulted in the 2016 Vision.
    • We began shifting the church from a focused come to us model to an intentional focus on the AND — both come to us and go to them.
    • We asked the congregation to own the vision–and they bought in big-time. In fact, we received our first-ever $1 million gift…more than tripling any previous single gift.
    • The New Normal Project was a stewardship campaign unlike any we had ever attempted before.
    • We decided to invest about $400,000 over the next two years as seed money toward starting 2,000 missional communities and essential churches.
    • We decided to shift the purpose of our 55-acre campus from a church facility for the congregation…to a center for the entire community. We will develop the property and facilities so the community can benefit throughout the week–not just for church services. This launches next month when construction begins on a 10,000 sf “Commons” area, and next year when we open a high-quality preschool.
    • We made it through a recession (20% unemployment locally) that included layoffs, 6 budget cuts, while finding creative solutions for continuing the ministry priorities.
    • We launched our first multisite location in a movie theater, then moved it to the RV Hall of Fame. Then, just last month, we received a donation of a $1.2 million building on 4-acres of land which will become the new home of the Elkhart campus.
• In this conference, or conversation, we're also reducing the number of main sessions - down from a 127 (ok, it was never that many) to only 2 (that's a factual number). And both of those will be 60 minutes. No more.
• We're offering 70 workshops. Practical. Conversational. Open and honest. We'll repeat many of them over the two day conference, so you can customize your schedule and avoid swearing 'cause you had to choose between the only two sessions you wanted to attend.
• We're limiting the big arts showcase - assuming you can experience the inspiration of artful medium through the weekend service, yours or elsewhere. Instead we'll capitlize on interactive learning environments that allow you to be an active participant.
• Finally, we're calling our entire staff to be available and accessible to you. We'll be in every session, participating, interested in how we can dialog with you - not just about where we've been, but where you're going.

It's just a month away, but there's still time to register for this 2-day conversation. Go here. Do it now. Do it your way.

Rollin' Up Our Sleeves. Gettin' Down on Our Knees.

If you consider Granger Community Church in Elkhart to be your church home or you are drawn to support the ministry there in some way, I'm asking you to do more than roll up your sleeves. I'm asking you to pray. And fast. Every week between now and November.

As I shared in yesterday's post, we're already rolling up our sleeves at 2701 E. Bristol Street, our new ministry outpost in Elkhart (read more here). We're preparing the building and property for a grand opening and ministry launch in early November.

But there's plenty more to prepare than a building. God's opened a surprising door of opportunity within our New Normal at Granger Community Church. We are committed to elevate every domain of society within each community where we live as the church. We believe when the human heart is transformed by the grace of God, the kingdom of God thrives through the local church and every domain of a community - religion, justice, the arts, government, education, healthcare, and business - will be lifted. God will be glorified; people will be honored and brought face to face with Jesus himself. That's why we're in Elkhart. We believe it's why God's opened this incredible door of opportunity on East Bristol Street. That's why there's more to prepare than a physical building.

Perhaps as my friend, Don Renyolds, has suggested - God is answering the prayers of people in our community who "prayed" (whether they knew it as prayer) for a turn in their marriage, healing in their family, renewed hope in the face of a still-uncertain job market, peace in a tumultuous economy, purpose in place of insecurity and a search for meaning. This building is mere brick and mortar. But the work ahead of us is highly relational. It will demand all we are. It will call out our very best. It will challenge our status quo to merely provide "ministry" and instead pay the high price of meeting people right where they are with the sacrificial love of Jesus. We need the power of God's holy Spirit to fuel and lead our very lives.

That's driving me to my knees. I'm inviting you to pray and fast with me.

Beginning this week will you...

• Fast a meal a day, a day of meals in a week, or some other event, indulgence or hobby to create additional space in your life to listen for God's voice?
  • Here's a great guide to understanding and practicing the discipline of fasting.
• Ask God to show you what might impede your growth, interfere in your focused service, distract you from being fully awake to what God is up to?
• Surrender whatever it is God shows you, inviting someone else in your life to hear what God's showing you?
• Ask Jesus to give you his eyes, his ears, his heart for people you already encounter in your life on a daily basis? Ask him to respond as he would?
• Ask the Holy Spirit to help us see the Kingdom of God come in every domain of society...and give you clarity about the domains where you already have the most immediate influence?
• Pray for me, our senior management team, and our Elkhart lead team... that we'll have discernment to focus our ministry efforts, carefully gleaning through the "good" to practice the "best" initiatives to impact our community for Christ?
• Commit now to participate with others in our 12-week journey of Experiencing God, beginning the week of September 12 (read more here)? Plan to attend a weekly session at our Granger campus, an Elkhart home group or with your own friends through the online teaching channel (watch GCCwired.com for details over the next couple weeks)?

It's time. Roll up your sleeves. Get down on your knees. It's time to work as we pray; time to fast for the work ahead of us. God's up to something historical at and through Granger Community Church. He's calling his Church worldwide to be the Church. It's time to BE the church.

You in?

Rollin' Up Our Sleeves.

A few months ago I told several people that the only way we'd ever consider moving our Elkhart multisite from our more than adequate space at the RV/MH Hall of Fame would be because all three of the following criteria were met:

• We'd go from a one-day a week meeting space to a 24-7 physical building usage.
• We'd pay little to no more for such space than we are currently at the Hall of Fame.
  
• This space would be nestled in a densely populated neighborhood community.
  

I really wasn't trying to paint an impossible scenario; I really couldn't imagine such an arrangement would ever come true. I wasn't trying to put a Gideon-type fleece out, daring God to do the impossible. Nor was I honestly praying for this kind of open door.

Call me faithless. Call me a dare devil. Call me surprised, for sure.

Through the unexpected generosity and vision of St. John's United Church of Christ these three "criteria" have been met and more. All three. Boom. Done. Amazing. [If you've missed what I'm talking about, read more here.]

So, we're rolling up our sleeves, dilently being responsible stewards of this kingdom outpost we are now charged with. Check out some pics of the early work over the past couple Saturdays by our servants at GCC-Elkhart.

 

 

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I'm Away: Laughing, Crying, Celebrating

My wife, Laura, and I have experienced the wonder of God's unexpected and undeserved gifts in our nearly 30 years of marriage. She's my best friend on the planet, and we've shared every emotion, thousands of memories - good and bad...and we're better, by God's grace, as a result of all of it.

We're trusting that'll be true in this next chapter, too. 

I'm posting this (and scheduling several other posts for this week in advance) before checking out of email, FB inbox, texts and phone for over a week. This is our final week with our only child, our daughter - Olivia - before she's off to college. We've talked to scores of parents who've been through this already. We know we're not the only ones who've ever done this. But this is our daughter. Our only child. This is our season. We're going to make the most of this week, helping her launch well.

Liv, not quite 4 years old

Liv, at 18 (picture by Dustin Maust)

She's headed to Herron School of Art (a school at IUPUI) in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. She's a talented, passionate individual. We couldn't be more proud. She loves Jesus and lives in the fact that she matters to God. She knows other people matter to God as well. That combination will change your life. It's changing hers.

We're expecting - based on the many comments from friends who've traversed this gut-wrenching path before us - to cry a lot when we leave the college campus. So, we're taking a few days into next week to hole up in a hotel, eat lots of food, spend plenty of us-time...thanking God for Liv and celebrating the relationship the two of us still share. Laura and I are best friends after all. We think we're going to be okay (and see Liv plenty, since she'll be less than three hours away... What? I'm not letting go yet? Nor easily. Dang straight. Hold your advice. My perogitive.). 

So, enjoy the next several posts - with no comments from me for the next week and a half or so. Regardless the stage of life with the people you care most about - make this week count. Live life fully awake - aware and engaged, looking for Jesus in each moment, in each relationship. 

That's what I'll be doing.

Discipleship = Reproducing

Every follower of Jesus will be a reproducing follower of Jesus. And every church will be a reproducing church.

We will raise the temperature for life-on-life discipleship so it is normal for people to become reproducing followers of Jesus by owning their personal growth. Consumer-oriented Christians will, by design, not feel comfortable long-term.

2016Vision, Granger Community Church

No mistake about it. We’ve committed to intentionally, strategically be more overt in our discipleship strategy for and with our people. We've always been about making disciples. That's what the weekends are about; it's why we meet in groups; it's a vital part of serving together. What we intend to be more strategic about is clearly defined, shared curriculum that helps us construct a developing understanding of what it means to follow Jesus... what it means to be reproducing followers of Jesus.

While it may seem impossible to identify the single most foundational element of our vision (read the vision here), it’s tough to argue with the priority of seeing our people grounded and freed to be the Church where they are. The multiple expressions of “church” - together and individually - will find their core around the centrality of Jesus and his agenda for the world he loves. We must make disciples. Our Fall plan that follows flows out of this conviction.

Here’s what’s coming this Fall:

• Baptism: We’ll celebrate hundreds of people going public as followers of Jesus on the weekend of August 27 & 28. Our August series, Awakening, will focus on salvation, baptism and experiencing God personally.

• Ground-breaking: We’ll break ground for our new Commons on Sunday evening, August 28 at 6:00pm! It’ll be an event for the whole family, inviting everyone to help break ground (bring a spoon!) and be part of our first ever 360-degree all-church picture! Yahoo! We're believing this space will open our campus 7 days a week to our community. We hope hundreds, even thousands, may first encounter real, Jesus-centered, people-loving individuals in our cafe, bookstore and community space. We expect many of us will use this space for conversations that help us grow in our relationships with Jesus. 

• Elkhart Site Retrofit: Between August and November we’ll be retrofitting our new site on E Bristol Street, getting ready to hold our first service there in early November. We're praying this ministry outpost will give us significant and unique reach into the community of Elkhart. We intend to love and serve our neighbors, reproducing ourselves and our church as the Body of Christ. (Read more from me here. Read more from The Elkhart Truth newspaper here.)

• A shift in our celebration of Communion: 25 years ago we programmed our weekend services around the assumption that people were tentative about their church experience. People were skeptical of “religion.” Spirituality was clouded by fallen TV evangelists and misperceptions of what “church” was supposed to be. Today, people largely desire the mystery and power of a spiritual connection with God. Church is expected to deliver an encounter with God that is moving and profound. Beginning in September we’ll move our observation of Communion to the weekend, helping thousands of people see God’s grace demonstrated and offered. August 3 will be our final First Wednesday. 

For more on this shift watch or listen to Mark Beeson's message from this past weekend (choose "I Won't Let Go" from July 31st) on the right.

• All-church Discipleship Initiative: We will invite every student and adult to engage a semester of Experiencing God (this is a highly respected discipleship strategy written and taught by Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby and Claude King) this September through November. We’ll offer a Monday evening venue at our Granger campus with live teaching from our teaching pastors and interactive, conversational application. We will capture the teaching on video to resource other group venues – on site and in homes and other off-site gathering places.
  • At Granger we’ll offer a weekday women’s venue as well as a weekday men’s venue, increasing the opportunity for people to connect with others for this discipling process. The teaching will be via video, captured from the live teaching of our pastors on the preceding Monday evening.
  • With the exception of Financial Peace University this Fall, Experiencing God will be our only weekday/mid-week offering at the Granger campus. 
  • All our groups in Elkhart will engage this process in homes (We'll make future semesters of discipleship training available at our new location on East Bristol Street!). 
  • This material – book and workbook – is appropriate for both the long-time Christ-follower and those exploring their journey with God for the first time.

Are you ready? This is going to be a season of exponential growth for hundreds, hopefully thousands, of our people. I'm gearing up to be one of them. Hope you'll join me!

 

I'm Starting Over. No Spin. No Excuses.

I'm just gonna shoot straight. No spin. No excuses. Hmmm... Like that's any different from anything else I've written. I don't write spin. But, if ever I wanted to spin something, this would be it. 

Here's the deal. A couple weeks ago I put out the word that I'll be hosting a Guest Services Coaching Network - for pastors, directors, local church team leaders. Bottom-line: only in the last couple days have I had the first, the one, the only response to the opportunity (thank you!). So, I'm mulling over some possible scenarios: 

• No one reads the blog. (sniff, sniff...wipe teary eyes.) (Enough. Pity party over.)
• I put the word out way too late for church leaders to assess their calendars and budgets and make this a real win. 
• Few churches actually have someone on their staff whose responsiblity is limited to guest services.

I've led two previous coaching networks - both of them more broadly focused on connections: including, but not limited to guest services. Those two coaching experiences encompassed groups, classes, volunteering, all connecting "on-ramps," including, guest services.

So, I'm starting over. With only a month to allow you to apply, be accepted and make travel arrangements for our first two days in early September. 

Want in?

If you are a senior pastor or a pastor/director responsible for adult connections or assimilation ministries of any flavor - I'm inviting you to apply for this coaching journey.

• It will be intensely practical. Highly conversational. Interactive. And limited to 12 leaders.
• We will study. We'll read. We'll learn together. We'll explore your specific questions, issues and church dynamic.
• We will get specific about cultivating culture, building teams, casting vision, designing environments for connecting, serving and growing.

Here are some reasons you don't need coaching:

• You don't have, nor you expect to have new people seeking Christ in your church.
• You've already read a book on connecting people in your church. Should be enough.
• You seldom hear another leader lend any value to your leadership, 'cause they just don't know what you're up against.
• You have shelves full of conference notebooks you haven't looked at since you put them there years ago. Waste of budget dollars.
• You have a job description. You know what to do. Nuff said.
• You love working in isolation and don't appreciate the power of collaboration and team.
• You wear a large red cape under your pastor/director suit.

However, if you read this list and think, "Maybe, just maybe, there'd be value in...

• networking with other church leaders who have a wealth of experiences to share."
• identifying with someone else's passion for people seeking Jesus."
• tracking with processes, systems and strategies from, not just one church, but several churches."
• another practitioner listening to my unique setting, challenges, and goals and offering strategic, practical advice."
• getting out of my familiar surroundings to hear and engage fresh perspectives."

No spin. No excuses. I want to help you. Let's help each other. 

Okay - let's do this. Right now. Check it out. Download Connections Strategy Coaching Summary. Apply from the link inside the document. No excuses.

Cultural Shifts & MultiSite: Identity

We began our first multisite three years ago. There have been a number of shifts since that launch. For the first several months we met in a movie theater with 100% video of the weekend service. For nearly two years we have met at at the RV/MV Hall of Fame - a multi-million dollar facility with spacious room and a kickin' live band.If you've been following along, you've caught that we're still experiencing shifts and new opportunities with our Elkhart site (read here and here). This fall we'll move to our new ministry outpost, occupying a fifty year old building that gives us unique opportunity in a densely populated residential part of the city. 

How we process change matters. Understanding and embracing who we are matters. Culture, identity and expression of that identity as a church body really matters.

Recently my friend, Don Reynolds - our director of arts and community in Elkhart, responded to an email inquiry about multisite and the arts. Over the next week I'll run excerpts of his responses. He's a thinker with heart. A compassionate shepherd who gets strategy. I love Don. I love what he shares below.

I have been on staff at Granger for under a year. Before that I served as a volunteer in the arts area while the vision of multiple locations was cast. Within a year or so, I changed my volunteer role, leaving the Granger location to focus solely on our Elkhart site.This cultural shift was most noticeable at that time.  

Granger is an amazing organization, and equally amazing church. For decades, the teams at Granger have produced worship experiences with awe-inspiring effectiveness and creativity. When I started in Elkhart, I was conceptually trying to produce the same experience as the Granger site. Quickly, we learned that our application of the Granger experience needed to be tweaked, adapted, and re-developed. "Who are we?"  "What IS Granger Community Church?"  

Our Senior Management Team developed a list of "Campus Constants" in order to begin the discussion about campus identity. Within a few months, my thinking shifted from trying to "reproduce" an experience, to being a "reflection" of an experience, then to being an "expression" of the Granger experience. Finding who we were as a site within a regional church was my biggest challenge. What does our experience look like in comparison to the Granger site? How can we morph our thinking from "us" and "them," from "Mom & Dad" and "red-headed step-child" (LOL) to expressions of the same identity?  

What we discovered is that the missional impulse of our Senior Pastor Mark Beeson is still alive and beating in our site.The creative impulse that has so much been a part of our weekend arts experience on our Granger campus is alive and well on our site. What made the Granger experience, ultimately, was not the size of the room, haze, enormous screens, slides to the kids classrooms, and an awesome café: but it is the heart that made all those things possible, the heart that beat for those who don't yet know God loves them, excellence applied to every area of ministry, taking steps toward Christ…. THAT was, and is, Granger.That we could be. And THAT we are!

In a few months we'll move to a new location with a 24/7 presence as a ministry outpost. Buildings don't define culture necessarily, but we'll be tempted to rethink who we are. But who we are has already been determined. We are Granger Community Church. We are a people who care for people who don't know they matter to God. We are a people committed to taking our next step toward Christ...together. We are a people purposed to reach our community. We are agreed on our vision through 2016. Where we meet doesn't change that. 

Don's right: Our effort is not to see how "identical" we can be to the Granger campus. Nor is it to work at being as different as we can be. The effort isn't really about finding or forming identity at all. We have identity. We will develop new expressions unique to our community there that help us accomplish our mission and vision. The same values will guide us. The same missional impulse with fuel us. 

We're moving fast on this process to revitalize a vibrant ministry in northeast Elkhart. And we're moving in step as an entire church to only do what moves us closer to fulfilling our 2016 Vision and our 25-year mission.