A Blog by Jason Salamun

One thing that would benefit us all is to discover what we’re good at and what we’re not.  From there, we can find out what types of jobs fit us, what kind of team to surround ourselves with, and become more effective overall.

Too often, people see their weaknesses and spend their time developing them to the point of mediocrity. This is often done at the expense of our strengths.  The truth is, it’s your strengths that have to most room for growth.

The StrengthsFinder assessment by the Gallup’s organization is a helpful tool that allows you to discover your strengths and show you where to focus your personal development.

I recently took the assessment and the results revealed my top 5 are Activator, Belief, Relator, Ideation, & Maximizer (descriptions below).  They weren’t surprising and they reinforced what I’ve always known my sweet spot was.

Activator
People who are especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.

Driven by your talents, you may influence some of your friends to make things happen quickly. Sometimes you create enthusiasm in others by championing a particular project, rule, process, activity, or idea. Because of your strengths, you are comfortable telling others stories about your personal habits, qualities, experiences, or background. Your forthcoming nature probably enables others to share their thoughts and feelings with you. By nature, you now and then boost some people’s spirits by bringing up a key point they shared with you. Perhaps you sense that certain individuals feel a bit more special when you listen to them and spotlight something they said. It’s very likely that you generate enthusiasm so people become as eager as you are to transform an idea into something tangible. You are energized, not paralyzed, by opportunities and possibilities. Instinctively, you may show your approval of an individual by referring to some interesting points the person made during a conversation or presentation. Sometimes you convince people you value them by paying particularly close attention when they speak.

Belief
People who are especially talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.

Driven by your talents, you feel better about yourself when you are honest and forthright with people. Telling untruths and omitting important facts violates your personal code of ethics. By nature, you might place particular value on the purpose and meaning you draw from your core values. Perhaps you aim to provide for your family’s physical, educational, emotional, or social needs. This partially explains why you work hard to ensure that their quality of life is as good as it can be. Instinctively, you are naturally compelled to admit the truth. If someone asked you or told you to intentionally mislead someone, you would reply, “I cannot and I will not do that!” Because of your strengths, you want your life to really matter. You are determined to contribute to the well-being of individuals and the human family. You sense you can be an influence for good in the world. Chances are good that you are cheerful and upbeat when people accept the fact that you feel strongly about matters that could alter the quality of your life.

Relator
People who are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.

Because of your strengths, you embrace life more fully when you are surrounded by people whose personal aims or professional ambitions are clearly defined. Instinctively, you might be particularly willing to accept all individuals regardless of their appearance, education, social class, native language, religious preference, or political persuasion. Perhaps this explains why your circle of friends or acquaintances is diverse and interesting. Maybe your openness encourages individuals to seek your counsel. By nature, you realize life is good after you have shared your knowledge and skills with novice players, students, teammates, or associates. You probably are most gratified by individuals who want to improve personally or professionally. Driven by your talents, you fill your mind with new ideas by asking questions, reading, studying, observing, or listening. Normally, you accumulate facts, data, stories, examples, or background information from the people you meet. Determining what they want to accomplish in the coming weeks, months, or years generally satisfies your curiosity. These insights also allow you to understand why individuals behave they way they do in different situations. It’s very likely that you sometimes congratulate yourself for being a good counselor. Certain people may keep coming back to you for words of wisdom. Others might seek your recommendations about how to handle problems or take advantage of opportunities.

Ideation
People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

Chances are good that you may be delighted when you can generate new and innovative ideas for doing certain tasks or projects. Perhaps you lose enthusiasm or become bored when you are forced to follow standard operating procedures. Periodically you wonder if you are in the right job or course of study when your creativity is stifled. Maybe you are frustrated by people who conclude that your inventive suggestions are forms of criticism or insubordination — that is, refusal to submit to authority. It’s very likely that you contribute many innovative ideas to the group during brainstorming sessions. You tend to be highly imaginative when proposals are fully heard and any criticism is reserved for a later time. Driven by your talents, you enjoy being well-read. Not surprisingly, you can introduce more questions, suggestions, solutions, or innovative ideas into group conversations than most participants can. Instinctively, you bring new thoughts to most discussions and meetings. Your reputation for innovative thinking explains why you are recruited by groups. You derive satisfaction from mental activity. You recognize when you are especially creative. Because of your strengths, you probably consider yourself an idea person. Your job, studies, or life in general are more exciting when people ask you to generate novel assignments, activities, or campaigns.

Maximizer
People who are especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.

Instinctively, you might give yourself credit for being keenly aware of certain people’s moods, motives, thoughts, or behaviors. Because of your strengths, you may recognize your ability to involve different sorts of individuals in your life. Some people might recall that you were the first person to welcome them with open arms, an open heart, or an open mind. Chances are good that you frequently notice what makes each person unique or special. Armed with these insights, you probably inspire many individuals to move into action. You realize life is more fulfilling for people who choose tasks and are given assignments that closely match their talents. You often notice the different moods, need for information, or preferred forms of recognition for the people in your life. It’s very likely that you sometimes improve your results or add to your list of accomplishments by consciously using your talents. Perhaps you are more efficient or effective when you practice doing better what you naturally do well. By nature, you may choose to partner with individuals who recognize what you do well and acknowledge areas in which you excel. Perhaps you appreciate their willingness to provide you with opportunities to practice using your natural abilities. To some degree, you accept the need to build upon your raw talents to create true strengths.

Have you ever taken it the StrengthsFinder assessment?

If so, what were your top 5?

It’s often said that the family is the basic unit of society.

Did you know it’s also the basic unit of the church?

It’s true.

Every family is a congregation and parents are the pastors.

In fact, to lead a church, one must be able lead their family well.

I don’t know about you, but as a parent, that’s quite the responsibility.

The question is, how well are we shepherding (pastoring) our family?

We parents have the tremendous opportunity to shape our families.

We can be an internally-focused family that seeks the well-being of us…

Or we can be an externally-focused family that seeks the well-being of others.

Which best describes your family?

If we’re honest, most of us tend to be the first.

Every family has issues from time to time.

Okay, some more than others.

But if you want to improve the story of your family, consider improving the stories of others…together.

You’ll be amazed at what it does for your family.

Your problems won’t disappear, but your family will grow.

According to the United Way, families who serve together experience the following benefits:

• Awareness of social issues and a new perspective on the world
• A way to pass on family values to the children
• Discovery and development of knowledge, skills, and talents
• Quality time for the family to spend together
• Increase in interpersonal communication and the problem-solving abilities of family members
• A habit of service that will be passed on to the next generation

Communities are best formed around a common cause.

So are missional families.

Missional families are also driven by the gospel.

When the gospel has so entrenched the heart of your family, you can’t help but be good news to this world.

For my family, our mission was to begin a church who joined God in his mission in the world.

But we won’t be a missional church unless the the families are missional families made up of missional people.

Likewise, the church known as your family won’t be missional unless you are.

You, the parent, need to lead the way.

Show your family a better story.

Invite your family into a better story.

As a whole, this generation of children care more about social injustices than any other in recent history.

What a prime opportunity!

Discover where their passions are and roll with it.

Do something.

Why?

Because God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…

If God loved the world that much, so should we.

All while loving one another.

All because of Jesus.

Imagine if this was what your family was like.

If you’re a church planter, check out this amazing experience being offered by the Ecclesia Network.

αγγελος 2010

Download the brochure here: αγγελος Brochure

αγγελος is church planting training that presents a theological and practical trajectory for missional church planting.

αγγελος is unique in comparison to other church planters training opportunities available.

First, there will not be hundreds of people here. More than likely, there will be somewhere between 20-30. This means plenty of room for dialog, conversation, and questions amidst all of the planned training.

Second, everyone stays, eats, and prays together for the week. Most people leave with better friendships, some of which will be life-long, because they started the church planting journey – in this way – together.

Third, there will be a host of different equippers with unique planting stories. This gathering (as in all we try to do) isn’t dominated by just a few individuals or models of church planting. You’ll hear from a variety of planters, both seasoned and new, and learn from their experiences and approaches.

Finally, we hope to provide a good balance of theology, theory, and practicality. Each component is vital
We hope you’ll join us in May!

Topics Covered:

• Planting Missional Churches
• Planting Equipping Churches
• Staying Healthy While Planting
• Developing a Philosophy of Discipleship
• Incarnational Ecclessiology: Reading Your City
• Developing Models & Approaches
• Developing Your Team
• Navigating Team Dynamics
• Fundraising for Church Planting
• Administrative & Legal Issues
• Keeping Heart Till the End ….

General Information

Location
Richmond Hill Urban Retreat Center (www.richmondhillva.org).
Richmond Hillis a former monastery, located in the heart of the city of Richmond. Most people will be sharing a room with one other person throughout the week. All meals are all included as part of our stay and will take place on the grounds.

Registration
Email info@ecclesianet.org to confirm your spot followed by payment. A 20% deposit is required within two weeks of registration to qualify for rate and space. Full payment due May 1st, 2010.

Arrival/Departure
You should plan to arrive at the Richmond Hill Urban Retreat Center (www.richmondhillva.org) between 4.00 and 4.30 on Monday, May 17th. Please be prompt because we will start with an orientation to the week around 5.00 that evening. We plan to finish on Friday at approximately 4.00 pm.

What to Bring:
Richmond Hill provides sheets and towels for each guest. You will need to bring all other toiletries with you. In addition, please bring along any relevant documents and resources related to your particular church plant. This could include vision pieces, working budgets, drafts of values, demographic information, etc. Obviously, you should bring a copy of the scriptures with you.

Preparing to Come:
Spend some time in prayer, perhaps asking specific people to pray for you during this week. This will be a very “intense” week with a full schedule, but our hope is that it will launch God’s church planting efforts through you in an effective way.

Pricing

• Super Earlybird – before Feb 1, 2010 – $499
• Earlybird – before Mar 1, 2010 – $599
• Regular – before May 1, 2010 – $699
• Late – after May 1, 2010 – $799

A Word from a previous participant:

From the moment I arrived, I began to realize – this is a room of like-minded individuals intent on seeing the Gospel spread and healthy, missionally-minded communities planted. And in the lonely world of church planting, I can think of few things more valuable than having a handful of friends like that.

The boot camp itself was a great mix of the theoretical and the practical, the motivational and the devotional. Times of prayer, times of discussion, lots of learning and lots of dreaming. This was a healthy mix of seasoned practitioners and newer church planters all sharing what they’ve learned. And everyone was invited and expected to do the same.

The setting of the Richmond Hill community was wonderful with its rhythm of prayer and contemplative atmosphere. Hard to imagine a better setting for listening to God and seeing what it is He might be birthing through you.

-Bob Hyatt, Portland OR

What do micro-breweries, indie artists, and church plants have in common?

They are the little guys.

For as long as I can remember I’ve always rooted for the little guy.

Rocky and Drago

It began when I read “The Little Engine That Could” in first grade which preached determination and perseverance against all odds. As a child of the 80’s, I was a huge fan of the Rocky movies and recall the profound effect it had on me when the underdog American hero Rocky Balboa defeated the unstoppable, cyborg-Russian Ivan Drago. I remember hearing the PG version of the David and Goliath story in church which further cemented my affinity for the little guy.

It seems it’s the little guy that’s on the verge of what’s next; who’s the catalyst for change; who’s always pushing the envelope and challenging the status quo. They are the outlaws, the mavericks, and renegades.  Ordinary people who aren’t content with ordinary lives. Pioneers driven by dreams and fueled with hope. Their passion is unmatched.

Perhaps it’s good to always be “the little guy” at something. To feel the odds stacked against you; to need help from another; to resist complacency.

Even when the micro-brewer has a large distribution, the indie-artist has a top 20 hit, or the new church grows in influence, it’s wise to continually put ourselves in position to be the little guy. We should always be striving for something that’s too big for us. As C.S. Lewis said, “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.”

I guess the reason I root for the little guy is because I am the little guy.

May it always be so.

Several months ago, I received a message from J.R. Briggs asking if I had heard of the Ecclesia Network. He went on to inform me they were a relational network of churches who are missionally-oriented, gospel-driven, and theologically centrist. All things that describe me and Project Church.

J.R., picking up on that, thought we’d be a good fit for the network. After further dialogue with him, I was intrigued to discover more about this young church network.

Then a conversation with Chris Backert (Director of Ecclesia and all-around great guy) and JR Woodward, prompted me to consider connecting with them and the rest of the Ecclesia gang at their National Gathering in mid February. In fact, Chris made it impossible for me to say no to the invitation to join them in DC (thanks Chris).

I went…and I’m so glad I did.

Here are some impressions from my time with Ecclesia.

They are hospitable
When I arrived at the conference it was clear that many of these folks knew each other well, like a small church. I wondered if I would be viewed as an outsider or if the collective arm of Ecclesia pastors would welcome me in.

It didn’t take long before they extended their kindness to me and welcomed me in like family. Over the course of several days, many new friendships were created.

They are curious
When they found out I was from South Dakota, curiosity arose about my homeland.  Apparently, they had never met one of my kind before.  :)   I answered many questions about my city, my church, and my story.

Their collective curiosity carried over into our sessions where we learned from people such as Dallas Willard, Bob & Mary Hopkins, and one another.  They were teachable, humble, and ready to learn.

Questions-asked outweighed answers-given which is a mark of an ideal learning environment. We learned from some amazing guest speakers but the best part was learning from one another.  There is a lot of wisdom, knowledge, and experience within this tribe and the free exchange of information, stories, and best practices was priceless.

They are genuine
Unlike most church conferences, most weren’t peacocking around talking about how they have it all figured out.  Actually, most were honest about their struggles in church planting, applying what we were learning to their context, and keeping heart to press on.

I had a number of conversations with folks who told me of failed attempts, broken relationships, and insecurities.  At the same time, I heard humble stories of changed lives, personal and corporate renewal, and total dependence on Jesus.

This level of sincerity is rare in church planting circles and was a refreshing drink of water for me.

They love God
What most impressed me was that missiology and ecclesiology was never divorced from Christology.  Jesus was always front and center and held up as the source of all that a church is and what she does.

There was much talk of dependence on the Spirit of God to fulfill the mission of God.  As Dallas Willard reminded us, “We are not in charge of the outcomes…God is.”   Our role is to listen to our Father, do our very best, and let God do what God does.

I needed to be reminded of that.

They know how to enjoy
While Ecclesia pastors take God seriously, they don’t take themselves too seriously.   They are whimsical and enjoy a good laugh.  A trait that I truly cherish.

They know how to enjoy a good cigar, pipe, and drink as well.  Each night, many of us went out to a cigar bar where we let loose, shared stories, discussed theology, and laughed heartily. These were perhaps the most meaningful times and truly enriched the experience.

All in all, I was greatly blessed and encouraged by my time with Ecclesia.  These men and women have a heart for God and his mission in the world.

If you’re a church planter and considering a network, you should seriously look into the Ecclesia Network. They are gospel-driven, missional-minded, and theologically-centrist (meaning they major on the majors).

Thank you for making me feel at home Ecclesia.

Here’s to what’s to come…

Recently, I had the opportunity to pray at center ice of a local pro hockey game in front of 4500 people.

It was a sweet moment.

As I was waiting by the penalty box listening to the National Anthem, I thought, “Why me?”

With the chill of the ice beneath my feet and the chill of the goosebumps on my arms as the young gal sang, “of the land and of the freeeeee” I was dumbfounded how I got to this point.

How did I go from sitting on the sidelines of life watching others live their dreams to playing in the game and living mine?

Why me?

I’m just an ordinary guy.

Just five years ago I was content to have a good job, take care of my family, go to church, try to be a decent person, and live a comfortable life.

Until God disturbed me.

He filled me with a passion to help people live free.

And I know the only path to true freedom is the gospel.

The gospel produces community who are on a mission to make disciples.

Followers of Jesus who love God, love people, & live free.

The gospel was the seed that birthed Project Church.

And somehow, someway God called me to be a part of this.

Why me?

There are certainly better people God could have chosen.

Better pedigree.

Better leaders.

Better communicators.

Better looking.

You name it.

Some people feel the need to point out how unimpressive I am.

Too much this, not enough that.

So and so is better.

I already know.

I’m just a dude.

But I’m a dude who really loves Jesus.

I’m a dude who really wants you to live free.

To know the Jesus that I know.

To taste the grace that I’ve tasted.

To experience the freedom that I’m experiencing.

Why me?

Perhaps my life will be proof that there is a God.

Because if he can use me, he can use anybody.

That includes you!

So here’s to The Ordinaries like me.

Like Peter and John before us, may anything extraordinary we do be because we had been with Jesus.

May he always be the extra in our ordinary.

May we always remember that.

A handful of random thoughts on church planting and leadership.

There’s a healthy way to start and lead a church without losing your soul.

Jesus has left footprints to guide us and our responsibility as leaders is to see them and follow him.

Your calling to lead a church will never, ever, ever trump God’s requirements to lead a church.

Rather than starting a church at the expense of your family, include them.

He has called you not because you’re so great, but because he is.

You must be faithful in a world full of fads.

You must boldly pursue him in a world that doesn’t.

The idea of a super-spiritual lone ranger pastor from whom all things flow is unbiblical and unhealthy.

The church is the body of Christ made up of many parts, not a giant robot with you behind the controls.

Funny how I had more answers 3 years ago than I do today.

Like many would-be church planters, I was a bit arrogant and knew it all.

Then I started a church and soon new questions arose that I didn’t even know existed.

We church planters read and learn from the same circle of people.

We live in an age of cookie-cutter churches and copycat church planters.

We  look like our favorite churches and talk like our favorite leaders.

We’re not original, we’re posers.

We need to get over our man-crushes on celebrity leaders.

It’s pathetic and needs to stop.

Be a man, not a puppy dog.

Babies aren’t born adults and neither are churches.

Seeds don’t turn into trees overnight and neither do churches.

In a culture that values the speed of the microwave it’s hard to appreciate the the slow bake of an oven.

Yet, which method makes a tastier turkey?

Something to think about.

Ultimately, it’s about the gospel.

The gospel always produces community.

The gospel always compels us to mission.

The gospel always leads to Jesus.

This week, I announced that from here on out, Project Church is giving away half our budget to end human trafficking & sex slavery globally, serve the poor locally, and help start churches who share our DNA.

I’ve been told this is a crazy thing for a new church to do.

After all, we have so many needs ourselves.

“Why not wait until you’re more established?” some may ask.

But you know…we’ll always have needs.

If we were ever going to make a bold move like this, we wanted to do it while the cement was still wet in our new church plant.

And as our influence grows, so will our impact.

My prayer is that sowing this seed of generosity into the fertile soil of our baby church today will produce much fruit tomorrow.

Our mission is clear: Love God. Love People. Live Free.

In light of this, we have committed to focus on three actions of social justice:

1. Being good news to the poor
In particular, in our local community.

We have a relationship with an elementary school that’s located in the heart of the most impoverished area of our city.  Our hope is to utilize this common ground to reach out to the students, families, and staff of this school and be good news to them in creative and loving ways.

2. Freedom for the enslaved
Freedom comes in many forms. So does slavery. We are committed to helping people live free in many ways however, one particular cause has broken our hearts and captured our imagination: human trafficking and sex slavery.  With two children sold every minute with an estimated 27 million souls crying out for freedom, we must do something!

Our church is going to partner with Love146.org. Their vision is the abolition of child sex slavery and exploitation. Nothing less.

That’s a fight worth fighting!

To work to that end, they provide aftercare for the children who have been trapped in this horrific industry as well as prevention programs to bring awareness to the issue.

3. Joining God in advancing the gospel
We believe the most effective way to do this is through starting fresh expressions of gospel-driven churches.

The gospel of grace found in Jesus is the greatest news to ever hit humanity.  Our love for him compels us to love others and join together in communities of faith to become more like Jesus.

There’s no greater cause than the gospel.

Giving half our offering away is a huge leap of faith for our church and we’re trusting that God will provide for all of our needs. Following him is one grand adventure and something tells me we’re just getting started.

In sharing this, please know this is not just a “Jason Salamun” thing, it is a “Project Church” thing.  I’m so thankful to be a part of a community who are willing to make bold moves for the Kingdom.

Please be in prayer for us.  We would greatly appreciate it.

If you are interested in investing in what Project Church is doing, click here to give securely via PayPal.

“Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.” – Miles Davis

We live in an amazing age.  The world has become increasingly connected and small because of the interwebs, cell phones, and nifty gadgets.

As a preacher, I’ve found that podcasts are incredibly useful.  Being able to listen to the best communicators in the world whenever I want is a real gift. Not to mention surveying the culture, listening to seminary classes on iTunes U, and keeping up with leadership stuff from people like Catalyst.

On a given week I listen to between 15-20 sermons to learn from well-known preachers like Tim Keller, Francis Chan, Matt Chandler, and Andy Stanley.  I also enjoy listening to preacher friends from around the country to stay up with their churches as well as other lesser known pastors who are further down the road than me.  When I think about it, I’ve probably listened to thousands of sermons and my life and ministry have been greatly enriched because of it.

But there’s a downside for the preacher.

We can end up sounding so much like those we admire that we don’t put the effort in to find our own voice.

For years, Mark Driscoll has been a can’t-miss podcast for me.  His blend of bible teaching, humor, and confrontational style appeals to my macho-man self.  Like many, I highly respect him and have learned a great deal from him through his preaching and writing.  However, last year I listened to a podcast of mine and noticed how much I sounded like him.

It was eerie and I didn’t like what I had heard.  Why? Because it wasn’t me.

I never wanted to be a cookie cut from someone else’s mold.  Just Jesus’. Yet that’s exactly what was happening.

Yes, we should learn from others. Yes, we are influenced by others. Yes, there are many who are better. BUT God has given me, and everything other preacher, a unique voice.  He has not called us to be the next John Piper, Rob Bell, Perry Noble, or Rick Warren. He has called us to be the first us!  Preachers are to follow Jesus, discover and use our voice, and make disciples who listen to His voice.

Instead, I sounded like a Driscollpalian. A Mark Driscoll clone.

So I took a dramatic step. I went on a three month Mark Driscoll fast. Yep, I fasted from Mark Driscoll. I didn’t read his books, listen to his podcasts, or view his tweets.

I know it sounds funny, but I was (and still am) on a journey to find my voice. It wasn’t about him, it was about me. I needed to recalibrate and get on the track to finding my voice.

Driscoll (and other gifted leaders) have remarkable ministries and younger guys like me can learn a lot from them.  But let us put aside the desire to be them. We are not. We are us!

I will never be Leonard Sweet, Erwin McManus, Steven Furtick, or any other well-known preacher. I will be Jason Salamun. I will (by the grace of God) grow as a communicator of the gospel by opening my bible and pointing people to Jesus.

While I’m at it, Project Church will never be Mars Hill, LifeChurch.tv, Mosaic, or any other well-known church. We will be Project Church. And while we worship the same God as these wonderful churches, our fingerprint is our own.  So is yours.

So how do you find your voice?

I’m still learning but the only way I know of to find your voice is to preach and preach some more.  It doesn’t just happen, it takes work. “Swinging ’til your hands bleed” I heard someone say. Everyone starts somewhere.  (Ever notice how Driscoll’s early sermons in the mid-90’s aren’t even listed on their media page?)

It might also be helpful to listen to yourself (as painful as that might be) and ask people you respect to give you honest feedback.

We live in a funny time. Because of the availability of messages online today, people will compare you to their favorites and criticize you against that standard. Be cautious about who you listen to. I’m much more apt to listen to a wise mentor or trusted friend than some internet sermon savant who knows little about me or my community.  I’ve had my fair share of those know-it-all bible school students who want to haggle over secondary matters in a church they aren’t even connected to.  Don’t go down that road. You’ve got better things to do (like loving people).

If you’re a preacher, let me remind of this: you are called! Be humble and learn, be patient and grow, and be faithful and preach. You have a mighty task and stand in a line of imperfect people God has used to change hearts and history.

Find your voice my friend.  The world needs you to bring Jesus.

And if you’re the critic, cut the preacher some slack. They might be working a full-time job while planting a start-up church, leading a family of four, dealing with stress and burden of being a leader that you’ll never fully understand, while pouring their heart and soul into helping jacked-up people take their first and next steps in following Jesus. If they aren’t a straight-up heretic, then the least you can do is nut-up, pray them up, and offer up some freakin’ encouragement because trust me pal, they could really use it!

The story of Project Church began in my living room with a group of friends who began to dream of a church who tethered ourselves to God and followed wherever he leads.

After six months, we decided to meet in public and began gathering at a local coffee house and welcome more people into our story.  Over the last year we have been on a discovery process as we began to build an identity as a gospel-driven community on a mission of love.

Then, out of the blue, we received a phone call from the Elks Theatre over a month ago informing us their 600-seat vintage theater was available.  It’s a cultural landmark for our community and is located in the heart of Rapid City with ample parking nearby.  After much discussion and prayer, it became clear that God was moving and since we were committed to tethering ourselves to him, we had to go where he led.  The decision to move was made and Sunday, October 18 was going to be the big day.

That led us to today where we had our first service and once again God was on the move.  We immediately had our largest attendance and a number of people took steps towards Jesus.

Today, we saw that we were part of something bigger than us- something we can’t take credit for – and something that’s just the beginning of what God is going to do in the Black Hills and beyond.

What moved me the most today was seeing spectators becoming participants.  It was literally all hands on deck and it was a beautiful sight to behold.  I’m truly humbled to be a part of this and to have such amazing people on board with the mission of Project Church.   Thank you all so much!  I love you guys big time!!! What you did today helped people take steps to Jesus. That is so stinking HUGE!!!  And we’re just getting started.

For my friends who are following our story, thank you for your prayers and encouragement.   We’ll need them moving forward as we take steps in being the church Jesus had in mind.  This is our great project.

For those of you wanting to jump on board, what are you waiting for?  Now’s the time!

To listen to today’s message, visit theJesusSessions.org or subscribe via iTunes. The audio quality isn’t the best but it will give you a flavor of today.  Below are some snapshots from our first gathering courtesy of Jen for your viewing pleasure.

Now we get to do this all over again next week.