I don’t know how many people warned us that the original team that we planted our church with wouldn’t be there after a year. It was difficult for us to believe that, because our team was made up of our best friends. We couldn’t imagine being without them. However, for a variety of different reasons, we found ourselves 8 months into this thing with our original team gone. I’m actually very grateful that I was warned, because I prepared my heart. I told myself that if it did happen, that I would release and bless our team members as they moved on. I can see how it would be easy to get hurt and resentful when people leave you. But you’ve got to release them. It’s hard because when you pick up and move to plant a church, you feel very vulnerable. There are times you feel very alone, even when you’re surrounded by people. There is a temptation to put your trust in the people around you, particularly the ones you love. But you MUST resist. You have no control of the people around you. One guarantee, is that they will come and go. But God, God is forever. The grass withers, and flower fades away, but the word of God endures forever. One of the things I am learning as people come and go, is that God is. He never changes. He’s always there.

Interestingly enough, we’re going through our second round of transitions. The team of people that God brought us once we moved to Missoula is now slowly starting to leave us. Again, it’s for a variety of reasons. None have left because of conflict of any sort. There’s nothing that we could have done differently. So, I’m left with only one thing…trusting God. It’s hard when you have a small church with LOTS of needs. When you find someone who is gifted, you want to kidnap them and put them to work! But the only real option I have is to trust in God. Trust that He knows better than I. That his thoughts are higher than mine, and also his ways. Believe that because I’m willing to release and bless people as they leave, that He is going to bless us and multiply the people that we are sowing.

It’s all about perspective. You can sit around and have a pity party, trying to figure out if you’re doing something wrong, or why they’re leaving you. But if you choose to see it as sending out, then you are sowing seed that the bible says God will multiply.

So, I’m believing for bigger and better things to come. I’m believing for even greater people, if that’s possible. I believe that is the God that we serve. One who’s for us, not against us. One who has promised to build his church. One who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we could ask or think. That’s my God, and the One who sees this not so much as a transition, but a positioning for blessing.

I’m a huge advocate for keeping the faith by keeping it simple. I think we complicate things way too much by requiring way too many meetings, making way too many rules, and creating way too much red tape. So here’s my attempt to outline 3 things that I would like to see RCC people do well. If you do these 3 things, you’re walking out the vision of RCC. If you’re not doing these 3 things, I challenge you to get engaged:

1. Engaged Collectively. We want people to be an active part of Sunday morning worship. This means more than just showing up at 11am and warming a seat. This means engaging.  Find a way to serve. Find a way to be a part. Get involved. It could be as simple as setting up chairs.
2. Engaged Relationally. We want you to be engaged in other people’s lives. The easiest way to do this is through our small groups we call LifeGroups. Find one that works for you. Start one yourself. Let’s face it, you can’t be engaged relationally with others if you don’t spend time with them!
3. Engaged Missionally. We want you to be actively reaching out to our community and the world for Jesus. This is called being missional and it’s engaging in Jesus’ mission for his church. There are numerous ways to do this. Get involved in our Helicopter Egg Drop. Volunteer your time with a nonprofit. Spend time with people who haven’t yet made a decision to follow Jesus. Keep it simple. Don’t complicate this.

Whether you’re a business leader, civic leader, or church leader, this book is for you. This has got to be one of the best books that has come out in some time. If you’re a leader of any type, you need to download this book. It’s free.

What someone has done is taken the best blogs of 2008, from some of the best church leaders in North America, and compiled them into a book format, arranged by author.

You can read one entry a day and it will last you the entire year. Or you can do as I do, and just keep reading until your eyes turn bloodshot because the entries are all so good!

Happy reading!

I really LOVE our core team, which is why I declared WAR on them yesterday! We had a team meeting planned, and rather than just talk business like we usually do, I decided to rent the paintball facility in the basement of our building. Everyone except for me were first time paintballers, and a couple were quite skeptical. But it turned out to be a blast! We had a seriously good time just letting down and having some fun. It’s something we don’t do enough of. Planting a church is hard work, but we need to learn to have some fun together while we’re doing it!