Archive for Missional

Jul
25

Get a LOVE UPGRADE, Pt.2

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Jesus is still in the BLESSING BUSINESS. This week we got to BLESS 500 PEOPLE WITH FREE WATER AND BUBBLES at Manchester’s Downtown Film Festival (big props to COMMUNITY EVENTS LCC for hosting it, and Chris Malloy for coordinating it).

Here is what I observed and experienced at MOVIE NIGHT:

  • As organizational leaders and church pastors we must stop making excuses for why people STEP DOWN and start creating expectations for people to STEP UP. Ministry is hard work – get over it:) That is my nice way of saying, Jesus gave His life in service to others so we might take a hold of salvation (forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, the sweet life forever with God, which starts NOW on earth). Jesus is our example of sacrifice in ministry – He gave everthing, so should we. I was PROUD OF teamDC last night. They sacrificially gave of themselves and poured love into the cracks and crevices of downtown Manchester (I love MY CHURCH and I love this CITY)! Thank you Jesus for calling me and my family to this amazing MISSION OF LOVE.
  • As far as marketing goes, GIVING TO THE COMMUNITY IS THE WAY TO GO. Marketing for us is all about communicating the greatest story ever told (the story of God’s love for humanity and how He sent His only Son to die on the cross for our sin-stained souls to be saved forever). We want to promote Jesus, not the pastor, not even the church per se, but we want to MARKET JESUS TO A MARKET WITHOUT JESUS. We want to bring the love and message of Jesus Christ to those far from God, and the only way to do that is to get outside the four walls of the church and share love, serve the people, and reach the culture. I really dig sending mailers but what we were able to do last night put us in direct contact with people. Jesus was infamous for touching the untouchables and loving the unlovables. I love that about Jesus and I love that about The Dialogue Church! We want to love the unloved, we want to bring the touch of Jesus to those who have never experienced his soul-morphing touch before.

Categories : Leadership, Missional
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Jul
24

Get a LOVE UPGRADE, Pt.1

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We all know that Beyonce wants to upgrade you (”Let me, let me, let me upgrade, let me upgrade ya”). But did you know that God is constantly seeking to upgrade you as well.

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. (Eph.4:16 NLT)

Last night we had the privilege of BLESSING 500 PEOPLE IN THE NAME OF JESUS with free water and bubbles. We gathered at Manchester’s downtown Film Festival in Veteran’s Park (the movie was funny, Hotel for Dogs) and the event coordinator, COMMUNITY EVENTS LCC, really did a fantastic job (big props to Chris).

And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded. (Matt.10:42 NLT)

JESUS IS STILL IN THE BLESSING BUSINESS. Seriously, I was blown away last night by the response on both sides of the blessing: those who were being blessed and those who were doing the blessing (GO TEAM DC).

As the Church of Jesus Christ seeks to be all that Jesus dreams her to be, then we must seek an UPGRADE, A LOVE UPGRADE. And we must seek to bring that upgrade of love to all the hurting, broken, and confused here in our city. I can’t help but believe that Jesus has placed us right in the heart of this city because that is where we can make the biggest impact for God and His love story. There are so many thirsty for real life, the kind of life that only God can give. AND LAST NIGHT, THE DC MADE JESUS REALLY PROUD, IT WAS ALL ABOUT MAKING JESUS FAMOUS & BLESSING OUR COMMUNITY IN A SIMPLE AND PRACTICAL WAY (way to go Dawn, Lissa, and the rest of the DC Team for pulling this off – and Manchester, you ain’t seen nothing yet)!

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May
11

Failing to Respond vs Failing to Invite

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From then on, Jesus began to preach, “Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near. (Matthew 4:17 NLT)

One of my greatest fears is that many of our churches are full of people with a false spiritual confidence. I heard a great pastor and communicator say this, “I like to tell young preachers, you don’t fail when you invite people to repent and follow Christ and no one responds. You fail when you don’t invite people to repent and follow Christ.”

There are going to be times, just like Jesus and His ministry, when we invite people to follow Christ and they refuse to follow; but that is not failure for the church. The church fails when we refuse to invite people to follow Christ, to turn from their sin and follow the Living God.

We might become critical of ministries like Noah, which didn’t have a single convert (other than those in his own family). But God used him to save the world. Let’s face it, none of us would be around today if it were not for God using Noah and his ministry. But the failure is not in having people refuse the gospel or the invitation to meet Jesus, but the failure is when we (the church) refuse to invite people to join the soul revolution of Jesus Christ!

Categories : Missional
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