honeymoon is over, dig in your heels

Today I met with a Journey Group leader who has been "at it" for a good 6 months or longer. He and his wife are doing a great job at opening up there home on a weeknight to welcome in both people from CCC and friends and...well, just about anyone. Their schedules are a lot like everyone else's, but the people keep coming back. The leaders lead, but nobody is an expert. They all have questions, but nobody has all the answers.

The last two weeks or so have been a good indicator of where this Journey Group is most likely headed. Lots of questions. Some people following Jesus, some not. Some good thinkers, some simple folks. Really, it's going quite well. Over some decent lunch sandwiches today we talked about how "the honeymoon might be over, and now it might be time to dig in the heels." (Anyone who has been married for awhile might be able to identify with that idea. There is a lot of beauty and bliss in marriage and then there are times that you just have to figure things out.) Certain people are opening up a little bit more about where they are at spiritually. Some are really searching for some significant purpose and answers to serious life questions. Some really want to know their Bibles better. Some people just need to be around healthy adults -and it shows.

This Journey Group gets it. They have met, gone through the introduction phase and now they are turning up the temperature on vulnerability and authenticity. People in this group are trusting other people (something pretty rare this day in age). While the leaders continue to be obedient to their responsibility as leaders, they are leading people to go through life together with Jesus at the center and it just doesn't get much better than that if you ask me. They are diggin in their heels to love people and if they keep the reality of the Gospel at the center of everything God will use this whole idea to make disciples that have kingdom impact.

It was a highlight of my week!

SO HELP ME GOD

Just the other day, President Barack Obama put his hand on the Holy Bible and swore into the office of American Presidency. At the conclusion, much like the 4 to 8 year turnovers in office, 43 other American men have uttered this phrase as they become president - "SO HELP ME GOD."

Oh how true it is. A commitment, a prayer, an oath..."sworn in". SO HELP ME GOD is something that I personally feel necessary to utter frequently in local, good-ol Omahan Nebraskan, church leadership. I can't imagine leadership at the national and world levels. SO HELP ME GOD is an understatement for my everyday life - how much more it would deem necessary for Obama. It wouldn't be a bad idea for me to take a minute everyday, place my hand on the Word, and make a few "so help me God" statements around the daily things that come my way.

SO...HELP HIM GOD
My prayer this morning is that God would help President Obama. May he lead well. May he transition with grace and favor during these first few days and weeks and moments. May God bring him to a place spiritually that glorifies the heavenly realities and kingdom. So help him God.

SO HELP US ALL!

all over the map and in my living room at the same time

"Authenticity really does matter to me."

"We weren't meant to understand God on our own."

"Here's what you can expect from me (when we meet)."

"I need this. I'm tired of just going to church on Sundays and leaving, and coming back...and..."

"I'm excited about this group because we (my husband and I) are still looking for some good friendships and relationships and community."

"I'm hoping to go deeper a little bit because I get the basics and talk about the basics a lot."

"I'm looking forward to this small group thing."

"We're still exploring a lot of our religious things."

These are few of the comments that flew around my living room on Tuesday night as we sipped decaf, enjoyed some delicious bread that my wife baked up, and watched our children meet and interact together in the basement.

People are all over the map when it comes spiritual realities and I'm so greatful that in Acts 2 God designed it and laid out a picture of what it looks like to discover Him in community. Single moms, our neighbors, people from CCC, all together in one room, organized chaos in the basement with the kids, and it is still very, very...very clear - God is building his church and seeking and saving humanity.

We are super jazzed to be diving into our newest Journey Group endeavors on Tuesday nights from here forward. We need it. Other need it. God is using it. Amen.

Journey Groups EMBRACE Global Summit

The globe encompasses our denomination's logo to simpy remind us that the world still has to be reached and missionary efforts are a part of the plan.

Christ Community Church's annual Global Summit is slotted out for February 8th-15th.

Journey Groups will be embracing the awesome opportunity of Global Summit by simply bringing the featured Global Summit missionaries right into the already established Journey Group homes. Instead of a service or seminar approach to the mid-week Global Summit efforts to learn about CCC missionary partnerships, we'll be hosting missionaries in Journey Groups across the city, on different nights of the week, in living rooms! This opportunity lends a much more relational approach to missionaries and allows Q and A while building community.

That simply means that during Global Summit week your Journey Group can take a breather from your plan and host a missionary!

Here's how it will work...

The Global Summit missionaries will be hosted in different Journey Groups on these nights:
Sunday evening, Feb 8th
Monday evening, Feb 9th
Tuesday evening, Feb 10th
Thursday evening, Feb 12th

The Global Summit missionaries will be hosted in a few Journey Groups and classes on these mornings:
Sunday AM at CCC, Feb 8th
Sunday AM at CCC, Feb 15th

FAQs:
1) What if my group isn't meeting that week, but we still want to jump in on the opportunity?
A) Someone in your JG can host this idea "offline" from your normal JG meeting time.

2) So, how many people are going to show up at my JG that night if we host?
A) Your JG plus approx 15-20 people. There is no "sign up" process, but since the missionaries will be highlighted 4 different evenings (spread out throughout the week) you don't have to buy more furniture!

3) What about food?
A) The host home/JG should coordinate a light snacks and perhaps a drink, but "dinner" is not expected nor encouraged. However, if your JG folks want to share a meal before the missionaries and other CCC people arrive that would be a good way to connect. (By the way, most JGs can easily identify the person who has a gift of hospitality-this is right up their ally!)

4) Our JG already barely fits in our living room, how can we participate?
A) Someone has already labeled this as the "crowded house China church reality." When was the last time you tried to check your living room's capacity?! Our suggestion is to ask around to your JG members, someone in your JG might have a larger home than your current JG host home. This could be their opportunity to step up to the plate for the kingdom.

5) What if my JG meets on Sunday AM?
A) Someone in your JG can host during one of the evenings above. Although Global Summit missionaries are highlighted on Sunday AM Feb 8th and 15th, their demands will be high with students, children, worship venues, etc. Not all of the Sunday AM JGs will be able to have missionaries visit their JG.

6) What if my JG is meeting on a night that I want to go and hear firsthand about Mali, China, etc?
A) Your JG needs to go with you! If your JG is meeting on one of the nights listed above, your JG is welcome to join another JG to hear from a missionary. If you're the JG leader, give your JG the heads up that this is the agenda for the week of Feb 8th -15th. If you're not the JG leader, ask your leader about your Journey Group's plan for Global Summit week.

7) What if I'm in a Journey Group and I haven't heard anything about this from my leader?
A) Chances are - you're an emerging Journey Group leader! Much like question 6, ask your JG leader for the scoop on Global Summit week.

8) What's the big idea/vision around this approach?
A) By the conclusion of Global Summit week, when we pray the missionaries back to the mission field(s), we want to see Journey Group participants embrace missions not as something that we're only a part of at CCC (finances, resources, prayer), but also as something that makes up our DNA. Who knows, maybe your JG will be so excited that you'll end up "adopting" a missionary? Maybe half of your JG will GO on a short term trip together? Maybe someone in your Journey Group will become a missionary? The exposure and kingdom impact is unpredictable but worth every effort.

check back later for more FAQs as they come in...