Mark Waltz | ...Because People Matter

Back for a Minute...

So, after quite a break I'm back for a minute to say I'll be back after another break. I'm sure that breaks several blog and leadership rules. But, it's my blog, right? And you are reading it... So...

I'm taking the next week to spend with family... and a hammer, rake and paint roller. It's a stay-work-project-cation. Sounds like work, fun, too little sleep and all with the people I enjoy most. While I'm out the next week, I'm looking forward to...

• Finishing Tim Keller's The Prodigal God
• Also finishing Peter Rollins' The Orthodox Heretic
• Ripping out an old shed (and discovering the adventure that awaits inside)
• Sun with family at the lake
• Sleeping in... staying up late (as in ... now)
• Maybe a little XBox (probably... likely... pretty sure)

In the mean time - I highly recommend you...

• Check out the launch of Sand Traps with classic Mark Beeson story-telling that gets to the heart of the scripture lesson as only Mark can! - HERE
• Read Tim or Peter's books with me (above)
• Get registered for Willow's annual Leadership Summit, August 6 & 7! If you attend Granger, you can do so here; if not, go here.
• Keep up with people who are currently blogging this week, like:
• • Mark Beeson
  • Tim Stevens
  • Kathy Guy
  • Kem Meyer
• If you're not following me on Twitter, you might catch a snippet or two of the week here.
• Wanna keep up to speed on all things Granger Community, follow @gccwired on Twitter here.

I'll check in here again after the 20th.

30 Days of Sex | Props to Some Peeps

Yesterday I put up several videos and comments - all of which deserve some acknowledgment for their talent and creativity to communicate so effectively.

• First of all, thanks to lifechurch.tv for the inspiration and original work on the interview with Satan video. You can watch their original piece here. You guys keep it real!
• Jeff Myers played the devil in a compelling way. Scary, in fact. Clarify: Jeff is not my enemy. Satan is.
• Kristin Baker edited and directed the video.
• Ben Sanders shot, edited and produced it.

I love team! It's really the only way to do life!

30 Day Sex Challenge | Is Sex the Point?

I know, I know. It seems like a crazy question to ask a week into this month-long sex challenge: Is sex even the point? It is, obviously. But maybe not.

• What's the point of a football player spending hours in the weight room? To bench record weights? To sweat a lot? No, the point is to play ball better on the field.
• What's the point of studying for an exam or doing daily homework in school? Merely the grade? No, the point is to be equipped for life experiences, including the workforce.
• What's the point of spiritual practices? To know more about the Bible? To be an expert "pray-er"? Hardly. The point is to live a transformed life after the Way of God and his agenda.

Maybe sex isn't the point. If you thought it was and it's created tension in your marriage and bedroom. Call a timeout.

The point is not to merely get to the end of a month and be able to say, "We did it for 30 days!" The point is not to set new records in skill, frequency or creativity (although there's nothing wrong with that, I'm sure). The point is to journey toward intimacy. And intimacy isn't just about the physical act of sex.

Intimacy is about connection.It's about listening. It calls for selfless denial. It involves changing your agenda, your priority, your behavior. Intimacy may culminate in the bedroom, but it doesn't start there. Intimacy starts in the heart. It's a mindful, willful decision. It shows up in phone calls, non-sexual touch (that might mean you don't expect anything after giving the back rub, guys), doing the dishes, and parenting the kids. Intimacy, romance... foreplay. It starts way before the bedroom.

Is sex the point?

Kinda. It will be a helpful practice.

Here's what my wife and I have discovered over the past week:

• We've had more intentional conversations about our shared life, goals, and sex.
• We've been more careful to speak positively into each other.
• We've flirted more.
• We've listened better.
• We've ... (you don't need to know everything).

So, ask yourself: Do I want to love my spouse better at the end of this 30-day journey? Or do I just want to look back on a month of great sex?

Answering that question could be a challenge.

Some of you would do well to start over with a 30-day Romance Challenge. Yeah, romance.

By the way, there's a good chance you'll still have sex this month.

(Missed getting the book from our bookstore? You can order it here from the authors, Paul and Susie Wirth.)

(Curious about where you can get your own bedroom door hanger and other tools for the journey? Check 'em all out here.)

Leading the Serve | Rob Wegner and MLK

(Photo: Mark Beeson)

This past Monday my friend and fellow pastor, Rob Wegner, was one of six recipients of the Martin Luther King Drum Major Award, sponsored by the Martin Luther King Foundation, City of South Bend, City of Mishawaka, and the Chamber of Commerce. The award was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King's speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church on February 4, 1968 (Read the speech here) and is given to honor people for their community service in our area.

Rob had this to say on Monday as he received his award:

On behalf of Granger Community Church, I am privileged beyond words to receive this great honor that carries the name of Dr King.  He is one of the  brightest lights in our country’s history. On this day, we all find our lives elevated by his great faith, his great work and his great vision. Especially in light of tomorrow’s inauguration, it is right for us to pause and recognize what a an emotionally powerful and historic moment this is.  One that goes beyond the ordinary politics that we are all accustomed to. In large part due to legacy of Dr King, the whole world will now see an idea of American Leadership that reaches beyond white males.  Tomorrow, the whole world will see the American ideal of racial equality realized in a whole new way.

Regarding the Drum Major award,  I stand here merely as a representative of the people of Granger Community Church. As is true of any great endeavor, the work that Mayor Rea described as our gift to this community extends so far beyond the gifts and talents and devotion of any one person. If it weren’t for the willing hearts and hands of the people called Granger Community Church, if it weren’t for the support and brilliant leadership of our Senior Pastor Mark Beeson, a much smaller story would have been told this morning.

On behalf of Granger Community Church, I want to say, it is our commitment to continue the great work of service that Dr King has called all of us to. These are his words..

“.. Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness… by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant.”

Rob, I'm grateful for your commitment to the kingdom of God and your faithfulness to teach, mobilize and model for others what "up there", "down here" looks like.

• Read Rob's post about it here.
• Read Mark Beeson's comments here.
• Read the South Bend Tribune article here (limited time access).

Caption that Picture

Our senior management team is in Northern Michigan this week, praying, strategizing, planning for the year. Our afternoon today included a brief outdoor excursion. Mark Beeson captured this snapshot of Tim Stevens and me.

How would you caption this picture? Leave your comments below...

Still Crazy After All These Years

This is my bride, Laura, of 27 years - today, November 20. We met 31 years ago in high school. I had my eye on her for a couple of years, but she was beyond me. No way she'd want to date me. She was a good friend of my sister, so I finally avoided all risk and begged my sister to tell me what Laura thought of me. Would she go out with me?

Like I said, that was a couple decades or more ago.

Today, we're best friends and passionate lovers (with each other!). Here are 27 reasons I'm proud and grateful to be your husband, Love:

1. You show me what grace looks like. I see Jesus in you.
2. You are faithful. Period. Ups, downs, dark and sunshine - you've been at my side.
3. You make me laugh. You're one funny lady!
4. You made a beautiful baby girl with me.
5. Your voice on the phone closes the physical space between us.
6. Your vocal talent inspires me.
7. Your gifted worship inspires thousands.
8. You're organized. I need you.
9. You've never met a stranger. I need you.
10. Watching you with your friends makes me smile. You understand friendship.
11. You always look smashing! You're the queen of accessorizing!
12. Your willingness to share you with me - your heart, your fears, your hopes, your questions. It honors me and us.
13. Your common sense logic is soooo necessary in our marriage.
14. Your coaching of Liv is brilliant.
15. Your trust-filled relationship with her is mysteriously wonderful. She's so fortunate.
16. You help me be honest. I hate it, need it, love it.
17. You pray for me. Thank you.
18. You cheer for me; you want the best for me; you call it out of me.
19. You take the party with you!
20. You love being with me - shucks. And, thank you.
21. You show me the value of family with your parents and family.
22. You are so responsible, so diligent, so tenacious, so full of integrity.
23. You help me laugh at myself.
24. You support not only me, but what I'm doing, what I'm leading. You share it with me.
25. You are radiant! You glow! You're freakin' hot!
26. You really do put the sizzle in our, er, bedroom. It's true. That's all I'm saying, but it's true.
27. You share the covenant with me to grow old together... 'til death us do part.

I'm looking forward to celebrating over the next several days with you, Laura. Thanks for sharing life with me! I thank God for you!

16-Year Core

Years ago - 16 to be exact - I landed on this passage at a prayer retreat on the Oregon coast. God seemed to drive this passage to my core as the essential purpose of my life - both in personal transformation and as a life mission in helping others experience their worth and significance in Christ.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1.17-23)

It's fueled my ministry focus, centered my family life, and kept first things first with Jesus.

Well, it's done all that when I've lived from that central goal. Today I've been asking, "Am I still leading from that core? Am I connecting with my family from that prayer? Am I connecting with people from that core? Am I teaching for life transformation from that core?"

I don't want to live from an assumed past. An examined life is life experienced.

What's at your core?

Random Stuff

Here are some quick random notes about some happenings and observations that I haven't spoken to over the past few weeks:

Happenings:

• I've been reading Erwin McManus' new book, Wide Awake. It's an encouraging read about living life to the max. Sort of Erwin's take on "if you wanna walk on water, you gotta get out of the boat."
• Also reading N.T. Wright's Following Jesus. One of his shorter books with communion sermons built around the call to follow Christ, lifting central themes and books of the Bible.
• The prep for the launch of our midweek Journey classes has been a rush. My team, the arts team and the communications team have all risen to the challenging opportunity to support the many facets - registration, class notes preparation, journal printing, AV, promotion and a gazillion other details they know that I've not mentioned. They're awesome! My assistant Julie Smies is flat out amazing!
• My family and I got away for a holiday weekend get-away, camping with our friends, Greg and Susan Chipman. Loved the time with the Chipmans and my family. Verdict is still out on tent camping.

Observations:

• I believe Joel Hunter's prayer at last week's Democratic National Convention demonstrated the difference between mere tolerance and respect. The interruption he inserted in his own prayer, inviting people to end the prayer they way they would normally end their prayer showed respect without condoning every faith in the room. He showed the difference between praying in a national, political venue vs. praying in his own church or any other evangelical church. Watch it below... He lifted up the name of Jesus without expecting those who do not yet trust him to pretend to do the same thing. I respect you, Joel!
• We have 600+ people signed up for the Journey classes that begin next week. I think this fresh approach to teaching, learning and connecting is going to rock! We'll know - not merely as we watch the attendance, but as we watch people become more loving - toward God and others. That's the ultimate success measurement.
• My family and I got in on an evening of the Stewart family reunion - my mom's family. If I age like my aunts are, I may live to be over 100 - and look dang good!
• I observed a passenger in a car next to where I was pumping gas light up a cigarette and hang it out the window. I didn't think it was a good idea. I asked her "for the safety of us all" to pay attention to where she was. Can you say, "Kaboom!"?

 

Worth Cheering About

This is our daughter, Olivia (and her friend, Lacey), cheering at a recent football game. I love her joy, her energy, and her commitment to her sport (yes, it's a sport!). She works hard and rearranges her schedule to make team practices and games.

Cheering is part of Liv's make-up. It's what she does.

She's grateful around our family, quick to thank us for simple, everyday stuff - like food and transportation. She's eager to celebrate fun events in her friends' lives. She'll drop her plans for an evening to go to a friend's house who's struggling or disappointed because boys are stupid.

I want to be like Liv. Encouraging. Seeing the best in people. Cheerleading.

There's plenty to cheer about...

• God's still at work in the world.
• He's still changing lives all around me.
• The people who are GCC are juiced about taking their next step and reaching more people with the love of Jesus.
• Rob Wegner and the GCC arts team launched our current FEAR series with strength and creativity (watch it here).
• My wife laughed again at something I said today. I love it when she laughs.
• She's still saying "I do" to me.
• The team of people I call friends and work associates are the best - period.
• I couldn't be more proud of Olivia.

Philippians 4.4 says, Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them.

Got something worth cheering about? Sure you do.

Thanks to My Banner Team

Thanks to Dustin Maust who is responsible for many of my blog banners and to Lisa DeSelm who crafted this latest version. Their creativity amazes me!

Mexic08 Updates

Our daughter, Liv, is in her third day of her Mexic08 experience in Monterrey. She's serving in 100 degree heat alongside 34 other friends from our church. Here are a couple more pics (courtesy Jeff Myers - see all his daily photo updates here) of our girl. It's amazing fun to witness her growth in Christ. God's using relationships, serving, worship experiences, spiritual practices, and personal life experiences to transform her into her truest, God-created self.

We're proud of you, Liv! ... and each of your friends and teammates who are experiencing the same Kingdom wonder!

Mexic08 Team Off (with my Liv)

This team of 35 students and adults (Stacey VanPutten joined them at O'Hare) pulled out of the GCC parking lot this morning around 8 am for Chicago. Their final destination: Back2Back Ministries in Monterrey, Mexico. They will be renovating dorms and play areas of children's homes, serving and caring for needy families in Cadereyta, and helping to build a community center

I'm proud of our students as they live out the kingdom of God on earth - it's up there, down here. I'm confident their labor and relational interactions will advance the work of God in the people they serve. And I'm also confident that the work of God within them will transform their own heart and life.

Discipleship isn't confined to Bible classes or church services. Discipleship is an expression of one's intentionality to follow the Master, Jesus. In service, in relationships, in life decisions, in worship, in obedience. Growing as a disciple is facilitated by spiritual disciplines including Bible study, worship, community, serving, and obedient next steps.

I'm grateful for DC Curry and the student ministry staff - John Keim, Jeff Meyers, Stephanie Rorie, and Katie Liverette. They're leading strong through an incredible summer of mission trips, camps and fall planning.

Pray for our team (And pray for my wife and me while our "little girl" is out of the country.) as you follow their week here.

Recreation & Rest

Saturday, I'll drive down to Camp Adventure with my nephew, Tyler, and Liv's friend, Tori to pick up Liv (who's been leading a group of girls all week as their counselor) and head to the airport. We'll meet Laura, her brother, Bruce, and his wife, Heather and head to Florida.

Our destination is New Smyrna Beach where we'll link up with my in-laws, Harold and Myra. Beach-side, we'll spend the next seven days riding waves (actually my in-laws probably won't), swimming, eating seafood, and relaxing.

Recreation and rest.

I'm looking forward to it for a few reasons:

• Any time with Laura and Liv is treasured time for me. My girls make me smile and laugh. I love being with them.
• Laura's family accepted me as their own nearly 27 years ago. They're really good people (and I'd say that if they never read this).
• I need the rest. Laura needs to unplug. Liv is cruising fast this summer. She needs to rest. It'll be a week-long Sabbath. Actually, in Old Testament, Jewish terms, it's more like a festival. A week-long party. And that will be good rest.
• I'm seeing opportunity to continue practicing spiritual disciplines in this week.
  • I want to intentionally celebrate God's goodness over every meal, every cresting wave, every sunset, every book, every song on my Zune. I'll practice celebration. I hope to reap a fresh growth in joy (gosh, I hope everyone cooperates with my plan).
  • There will be opportunity to practice patience. This trip won't be all about me (nuts). This will be a shared experience (most of the time). They'll want to do things differently (read "wrong") than I do them. Human stuff will happen this week. Stupid human stuff. I'll have occasion to be impatient a time or two (and so will they, I suppose). I'll practice self-control. I'll hopefully grow in patience by extending grace, not merely tolerance (remember, rest, rest).
  • The ocean, the sand, the breeze, and the sun will help me meditate (I'll sneak away now and then for some quiet, not just because I'm impatient, but because I'm an introvert). I'm looking forward to connecting with God. I want to listen - on the beach and in the middle of noisy family conversation for what he might be saying.
• The waves refresh me. I don't surf though. A body board is good enough for me. Watching Olivia beside me, laughing and screaming as the waves crash over us is a hoot. And it's rest.
• I just finished my book, Lasting Impressions. I'm going to go read someone else's book this week.
• I'll be better for the task of leading my family, leading our church, and moving forward with my team after some rest. They all need me to rest.

I don't know that I'll have or find internet access to post often or at all while I am away (New Smyrna isn't your cutting-edge, technology town; people retire there). If you see a post related to church and ministry - I cheated and put it up in advance. If you see vacation pictures, I'm online - not to read email or engage work... only to post snapshots of recreation and rest.

See you soon...

Friends, Ministry, and Life

(picture taken by Mark Beeson)

Why I Love Life and Ministry with This Team - GCC's Senior Management Team:

• When we're together, good food is usually involved (like it was this evening a week ago).
• The variety of stories about kids and all the joys, mishaps and memorable moments are downright entertaining.
• The talent and competence in this group is inspiring.
• Half the fun of hearing Mark Beeson tell a story is watching the rest of the group lean in with double-you-over laughter.
• They call out the best in me.
• There are four other marriages that inspire ours.
• Time together is celebrated. Period. Whether we're eating, praying, seeing sights, learning together - we're celebrating that we get to do so together.
• My wife is valued by Mark and Sheila Beeson and the other friends on our team.
• I'm always reminded of the value of community.
• I'm profoundly aware that we can do more together than we can apart.

I know some of my friends posted this picture days ago. You may be seeing and reading more reflections of the past 4 or 5 weeks as I emerge into the blogging sphere.

Twitter Community

I can't say I completely understand Twittering. I mocked it, refused it, and ignored it for some time. Who has time? What a waste of time!

But, I bit the bug a couple weeks ago. It hasn't changed my life yet. And I'm not holding my breath.

But... several of my office hallway conversations are interestingly more connected than they were. I'm up-to-date with my friends more than I was. And I'm realizing what an avid Sox fan Dave Ferguson is!

So, I'm hangin' around Twitterville a while longer. You can follow me here. I know - why?

Why not?

Pop Goes the Church Makes Some Noise

Tim signing a copy of his new book, Pop Goes the Church, for my assistant, Julie Smies

My friend, Tim Stevens (Granger Community's executive pastor) hates signing books as well as stepping into the media spotlight (see his comments here). But he's going to need to suck it up, 'cause it's comin'! His new book, Pop Goes the Church, is available, and it's making some noise.

You'll note in his post that he's in Indy today doing interviews with the Indianapolis Star and appearing live on Indy's local Fox morning news show. Although I've told him this is just the beginning of an escalating interest in his book, this is about more than book signings, media appearances and conference engagements.

Tim's new book will make some noise because:

• Christians can't keep "doing church" in a vacuum as though the only place God shows up in our church buildings.
• Most of pop culture isn't an intentional tool for exploring God and faith; it's most often a simple reflection of desired hope, painful regret and, though unrecognized, an indelible stamp of God's image on every human life.
• doing church without acknowledging and speaking into the culture with an engaging, hopeful message is to choose blindness to the context in which we live.
• Christians tend to wear "badges of holiness" based on what they stand against rather than reflecting the gracious, redemptive image of God by living out what we stand for.
• America is skeptical of the evangelical church; this book's message is not self-righteous and condemning.
• This book reveals the approach to ministry that Granger Community Church has practiced for 21 years under the leadership and teaching of Mark Beeson, Granger's senior and founding pastor.
• Tim's style is engaging and humorous; his passion is God-driven and his calling is undeniable. He loves God and the people Jesus came to redeem through his here-and-now kingdom.

I thank God for Tim... for his leadership, his passion, his live laid out for the kingdom and for his personal friendship.

If you haven't gotten your copy of the book yet, check it out here.

Person Mark Beeson

Right click for SmartMenu shortcuts

I'm OK

Some of you saw it at LeadingSmart.com from my friend, Tim Stevens. I'll bottom-line it. I was involved in a car accident on Wednesday evening that ultimately impacted 4 vehicles along with their drivers and passengers. Everyone who was injured seemed to only suffer minor injuries - which is amazing considering the highway speed impact and the damage to the vehicles.

I refused to go to the hospital, believing I'd surely only suffered some bruising on my right side - likely from the seatbelt. My friend, Tim was at the site within 5 minutes of my call to him. He offered to get me some medical attention, even urged me. My friend and senior pastor, Mark Beeson called and also pressed me to get checked out, just to be sure. My dear wife is out of town helping her parents with their own medical issues. She desperately wanted me to get to the hospital as well.

I stayed on the phone with friends contacting me for the next 3 hours. Phone calls, emails, Facebook messages, text messages. The love and concern from my community (here and beyond) poured out. And I stubbornly assured each of them that I was fine and declined their advise to get some treatment.

By 10 pm my friend, Kent Ross, pulled into my driveway and announced, "Get your coat. We're going to the hospital." He wasn't urging or recommending. The car was running. He was taking me. Within minutes, our friend, Jennifer, arrived to stay with Olivia until I returned from the hospital.

Reluctantly and painfully I got into Kent's car and checked into the ER. 3 hours later after x-rays, blood and other tests, CAT scans and IV drips, I was sent home to rest with 4 broken ribs and some minor internal bruising. I suppose the trip to the hospital was the right thing to do.

So, I am OK. More importantly I'm grateful. I have an incredible family, stupendous friends and a sore, but whole body and mind tonight (this morning).

The codeine is starting to kick in, my eyes are heavy. No profound theological points out of all this right now, except - you need community. You need friends.

Thanks to the scores of friends - here and beyond - for your prayers and care!

Banner Man

My friend, Tony Morgan, is still taking blog banner ideas from readers and floating numerous headers over his blog every few days. I hope he doesn't ask us to vote. I'll bet if he'd just ask Emily to choose one, she would. Help the brother out, Emily.

In the mean time, my own blog needed some help. Before I started asking for it Mr. Banner Man sought me out, asking if he could please help me with my apparent problem. I said "yes", he agreed to let me buy lunch and the rest is history.

Dustin Maust serves our church as program director - and if you watch our services online, you know the level of creative genious he brings to the team (and what a stellar team - Danny V, Butch Whitmire, Jason Miller, Trace Rorie to name a few).

Dustin took an hour to shoot some pics (He didn't have much to work with and I didn't show up at the office thinking about pictures on Wednesday) and then in less than an hour later had turned around a handful of pictures that my wife loved and three banner ideas.

Below are the other two banners he crafted and a few shots that may appear later.

Tony, if you want to stop coloring your hair and use any of these for your blog, just ask. I'll share. I know you're too far away to take Dustin to lunch.

Thanks, D, for sprucin' up my space!

   

Is that Dancing?

My girls - my wife, Laura, and our daughter, Olivia - treated me to a great birthday weekend away to celebrate my birthday. Lots of great food, some shopping at a really cool new store and a dance show that redefines dance.

Maybe you remember the Hyundai car commercials a while back... Here's one:

We took in an evening show that displayed astounding athletic, acrobatic, choreographed dance that was mysterious, curious and amazing all at once.

My wife's assessment? "So, if it's really weird, just call it art."

She cracks me up. And she may be right in this case.

Good times. Very good times. Thanks, Laura and Liv. You're wonderful evidence of God's grace and joy!

Foto Fun from PictureTrail.com

Just testing out a new online picture site.